Hi guys,

I have been lurking around here for a while now, and now its time for my first post. I have just arrived in India with my girlfriend, more specifically in Goa, and we have a little more than 4 months ahead of us travelling around this amazing(hopefully) country. I have a motorcycle licence and just realized today when we rented a small bike here, that this is really the only way I want to travel.

There have been endless posts on this and other forums regarding buying or renting Enfields and other bikes in India and even Goa.
Lets now assume that I buy or rent one. Many of the tourists here do, but I have noticed that only some of them wear helmets, and I have not in the week I have been here, seen a single tourist with some other sort of riding gear on. Since I am a sensible young man who really cares about him, and more importantly about his girlfriend, I am not going to drive without the protective gear.

Im travelling on a tight budget and would like to know if it is possible to find some motorcycle clothing around here, or even in Mumbai, Chennai etc. If that is not available, could I maybe go to a leather market and find something useful or even have something simple made?

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Many thanks, Loftur

You certainly can buy helmets and other motorcycle clothing in India. The quality of the helmets may not be as good as you are used to but they are very cheap. I suggest you ask locally where the shops are. I thought helmets were now obligatory for the rider on main roads although it sounds from what you've said as though it may not be very vigorously enforced.

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If you think you are too small to make a difference you have never spent the night with a mosquito.

If you are on a budget, then go to any decent helmet shop (not the one on the road) and ask for helmets with ISI certification. An ok one would set you back by around Rs. 600-1200, if you are ok with spending around couple of thousand rupees per helmet, then AGV would be a good choice. Though it might not be available in Goa, but would surely be available in Mumbai.

As for riding gear, two main companies in India are www.cramster.in and www.planetdsg.com, you can order online or buy their products in Mumbai, both have dealers there, contact details of which are listed on their websites.

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My travelogues | Ladakh travel guide | India travel forum

Hi

No worries about legality - I often see 3 or 4 on a bike and not one helmet. I saw a guy carrying 2 goats and neither he nor the goats had a helmet. Likewise the guy with the live pig on the floor of his scooter....

If you are near Margaon, I think there is a tiny moto shop just off the main square. Ask. If it doesnt have helmets, he will surely tell you the nearest place to get one.

I managed to get a decent carbon fibre fox helmet in Gurgaon near Delhi, probably an overkill for most people just here for a few weeks but it shows that you can buy good gear here if you want it

As Yogesh said, you will get good riding gear shipped to your home if you order through Cramster - India's Favourite Riding Gear and Motorcycle Luggage Buy Online and Accessories Safety Apparel Touring Biking Biker Protective Jacket Gloves Saddlebags Luggage Ladakh Leh Ride Rider Royal Enfield Bullet KTM ninja pulsar Yamaha Racing Suit.
I have got my entire gear from them and have rode to Ladakh (~18000 ft and zero deg. C temperatures), wearing them.

Riding jacket+knee guards+saddle bags+riding gloves+balaclava, came at around 13k rupees.

Cheers and enjoy your ride here !