Australian Andrew Souto first visited Vietnam in 2005. Although he came as a tourist, he had his heart set on volunteering. “At the time, they needed doctors, nurses and other professionals, but I’m just a mechanic,” he explained. “So I decided to just travel around the country and see what would happen. During that trip I met a director of Blue Dragon Children Foundation, which was funded by the Australian government.”

The Foundation representative offered to host Souto on a three-year contract, volunteering to help with Blue Dragon’s cars, bikes and trucks, and the kids who were learning mechanics there. “After a while things changed and Blue Dragon went independent,” says Andrew. “So I came up with the idea of starting VIP Bikes.”

What’s VIP Bikes about? Andrew and his staff take in only disadvantaged Vietnamese youths, training them in the art of motorcycle mechanics. “Kids come from all over Vietnam,” he explains. “Some are experienced, others aren’t. We provide three-month, six-month, and one-year internships in which students develop their skills while learning to interact with customers and take care of the business.” Even with internships lasting up to a year, Andrew has trained many mechanics who stayed for two years before moving on, “I support that. And if they can’t find employment, we help them. My job involves nurturing these guys through the system,” he says.

Andrew Souto was originally a car mechanic from Australia, and motorbikes were his hobby. In 2006 he started volunteering in Vietnam, got involved with VIP Bikes, and eventually decided to stay in Hanoi to run the company on his own (until then it had been backed by Australian government). Find out what travelers have to say about his service on TripAdvisor or find him on Facebook.

Although there’s no official accreditation for trainees, they often end up opening their own shops. Andrew proudly summarizes a couple of his achievements, “We had a student from the city of Hue who passed our training program and went on to become a Yamaha dealer. And another who opened a shop for bigger motorbikes.” He continues, “Even experienced guys need to develop their skills, such as how to keep their shops and tools clean, and that everything has a place. These are just the basics of being a mechanic, but go a long way toward getting them on the right footing.”

Training disadvantaged youths is only one aspect of VIP Bikes’ business; its core is renting motorbikes. Most of their inventory is suitable for the city, including popular models like the Honda Wave, or Honda and Yamaha scooters. And sometimes they buy bikes, restore and sell them—mostly recent models like the Honda 50cc, Cubs and 67s. For these bikes a driver’s license isn’t necessary in Vietnam. 

VIP Bikes is a busy place and Andrew is looking for a larger space to expand into where they’ll also sell parts and accessories. Andrew’s business focuses mainly on foreign customers, so if you’re ever in Hanoi looking for a good motorcycle shop, check them out.

VIPBikes.org

This story first appeared in the March/April 2016 edition of Adventure Motorcycle Magazine.

About the Author:

Tomáš Slavíček was born in the Czech Republic. With ten years working as an editor andTomáš Slavíček was born in the Czech Republic. With ten years working as an editor andphotographer for various Czech photographic magazines and websites, he went on the road in 2012. Recently he relocated to Southeast Asia where he’s discovered an inner passion for two-wheeled beauties. TomSlavicek.com

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