Getting a motorcycle licence for 175 + CC bikes?

Roughly: "two-wheeled motorcycle cylinder 175cm3 or more.

You have to go the full monty on the test - "theory" and the Figure 9's.

I've been working on an on-line drivers prep course in my so-called spare time. Might host it one one of my servers or Google. Learning the key Vietnamese words is the most important, and difficult,  part.

Why do you need a bigger engine? I tow trailers with my slightly boosted 125cc Kymco weekly between TP HCM and TP Buon Ma Thuot.

A guy was killed on the road outside my house the other day, very effective, and he only had a 125cc. (Kymco now have fuel injected units that go like a bat)

Yes, foreigners can also get a licence above the 175 cc cap. Just recently I was reading something to in one of the VN online newspaper responses. As I am unable to find it back that quick, here some points I remember somehow:

1 - you must pass driving Licence
2 - Find an MC, who is taking you in as a member
3 - Your bike
4 - Participation on events
5 - Monthly fees

I remember, the fees listed where quite reasonable (An MC from Da Nang? was quoted).

Depending on where you life. A good source did let me know, that at least the local police will not accept the validity of such driving licences for foreigners - meaning- they stop you, you follow the paper mill.

I personally can not understand, why you want to make yourself anyway to a target for police and thiefs, the road conditions and traffic are additional reasons to stay away. Any accident, your (big) bike is involved, even in parked condition, will just raise the claims.

Good points, l3ully.

There's a guy who travels the Nguyen Van Linh Highway ((TP HCM) every day, at least driving a reverse tricycle motorcycle!

Huge, noisy thing with wheels like a car and as wide as a compact car.

Every week, when there is a CGST rotation of crews he gets stopped. Out with all the papers and it takes him an age to satisfy their needs.

A friend has a larger engined standard machine and all he did was to change the stickers (indicating engine size) to those used on smaller version and he never gets hassled. The exhaust pipe diameter is a give away, though.

OP

This might anser a few points:

Q:
A driver with a European Category A (unrestricted motorbike) licence wanted to drive a large motorbike in VietNam. He had previously held a Vietnamese driving licence and been a fully participating member of the TP HCM District 10 Motorbike Club. It was never possible for a Foreigner, at that time, to own a large capacity motorbike.

Now there are large motorbikes with NN number plates, suggesting that Foreigners may own large motorbikes. If this is so, do I have the right to import mine into VietNam for my personal use without becoming liable to the ultra high import taxes that one frequently hears of being discussed amongst Foreigners?

A:
N number plate after having imported your bike into the country.

Based on our contact with the driving license issuing section at the HCM City Department of Transport, according to Decision 258/2010/QD-TTg (HCMC), issued in January last year, you can obtain a driving license for a high capacity motorbike dependent on the following requirements:

– Ownership of your motorbike

– Your national driving license for high capacity motorbikes

– Membership of the VietNam Cycling Federation. To find out more please phone (04) 38230574. The driving licence issuing section noted that all other memberships outside that of the central government office is not valid.

As with most things in dealing with government, everyone has different experiences and outcomes.

IF YOU ARE BUYING a big machine be careful where you shop.

Bach Dang Street, Tan Binh District; Nguyen Xi and Ung Van Khiem Streets, Binh Thanh District. Nguyen Xi Street and Ung Van Khiem Street have hot/smuggled motorcycles for sale - and ALL illegal!

Really informative, thanks guys! This is very useful to me and will undoubtedly be so is well for people googling a similar queries to the one's answered in this thread.

L3lly has pointed out all the neccessary criterion you need to know. And accident-wise here, the bigger machine you own, the more damage fee you'll need to pay and bribe the Cong An, even in a stationary position, even you accidently are involved in the accidents, because they think you may have money! So, foreigners without in-depth connections better stay away from those charming machine!

And getting the licence, you'll need a bike, and if you're looking for bikes in the shop they'll ask if you have your licence. Or you need to be in a Motorclub or in the army or in a particular Cong An department to be allowed to get the A2. The monthly fee of a Motorclub is about 5 Mio/Month. You'll be given the chance of taking part in some kind of demonstration patrol/escort and own any machine you desire, Harley Davidson, BMW, Ducati, Kawasaki, Can-Am etc...

P/S: you look a bit too white for a guy from Zambia