Buying/ renting bike in India
 

Hi guys , I plan to do a ride in 2008 all arround India, I will be doing part of it with my son (10 years old) or wife . I will be looking to buy or rent a good reliable motorcycle so if any of you have tips or address let me know. I wish also to get an idea of what type of price should I expect for the buying or rental ,just to help me figure out a budget.

Thanks for any good help.

Hendi

Hi Hendi,
Most of the touring done in india is done on a royal enfield bullet (www.royalenfield.com).
You can undertake the journey on any motorcycle though the bullet is best for the following reasons:
Easy to repair as mechanics all over the country are familiar with the bike.
Easy to find parts for replacement.
The bikes are cheap and easily re-sold when you decide to leave.
A lot of torque for heavy loads and enough power/speed for indian conditions.

You can purchase a royal enfield once you get to bombay or delhi. If you would like additional contacts you can contact me though it is too early to be figuring out on the exact bike. The average cost of buying a motorcycle once your here would be around 800-1000 US dollars and you could resell for anywhere around 400-600 US Dollars depending on how much wear and tear there is on the bike.
These bikes are not as reliable as japanese bikes but they will do the jopb as most japanese bikes in india are 100-180 CC.
Cheers.

India
 

thanks for your help.
I plan to do a short ride for a month and then come back later for a longer trip.
do you know what type of mile /km I can expect to do per day. I am a good rider on and off road and I am used to riding in Asia (Cambodia/Laos/China).
I am looking to do some good photo shoot (pro) of people do you have a basic list of cities to do or avoid ( I am not looking for the tourist trap circuit)

Thanks again

Hendi

Long Answer
 

hi,
answering your query would require a lot of to and fro by email purely to know where you plan to go.. hence which roads will you be using.. hence how much distance you can cover per day etc etc.
I am currently in the US visiting family and from your website i see you too are in the US. I am out most of this weekend (with spring finally coming to NYC) riding. But you can try and gimme a call on 718-791-4614 and we can have a quick chat whereby i can try and help you.
Cheers.

India 2008
 

Hi , I just came back from a trip in Costa Rica, I tried to call you and left two messages but I didn't know your first or last name so maybe they were deleted.
If you head toward florida , you will be welcome in my home.

Hendi

hi
 

hendi:

definetely an enfield thunderbird or electra 500. let me know if you need help. i am in india also motorcycling.

costs: You could enquire about the rental aspect from andy(at)indiabikes(dot)com. That may help you decide whether to rent or purchase outright.

Based in Mumbai.

Premjis are also good for motorcycle buyback in Mumbai However it is best to contact them in advance as they tend to reduce the number of vehicles they carry in the monsoons.

Purchasing paperwork
 

Hello to everyone!
This is my first post to this forum but I have read it for a while.

I'll go to Delhi in mid November and plan to ride through India and end up in Mumbai after one month with 350 Bullet. I have some additional questions to what HendiKaf already asked. Lonely Planet claims that when purchasing motorcycle it takes approximately 2 weeks to get the papers done. Is it True?
When it is, is it better idea to rent the bike? I originally planned to buy it (used one).

I plan to take as few things as I can to there. Is it good idea to purchase helmet (I've read that they are meant to other head shape as European ones), tank bag (for camera to shoot quickly) and side bags from there?

Cheers,
Gotham

Gotham if you are buying legally then it would take time but not two weeks, that is only for the new motorcycles and even then you can be out of the showroom riding the motorcycle in a couple of hours, only the permanent registration number, registration papers (smart card in Delhi) and insurance papers will take a week or two to arrive.

However majority of foreigners can’t legally buy motorcycles in India (check with Indian consulate in your country) and thus choose the illegal way of buying second hand motorcycles, where you get all the papers but don’t transfer them to your name i.e. the bike according to the government, still belong to the actual owner. Usually it is tough to sell these bikes in non touristy areas and resale value is low, however other tourists will gladly pick it up.

Better option would be if you can bring your helmet (as well as other riding gear) else get a good quality one from AGV, Bieffe etc. from India, they would cost you around 1.5-4k rupees.

Tank and saddle bag can be bought in Delhi and are available from both local manufacturers and Cramster. I personally use a custom made saddle bag and Mustang Tankbag, cheap and good option though quality isn’t as good as the cramster ones.

Thanks Sarkar. I thought it can't be so complicated.

That only applies to legally buying a new motorcycle; if you are buying a second hand motorcycle legally i.e. getting it transferred in your name then you would have to visit the Regional Transport Office where the bike was registered and get it transferred in your name. This can take quite a few hours or you can pay the second hand dealer or an agent at the RTO to get it done for you.

If you are planning to buy a second hand motorcycle, do make sure you check whether or not it is stolen DEPARTMENT OF POLICE, Delhi, India

Goa in march
 

Hi there, my first post here and I was wondering if anyone can give me a little advice?
I'm off to Goa towards the end off March and have a friend there who is meant to pick up a 500 Bullet for me, I'm just out for a month and wanted to know how I go about getting insurance for the bike while I'm there.
Have riding many times when there but always on a hire bike and wanted to do things differently this time.

Many thanks, Denver

Hi Denver and welcome,
I am currently in Goa with my own bike and can tell you the following, privately owned bikes should be insured by the bike's registered owner who almost certainly will be an Indian as foreigners need residency to register in their name and this in theory covers anyone who rides it, my bike is registered and insured in the name of a friend in Mumbai and I carry a photocopy of the documents.
There also seems to be a pool of bikes here with number plates from various states that are bought and sold among tourists, I have no idea if they have insurance or who they are actually registered to but will ask around today and get back to you.

Goa in March
 

Thanks Mark for your answer, I was thinking. If my friend that lives there registers the bike in his name, should that be alright for me to ride then?

Denver