Sorry for these DoublePosts and Ups and whatsoever but i got a bike now. My uncle gifted me a very old Kawasaki ER-5 which he got for very low money for me to learn driving and learn how to fix basic stuff. He was like "ARE YOU CRAZY?" when i told him, that i wanna go around the world
So i guess this question is gone now but i really want to buy a newer bike for the trip in 2019 so the questions is still there.

Whatsoever I just found a picture of a Royal Enfield Himalayan and I gotta say that I really really really like the appearance of this bike.

I would love to add this bike to my list, so in the end it will be one of the 4 Bikes:
- Honda CRF250 Rally - Lightest, but Weakest
- Kawasaki Versys X-300 - relatively light but still not very strong
- Royal Enfield Himalayan - Stronger but heavier.
- Honda CB500X - Heaviest + strongest.

The Bikes are getting heavier, but also getting more power. I will testride the 2 Hondas and the Kawasaki here BUT the Royal Enfield is only available in India and Nepal. Since Nepal is on my bucket list anyways, im thinking about just flying to China in 2019, doing my thing there for a few Weeks/Months and then fly to Nepal, do the 2 week hike to the Everest Basecamp and then buy a Royal Enfield Himalayan there and drive it back home. This is something I could imagine doing, this would also solve my time issues (I have to start in Octobre, so i would be in Kazakhstan in about January? That's just way 2 cold for me

What do you guys think about the Royal Enfield? And do you know by any chance IF this is even possible? I mean all i know is that in Germany we have very strict laws which define how the vehicle should be. I guess in the US it's the same, whatsoever I can imagine that in India and Nepal, there are no such limitations. So would my plan work out? Where and how do I register this bike? If i buy it there I would probably go around southeast asia with the bike and ship it from Singapore to portugal, after Australia, where i will just buy a local motorcycle i fly to portugal and pick it up and drive it from east Europe to Southeurope (Balkan) and then up to germany. This would mean i skip turkey, kazhakstan, mongolia etc. so i don't even need a light bike anymore so the heavier wheight of the himalayan would be fine.

And also, do you guys know what price the Himalayan is being sold in Nepal?
Thanks

LOL - maybe it's just me showing my age, but I don't consider a motorcycle first made in 1996 to be "very old"...

__________________
Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

17 years is old for me

Well i guess i celebrated too soon there... there are problems with the ER-5n, the guy who sold it to my uncle said its running perfect but there are some mechanical issues now and it didn't get throu the testing therefore can't drive on the road unless i make some investments, my uncle said then he doesn't want the bike so yup...i don't have a bike still

I will contact some sellers and try to drive some bikes this weekend.
I got a 660 Tenere from 1991 for 1400€ in mind and somehow the BMW F650GS Dakar is stuck in my head even tho i didn't want to buy a BMW
A 2000er Dakar in Snowwhite with quiet alot of addings (grip heaters, Touratek aluminium cases, protection etc. für about 3000€. Very expensive but probably worth it...

Too bad about the ER-5n.
I'm not a fan of the 650 Dakar but many here on HUBB have had good ... and bad luck with them.

I do know they have a "colorful" history regards reliability. Very mixed. But IMO... if well looked after and with a few key spare parts carried on board, you can do well on this bike if it's not too worn out.

They ride nice on road when in good condition. Not great off road but certainly OK for mild off road travel. Watch closely water pump and for blown head gasket. Also, fuel pump and some electrical issues too. Basic engine is good and if looked after could go to 100K miles for traveling.

Be sure to look out for bad wheel bearings. F650 is notorious for having bearings fail very early ... for no good reason. (tip: use Japanese bearings)

One big negative is possible front fork failure. This has been discussed in detail on various Dakar and F650 forums for YEARS. Many documented examples of F650 Showa forks snapping, riders injured in some cases. So keep an eye out there. (NOTE: most are OK, not in danger of breaking)

My guess, with an older F650/Dakar with many km done, most problems will have already presented and been fixed at this late date, after 10 or 15 years with bike on the road.

For me, if buying 650 class dual sport bike in Germany, I'd consider a very late model XT600. These were made until 2003, so should be some good used examples for sale.

XT is a simple bike: Carb, no fuel injection, almost NO electronics. No
ABS. Strong and reliable bike. With good maintenance, reliable as a hammer.
Tons of good info here on HUBB about the XT600 Yamaha. SEARCH.

And one big thing:at least 30 kg. lighter weight than a F650 Dakar.

Off road, weight is your enemy. I rode the F650 Dakar in Moab, Utah ... in soft conditions was a bit scary. Too heavy to lift alone.

The XT is about the same weight as my Suzuki DR650, similar attributes.

I somehow focused on getting ABS on the bike as a first bike.
I've found a F650 GS (no Dakar) for 2500€ with quiet nice addings (cases, grip heaters etc.) with 57.000km done from 2003.
Should be fine then?!

I just searched for travel bikes with ABS under 3000€ and the BMWs are the only one who showed up.

Maybe i should say goodbye to ABS but idk man, in case of a accident i just don't want to say "IF I HAD ABS", atleast for the first bike. But maybe my thinking about this is wrong.

I like ABS but ride two bikes without it ... and rode 40 years on bikes with NO ABS.

Some riders depend TOO MUCH on ABS and skip proper training and real practice ... which is the MOST important element. PRACTICE.

2500 EURO for 2003 with 57K km does not sound like a great deal to me. Many many things would have to renewed before a long ride. I covered some in above post. If seller has done things like: New steering head bearings, all new wheel bearings, new swing arm bearings. All very important for a bike of that age and km. If not done recently, then you really should do all before long ride.

I would continue to SHOP and wait for a better deal. Be willing to travel far to get your bike. In Summer, prices can be high and inventories low. Be patient, wait until October. Have cash on hand, be ready to jump on a good deal.