Nepalese road advice needed
 

Asking all overlander's who have ridden through Nepal to offer advice on roads. Allow me to explain, I with my wife Katrina are currently Riding RTW on an Africa Twin and old hands at riding most places and nothing presents as too much of a problem. Come mid to late March 2017 we will be in Nepal and our son and his girlfriend will meet us there. He's been riding now a couple of years, but has negligible experience taking a pillion. He'll hire a Bullet no doubt, he owns one in Australia and he and his girlfriend will spend about 10 days riding with us.

So my question is, what recommendation of roads, to follow out of Kathmandu do people have. Trying all the time to minimise the traffic, reasonable roads, but also get the genuine Nepalese/Himalayan experience. He's big and strong and all and pretty experienced to a point. But those conditions there, in combination with a pillion have to be considered.

Thanks in advance.

Graeme & Katrina.

All roads in and out of KTM are busy. There will be traffic. Avoid it at night at all costs! Lots of thick black crap poloution from trucks. White mini van busses will try there best to kill you every chance they get. Roads can be perfect then terrible then perfect..... That's the bad news. The good news is everything else is FAB! Hired an RE350 and went 2up all over. See video for a taste of what we did. Happy to try and answer questions. Watch "Motorcycle trip Nepal September 2015" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/zQiIiFHU2_U

g6snl -Tim

Cheers Tim, really appreciate the feed back. Did you achieve much altitude on your journeys?

Graeme

We did not go up Everest if that's what you mean. :rofl: But yes we were high enough to feel the effects of cold and less Oxygen. Time constraints limited where we could get to. far too many distractions along the way! Another visit is planned to visit some more parts. 10 days will limit how far you can go, don't under estimate the time it takes to travel in Nepal. We travelled by bike for 18days other modes for the rest of our time, only scratched the surface. Planning your time in the National parks is obviously key to get your money's worth from the access permits, which are quite costly for some.($500) Some roads are slow going on Royal Enfield 2up. To be honest every road we took was stunning once out of KTM. There is plenty to see even if you don't go to any of the national parks. Its going to be a visit that stays with you for ever, people are just the best too.

Riding might be exciting in Nepal but I found it more relaxed and easier than other places such as India for example..... if that is any measure to you.
I agree to keeping an eye out for sudden changes in road condition. It can be good for many km and then suddenly you are dealing with craters and ruts even on trafficked black top roads.
There is a lot, a lot, a lot of dust around Katmandu, so much it looks like fog.
All in all though Nepal it's fine to ride through, green and beautiful.

Take care.


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Where did you hire the bike from? Did you fly into Nepal?

Yes flight into KTM. Hired from bikemandu - but loads available in the Thamel area of Kathmandu for very little money.

g6snl -Tim

You can ride to Pokhara along the prithy highway, with stops and traffic take a day from KTM to Pok, esp if you stop and do the cable car etc. From Pok you can ride up to Mukyinath.. It's a challenging ride but fine on an Enfield and two up. Here you'll be at the gateway to mustang the forgotten kingdom, and in the high himalaya. The route is the road version of the Annapurna circuit. Stop at tatopani and enjoy the hot springs. You'll see yaks etc up there and get up to 3600masl. Up to Mukyinayh should take a couple of days up and a couple of days down.

From Pok if you want to go see the plains and flat lands of Nepal and take in one of the safari parks, bardia is a long day or 2 day ride and is less commercial and quieter of the two compared with bardia.

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Fern, really appreciate your input. Thats exactly the sort of info I'm after. Thanks again and ride safe.

Graeme

Me and my wife were there 2 years ago and hired our bikes from B&B m/cycles in Thamel ask for Babu. To get out of KTM easily leave early very little traffic. An alternate route to Pokahara is via Kakani and the back roads from there, great mountain roads and travel through very quiet Nepali country side hardly visited by tourists, takes a lot longer though. Highly agree with Fern Bardia is a great choice, Once past Butwal traffic thins out the further west you go till there's not much at all, again you will need a few days Bardia is great to relax in and good chance to see Tigers. If staying in Thamel check out Horizon hotel ask for Ramesh and mention Joe & Henrietta. Road from Pokahara to Butwal is another gem.
Joe