Enfield rental in Manali (India)
 

Hi everyone, first post...

I am planning a month in India next September, riding the Himalayas.

I am wanting to rent two Enfields for the month in Manali and make my way slowly to Leh for some sightseeing.

Has anyone here rented bikes in Manali and has some recommendations of where to rent from?
Our No1 priority is reliability, which seem a little counter intuitive because we will be renting Enfields :rofl: but we are wanting to find the newest 500cc possible and we dont mind paying a little extra to get good reliable machines !

Many thanks in advance,

Matt

Matt, just remember that if you are talking about the latest 500 and 350cc unit engines that the local 'mr fixits' will not yet be familiar with these yet, I did a trip to India and and used a 'good' electric/kickstart pre-unit 350. I would have liked a new unit engined one like I use in England(500) but would have been unsure about how well it had been treated and spares/repairs chances.
And BTW :welcome: to the HUBB

Thanks for the welcome bier

I think we will be going for the newer EFI models to help cope with the altitudes we will be riding.

Finding a reliable rental place with a decent mechanic is turning out to be a challenge...

Please post if you do find an EFI, I did the factory tour and all I saw were unit construction engines with carbs, they do not have the emissions laws like we have in Europe so they never used EFI.

Did you ride above 5000m with the carbed model?

Im curious how carbs will cope with such altitudes...

Anu Auto Works Manali
 

Hi Matt

If you stuck to an EFI Enfields you will find plenty places to get two in Manali, but mainly just 350cc ( been there last year, maybe it will change until next year?!?).
We had made VERY good experience with Anu Autowork Rental (Royal Moto Touring - Anu Auto Works), but using the “old” carb pre units by intend! Well known by the fixers and plenty spare parts available along the way were the reasons to choose these. But finally the bikes from Anu have been in such good conditions that we didn’t have any breakdown (despite of 2 flat tires & one ignition prob in HEAVY rain). All our five bikes were well maintained, performed proper even on 5000+ meters and had fired up after a freezing night every time on the first kick.
Proper bikes, good service and reliable prices, IMHO Anu is the place to go!

Some pics from this trip you will find at Das Motorradreiseforum • Thema anzeigen - Let´s get Leh´d (sorry, text is German), might be a good inspiration to visit this pretty magic part of the world. :mchappy:

Greets
Jörn

Given it's an Enfield . . . highly recommend the carb'd model. It's better known by the local "mechanics" and has ridden to Leh MANY, MANY times.

The state of tune is so low/old/unimproved . . . it'll do fine. The idle mixture screw is easy to access and that's probably all you'd need, at most, to adjust up high, and then again on return.

The 350 is actually not that much less powerful than the 500, it just makes a less "thumpy" noise. (I lived in India for 6 years and marveled at the Enfield's popularity and . . . Harley-like ability to make so much noise for so little power.)

No, I was only in the South between Kerala and Chennai, it was one of the old preunit 350's with carb.

Carbed Enfields are used everyday in the Himalayers so I think any problem can be easily overcome.

Thanks Jorn, a good read :scooter:

I will certainly be looking up Anu once I reach Manali.

Does anyone else have any experience with renting Enfields in Manali?

Any tips gratefully recieved :yes:

it works very good! i rode the manali-leh twice with my carbureted Harley-Davidson on 2007 and 2010. not any adjustment required...
in 2010 i was riding along up there with a mate on a BMW 1150 GS.
So, that guy went on trouble when had to face passes above 5,000 mtrs such as Taglang la and Khardung la.
i was me too visit the Enfield factory in Chennay, and as far as i know fuel injected models (500 cc. only) are mainly for foreings markets although you can find it in some Enfield showroom in India.

lungastrada.it

i can only turn to you the name of some good guys i meet in leh on 2010.
they're running an Enfiled renting-garage in Vashist, few kms north of manali. i meet them in leh 'cause they we're there to pick up three renting bullets dropped down from customers wich preferred fly back to delhi instead to join the ride twice.
so,
Inder Motors (nothing to do with Lalli Singh in Delhi), in front of buddhist monastery, Gompa road, Manali. t. 98161-13973 94591-00157
mail: inder underscore motors underscore manali at yahoo.co.in

lungastrada.it

I rode Deli, Srinagar, Leh, Manly, Delhi, in Aug. It was the 3rd time on an Enfield. Usually ride the old style 500 but this time went with the latest 500. Loved the 5th gear and the electric start. None of the bikes have ever given me any trouble or had a problem with the altitude. I always get my bikes from Lalli Singh in Delhi who supplies them with all the tools that you may need + spare parts along with hands on instructions on how to use them. He will also arrange to put the bikes on a train for you if you want to avoid the first part of the ride north. I also have a 500 in the UK that came by way of his workshop a number of years ago.
I am in Antigua at the moment but if you want more info we could talk on Skype.

Ive heard good things about Lalli Singh but I was really hoping to avoid the Delhi traffic.
I am aware that a bike can be rented in Delhi and put on a train to Chandigargh but we are wanting to start our trip in Manali :mchappy:

There's a guy near the log huts area of manali who rents. His guys worked on my bike when I was passing through, and they did a good job. I'd trust him. As for the carburetor, we had to drain ours several times during the course of our ride to leh. Other than that, it was alright. Make sure you carry enough petrol for the trip. It's 200+km between pumps.

it is a 365 km without gas pump from Thandi to Leh. i were use to carry 10 extra litres in two jerry cans. that's enough for an Harley.

We are not going directly from Manali to Leh.
The plan is from Manali to Chamba, then over Sachs pass to Killar, from Killar to Kistwar and on to Kargil.

At Kargil we are heading down to Padum, past Drang Dungs glacier and back again.

Then are we off to Leh for the usual sightseeing and inner line permits.

For anyone else travelling in that area, here is a handy map!
http://i48.tinypic.com/2rnyoer.jpg

We were going to be leaving next September, after the monsoon but my compardré has no patience so we will be leaving late May :mchappy:

Im hoping thats not too early?

To have no patience is definitely the wrong attitude for travelling India!

Don’t want to be a party pooper, but your routing is quite ambitioned, even for a summer cruise. May, or even beginning of June, will be no fun to ride :rain: and maybe the passes are still closed or impassible by bike:freezing:... Have you ever been driving in that region before??

Good luck
Jörn

Luckily, I have lots of patience and we have 5 weeks to complete our journey.

I have never ridden in India before but have ridden across all of the 'Stans' (except Afghanistan), Iran and Mongolia.
I expect the choas that was in Iran and the off road challenge that was Mongolia all wrapped into one with India!

The Indian websites that I get my info from say June should be just about the right time to complete this journey :cool4:

We hired 3 latest model / low kms 500 EFI classic enfields from Royal India Bikes and picked them up in Chandigarh. They were great bikes and never let us down. We took 3 weeks in Sept/ Oct this year and did the circuit Chandigarth, Shimla, Manali, Leh (including Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake), Kargil, Srinagar, Amritsar, Chandigarh. Happy to recommend Rajiv at Royal India Bikes. He also provides camping equipment, spare parts, jerry cans and suggested itinerary with detailed information about the route.
We met riders who had hired bikes in Manali which had broken down in Keylong and had to truck them back to Manali and continue their trip by bus. Fantastic trip.

Hey you can also check up Abhi in MAnali ... Rent Royal Enfield, Pulsar. Ride to Manali, Leh on Bullet. Guided Motorbike Tours to HImalayas
for reliable bikes and in best condition... All positive feedbacks.. Highly recommended and yes go for the carb.. not the efi..
Cheers mate.

India.
 

G'day. I did the Khardung La on a carb 500 enfield. It was a bit stinky and struggled a little close to the top, but otherwise was faultless during a months riding in northern india, chandigarh to leh and back to delhi. Go for it, you won't regret it. Regards. Geoff.