Fellow Motorist: Vaune Phan, marketer

Ms Phan is a Singaporean motorbike enthusiast with a string of two-wheelers before her first car, a Ferrari F430 with artwork hand-painted by local artist Cherin Sim.

When did you get your driving licence and riding licences?

I got both my Class 3 and 2B motorcycle licence at 18, and then my Class 2 at 24. Both the Class 3 and Class 2 took me one attempt, while the 2B and 2A took three and two attempts respectively.

How long have you been driving and riding in Singapore?

I’ve been a motorist and biker for about 15 years. 

As both a driver and a biker, what do you like about motoring in Singapore?

I appreciate how organised the traffic in Singapore can be, and as our country is small, it’s easy and fast to get from one place to another. 

I do feel that more measures can be taken to enhance the road safety for bikers, such as introducing a motorcycle stopping bay at the front of the traffic lights, or more campaigns to encourage drivers to give way to bikers and check their blind spots, etc. 

What do you dislike about motoring in Singapore? 

The weather - something we can't change, unfortunately. It gets really humid and at times not the most comfortable for riding. 

Separately, I personally find that more can be done to encourage road courtesy, for the safety of all road users. 

Also, as bikers are more likely to be affected while riding in all sorts of weather conditions, it would be helpful if safe zones or pit stops are introduced and made available to bikers for them to take shelter when it starts to pour. 

Shell at Paya Lebar has taken such an initiative where they would allocate a safe space for bikers to take shelter and park their bikes, and they even have an indoor deli corner where bikers (and drivers) can fuel themselves up with delicious snacks and beverages while waiting for the rain to stop. More of such safe pit stops would be good, as currently bikers will stop under the bridge or by a sheltered road shoulder which is not safe, in my opinion. 

Remember your first bike?

It was a KTM 200 EGS dirt bike scrambler.

What do you ride these days?

Ducati 899 Panigale and Suzuki DR200. 

What were your most memorable past rides?

All my rides were memorable, especially those cross-countries. These include:

1. My solo ride from Singapore to the Himalayas, Tibet on my Suzuki DR200.

2. My solo ride from Singapore to Cambodia on my Ducati Hypermotard 796.

3. The ride to the highest motorable road in the world, Khardung La, and through the harsh terrains of Leh, Ladakh, India, on a Royal Enfield Bullet 500.

4. The ride from New Delhi to Shimla, and riding on snow in Mussoorie, India.

5. Track days at Sepang on a Ducati Superleggera, Aprilia RSV4, and BMW S1000RR.

6. Riding in Chiang Mai on a Ducati Multistrada 1200.

7. Riding from Singapore to Mae Hong Son - through 1,864 corners - in Chiang Mai, on my Ducati Hypermotard 796.

8. Off-road jungle trails in Nusajaya or Pontian on my Suzuki DR200.

The list goes on, too many to name, ha-ha. Most of my adventures can be found on my  blog or social media!

Read More: Fellow Motorist: Derrick Lui, movie director, Oversteer

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