hey there bikers
i am from new delhi , india and have done 4 trips so far to the himalayas (himachal pradesh) on my karizma motorcycle.
its a 223cc 17bhp single cylinder indian bike which is infact a very reliable and trusty bike. it has never ditched me even once apart from 2 punctures.
its far better than the enfield that is also available in india. this is because :
1)smoother engine
2)better cruising ability - u can do 110kmph all day long
3)ultra-reliable
4)bike big feel and comfort
5)less fuel consumption
6)no oil leakage or minor problems

we also have a karizma grp and keep going in grps for long trips in north india..
i wud advise this bike to every person who visits india and wants to explore india on a bike..
bunny punia
00-91-9312098179

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i dont ride to commute , i commute to ride

[This message has been edited by bunnypunia (edited 22 February 2005).]

thanks for the tip, I'm off to explore Goa in 6 weeks and was about to rent an enfield via the internet before getting there but since recieving a few replies, I'm going to get something else.

i dont know y most ppl hire enfields.. ok dey r charmin n have their own personality but wen it comes to maintainance n reliability,dey r no where as near as modern indian machines.. try to rent the followin machines wen in india :
1)hero honda karizma
2)bajaj pulsar 180 dtsi (dont go for 150)
3)hero honda cbz

try to get in touch with victor at 09822162393. he rents out bikes in panaji

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i dont ride to commute , i commute to ride

hey there ,there seems to bit of misconception here ,yes the bikes u might come across through rental wudn't be upto scratch but a good inspected enfield is unmatched with respect to the torque and luggage carrying ability,if your going for a 6 day ride ur better off on one of the newer bikes ,but if ur lookin at seriously tavelling the country with tons of luggage and cruising capability nuthin else comes to scratch ......as for the himalayan ride ,theres a lil diff in touring to himachal pradesh and going all the way to the mountains and back to the south ........

I was in Tamil Nadu last year and rented an Enfield. I had a blast and would get one again. If you have time to go to Chennai, the Enfield factory offers tours on Saturdays.

See:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-touring-22189

Though the Karizma is designed for relaxed touring, at a steady 65mph, poor execution from the company, and a chronic shortage of spares can make your trip a nightmare.

Leppard is right, a properly looked after Bullet is not inherently unreliable, although it has to be admitted Jap bikes do outclass it in that respect. That's the only respect though. The Bullet is a great laugh, if you want a truly memorable bike to ride go for an Enfield. People like to slag them off (usually people who know sod all about them) but if it really was a bad bike they wouldn't have been making it for fifty years.
You can also fix them using the the Ladybird Book of the Motorcycle.
Matt

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http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Bunnypunia, I tried calling the cell number on your message but got a different person at the other end. I have just invested in a Karizma in Delhi and want to start touring...I need advice FAST!



Jay

1)January 2002 : Goa - Mangalore - Goa
2)November 2003 : Delhi - Shimla - Fagu - Delhi
3)June 2004 : Delhi - Shimla - Rohru - Mussoorie - Delhi
4)August 2004 : Delhi - Dhanaulti - Rohru - Shiladesh - Shimla - Delhi
5)Sep 2004 : Delhi - Shimla - Chail - Delhi
6)Dec 2004 : Delhi-Shimla -Rohru-Chaupal-Poanta-Delhi
7)June 2005 : Delhi - Shimla - Rohru - Shiladesh - Narkanda - Delhi
8)July 2005 : Pune - Mangalore - Pune
9)Nov 2005 : Pune - Mumbai - Delhi
10)Nov 2005 : Delhi-Shimla-Rohru -Narkanda - Jalori - Delhi
11)June 2006 : Delhi - Shimla-Tabo-Kaza - Kunzum -Rohtang-Delhi
12)Sep 2006 - Dec 2006 : GIR, All india ride, on the roads for over two months.
13)Dec 2006 : Solo ride. Delhi-Narkanda- Hattu-Chindi-Mandi-Mcleodganj- Delhi
14)Jan 2007 : Delhi-Narkanda-Hattu- Rampur-Kalpa-Rampur-Rohru- Shimla-Delhi
15) March 2007 : Coming up soon!

Add to it countless number of runs on NH-1, NH-8 and down south around Pune (Amby Valley, Kambhatki ghats and all)

All the above rides except 1st and 12th, i have done on the karizma. never carried a spare, she never gave me a prob. Including the 1690kms 100-105km/h run from Pune to Delhi in 31 hrs. Including the Spiti valley ride. Can a bullet do all this? I guess not.

Agreed the Bullet has its own charm.. but whats a charm when you spend more time repairin the bike than riding it!

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Having ridden one which will cross the 80,000km mark this week (over a total of about two and a half years, including an ironbutt SS1000 run) I would not recommend this bike for touring unless it is a new example, because if a part fails due to poor quality, you can be pretty much be assured that your tour will end there itself, as you will have to ship the bike back to a major city (where, if you are lucky, spares MIGHT be available).

They have had serious problems with cam tensioners (since solved), drive chains (they could not figure out the soln. - so now they sell an imported chain at an exorbitant cost, and this is not even an "o"ring type chain), and the like. The instument cluster is another known problem area.

Because dealers are not reimbursed the full amount for the part replaced, let alone the labour involved in changing a defective part, they do not exactly fall over themselves in order to rectify your complaint.

I have not had even one set of clutch plates last 20000 km. Two new sets wore out/ had to be changed in 1000km itself because they were warped (when fitted). I do not stunt, and the clutch plates on my previous bike have lasted upward of 45000km, ditto my car. I'm fairly certain I haven't forgotten how to ride.

All the poor quality spares when available, come at ridiculous prices, esp body parts. The front mudguard tends to break due to vibrations alone over 10000km (highway running)- you really do not need to hit anything. I've replaced 4 then changed over to an aftemarket fibreglass one, costing a quarter as much, which has now done over 35000 km.

If you want an idea as to what could happen with an used bike, read:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-touring-22189

Sure, you are unlikely to see all these problems when the bike is new, the problem starts when it begins ageing.

I have not changed the rear shock absorbers even though I should, at this point of time. There's no guarantee that the original spares won't pack up and die in a couple of thiousand km. When you have to start thinking like this it's hard to recommend such a bike.

Thought I'd stick my two peneth in.
Was in India for 2 weeks at Xmas on a guided tour on Enfields. Went from Goa to Hampi then south to Tamil Nadu and finally north east across to the coast to get back to Goa.
1700km and the only breakdowns were a grub screw coming loose in the carb on one bike (fixed at the side of the road) and another bike getting wiped out by a bus on NH 17 (straightened and bolted back together in under 4 hours)
I agree with the comment about Enfields being old and possibly out dated and from personal experience I think they are becoming too slow even for Indian roads, the average speed does seem to be getting up to that of what we are used to in the UK. But I have to disagree with them being unreliable, if correctly maintained. They are not the type of machine that you just get on and ride every day without doing a full spanner check first. No different to what the average 30 something + will remember from their youth. I seem to remember my first car spent all week getting me about, but in return required I spent most of my Sundays working on it.
On the up side though, an Enfield will give the same performance and consume the same ammount of fuel whether it is two up and fully loaded or solo with no kit.
I would not think twice about using one angain next time I go to India but I'm still thinking long and hard before I have one here in the UK.