Namaste fellow inmates. I find myself retired and widowed at a youthful age of 60. I have been to India eight times in my life and rode an Enfield there. I am contemplating moving to India to live. I would like to buy a motorcycle in country in order to travel the country, see the sights and find a place to call home. A couple of questions here. Buy a Honda Hero or an new Enfield? The idea is to ride a bike that can be serviced in any town, north and south. Any info on restrictions/procedures for foreigners buying a motorcycle and insurance? Thanks for any and all advice!!
Chat, Namaste. Both Hero (Honda has split now) and RE have a very wide network of servicing facilities across India. If you want a bike thats easier to live with go for a sports tourer like the hero Karizma. Enfield will be a great thumper if you are okay with getting some elbow grease and want an 'experience'. There are many options available and it will also depend on your budget. If you have some residence proof in India (e.g rent agreement with your landlord), buying and getting insurance for a motorcycle will not be an issue. Cheers 1hp
Thanks 1hp I know a doctor here in Canada who is from India. He keeps an apartment in India for when he visits. He has kindly offed to let me use his apt. for my Indian address. So just a simple copy of the letter with the agreement will do it ? My understanding is that I should get black and white plates to allow unrestricted travel. Is this correct ?
You will need to print a rental agreement on Stamp paper for it to be considered as valid proof. White and Black number plates indicate a private vehicle and allow unrestricted travel anywhere in India, however you cannot buy a bike in one state and use it permanently in another state. Cheers
+1. This is not a big issue. Will only take a couple of dollars and relatively straightforward. Agree with the first part. You can buy a bike in one state and stay in another provided you pay the road/registration tax in the other state too. If you are travelling across states or staying for a few days/weeks this isn't a requirement. A yellow and black number indicates a taxi or commercial vehicle meant for commercial rental purposes, either self driven/ridden or with a driver. As I think more about your Hero vs RE dilemma I think only a test ride of the vehicles can answer that question for you. While there are a lot of reliable dual sports or cruisers available the cost is prohibitive due to taxes and servicing is limited to fewer cities. With RE, Bajaj/KTM, Hero, Honda etc the service network is widely spread out and repairs and servicing are easy on the pocket. It could very well boil down to your personal preference of the motorcycle you like. Cheers, 1hp
I am not sure exactly what "stamp" paper is. Can I bring my rental agreement from Canada and have it "transferred" to stamp paper in India? Or is stamp paper a form only available in India and must be filled out there? Thanks for all the tips guys...greatly appreciated!
A stamp paper is like a revenue paper which has to be bought in India-effectively indicating you have paid a small 'revenue' to the Govt and post notarisation you can use that as a legal document admissible in the court of law. Notarisation though is not a compulsion. A more complex definition here: http://blog.ipleaders.in/what-is-stamp-duty-and-what-are-the-types-of-stamp-duty/
I see...sort of. I have so much to learn on how to navigate the rules in India. Canada was a British colony as well, but our system is very different. So the stamp paper is, in essence, a legal document that shows a fee has be paid which makes the document official? If I brought a notarized document from Canada, signed by my Dr. friend/landlord stating I was now a resident in his apartment in India, I would then go to an Indian notary to have him issue me a stamp paper with the details? Thanks 1hp
Umm.. almost there!..but.. 1.Step 1. You will have to get the rent agreement printed on an India stamp paper- ask someone to send it to you if you know someone. If you want a rent agreement format pm me. it's pretty generic. 2. You will have to sign it and so will your landlord/friend 3. Get it notarised once you are in India (this is optional but recommended) The best part - Total cost- not more than $5 !!
1hp great info here cheers. An indian mate living in singapore and myself a kiwi in kiwiland r heading to India/Nepal for 5wks this july/august for Northern India riding. RE is the standard, but neither of us prefer one. Been looking at Hero Impulse, dual sport looking but only 150cc (struggle up them big hills). Another option is head straight to Kathmandu and seek a Hartford 200cc dual sport looker. Dream of a 250cc but... Anyhow, can u send me or link here to the rent agreement? We have a mate in Delhi who can write it and help us reduce the time to purchase there. Many thanks, this is my 3rd time to Northern India, but first on a bike (veteran rider tho).
Octopusenvy, Dual sports are ironically missing from India 2 wheeler company product lineups. Considering the road conditions I don't understand why! If you are looking at new or second hand bike options I'll take the liberty of making a few recommendations: 1. Hero Honda Karizma 2. Honda Cbr 250 3. Ktm Duke 390 4. Maybe even the bajaj pulsar 220cc/200ns All 4 should be easily available, can be widely serviced in case of a breakdown. While these are not dual sports, remember these are made to deal with Indian roads so can withstand a lot! You will have to pm me your email id since i have it as a pdf.. Cheers, 1hp
Octopus: 1hp has some good choices posted. I have been looking a long time and have finally made my choice. I was originally opting for the Royal Enfield Bullet with a carb. The idea was that parts and mechanics could repair this bike in most villages across India. But the alternator is only 200 watts and can't support heated gear. I was riding yesterday in -3 temps and was sure glad my gear was heated. Nepal at altitude will be really cold (I've climbed there 3x). Also the exhaust is low and will get knocked about in a rutted road. So the choice I came up with is the Kawasaki 650 KLR sold in India thru the Bajaj dealer network. Carbureted, 721 watt alternator, high exhaust and parts at Bajaj dealers. This is one of the toughest dual sports made anywhere and to find it available in India was a stroke of luck.
Hey bro, I think you are making a good choice by moving out of Enfield, I rode Enfield for almost 15 years on a 350, there has always been issues with this bike. Later i switched to 500cc classic and the saga continues. After a long hassle i gave up on RE. Kobe true from the bottom of my heart, RE is made for people who would like to share the stories of their breakdowns rather than the places they have visited. KLR is a good option, i have few friends who switched from RE to KLR and made some modifications to make it dual sport, and trust me they are vary happy, no breakdowns on the way. Good luck for your journey, if you need any help in getting to remote routes send me a PM and can help you.
Chat, are you sure about the KLR 650? As far as I know Bajaj doesn't sell it. They sell the Ninja 650, ER6N and the z800. Bajaj also sells and services the KTM Dukes. But KLR...Not so sure. Could you please recheck? The dual sport (other than the Hero Impulse) is the Triumph Tiger at about GBP 12,000 equiv in INR.
Hi 1hp! I got the info from an online search. Could you check out this link and let me know if it is correct? It also links to Bajaj dealers who sell this bike. http://www.autoinfoz.com/Bajaj/Bikes/Bajaj_Kawasaki/Bajaj_Kawasaki_KLR_650.html http://www.autoinfoz.com/Bikes-dealers/Bajaj-Bikes-dealers-in-new-delhi.html I'll be in New Delhi in August to talk to some dealers about buying this bike. If you can recommend a New Delhi dealer it would be appreciated. Thanks!
This looks like shady information including the price. The launch of a KLR would make a lot of news in India and that hasnt happened. Do look for alternatives. I can speak to a Kawasaki dealer over the weekend and let you know. In the meanwhile, do continue to evaluate other options!
Hey 1hp. Looks like that link I used is suspect, oh Crap!! I cannot find any other source that says the KLR is available in India other than that website that I got from a Google search. Time to start another bike search as a plan B. Thanks for that heads up brother!
