india: which bike to rent?

[sadoblazo]

hi guys.... once again i need some of your know-how
i'm in the early stages of planning a visit to india this summer and i am facing some issues i'm hoping some of you could help me clear.
I'd simply love to take my v-strom along for the ride, as ive always done in the past, but a good amount of research amongst shippers has turned up nothing but outrageous prices. I am therefore considering renting the bike over there. problems is that, knowing absolutely nothing of the bikes that are sold on the indian market, im kinda lost.
I know the popular choice for touring india is the enfield, which would be just fine for me, but i've read numerous reports of enfields simply falling to bits and that worries me to a certain degree. last thing i wanna do is to spend my hard-earned vacation fixing a bike that isnt even mine. on the other hand i know the enfield can be easily kitted-out for 2up touring, which is what i intend to do... what do you guys think of that?
as far as the other bikes.... like i said i know absolutely nothing about them or their reliability.
in particular.... do you guys know anything about kinetics? apparently they have set up a rental scheme (www dot rentabikeindia dot com) with rates that are.... incredible!!

Kinetic Velocity/Kinetic Nova
4 Hours Rs 100
8 Hours Rs 150
1 Day Rs 225
1 Week Rs 1350
1 Month Rs 4000

Kinetic Boss/ Zoom/ Kine'
4 Hours Rs 75
8 Hours Rs 125
1 Day Rs 200
1 Week Rs 1200
1 Month Rs 3750

that sounds 2 good 2 be true, dont u reckon?
Do you guys know anything about the kinetic velocity and boss? they're small displacement bikes and probably not the best choice for touring, but at those rates, it's hard to refuse! it remains to be seen whether they can be kitted out with some accessories for touring...
Finally, would u sugest any bikes other than the ones mentioned above which could do the job? and where can they be rented?
thanks guys. i know you will come through as always!!! take care!!

[farqhuar]

Sado, I can't help a lot, so I'll try and help a little.

I rode through India 30+ years ago and was last there in 2003.

I wouldn't touch an Enfield with a barge pole, and as for renting a bike, the bureaucracy you are going to have to fight will be sheer hell.

The rental rates rates you describe are too good to be true (meaning they are). As for two up touring on a 100ccc bike, let's face it they are going to be well and truly shagged before you get to ride them so I wouldn't expect a great deal.

Having said all of the above, you are coming from Italy, so your expectations are likely to be realistic, and if it's sheer fun you're after then nothing beats riding a bike in India. Forget trying to get from A to B quickly and focus on the journey itself and you will have a ball.

Go for it mate, heaps to win and nothing to lose!

Garry from Oz.

[a1arn]

I think getting cheap with your bike would be the BEST way by far to screw up your holiday.

There are many reliable 150 -200cc machines that will run with the traffic all day, with adequate levels of performance in terms of braking and suspension. All of which, the Velocity and the Boss just won't do. If you plan to run in the city only, they are OK, for the highways they are dangerously inadequate (as is any other 100cc bike).

There are enough people who will be happy to "lend" you their bike for a price (bureaucracy hasn't gotten around to regulating lending yet). If you can arrange to buy a new bike, nothing like it - you just need to be able to sell it back to whoever you bought it from in the first place. You will definitely pay more than the rental charged by kinetic, but hey, at least you will not have to drop to 45kph up inclines and into headwinds!

Rental/sale/"borrowing are best done in the cities of Delhi and Mumbai, to some extent in Goa as well. Bikes to look at are the pulsar200/180/150, the HH Karizma/CBZ, Honda Unicorn and TVS RTR. Any of these bikes, new will be problem free. Used, avoid the Karizma (you'll get V strom parts faster than parts for this bike) and the Pulsar 200 (uncommon, compared to the other pulsars). Remember, 2 up running will degrade performance some for these as well.

Easiest availability of parts - pulsar 150.

Enfields. Lottery. You get a good one, you'll wonder why people keep trashing them. A lemon (and this is not uncommon AT ALL) and enfield mechs will be the single largest group of people you meet during your stay. If you must - go for a 350 cc Machismo/electra (high torque compared to the rest mentioned above, adequate stopping power - discs up front). Avoid the new flagship LB500 model - some units have recurrent engine issues the company is completely clueless about.

[yogesh Sarkar]

The only problem is, in majority of the cities, the only option available is Bullet. Arranging for the bikes Arn has mentioned, while not impossible, would be a little tough and would most probably would end up costing more, both in effort and money.

I wouldn’t recommend Kinetic bikes, unless you are planning to stick to the city!

[mustaphapint]

How could you consider touring India on anything other than an Enfield?

[farqhuar]

Originally Posted by harleyrider

How could you consider touring India on anything other than an Enfield?

Well interestingly enough I did it two up on an aircooled RD350 in '77. Some bike exec must have spotted me because lo and behold Yamaha did a joint venture with Rajdoot and released the same bike on the Indian market in the early '80s.

For any Indian bike enthusiast the old RD is still considered king of the superbikes.

Garry from Oz.

[sadoblazo]

first of all, thanks a bunch for all the replies. ill never tire of saying howmuch i love this friggin forum!!

Don't get me wrong guys. i certainly see the romantic side of touring india on an enfield, and if i had 6 months to spare, it would be a no-call. but i only have a month, maybe a month and a half, and after reading all the reports, im afraid id be spending a great deal of my trip trying to put back bits that have fallen off. that's the factor that makes me lean toward the jap bikes, its simply an issue of time. nonetheless, i havent exactly written it off yet, and im still open to suggestions.
as far as lending/renting/buying from a private... how long do u reckon it would take to arrange the deal once in place? do you guys know anyone i could contact in advance to start planning ahead?
So far i have contacted lalli singh, who has a buyback scheme for enfeilds, and who comes highly recommended, but so far no answer.

[a1arn]

Approximate dates? And start point?

In Mumbai you could try contact indiabikes.com or Allibhai Premji Tyrewalla - Motorcycle and Scooter Dealers

Perhaps you could communicate your needs to them and take it from there.

[sadoblazo]

ok guys. ive found a pretty good buyback scheme on a 2005 karizma. very good price indeed!
jst one question though... does the karizma have the gearshift on the left or the right?

[andjw001]

Have a look on the Royal Enfield website it will tell you all the specs

The enfield is great for cruising very comftable and you can ride it all day. It may break down but you can get parts and mechanics any where even in the middle of rural india. I rented a smaller 2 stroke for a week and it was like riding a razor blade not much fun at all.

Good luck and don't forget to give way to everything bigger than you, including at green lights as trucks and buses etc don't respect motorbikes even if they have a red light or you have right of way.

[a1arn]

Originally Posted by sadoblazo

ok guys. ive found a pretty good buyback scheme on a 2005 karizma. very good price indeed!
jst one question though... does the karizma have the gearshift on the left or the right?

Conventional, gear on the left, toe shifter.

Be sure to check the bike THOROUGHLY before you start and replace anything that needs it, or is likely to need it BEFORE starting.

That includes (if there is even slight doubt):

The clutch plates
Chain sprocket set
Timing chain tensioner
Battery
There should be NO leaks

Sometimes there is a shortage of parts even in the major cities - a failure of any of these components out in the countryside will mean that you will have to ship it home (though a 9A battery can be substituted, available everywhere).

If you have everything sorted out before starting and are prepared to check oil levels daily (there is no oil warning light) you can donate your spanners to the nearest enfield guy you see and be on your way.

[metita]

Hi,
I just returned home from a 3 month trip through S-India on my Enfield. 350. 2up and lots of luggage. This one is mine and only 1 year old. Last year my wife and I spent 4 months on the bike. In total 10.000km and no problems apart from the regular services. Even no flat tires. When you run them on 40psi aft and 30psi front.
Before this one we had an old 500cc bullet and travelled 6 months. About every 500km problems. So rent a good 350 with a luggagerack.
In Delhi you could go to Lalli Singh in Karol Bagh. Madaan is another one but not so reliable.
All the smaller bikes are a pain in the ass and lack luggage space.
Remember for the planning more than 200km a day means real work and NEVER go faster than 50km. That is the speed you see and avoid potholes and beautiful speedbreakers.
Happy riding
Menno

[DaveSmith]

Originally Posted by sadoblazo

i certainly see the romantic side of touring india on an enfield, and if i had 6 months to spare, it would be a no-call. but i only have a month, maybe a month and a half, and after reading all the reports, im afraid id be spending a great deal of my trip trying to put back bits that have fallen off. that's the factor that makes me lean toward the jap bikes, its simply an issue of time. nonetheless, i havent exactly written it off yet, and im still open to suggestions.

I'll be there on my 1965 Ducati 250cc in May. Well, the bike probably won't show up until June, but I don't sweat the small stuff. If I wasn't planning on a bike that would break down, I'd go Japanese or local. Once you're there you'll be able to find out what people are riding.

If I blow up the bike again, it's Enfield 350 for sure. I'm a sucker for punishment.

--Dave

[a1arn]

Originally Posted by metita

Hi,
In total 10.000km and no problems apart from the regular services. Even no flat tires.
Before this one we had an old 500cc bullet and travelled 6 months. About every 500km problems.

Menno

It would be nice if one could make out which enfield will give problems - and which won't (and usually, the old 500 is a more reliable bike) but this is a bit of a lottery.

Originally Posted by metita

Remember for the planning more than 200km a day means real work and NEVER go faster than 50km. That is the speed you see and avoid potholes and beautiful speedbreakers.
Happy riding

Menno

Again, this depends on the roads. We have had total newbs in our group do 700km in a day (not advisable). There are places where 50kph is too fast, and places where 130 kph is no big deal.

[travelHK]

As far as bike I am now in India with a Royal Enfield from Carol in Delhi, its a 500 cc and fully loaded two up we can do up to 80 km/H on good road ( wich are rare) we did 2700KM so far and the bike run great, its also a great looking ride (if that make a difference to you)I will recommande it to anyone travelling loaded or two up as the smaal bike suffer way too much in the mountains.
my 2 cents