HELP - India on a motorcycle
 

So here's the plan;

Fly to New Dehli in India this November and spend one month on a motorcycle heading south, with the aim to fly home from Kochi

I need a little help with a few aspects regarding the motorcycle so I don't get stuck in New Dehli for ages! I have already emailed Lalli Singh but yet to receive a reply!

- I understand a foreign national cannot own an Indian reg bike, so it must be registered to a local, any advice how this works?

- Insurance, easy to get? Approximate cost?

- Drivers license, I have a full UK license, but does anyone check?

- Can i just buy a bike from any dealer/person?

Any advise or pointers would be superb!

bier

- I understand a foreign national cannot own an Indian reg bike, so it must be registered to a local, any advice how this works?

It's not possible to have the bike registered onto your name unless you are a resident of India. So you will need to either rent the bike, or buy a bike and resell it at the end of your trip.

- Insurance, easy to get? Approximate cost?
Insurance is fairly cheap. About 1000 rupees for a year. Again this will be on the registered owners name. It's mostly a formality and sometimes only covers a third party. Easy to get on the spot.

- Drivers license, I have a full UK license, but does anyone check?
As per law I think you need to have an International Licence, but I do know people who've managed to ride around India on their home country's licence.

- Can i just buy a bike from any dealer/person?
Yes, but make sure the paperwork is in order.
Remember that buying a bike in one state and selling it in another state is going to be difficult as the process for transferring vehicles from one state to another is complicated and expensive, so it will be tough to find a buyer.
Otherwise, renting is easier.

If you need any help finding a bike in Mumbai or anything else bike related, PM me.

Regards,
Daniel

Thanks for the reply Dan,

Firstly I already have an international licence from previous trips abroad so that's sorted

I only want a cheap bike, I.e honda c90. So buying and selling at the end is fine for me, how hard do you think it is to find a local to sell you a bike who will also be insured on it?

I am wanting to be as legal as possible to avoid any hassle at state borders while I travel across the country, do you know if there any many road police issues in India?

I understand that some bikes have a white and black reg which means they can travel nation wide?

I don't mind renting a bike but ideally I want to head from new dehli down to Kochi

I did 5,000 km on an Indian registered bike this year without being stopped, it was legal and registered in an Indian friend's name. I am not sure your one way plan will work very well as leaving a Delhi registered bike in Kerala will be easy or possible so you might need to plan a round trip which could involve a train journey back with the bike.

It is very easy to rent 125cc bikes in India for 4 Dollars per Day. Rented bikes for tourists have a numberplate with a different colour.
Police will check the expire date of your international drivers licence trying to get money out of you:

http://schoene-motorradtouren.de/?report=en_mumbai

For longer distances the sleeping night train is a very nice and cheap option too. For 1000 km you pay around 10 dollars.

But these bikes should not be taken out of the state of origin.

I only want a cheap bike, I.e honda c90. So buying and selling at the end is fine for me, how hard do you think it is to find a local to sell you a bike who will also be insured on it?

There's no Honda C90 is India. Have a look at the 100cc - 150cc Hero/Honda/Bajaj motorcycles. As Mark said, would be tough to find someone to buy a bike registered in another state.

I am wanting to be as legal as possible to avoid any hassle at state borders while I travel across the country, do you know if there any many road police issues in India?

As long as the bike papers are valid, you shouldn't have an issue.

I understand that some bikes have a white and black reg which means they can travel nation wide?

White background with Black Numbers indicate a private vehicle and yes, can travel nationwide.

We crossed many different states, did 4000 km and the police never had a problem with that.

Note that international driving licenses are only valid for 1yr from date of issue. However you can drive in India on a full UK license for upto 1yr from date of arrival in India as long as you are not resident and working in India.

Not all police will be aware of it. But they should be ok with an international license that specifically mentions India.

I read this and learned a good amount. Just beginning my research for the big one-way trip in April. Would love to chat with you, if you have a chance, and get some info from you.

When are you going?