NEPAL-Rent or tour?
 

I want to ride in Nepal next year with 2 friends. I've looked at tours and haven't found any I like. What they call a 17 day tour is 3 days before you get on the bike, and 2 days at the end that you aren't on a bike. Then the ridiculously low daily mileage. Does anybody have any experience in Nepal?

Starting in northern India would be okay with me if crossing the border isn't a paperwork hassle.

There are a number of trip reports ...
e.g. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...l-thread-91997
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/ts...value%5B%5D=NP

On the ' low daily mileage' thing..
Have you considered traffic, road conditions and actually stopping to look at stuff?

I think the one that you might need help with is the traffic .. e.g a truck wants to over take another truck .. it sees you coming the other way and simply over takes into you .. you have to get out of the way ... might makes right. That is the kind of thing you need to be ready for.

I personally prefer the idea of a self guided tour where you rent a bike and make it up as you go along, you could look at guided tour itineries to get an idea of places to visit. Daily mileage in Nepal will be between 100-200 and you will feel like you have travelled far enough, conditions can be difficult with both bad roads and "interesting" driving particularly by lorry and bus drivers. Indian registered bikes can be taken into Nepal but why not just rent there? You time is not unlimited.
A beautiful country with friendly people, well worth a visit.

I agree about the low daily mileage thing - this is not an area of the world where average speed is high. I rode in the Himalayas in 2009 and despite long riding days we rarely did much over 150 miles and 100 to 120 was much more typical. On one of our longest and most difficult days in the saddle we managed to do only 68 miles. But it was bloody good fun! Time on the bike is probably more relevant than just the distance covered I suggest.

That's got me thinking about going back there now.......

Totally agree with whats been said. I spent 8 hrs in tuff conditions and went about 30miles ! No more than 150 on a good day. And yeah I want to go back too. I rented from Bikemandu in KTM for just over 3 weeks traveled every day on an Enfield 350 2up. No problems and had the best ever time. Look out for trucks with drivers high on booze or something else and white minibuses will try to kill you. Ride at night?.... good luck with that

The tour sites I've read makes it sound like there are paved roads everywhere. And paved or not, it still sounds like too low of mileage. I've ridden Central America, Mongolia, China, Africa, TAT...... I might not do high mileages in some places. But if I only do 20-30 miles in a day, I don't need the bike.

I'm not in a rush. But I think a month is about what I will allot. We all have our styles of travel. And mine is a faster pace. People say slow down and smell the roses. Really, saying something like that will not change my style. Some riders mock the Iron Butt riders. I accept them for doing what they do. It's what they want to do.

About rentals: How reliable are the Enfields? Any benefits of the 500 over the 350? If you have ridden Nepal, what route did you take?

Hey, I'm currently in Nepal now, sat in Pokhara. I'd suggest getting your own bike, it's been so easy to travel here so far, food and hotels a doddle. Most main roads are paved with holes, sometimes big ones, you really have to pay attention. Excursions up the valleys get worse and worse to the point of crazy mud and disappearing roads you'd expect of remote Nepal.

The drivers are awful, but manageable and never outright aggressive like some places.

With the mileage it depends what you want to see, the main roads between towns you can do 200 miles in 6 hours ish with some nice tea breaks and not gunning it. I'm on a 650 v-strom and I ride pretty quick so your mileage may literally vary. I went on a winding detour through the mountains at one point though, that I thought would be a fine road but it was utterly awful and I did about 100 miles in 9 hours. It's really going to vary with where you are, and if it rains too.

There's a billion bikes, don't think you'd have trouble renting one, and the Duke is really popular too, as well as some other bike I've seen around town but haven't been able to inspect yet. It's like a small dirt bike, might be Chinese but it looks and sounds great.

Let me know if there's anything else you want to know

its allwazs best to rent cheap local bikes in Asian Countrys insted of shiping exotic bikes around the globe. For a local bike all parts are available if needet and you dont look and will be treeted as money on legs: Offroad Motorrad Weltreisen - das letzte Abenteuer

Just rereading posts. Rent ride return fly? That's what I did this winter in Asia. I want to ride north India and Nepal. I need to decide what month is the best time to ride. I'll also look at prices for bikes. In March I bought a new Chinese Shineray 250cc bike for $1300. I rode it over 15000 feet several days and went from Kunming to Beijing+. If new bikes are similarly cheap in India, I would prefer doing that. Renting generally requires back tracking. So I'll compare rentals to buying and balance the benefits of each. And if I damage my own bike I wouldn't need to argue about repair costs.

I'll look at the Duke online. I believe you just started riding this year? The 650 Strom was probably a good bike and size for you. I don't know if your route took you through any sand. If you do get into any soft sand you will be glad you have the 650 instead of the 1000. Waiting for your post of Nepal. How many days and miles did you ride in India?

Hi Doggle

Did you make it on the ride you had planned, sounds like fun.

I am flying to Switzerland with my son August 16. We are renting BMW's for 10 days. He will fly home August 26. I fly home from Geneva October 3. I don't have anything else planned yet. I will go to Nepal and probably India. I don't have the flights or motorcycle rentals reserved yet. I only have a list of possible places to visit.

Great News

The Alps yes, but the big stuff is in Nepal, I am sure you will sort it out.
Hopefully no snow and ice like China.

Had a bad fall last year in Thailand, doing dirt riding, to fast as usual.
Broken a few ribs and shit like that, decided I am too old now for fast dirt stuff so to cheer me up I purchased a Honda CRF1000 DCT model.
But had to leave it in Thailand for the summer.
New Bike in China as well, the one I was on with you had done 75.000 km in under a year, so I decided to get the MT version same make CFmoto but 45kg lighter.

Hope to do the other side of Nepal this summer and hope to view K2 mountain.
Tibet is still a no-no.
Good luck and best wishes to all back home

Steve


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You? Riding too fast? Must not have had enough tire pressure.
Broken ribs? Ouch.
You bought a heavy bike to ride in Thailand and a lighter bike to ride in China?