India - Buy a bike & travel (Jan-March 2015)
 

Hi all,

Just found this forum. :cool4:

I'm a youngish guy from SE London. I'm planning to travel to India in mid January 2015 and would like to buy a cheap bike to tour/backpack around on for 2-3 months. If anyone has similar plans/dates it would be great to hear as I am on the look out for a travel buddy.

I did a similar thing on my own in Vietnam a few years ago and rode 5,000km over 4 weeks. It was amazing, but I'd like some company this time. :)

Cheers,
Steve

Ill be back there in mid Jan buddy, I pick my bike up from Pune an will head to Goa for a week then all the way up to Gulmarg for some snowboarding and then on to Pakistan on the 25th of Feb. feel free to tag along any stretch, Indias a bit bigger than Vietnam :) I loved Vietnam changed my life! what do you want to see? how cheap is a cheap bike? ktm duke, tvs, hero, honda, bajaj, pulsar please dont say enfeild lol

Hi Shane,

Right, finally booked some flights! I leave 19th Jan for Chennai then fly back home from Delhi on 19th April. In Chennai I hope to acquire a Bajaj, Hero, or something Japanese for around Rs 20k-30k. In Vietnam I had a 100cc Honda Win ($200) and it was excellent.

Don't think our dates/locations will coincide unfortunately. My (very rough) plan is to head South first then across to Kerala, then up the coast and I imagine I'll still be around Goa towards the end of Feb. Then keep going to Rajasthan, Delhi and finally Jammu & Kashmir in April. Ladakh sounds good but seems like it'll be far too cold.

Any advice/tips re: bikes, buying process, Satnav (Sytec?), or anything else is more than welcome!

Cheers,
Steve

Just an update to say that I arrived Chennai and immediately set about looking for a bike. Found one on day 1 - 'Hero Honda Splendor', 2003, 100cc - did the deal and paperwork on day 2, day 3 getting it sorted... 1 tyre, battery, wheel bearing, rear brakes, electrics/lights fixed, extra loud horn!, front mud guard, side pannier box fitted and full service then on the road early on day 4. Bike was Rs17,000 (GBP 180) plus Rs4,000 (GBP 45) repair/service/additions so about GBP 225 total and it seems good so far.

Now on day 7 and in Thanjavur heading to South Kerala over the next few days. If anyone fancies meeting up or doing some of the West Coast, Rajasthan, Punjab... then that'd be great.

Steve

May catch up?
 

Hi Steve,
Not sure if we could catch up, we are back in Australia now, fly into Sri Lanka on 18th Feb for a couple of weeks, then into India, no plan yet on where, but want to see Kerala, and up the west coast. Our bikes are currently in Barcelona, will fly over to them after India. We will watch this site to see where you are. Cheers, and travel safe,
Curt and Lyn