Use the links above to see more photos.

Our new house is too far from my school for a bicycle ride so I was in the market for a motorbike. The Honda Wave is the top of the line at about $1500. Then there are a host of Chinese makes which I was warned against. But the Kolao goes for about $650.

As it's name implies, it's a Korea-Laos co-production. Parts are imported from Korea, China and Thailand and assembled in Savannakhet, a city in southern Laos. So here it is. My candy-apple red, 110cc 4-stroke engine with a clutch-less 4 speed transmission. Now all I need is a pirated DVD of "Easy Rider".

When you buy a motorbike in SE Asia you're not just buying transportation, you're buying entry into a subculture. I'll be giving you glimpses of this in coming months.