SHOULD I GET A MOTORBIKE?

Oh gawd, YES! Honestly, if you don’t think you’re up to the task, I would not recommend coming to Hanoi. This is the mode of transportation that the city was made for. If you don’t take the plunge it’s not likely that you’ll have a great time here. It might be intimidating at first, but if Vietnamese grandmothers can do it, so can you. I believe in you! Hanoi is a great place to learn.

DO I NEED TO BE LICENSED TO DRIVE A MOTORBIKE IN VIETNAM?

Technically yes… but I don’t know a single person who actually is. I’m certainly not, and I’ve never had any issues. I have almost never heard of a foreigner even being pulled over in Hanoi. The majority of traffic cops don’t speak English so most won’t bother with you. But on the off-chance that you ever do get pulled over, just play dumb. Just smile and shrug until they roll their eyes and send you on your way.

Note: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is a different story. It’s still a free-for-all, but foreigners are not exempt from consequences in the same way that they are in Hanoi. Most police officers speak English, and they will not hesitate to stop you if you are doing something wrong. If you get stopped, and you are in the wrong, you’ll likely have to bribe them. Don’t worry though! That is a pretty common experience in the developing world, and should not cause you any anxiety. You aren’t on Capitol Hill, you’re in freaking Vietnam. Lighten up.

WHERE SHOULD I BUY MY MOTORBIKE?

There’s plenty of good options in Hanoi of course, but here’s what what I think are the 2 most reliable places to address your motorbike-related needs.... 

QUANG MINH MOTORS 
Address: 82 Chua Ha Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi

Mr. Minh is a decent guy and has good English – I used him during my entire time in Hanoi. You’ll want to know a little something about bikes before you go though, or else bring a friend that does, because if you walk in and ask for the cheapest one (like I have done multiple times), he’ll show you a piece of junk. It’ll be up to you to tell the difference between a piece of crap and a good bike. He’s good to be in business with, but he’ll sell you a broken down bike if he can. All that said, he’s one of the more reliable institutions in Hanoi. He’ll throw in the helmet for you and fix your bike for free forever if you buy from him. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to drive your bike all the way to his shop if it has a problem so people are able to cash in on that promise a lot less often than you’d think. If you can though, it’s nice.

HANOI MASSIVE / HANOI MARKETPLACE

We’re back to this again. Seriously – anything you need you can find on Massive. If you need to expand your search a bit check out a group called Hanoi Marketplace. You can find some good stuff there as well.

WHERE CAN I GET MY MOTORBIKE FIXED?

There are approximately a billion garages in Hanoi. Most often, if you bike has a serious issue, you will be forced to push your bike to the nearest garage and you are at the mercy of whatever self-proclaimed mechanic you broke down nearest to. In these scenarios, all I can say is keep an eye out. I have had friends who have had mechanics slash their tires when they thought they weren’t looking. They say one bad apple can ruin the bunch, so just be wary. If you have a choice in garages though, here is my garage:

“MUSTACHE MAN GARAGE” 
Address: 282 Doi Can Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi

This was my and my roommates’ garage in Hanoi. We named it this in honor of the owner’s impressive mustache. If you go there and there are no mustaches around, don’t worry. You’re in the right place. He’s not there very often. They are trustworthy and skilled mechanics who will not rip you off. However, they do not speak English, so if you can’t physically demonstrate what is wrong with your bike, be prepared with Google Translate or a friend you can call to translate.