What bike for Nepal adventuring and where to get it?

[wyndham]

I'm new to this game, in fact i only passed my test a week ago I'm looking forward to working in Nepal, based in Pokhara, for a year starting July 2010. I want to get a bike that will allow me to see as much of Nepal as possible during this time and on which i can ride back to UK when my time in Nepal is up (buying in Nepal).

My mechanical knowledge/practical ability is currently non-existent but i figure a year with a bike is a reasonable amount of time in which to change that before undertaking a big trip.

Watching some of the Enfield debates has been interesting - Enfield is the obvious choice but i want to explore all options. So,

-Can anyone tell me what is available bikewise in Nepal and who to contact/where to look?

-Can anyone recommend how to go from zero to hero in terms of mechanical bike fixing ability?

-Any advice at all on buying bikes in Nepal, riding and maintaining them in Nepal and of course, riding them home (to UK) would be awesome.

Thanks for your time and consideration

Wyndham (motorcycling schoolboy)

[haggis]

Wyndham

From a practical point of view, the Enfield is the answer, local knowledge availability of parts etc. These bikes are pretty crap in UK or Europe but in places like Nepal or India I reckon they are perfect for the terrain.

A more modern bike would be better for resale if bringing to UK but Im not sure if that would be possible as UK (or Australia where I now live) may present problems with emissions etc etc. Havingsaid that I know a lady who did just that on an Enfield so I'll ask her how she achieved to bring it back to UK and let you know. I'm sure there are plenty of experienced helpful people here who can also help.

The Honda Hero is very popluar around those parts too, might be a more reliable and easier to handle option.

Good luck

Steven

[rickmagill01]

Hi - I run the Hearts & Tears motorcycle shop in Lakeside, Pokhara.

If you're serious about riding home, you must have a Nepali-registered bike. This will enable you to get a document called a Carnet de Passage. This is not, repeat not, available for Indian-registered bikes.

This fact may influence your choice of bike. Most of the toursists in Nepal are running around on Indian-registered Enfields. You can get one of these bikes for around NRs 50,000. A Nepali-registered one will cost 4 times that much. It's a tax thing.

To get the bike registered in your name, you will need a "no objection letter" from your Embassy. You should also have a non-tourist visa. Maybe you're on a business visa or a volunteer visa if you're staying a year? It's difficult, but not impossible, on a tourist visa.

We specialise in Royal Enfield bikes. They are great fun to ride and very cool for thumping around Nepal, but they are not reliable. There is always something that needs fixing. That's fine if you like getting your hands dirty, but it's maybe not the ideal bike for riding home, or heading into remote mountain areas.

You can get a Bullet serviced in Kathmandu or Pokhara, but very few other places. Parts can be hard to find. It's still an unusual bike in Nepal and quite expensive, so it's only the big city elite that can afford to buy and run one.

We custom build bikes for people to make the long ride back. Of the last 5 that came to buy a Bullet, all of them have bought Yamahas instead. We also give advanced/adventure riding lessons and teach mechanics, so come and see us if you're interested.

There are some really good small capacity bike on the market here. There are showrooms in Pokhara. Yamaha's FZ160 and Fazer 160 are great. So is Bajaj's Pulsar 180. They are really reliable, and there are mechanics all over the country.

Hope that helps ...
Cheers
Rick