Do I go for a CRF150 or W175?

Schu said:

One exception might be if you plan to ride two up. Not sure the CRF is a good choice for a passenger.

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Ah, this is exactly what I was worried about. We will be two-up. I gave up on encouraging Wifey to get that little M on her license. She crashed a moped once in her teens, and grabbing the handlebars on gas-powered bikes still gives her bad flashbacks. She does great on electrics though, so I think if I broke my wrist and we were miles from the nearest hospital, she could get us there, but typically I'm the designated chauffeur.

Schu said:

If you don't already have a favorite backpack, check this one out. I am on my second one, only because I gave the first one to my son who is still using it after at least 4 or 5 years. It's a great deal at under $40.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fieldline-Motorcycle-All-Weather-Backpack-Black/23591041

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Wow, that is a really great price for a good bag. We have two great backpacking bags that we found at a local outlet a couple of years ago, super lightweight and huge capacity, but I appreciate the recommendation. I'm planning to rent a locker so we only need to carry a couple days' worth of crap with us, also. That way we only ride with one bag for the two of us.

Whoooo-whee that was a really nice little vacation but Jesus Fried Chicken is it stressful on those roads. I shot some video from the W175 I rented that I'll post later, but I spent the ride to the airport thinking of some things I wanted to share, and now's the time to share, or I'll forget too much.

If you get the chance to travel to Bali, do it! It's a nice place to spend a vacation. If you get the chance to rent a two-wheeler here, rent a scooter. Motorcycles are super impractical because so much of the traffic is stop-and-go and so much of the stopping is ABRUPT. Oh, but don't drive a car here, that's something I wouldn't wish on anyone, not even [politician you hate].

If I did it all over again, I'd have rented a 125cc scooter after arrival rather than a motorcycle in advance, because rental shops are a dime a dozen and you can kick the tires. I booked a bike in advance because I wanted it to be one fewer thing to think about during the vacation, and they delivered to our Airbnb, but that meant I was put into a take-it-or-leave-it position with a deposit already paid.

If a driver flashes his headlights, it doesn't mean "Please proceed, good sir, I wish to yield," as it might in other parts of the world, it means "Ready or not, MFer, here I come." If a vehicle has blue flashing lights, it's so you'll pay attention to them, not because it's a police vehicle.

Generally there are basically no rules about who has right of way unless there is a light. This leads to all kinds of gridlock, with cars trying to creep through without colliding with anyone and bikes squeezing through on all sides. On the shoulder. On the centerline. On the sidewalk sometimes.

So yeah, go to Bali, it's really something!