Sri Lanka motorcycling?
 

Hi!
I usually go to a country and 'get' a bike there to tour the country. Lots of info on India, but the cheap round world flights will leave me in Sri Lanka. Has anyone solid info on practicalities/cost of either buying or renting a small local bike there? I had a great trip around North Thailand a few years ago on a purchased NSR 150RR....I wonder if indeed 'visitors' can buy a registered bike in SL, how much it would cost, and availability.Thanks for ideas/tips.

Ron Grant

I was living a year in Sri Lanka in 97/97. I bought a Honda 250cc offroad, but it was hard to find. Usually they just have 125cc bikes. If you are not planning to stay long, I would avoid trying to buy a bike, it's some paper work, and I guess you don't have helping locals avilable as I did. In several tourist places south of Colombo you can rent 125cc bikes, but I don't know the prices. For my quite new 250 i paid about $2000. Else SL is a very nice country, I've been almost all over it, also in some half-way warzones like Jaffna. People are friendly, and it's quite safe except for the pickpocketer's.

I agree with the advice. If you're not staying for an extended period of time, don't go for buying one.
Registration I think is also limited for 'residents'. I don't remember if I needed a copy of my resident visa to register my bike.
One of the best brands to buy/rent is Bajaj, as the dealer/importer has an excellent network of service stations spread over most of the island. And good service is important, particularly with a rented bike. Maintenance level is generally poor.
On arrival, stay close to the airport: in Negombo there are several places to rent a bike.
If you want to buy, major brands available are Bajaj, TVS, Hero Honda and Suzuki.
If you need further help, please contact me. I'm living 10 minutes away from the airport.

Ron
I posted some info on Sri Lanka here:
Sri Lanka: possible or not?

including where I rented from. I found it cheaper than Negombo and it's easy enough to get a scenic train ride down the coast to Hikkaduwa from Colombo Fort railway station.
Stephan

Hi, did a tour of Sri Lanka in 07. Excellent country, really cheap and friendly. West coast is highly populated and East coast much quieter. Visit to the tea plantations and a few nights at the Hilton in Aragum bay is a must. Andy B