You've just got to know the right person - -

I bought a Chinese made 'hawg' from a dealer in District 7.
(Told at the shops I visited that it was made here in VN !)
Also viewed the same bike at a couple of different dealerships around the city, but the shop I ended up purchasing it at is only 5 minutes ride from my apartment.
Figured the closer the better - not knowing anything about bike dealers in VN at that time.   
I should have figured it was a bad District to spend my money in - no competition.
Live and learn !

Lately time pasted and the bike sat doing nothing in the parking garage under our apartment block for a couple of months with only a couple of short engine run-ups weekly, due to my broken leg, it started to develop lots of engine running problems, it was an embarrassment to drive, more like a Honda Cub! It made a new home in the service bay it visited so many times.

No improvement.

So I posted and JaitcH said Cho Lon! Never been there, so we met and he took me to his friend Manh, custom machine shop owner, and discussed the matter. Manh, followed by myself and JaitcH peeled off down Nguyen Chi Thanh (I think it was) to see the Master.

Bad timing - the Master was at his Pagoda. Went back later and he saw the machine (it does look good) and he twisted a couple of screws on the engine and immediately it sounded better.

He's a busy guy, the Master Mechanic, but he squeezed me in today. JaitcH and I went for a coffee. An hour later we went back and there it was, in all it's glory. Only VND100,000.

Purrs like a kitten! A tiger type of kitten.

JaitcH also knows a place that resurrects dead Honda's, rebuilds cam shafts, polishes engines for greater power and so forth.

By  the way JaitcH DOES wear a helmet cam which he re-sets before starting out on each leg of a trip.

He can also give you a lovely demonstration on how to deal with those taxis that seem to think they can push motorbikes off the road ! Witnessed that little trick today myself !

LOVELY TO WATCH AND THE TAXIS DID END UP GETTING OUT OF THE WAY !