Hi all,

With about 3 weeks in the area, we don't have too much time to waste. After seeing Yogesh' report we want to get to the the mountains fast. Essentially, we don't want to lose too much time in Delhi as we don't like the crowds, the rains and the traffic horror stories....

Can anyone comment if it's a better idea to rent a bike from Delhi and cross the plains ourselves or take a bus up there and rent a bike in Manali.
Some sources (Adventure motorbiking handbook and others) told us that the bikes in Manali are more expensive and of poorer quality. Other sources told us that it's possible to drive from Delhi to Leh and fly back, without having to return the bike to Delhi.

Don't get me wrong, we LOVE to ride and that's why we choose to go to Ladakh, it's just that our time is short and we want to get as much quality riding time as possible.

On a different note: The Kargil - Srinagar road: is it accessible for foreigners? How is the general safety situation there? It's hard to find truly reliable information as Departments of foreign affairs and the classic guedebooks are usually overcautious, and the travelers who didn't run in trouble are usually at the other end of the scale with advice.

Finally, any advice on reliable maps?

Thanks

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Hi,
I have a bike in India purchased from Lalli Singh brand new. I did the trip to Ladakh in june 2005. i spent 2 months in and around leh.
Drive a bike there and fly back? I cannot see how that could work and if it did it would be prohibitively expensive...as after all someone would have to drive the bike back. Hiring bikes in Manali or Vashisht? Possible...but pricey.There is a guy - he may be nepalese who has a workshop in Vashisht on the edge of the town as you come from manali.He is good and does accompanied rides to and from Manali to Leh.
a lot of people by bikes in Vashisht from an israeli traveller then sell them on when they get back.Problematic
Flying out of Leh is of course possible but do not assume that you will get the ticket on the day you want as the demand often outstrips the supply...allow a few days to get the ticket for the day you want.
I then went onto to Srinagar with no problems. In August /september the road from Kargil to Srinagar is often closed on Monday for maintenance though they let me through with the warning to be careful of the 'blasting'.
I have done 20000klms in India .
finally...if time is of the essence then you could take a jeep from Manali...hire a bike in Leh...but ask around and make sure you get a good one....buy camping equipment in the tibetan market and hire a tent and set off yourself
I realise that you will miss out on the road to leh but you only have three weeks. to get from Delhi to Manali is about 16 hours i think by bus.you can get to Leh by jeep in another 16 hourse by jeep and you are there. allowing for a day or two (or even three) to get used to the altitude then it cuts into your time even more.Can you not take more time off?
I am on bikerjon@gmail.com if you want more info.
jonathan

to follow on from my previous post......if you hav e the money why not do a motorbike tour from asia tourse for example.They will arrrange all flights and have a mechanic following the group.
I realise that organised groups aren't always desirable but they are still a special group who do this trip.consider it
J

Mingh I haven’t hired bikes yet, but I think it would be better to hire one from Delhi simply due to the choices available here. If you can reach an agreement with some one in manali that they will bring back the motorcycle from Leh and you can fly back then it’s definitely better. However if you cant reach such an agreement then you will be forced to come back via manali route to return the bike, which in case of a Delhi based renter wont be an issue.

The Delhi-Manali route is quite good; it takes roughly 14hours to reach manali by bus. If you want to ride from Delhi, then my advice would be to start early from Delhi, say 2 or 3 am. Since reaching Manali on a motorcycle can take any where from 13 to 17hours and it is always better to ride at night in plains then in hills, this way you can ditch the heat as well. However only do this if you are comfortable with Indian road conditions and riding in night.

As for the Kargil – Srinagar road, it is open to foreigners and it is quite safe till Zoji La. After that don’t ride after 5:30pm and don’t ride before 8am, since during 8 am to 5:30pm there are soldiers guarding the highway and its relatively safe. In fact you will find soldiers posted every 200mtrs or so, don’t be afraid they are there to protect you. When you stop they will come over to talk and inquire why you are there. Other then that there isn’t any issue with them, but most of the soldiers love to talk and would probably be there with you till you start your bike. This is due to the fact that they are standing on the highway all day long and don’t have much company.

As for the map I used a small map from nest and wings (costs Rs.65) and a handbook for ladakh. Trust me you won’t need maps, as long as you know which place you want to visit. Most of the roads are marked and you can always ask friendly locals or better yet soldiers/police about the route. If you want to see the map I used, pm me your email id and I will mail you a high resolution scan of the map.

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Can anyone give me any idea about where can I hire a bike in dehradun for few days and drive all around in Mussoorie

Guys it would be great help form you all

I was in Manali in 06 and hired my Enfield fron Anu at his bike shop in Vashist which is about 6 km out of Manali. He is a super chap and fitted new tyres and better rear suspension for me as im a big lad. The hire cost was us$50 for a month and the bike was 100% reliable. He is very knowledgable and also provided a spares kit with the bike just in case.Look no further, but if he hasnt got a bike at the time he will sort you out. Stay at the hotel Brigu further up the road in the village...great food better views....

Have fun its one of the best trips ive ever made.

Tim