Advice for 3 weeks in India during January.
 

Hi lads,
I'm flying into Mumbai on January 10th and am looking for advice on motorbike hire, where to go etc. Originally looking at Goa but am keen to be on the road for two weeks as opposed to short day rides from the one location. Also, I've read about issue's in relation to taking Goa reg bikes out of the state. First time in India and open to suggestions.:mchappy:
Thanks,
Paul.

What do you want to see mate 3 weeks isnt nearly long enough for India as you know, Ladhak will be to cold in Jan, And the partys in Goa will be outrageous at that time, I just left its getting busy there, If on FB join the HV Kumar group they are awesome for knowledge on roads you need local knowledge here,
I think either head up to Rajistan and drift east throught the hills to Agra taj mahal then back to Mumbai if leaveing from there, Or done to Kerela via Goa would be my pick at that time, or ride to Chennai and back, Depends what you want to see

Thanks for the information there Shane. In terms of what I want to see; easily pleased and happy enough to be out on the road taking it all in, covering ground. Any new country fascinates me, and Kerala has an appeal too.
ClassicBikeAdventures have a 14 day south India tour taking place while I'm there, although I've never toured with a group before. Might suit more to travel solo as it seems more geared towards novices.
I'm not on FB but will sign in to check out that group you recommend.
Fair play, thanks again.

Driving towards Kerala is definitively advisable! Pleasant atmoshpere and less chaotic traffic than the north. I encountered Enfield mechanics who rented Enfields for round trip, but with one it was possible to drive to a destination and he arranges for it to be brought back home. This was in Pondicherry though, but I'm sure something can be worked out with a mechanic in another place.

It's true that it's difficult to leave Goa state with Goan license plates, so maybe it's advisable to rent the bike in another state. If you do drive there, expect police to hassle you, we drove 4000kms without problems, then after entering Goa a few checkpoints to get baksheesh.

We drove from Pondicherry to Goa, than back south towards Kerala, to finish in Madurai.
Definitly do a hill station, this was one of the most beautiful things I ever rode through. An endless sea of green. Ooty is good, Munnar is much more cosy.

You are allowed in National Park with a motorcycle, we rode from one to another, saw wild elephants in Dandeli I think. Fantastic.

That being said, prepare yourself for the most knackered evenings of your life. But great fun :scooter:

Thanks for the information Odiel. Going in a few days, hopefully do Mumbai - Goa via the coast and then on to Kerala. Definitely a different ride to my everyday Blackbird blasts

Tour complete. Mumbai, Chiplun, Goa, Mangalore, Calicut, Kochi, Munnar, Ooty, Mysore, Solipur, Aurangabad, Mumbai. 17 days, brilliant experience. Low point, the traffic along the coast from Goa to Kochi. High point (literally), the ride up to Ooty. Had a fresh Classic 500 which was great fun and had the power to go for every gap.
Thanks to Horizons Unlimited members for the advice, it was spot on.
Paul.