Hi there,

does anyone know where to buy or rent a Royal Enfield 350 around Chennai/Pondicherry ? I'll arrive in Chennai on 5th Dec. Anyone planning to sell his/her bike then ? My idea is about Rs.20.000.- depending on the bikes condition. Is this realistic ? Which years are recommended ? What to check before buying ?

:confused1:

I'm in Pondicherry right now and I'm thinking of selling my 1996 350. I overpaid at 35,000 but I'd be willing to sell for 20,000. The engine was rebuilt by the Previous Traveler with UK parts since he was planning on riding it to Turkey. It's been reliable and has been well maintained by a series of picky travelers. I'm still kind of thinking of sending it to the US, but it's been passed from traveler to traveler since 1997.

I leave for Melbourne on 18 Nov but I could leave the bike for you in Delhi.

-Dave

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Not Ted Simon since 1970!
http://nokilli.com/rtw

Hi there,
Just been introduced to this site by our bike mad neighbours as I am arriving in India sometime Mid December. What a great site I have picked up loads of helpful info already.
Which is better Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai to purchase a second hand bullet 350cc which I can then sell back again at the end. This will then relate to where I will fly into.
How long does arranging the paperwork actually take there are conflicting views. I intend to get to kerala for christmas.
I have tried to e-mail Lalli Singh but as others have experienced no reply. Are there any other reccommended dealers/agents that come with good reviews...
look forward to hearing with helpful tips

From what I've been told by many Indians, the cheapest way to do it is to buy a bike in Goa or Dharmsala from a tourist right before he leaves.

I guess a lot of people buy bikes for too much and try to make all their money back, so they end up with the bike until the day they leave and at that point will take just about anything.

Paperwork still makes no sense. I have a series of papers signing over my bike back to the German who bought it from the Delhi Police in 1997. Not exactly legal, not exactly illegal, but foreigners aren't allowed to own property here so no matter what you "buy" it's still a bit shifty to westerners. My bikes got a Delhi plate which is what counts.

When an officer waves me over, I smile, wave and keep riding. So far they haven't shot at me (that's just a joke, I hope). In Agra, the police had a good trap set for every motorcyclist and all bikes had to stop. No way around it. As soon as I stopped, the officer said, "100 rupees". I didn't pay the baksheesh at first since I was curious how it'd work. They went through my papers and he pulled me aside and said "100 rupees" again. I paid. His supervisor stopped me as I was leaving to look at the long expired insurance papers and started saying something, but the baksheeshed officer took the papers from him and told me to leave.

It's too much trouble to arrest a foreigner. They don't seem to give tickets to foreigners. Police are corrupt.

Check out ADV Rider. There's lots of good info there, too.

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Not Ted Simon since 1970!
http://nokilli.com/rtw

Hi Dave, thanks, the problem is I'll arrive in Chennai. Also it wouldn't be a good bargain buying a pig in a poke, would it ?

Hi Dave, I've just check your website. Is this your bike ?

Yup, that's the bike. A pig in a poke, and you'd miss out on the fun of haggling with Indians.

It was red, but my PO's PO painted a Tibet flag on the tool box. That's not allowed in Nepal, so my PO painted the bike black. It's a crap paint job, but that goes with the bits of rust on the chrome parts and the neutral light that's forever on. The important part is the engine is reliable and top end rebuilt with actual Brit parts, doesn't mark its territory much, and my PO also put a new seat on the bike. I haven't had a problem with it yet except, there's alway an exception, a flat in the Himalayas. Still that's been the best ride of my life and it cost me less than a dollar to get it patched.

I paid 35,000 rupees which is a bit much. Came with waterproof sidebags that are old, a stove, and some cooking stuff.

I'm still torn between keeping it or selling it and buying a 500 which would be a bit more suitable in the US. Of course, just fixing my Yamaha SR500 is even more suitable.

-Dave

__________________
Not Ted Simon since 1970!
http://nokilli.com/rtw

Hi Xoxman


Namastegi peoples
I am a 31 year old French expat living and working in Bangalore.
Excuse me if my english is not so perfect
If you require some help about Royal Enfield in Bangalore for your next bike trip in South India it would be my pleasure to help you. Having lived here in Bangalore for the last 3 years I have a rich network of shops, expat peoples and mechanics. I can also provide you with local information such as road aspects, weather, addresses of nice little hotels and home stays. Feel free to contact me for more in formation.
It will be my pleasure to make your journey a pleasant and colourful one.
Cheers
Skype ID: Kreut77

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Kreut

Bon jour Kreut, I've arranged a bike already but I am always in need of reliable worth the money hotels. I guess hotel-wise Bangalore is the same mess than Mumbai. It is almost impossible to get a reliable hotel under $80 (except Bentley's which is chronically booked out - and far away from airport). Even the hotels listed in Lonely Planet (2007 edition) are completely outdated. So, if you know hotels/guesthouses around Bangalore (clean,AC,TV,"Bentley's standard") for about Rs.2000 let me know

You have already arranged for a bike, right? So why stay INSIDE Blr? Stay 35 km out (Hosur) and you'll get rooms up to your standard for half the money. One tip - this time of the year, air conditioning is not really required.

I paid 800 bucks for a nice clean room with a TV, non AC, but that was in August (non tourist season).

The Hosur Bangalore highway is a nice dual carriageway, and you can easily be on the outskirts of Blr in a little over half an hour.

Of course, all this is applicable only if you will have the bike with you in Blr.

Hello XOXman, I'am sure you can fine some clean and shiper hotels for more or less 1000 and no need A/C at the moment.
$80 for one night is very very expensive, I mean for India. He depend wich standing you want off course.
Well any way i can give you this adresse
CasaPicola in Richmond Town near the Johnson Market,this place is very good and arround you budget.
Casa Piccola :: We Care
Give me a call when you are in Bangalore.

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Kreut

I offer Bajaj Pulsar 150cc Bike for rent in Chennai. Please contact +91-9841692096 for details.

Short distance travels just rent a bike (haggle for price) and dont leave excess fuel in when returned.
Long distance.. Buy, try to avoid luggage bikes (overloaded with steel racks, have carried two people and ridden hard)

South of Chennai is a nice place Mallapuram easy drive
My choice would be Mallapuram - Kodai Kanal- Madurai -Kerala

You can avail all kind of motorcycles and scooters including Royal Enfield at a shop near mambalam railway station (T. Nagar) Reservation Counter. You can reach this guy either by calling 0091-9952100400 or emailing at sfacompanies@gmail.com I had a hard time trying to locate a place in chennai to hire a royal enfield. I guess he is the only guy in chennai offering motorcycles for rent

English as a second language. Saying there's only one guy in Chennai who rents Enfields. Something seems a bit fishy here. It might just be me. It's finals time at the ESL college I'm teaching at and lots of students here cheat.

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Not Ted Simon since 1970!
http://nokilli.com/rtw