Hi

I am planning a motorbike trip around SE Asia starting in Hanoi on 9th January 2013 and would appreciate any advice from anyone who has done the trip on things like what kind of bike is needed (min engine size etc), names of good road maps or whether iphone offline maps are a better option, any recommended roads or routes, good websites for info, especially what the border crossings are like and any recommended sites, accessories to pack, documents i should carry etc.... as you can see, i am just starting out but would appreciate advice or links to where i can find the info. In the meantime i will be finding out what i can. To summarise the trip here is a rough plan:

1. Buy motorbike, helmet and accessories in Hanoi
2. Travel south towards Dalat, Vietnam and cross in to Laos at the nearest border crossing.
3. Travel north and cross in to Thailand to start in Isaan territory in the North
4. Drive down through Thailand down the east side and down through south Thailand
5. Enter and drive down east Malaysia
6. Possibly visit Singapore
7. Possibly go to Sumatra
8. Either sell bike or drive up west borders Malaysia and Thailand to China (if can take bike in to China) alternatively sell bike here, fly to china and buy a bike in China)
9. Travel on to Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal and India either by motorbike or by public transport.

Thats the rough plan and at the moment i am in the UK, arranging a CBT motorbike test (upto 125cc) to then get insurance cover. I will also get an international driving license but i am not planning on taking the time to get a motorbike driving license in each country i visit.

Thanks in advance, Wix