Show me the way to India.

[Bicycle Phil]

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by loner7401

Hi,

Take around $20 per day as max you will spend on food and stay in India.
Enfield rental - another $ 15 per day. I guess that will help you make up a budget. Of course i am quoting the stay and food expense at the medium end hotels in India.

Amount of time to see India? That will take a lifetime i guess, but let me know which region you need to cover.

Enfileds are your best bet, either a 500 cc Enfield ( with right side gear shift) or an Enfield Thunderbird 350cc (left side gear shift)

Hope this helps, let me know if you want any India specific info. I live here.

Cheers,
Gaurav

Very good info!!! Thank you sooo much. How is camping looked upon?

I'm liking the sound of the 350..it looks a little goofy...bah, it's okay..Chanderjeet is riding one of those ugly v-stroms.

I'm still trying to figure out where(Himalayas mostly) and what I want to see..I'm just starting this process. I've requested a wall size map of India for my upcoming birthday.

[loner7401]

Camping is not an issue in most parts of India. You will find friendly locals everywhere except at major tourist destinations. Places where there is heavy tourist traffic, as anywhere in the world, people are a little greedy.

Look at Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh (jammu and kashmir), that is where you will have less traffic and lots of adventure.

The time you travel will also dictate the places you will visit as most of the Himalayan region is open to traffic only four months a year. Best time to plan Himalayas is July to early September.

Fly into Delhi and not Bombay if Himalayas is your ride destination.

Cheers,
Gaurav

Originally Posted by larryboy

How is camping looked upon?

I'm still trying to figure out where(Himalayas mostly) and what I want to see.

[Chanderjeet]

Originally Posted by loner7401

Camping is not an issue in most parts of India. You will find friendly locals everywhere except at major tourist destinations. Places where there is heavy tourist traffic, as anywhere in the world, people are a little greedy.

Look at Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh (jammu and kashmir), that is where you will have less traffic and lots of adventure.

The time you travel will also dictate the places you will visit as most of the Himalayan region is open to traffic only four months a year. Best time to plan Himalayas is July to early September.

Fly into Delhi and not Bombay if Himalayas is your ride destination.

Cheers,
Gaurav

You cant get better info than from Gaurav himself. He is the star of Solo ride to the topof the world.

respect

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by loner7401

Camping is not an issue in most parts of India. You will find friendly locals everywhere except at major tourist destinations. Places where there is heavy tourist traffic, as anywhere in the world, people are a little greedy.

Look at Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh (jammu and kashmir), that is where you will have less traffic and lots of adventure.

The time you travel will also dictate the places you will visit as most of the Himalayan region is open to traffic only four months a year. Best time to plan Himalayas is July to early September.

Fly into Delhi and not Bombay if Himalayas is your ride destination.

Cheers,
Gaurav

Excellent tips!! I was thinking of starting in Delhi.. confirmation is nice to get.

Question for anybody...I'm guessing that leather gear of any kind is highly offensive?

[DavidW]

Hmmm. Rigt foot gear shift on 350s

These two pages on specs of two 350 cc RE show both with right foot gear shift.
http://www.royalenfield.com/app/IN/P.../Bullet350.asp

http://www.royalenfield.com/app/IN/Products/Electra.asp

Also from the RoyalEnfield web site , 20 pages of trip reports. Perhaps some useful information of what to see or expect.

First page
http://www.royalenfield.com/app/IN/trip.asp

Page 20
http://www.royalenfield.com/app/IN/trip.asp?PageNo=20

fwiw

David

[DavidW]

Originally Posted by DavidW

Hmmm. Rigt foot gear shift on 350s

I stopped looking too soon. The Electra 5S, Machismo and Thunderbird in 350 cc all show left foot gear shift.

http://www.royalenfield.com/app/IN/P...Electra_5S.asp
http://www.royalenfield.com/app/IN/P...s/Machismo.asp
http://www.royalenfield.com/app/IN/P...hunderbird.asp

Left or right foot shift - at least one person's experience was that you get your India drivers license more for demonstrating good luck than for operating skill. So perhaps right or left shift is not the most important thing. Luck is. Or perhaps good skills generate good luck.

Legal stuff - Seems you have to get a drivers license to ride on the roads there.

http://edgeofindia.blogspot.com/2005...ov-1-2005.html

I read in the book "A Boat in Our Baggage" that a common saying in India is that the British invented red tape but in India they do embroidery with it. Depending on the bike you decide to use it may pay to be certain of the different requirements for import, local , purchased or rental bike or other requirements for yourself. Or if requirements vary from one part of the country to another.

David

[larryboy]

Thanks for all the great info, David!!

If I had a couple months to spend there I would just rent whatever and learn how to ride it. With a tighter timeframe I'd like to concentrate on riding rather than learning how to ride. It'll work itself out.

[GreaseMonkey]

Well here is a reason to plan on being there in July 2009:



Hopefully this thread will draw in more members from India, there is a strong motorcycling community there.

That's when I'm planning on being there, unfortunately I won't be on a motorcycle since I'll be bringing my family instead (much preferred option)

[DavidW]

You might find something of interest from this thread

Salil's "Reporting from the Himilayas"
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180595

Or on the website which is printed on the pictures on the above thread
http://himalayanodysseys.blogspot.com

David

[larryboy]

Thanks David, I remember reading that one when he was posting it. Good stuff.

[Bags]

Hey!

I put about 5,500k on a bullet 500 in the summer of 2005. Did a solo loop of Rajasthan and then from Delhi through Chandigarh to Manali, Leh, then around the edge of the indian line of control through Kargil to Srinagar and then back through the Dalai Lama's batcave to Delhi. Great trip.

Got snowed on in mid-August at 18,000+ feet so unless your'e planning on sticking to the low foothills you've got to do it during the summer.

I'll try to post a photo but I'm a computer re.

I'd say got for the shift-on-the-right 500 or 350 electra. The thunderbird model of the 350 mentioned above also has front disk breaks, instead of shoes, but what's the point of riding a bullet if you're not going old-school?

[Bags]

Trying to post a photo...

[Bags]

mid-late August

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by Bags

I'd say got for the shift-on-the-right 500 or 350 electra. The thunderbird model of the 350 mentioned above also has front disk breaks, instead of shoes, but what's the point of riding a bullet if you're not going old-school?

Okay, fine..I'm riding a 500 Bullet.

Thanks for the info!!

Found this in another thread..I'll stash the link here where I can find it so I can read it when I have more time.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/cou...howtoindia.php