Imagine drifting through the Himalayas on a motorcycle with no worry of time. Riding with the wind in your face and the world’s tallest mountains at your side and not stopping until you feel like it. You float by buses and enter to small sleepy towns that haven’t seen a tourist in months, maybe years. Odd and unusual isolated communities, fascinating scenery all awaits those with a sense of adventure.

Che Guevara did it this way (but somewhere else) and from this trip was able to make a significant impact on the world. His bike was probably worse than the one any of you will ever rent, but he made it and every trial and tribulation set up everything that came after. It isn’t about becoming Che Guevara. It’s something bigger. Bigger than even those mountains that are beckoning me this very moment.

I’ve rented the bike and am at home in Columbus wishing I was still on it. My only worries were when to eat or simply how to get form point A to point B. The sense of freedom a motorcycle can give you in a place like this is beyond compare.

There are places in the world that buses, trains, and planes just cannot reach. Or when they can the ride is so exhausting and long that your time is stretched so much that the trip isn’t worth the effort. These are the places that a motorcycle is the single best form of transportation.

The town of Manali, India’s center of trekking and adventure activities also serves as the base for most motorcycle trips in the entire North of India. The most rental and sales agencies, as well as repairmen and spare parts can be found here.

The standard bike is the Royal Enfield. Most are 500cc, but 350cc’s are available and will do the job just fine. Metal racks for luggage, spare parts, and other gear fit nicely on the sides. Karol Bagh market in New Delhi is another option for purchasing, but quality varies greatly.

Renting is fairly reasonable with rates starting at about 250 rupees ($5-6) per day, with significant discounts when you rent for the week or month, as most do. A new Enfield can be purchased for around 90,000 rupees (about $2000), while a used bike will cost a bit less and are significantly easier to find. A year of insurance will run about $1000, and well worth it. Technically you need an international driver’s license…technically. The only people that will likely ask you for it are corrupt policemen who want a bit of baksheesh, but they will probably want it for something anyway.

Things such as helmets and other protective gear are hard to find anywhere in India, so they should be brought in from home. Also, be sure to tighten all nuts and bolts and clean the oil filter regularly. Older bikes paired with non-original parts and often-dreadful road conditions make maintenance of extreme importance, particularly in far off, isolated locations or you could very likely end up, well, fucked. Read More...