Motorbiking tips for india

Hi there,

I'm Dave a student in University in West Bengal. I have lived for the past 3+ years in India.
I own a 2006 Bajaj Pulsar 150 Motorbike and I have driven this bike in more than 8 of India's 25+ states.

--Uttarkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim and Chattisgarh.

GETTING YOUR BIKE

If you are a videshi, or foreigner, most likely you will purchase your motorbike from New Delhi (famous place is Karl Bagh) to take care of that.

you cannot purchase a new motorcycle in india unless you are a resident. So you would either have to get a trusted friend to buy it for you in his/her name. Or purchase a used one.

Many foreigners purchase the enfield bike, I personally don't like it (sorry) I think it has quite the reputation for needed a mechanic quite often. But if you are good with bikes, and can fix them up then go for it.

The bike i purchased is one of the best sellers in the indian marketplace, its 150 cc engine sounds small by most western country standards, but i can beat almost anything on the road, and have only once in 12,000 kilometers wanted something with more power. (GT road Kolkata-Durgapur) My bike maximum (with me bent low) is about 112 kmph).

--The motorbike cost me 60,000 rupees in Uttar Pradesh. Which is about 1500 USD.
I bought this bike new in my name as i got a letter from my embassy in New Delhi by emailing them and visiting the embassy. This letter was given to me free of cost, but the woman at the embassy did not know exactly what it was that i needed, but the man who i emailed recognized my request and prepared the letter for me.

SAFETY

I may be a hypocrite for saying this one, but experienced riders are best in india. This is definately not the country to learn how to ride in, even though yes, i basically did just that. But i had a good friend Sanjay teaching me the skills.

--Night driving should really not be done much unless your going out late to get a paratha or something. And people either don't drive with lights, or use high-beams constantly.
--Many Tata/ ashok leyland truck drivers are either on drugs or alcohol influence during the evening hours, so you know what that means.

--Dogs, cats, people, chickens, goats, motorcycles, bicycles, yeah everything is on the road.

--If you crash outside the metros, there will be no helicopter life assistance. Its basically up to the good will of the people driving by to help u out. And perhaps the hospitals and such.

--Insurance, I pay 1000 rupees (20 bucks) yearly for insurance coverage, its wise to have. But mine only covers up to 2000 dollars medical. Which is probably fine here, but definately not if you need evacuated.

--Evacuation insurance is a must, if you are seriously hurt and need to be transferred to hospitals in singapore or bangkok. This service can cost more than 10,000 USD. yeah exactly.


POLICE PROBLEMS

--if you are stopped (i never have been-except when i was driving a car in Madhya Pradesh (250 rupees bribe took care of that)
--Police may make problems for you, especially foreigners driving, usually they just want cash
--Have all your papers, or else it could be a long evening.

DOCUMENTS

--international drivers license--issued and valid for 1 year is requirement in india (mine cost 10 dollars)

--Home country drivers license

--Registration papers

--insurance papers


Reality:

While I have all the correct documents for driving im sure most people do not. I have never been pulled over or asked for papers on my bike, but you definately can be, but also im sure people drive all the time without having all proper papers arranged...most will be fine im sure, but better to take care of these things because if you are caught you could face problems for sure.

RENTAL:

You can rent motorbikes in India for a few days, weeks or months. Mostly in Delhi or Goa.



Tk will update more later on,

Always pay attention on the road, if you stare at the mountain or the village settings too much you could end up in a government hospital in the middle of nowhere. Not a good idea. Watch the road. (im saying this also for myself because i dont always do that properly.