Modified motorbikes upgraded for illegal night racing in Vietnam

An underworld of illegal racing and modified motorbikes has long existed beyond the imaginations of the common laymen, especially in major cities in Vietnam.

A motorbike can be modified so that it can reach the unimaginable speed of almost 200 kilometers per hour. These modified bikes used for night racing are commonly called ‘xe cọp’ (literally ‘tiger bike’), possibly because of its ferocious speed.

But who modifies these bikes? The answer is experienced motorbike mechanics out of repair shops along streets and highways in major cities. Some shops disguise themselves as only repairing but also secretly do these modifications.

On request, the mechanics can modify a normal motorbike to reach frightening speeds at prices ranging from VND30 million (US$1,440) to hundreds of millions of dong.

‘Filtering’ into the world

In a coffee shop on Nguyen Anh Thu Street in Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City, on the night of June 25, a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper journalist had a talk with a motorbike racer named Khang.

Khang boasted that he is now riding a modified Yamaha Exciter, and racing for money.

“It cost hundreds of millions of dong to modify this bike. It was adjusted to have three pistons for strengthening the engine.

“The winner of a race pockets 5-10 million dong.

“It takes me 22-23 seconds to cross the finish line of a 1.2km race,” Khang said. 1.2km in only 23 seconds translates to 32 minutes for 100km, or almost 200km an hour on average. Tuoi Tre could not check this speed.

One of the most popular ‘modifying shops’ now is named Po, located in An Tinh Commune of Trang Bang District in southern Tay Ninh Province.

Tuoi Tre met Khuong Nicolai, a well known mechanic of the Po shop, to find out more about ‘upgrading’ a bike to a ‘xe cọp’.

Riding a Yamaha Exciter available in his shop, Khuong explained, “You shouldn’t pay attention to the speedometer of a modified bike. The important thing is that can you feel how fast it is.”

Khuong also added that the speed meter cannot display accurately the true speed of a modified bike.

“I do everything from A to Z for this bike and I charge 30 million dong,” Khuong explained, adding that he was once riding a racing bike.

On big holiday occasions such as Liberation Day on April 30 or National Day on September 2, hundreds of racing bikes gather in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province or Dong Nai Province in the south to take part in races.

During the holidays, many ‘modifying shops’ advertised themselves by hiring bold riders to ride their bikes. The shop owners prefer the reputation from winning a big race to making the most money.

Tuoi Tre witnessed Khoa, owner of a modifying shop located at the entrance gate of Ba Ria City in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, deal with a young man looking to modify his Yamaha Exciter at the price of VND45 million ($2,200).

Motorbikes such as the Honda Dream and Wave or the Yamaha Exciter are mostly preferred for modifications for races.

Thanh, owner of a modifying shop on National Highway 51, admitted he can modify a bike but does not dare ride them because, “The speed is horrifying. I’ve never tried a bike I modify. I leave it for my staff.”

To prepare for a race, modified bikes are often transported on a truck to evade the attention of police.

A night race

A night race often starts at 2:00 in the morning since it is the time police rarely patrol.

On a night in May, a dozen modified bikes flocked to a desolate road near the Phu My 3 industrial park in Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Thousands of young people also gathered roadside to watch the riding skills of the daredevils.

Riders are mostly aged from 16 to 24, and do not wear traffic helmets.

The road was almost blocked for the races since trucks and cars were forced to helplessly wait for the end of each race to finish.

A man who lives for night races but fears the speed can buy and modify a motorbike and then hire a ‘professional’ rider to join races. The hired rider gets no more than 20 percent of whatever money he can win.

By law, both night racers and those who modify the bikes are at fault, according to Major Tran Hong Minh, vice head of the traffic police department in Ho Chi Minh City.

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