India/Nepal (maybe Bhutan) this August2015!

[octopusenvy]

Kia ora from Aotearoa/New Zealand,

2 of us riding for 5wks (end of july to early sept, so basically all of august) in India/Nepal and possibly Bhutan shortly. Bhutan is expensive, so still deciding. My mate is Indian living in Singapore. Anyone else keen? Haven't decided Nepal to Delhi via Shimla, Leh, Ladakh, Kashmire, Amritsar OR start in Delhi and opposite route with long return leg. Willing to train Shimla to Lucknow with bikes. Easier, less riding time, less distance to cover if starting from Nepal (train/bus from Delhi to Kathmandu), but possibly better bike value in Delhi?

Looking at Hero IMPULSE if India or Hartford if Nepal. Dual sport bike, but only 150cc. Prefer more, but can't b picky. Kind of avoiding Enfield due to weight and less than ideal for mountain roads.

Any interest? Any advice? Cheers everyone!

[robert ksng]

Hi, can we get the permits/arrangements in Nepal for entering by bikes or cars to Bhutan? Thanks.

[octopusenvy]

Hi Robert, where are you from/located? Are you thinking of joining us?

As for Bhutan, its the trickiest bit. But we are well informed and have a guy we know in Delhi to help us if necessary for permits etc. He actually runs a motorbike tourism venture, so with any luck we might even get a fast-track? Also my mate Surin who is part of this trip is Indian, so even tho he lives in Singapore, my evil brain is thinking he could be an 'employee guide' for the company on paper...boom we're in.

The other truth is that normally it costs $200USD/day to ride Bhutan. That's crazy expensive, but I understand where the money goes to, and I'm not wanting to ride there for a week at that price. I reckon a few days max for me from the southern border (roads look good and winding, plus can go to Thimpu and Paro which is where the main road permits allow.

We have time to plan as well, so more details as they come. I have been thinking about the logistics, and buying a bike in Delhi is the easiest (most variety, plus we are keen on Hero Impulse bikes due to their design and ease of parts for Hero engines all around India). To me, the smartest way to do this is to get them on a train asap going EAST to Varanasi or Patna. Ride to Bhutan from there if possible, then Nepal, then India, which is most efficient with only 5wks to ride. The logic here is that if we did the opposite, we would be relying on the train to get us back in time to our flights in Delhi, rather than ourselves and our bikes. A big factor will be weather, and what that is like in August. I have asked a guy running a company in Nepal for that info.