Motorcycling in India tips and advice experience

Daves Motorcycling in India Guide

Hello there im Dave, I have been living in India the past few years and would like to share some knowledge about motorcycling in India with whoever is interested.Buying a motorcycle in India is the first step, although there is also rental options available. I personally own a Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-I which i purchased new, I had to have a U.S. embassy letter which i got by a bit of luck. Most people who decide to motorbike in India will probably buy a bike in Karol Bagh market, New Delhi. Thats the best way to go about things.

They can hook you up real well.Dave's opinion on the enfield: Well im biased because i drive one of those japanese/indian collaborations made by Bajaj India. And lets just weigh the benefits;)1) My Bajaj Pulsar always seems to start, has faster speed than the royal enfield bullet, better petral/gas usage, and handles better. Ah yes and does not need a mechanic every 5 minutes like the enfield.

Yes sorry to all the enfield fans, but i really dont care much for those bikes.Brand new Bajaj Pulsar Motorbikes run about 60,000 rupees or (1500 dollars) and can be sold at the end of your trip, or kept at a friends place for the next time around. Used Bajaj bikes go from about 25,000-40,000 rupees check out ebay.in and perhaps craigslist new delhi for ideas.Enfields are a bit expensive running new from 75,000 up to 1.2 lakh rupees (around 2000 USD). Used ones are possible from 500 USD-2000 USD as well just by asking around major center in india.

Driving in India:)Umm so what exactly to say here? India has one of the worlds worst driving records and basically if you dont know how to ride a motorcycle have a friend take you around in a quiet place first, dont be like some of these idiot foreigners who decide to try their luck on delhi's street system as a learning tool. Nope that may end your trip very quickly. Yes very quickly.Night motorcycle driving in India: Let's see---1 headlight is able to mean one large truck with a broken headlight, and some trucks dont use lights at all. Same goes for motorbikes, bicycles, donkeys, people and the like. ---If the road seems large enough for 2 trucks to pass eachother, be sure they will, and they will do it directly at you in many cases.

I have been run off the road maybe at least 100+ times, its fun;) Just make sure that there is not a lake on the edge of the road, or loose gravel because then things could get worse.---Everything is on the road in india, drive safely. Reality of DaveIm not going to be a hypocrite here, i learned basically to drive in india with a friend in bihar on his hero honda splendor, and furthermore i on occasion drive more than 100kmph...while most people reccomend to never drive more than 60kmph in india....but thats boring #1, i like speed, but just be careful, dont drive like an asshole.

If your going those speeds use the national highways for it, and everything still jumps out at you from everywhere, so the best policy is to slow down if you are not 100% focused on driving. --What u need as well for travel in india:Indian road maps, best is lonely planet india and bangladesh road atlas but i cant find it anywhere anymore.

I believe it is forever gone. But other great maps exist so check those out as well.--Take along your home drivers license as well as an IDP (International driving permit)---I bought mine for like 10 bucks at the AAA in Pennsylvania.--Motorcycle bags are great, dont be slinging a backpack over your bike, not cool, better to check out bags by a company called Cramster in Bangalore. Google them yaar.--Keep a good amount of cash with you, u never know what comes up.Driving styles Ive noticed there is a huge amount of variation in the driving styles all over the subcontinent. In U.P watch out around the major cities big time, and in Bengal people really do not seem to pay any attention to your horn, nobody moves for some reason and there is no signaling at all.

But when you reach the himalayan regions, besides watching out for those big tata trucks coming around the bends, the driving becomes a bit more civil as ive found things. But these are just my experiencing with motorcycle driving in India, yours may differ greatly.Photos Be careful taking pictures of anything that could be government or military because chances are thats a problem. So dont do it.

In India taking pictures of Dams, military bases, installations, power plants is usually illegal so avoid that please.GPS In IndiaOf course GPS exists in india, its satellites ya know? :)

But besides that its better to bring your handheld from your home country as the import duties if you have to ship one in (which im discovering over the last few days) is a bit crazy and requires close to 35% import tax and who knows if it would even make it in right? So better to pick those things up elsewhere, like perhaps Bangkok or Singapore if your around those locales.Bringing a laptop with you to India, Celluar Wireless SystemsIm using a wireless connection at the moment in my laptop, it costs about 1500 rupees (35 dollars) monthly for the unlimited plan with Tata Indicom and is quite reliable. Ive really never had a problem with their service at all.

A one time fee for 4000 rupees (100 USD) is also required for the setup.

U also might need a proof of address, use a friends? Another option is GPRS, get a simcard in India, like airtel or BSNL and active the GPRS feature if your phone has it, and then you can use it to surf the internet on your phone, as well as on your laptop. National Highways and Road ConditionsI have found that road conditions are extremely varied in the subcontinent while motorcycling over 8 states in primarily north and central india.

Even at times the national highways may be nothing more than dirt paths for a few kilometers (example: National Highway 7 Madhya Pradesh) But other highways like GT2 (national highway grand trunk 2) from Amritsar to Kolkata are quite good in most sections, just dont get too relaxed the conditions can change at any moment at times.

Shipping motorbike/motorcycle on train

Shipping your motorcycle on the train system of india requires a bit of hassle, but for sure less than driving an extra 1000 or so km out of your way when your not in the mood for it. I have not shipped my motorbike in india yet at this point, but am going to start out on a journey in about 2 weeks from Bengal to Orissa and Andhra Pradesh and see where it takes me. So if i get a little late for my school stuff i might just ship the bike back up if i get too far south like into Tamil or Kerala.

So will update once i know how that works out, hope if i have to that my post will be positive.I just know you have to take care of a few things:1) Empty all fuel from the tank (i guess you would use a hose and siphon that out)2) Get a block of wood, or metal sign and wire it to your bike so your name is on, possibly underneath the seat as well is a good idea.3) Put some sort of cloth or potato sack bag over the tank so as to protect the bike, and loosen the mirrors and fold or tape them into the bike, because they will probably break. yep.

Keeping bike safe at night:At night i usually try to lock my bike inside the hotel or house gates as well as using a front wheel lock which is affixed to the front wheel. You can buy in most motorcycle stores for about 200 rupees (5 dollars).

And also i tend to place a cord lock around the rear wheel as well for extra security. Its best to keep your bike in a secure place if possible at night, at one point i had the cables on my bike that run to my engine cut, but i believe that was a case of jealousy by some crazy guys, so no worries.Fuel EconomyThe fuel prices in india are about 50 rupees a liter, which costs about the same as in europe, but definatley higher than the u.s. Luckily though, besides the enfields, the motorcycles get pretty good gas mileage. Around 40-60 km/litre...while the enfields get about 30-35, about that range.

CampingI have a tent, but i have never camped yet in india, i dont usually ever take it with me either as hotels are usually very low cost even for the most budget conscious traveller. Plus i dont know if it would be entirely safe to camp in some regions of india, not to scare you from it, because i imagine it would be a great experience. I would just bit a bit nervous to do it in some regions.Bathroom

Before this was a big problem, as you just go about anywhere that suits you, and definately for women.

But now there are tons of service stations here and there dotting the national highways and secondary highway systems that also contain bathroom facilities next to the petral pump stations.

So this is a huge benefit for sure.Most important motorcycle tips and advicePay attention to the road, watch out for just about everything that swims, moves, glides, slides, wheels, turns, rolls or cycles. And just be smart and dont take too many risks, if you dont pass the truck on this pass how much time will you lose 1 minute? exactly.Best of luck, and email me if you need any more specific advice at all. Again best of luck on your motorcycle journey through india--Dave