[Poiple Shadow]

Pulsars... Love them, great responce and handling, never had a problem with mine in the last year and a half since I bought it new.  Especially good in town for weaving in and out of trafic, I have the 150, which is no comparision to the 125 KMX I had in the UK, the 125 would have left it standing...  But  It's still a good bike for Indian roads, although I do think I might get something a bit bigger next time.  I also ride an Enfield, lovely bike, a joy to ride, but mine doesn't have an electric start (do think one is needed!), and fuel consumption is high!

[Mervin]

Hi Howie,

If you want a reliable Bike powerful enough..and strong enough to carry all your luggage I would suggest a Enfield bullet.....probably a Standard 350...machismo..thunderbird(if you want it to be stronger but lighter)....
You can pick one of the second hands which vary from 15k to 25k in decent conditions. Or I would suggets you rent one out and I shall give you the details in my next posting as I am not too sure of it right now.

I would not suggets a pulsar or any other bike on long run as firstly you will not be comfortable riding on them and it would not be possible to load all your carriage on those kind of bikes.

[-m2-]

Since you are already leaning to a Honda, I won't say too much about Bullets.  While they are capable of carrying a big load of gear, there are so many other things to consider about whether one would be suitable for your needs, I'll let it slide.

There is a temptation to bring too much stuff along -- especially since you will be travelling for a lengthy period.  In my case, for a 5 month tour I brought full camping gear as the National Parks and wildlife reserves were high on my places to visit and I assumed there would be provision for camping (wrong) and the tent and cooking gear little used.  I brought my saddlebags and tank-bag from home for that trip and also bungeed my rucksack to the pillion seat as shown in first photo.

The second picture is of a Unicorn packed for a one week trip -- rather limited without saddlebags, but OK for a short trip in the south.  If you mentally add something like the Cramster saddlebags (37 lt.) and tank bag (16 lt) you would have plenty of room and be able to ride in comfort without the clumsiness of the usual rigid Bullet luggage carriers.  I've also attached a picture of the Cramster saddle bags.  There is more information on the website: http://www.cramster.in/products.php

The 150cc Unicorn is a very capable bike -- ghat roads were a delight and keeping up with traffic no problem on highways, 70-80kph very smooth, and 55-60 km/litre consumption.  The 5 speed gearbox is excellent as are the clutch and brakes.  While the rear tire is not as beefy as I'd like, it does have a self-sealing tube which is particularly comforting when you are solo touring.  I also found the saddle and uni-shock suspension quite comfortable.  As it is quite a new model, finding a reasonably priced used one might not be as easy as some other bikes.

mike



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Edited by -m2-, 18 May 2006 - 01:24 AM.

[vinayverma]

The only problem with Honda Unicorn is that not many to buy in the used market. They are still new so you'll have 'good' time in searching for a used one.
Anyway I think Karol bagh in Delhi defiies any logic and you'll be able to find one.
I got an info about a 500cc electric start Enfield in Delhi. hardly driven (not more than 5K Kms) abslutely new. It was bought for a world trip which could not take off due to visa issues we Indian face and it had to be cancelled. This guy went by Air on his route.
This Enfield is for sale, but bit on a higher side as its new, its the best model Enfield has and he is asking Indian Rs. 80,000 for it. You also get fabricated touring metal boxes.

Edited by vinayverma, 18 May 2006 - 01:43 AM.

[HowieUK]

Sounds like a nice bike Vinayverma!

I know I said I was leaning towards Honda but I could be sorely tempted by a nice Enfield!


Any more info on it?

Howie

[-m2-]

Information on the 500cc Bullet can be found here:

http://www.royalenfi...s/Bullet500.asp

While Enfield has given their top of the line bike most of the good bits from their parts bins, they still have the archaic 4 speed box with right hand shifter and no CDI ignition;  It does have the electric start, disc brakes, and gas shocks which is certainly nice, however.

[vinayverma]

-m2-, on May 26 2006, 01:25 AM, said:

Information on the 500cc Bullet can be found here:

http://www.royalenfi...s/Bullet500.asp

While Enfield has given their top of the line bike most of the good bits from their parts bins, they still have the archaic 4 speed box with right hand shifter and no CDI ignition;  It does have the electric start, disc brakes, and gas shocks which is certainly nice, however.

Trust me I can do a better joy on self start, but 'self start' is not part of Enfiled and Bullet, I knew it but I can;t see it going with the characteR NOT BEING along with the  win


sorry it seems like I was rumbling, yes I was to know the extent travel agenbts on IM and India Tree would go to avoid any Indians and go on.
The biggest pain and Irony is that so called tourists trust these swiming pool buuddies' rather than true Indians
sorry I was rumbling, without undrstanding  the neighbourbhood, BTW how about all of us meetings with kids at the park on every saturday?

Edited by vinayverma, 26 May 2006 - 02:29 AM.

[-m2-]

vinayverma, on May 25 2006, 01:57 PM, said:

Trust me I can do a better joy on self start, but 'self start' is not part of Enfiled and Bullet, I knew it but I can;t see it going with the characteR NOT BEING along with the  win

I'm somewhat of a traditionalist too, my home bike is the evolution of a 1930's shaft-driven air-cooled boxer twin -- but even the 1971 version I owned had electric start .  A lot of people buy Bullets because they want a classic bike and that's great.  It is easier for a resident to either learn how to do the maintenance himself or find a good local mechanic and have a sweet running machine for occasional rides, but for someone starting off on a multi-month trip convenience, reliability and stuff like stopping power are really important.


sorry it seems like I was rumbling, yes I was to know the extent travel agenbts on IM and India Tree would go to avoid any Indians and go on.
The biggest pain and Irony is that so called tourists trust these swiming pool buuddies' rather than true Indians

sorry I was rumbling, without undrstanding  the neighbourbhood, BTW how about all of us meetings with kids at the park on every saturday?

if we don't have kids, can we bring our dogs?

starting on the weekend early, Vinay?   Almost sunny enough here to fire up the beast and go for a ride.

mike

[cyberhippie]

Ok guys back on bikes!! I'm considering a bullet ride to the mountains next year around April time and I'm a greenhorn, newbi,e virgin, to the machine known as "the Enfield"

I've got a fair bit of experience under my belt on scooters, pulsars, splendours and the like, all in all probably about a year and two months of riding in India, towns (no major metros though and Delhi just looks scarey) dirt tracks, The main highway in Tamil Nadu heading South out of Pondy (maddest road I've ever seen!!) National Highways, country roads!!! I know what to look for on the Indian road, trucks, cows, children, dogs and chickens

I've been riding bikes for years but never any "hogs" like an Enfield.

Is the step up a big thing, on the open road I reckon I could cope, what about in heavy traffic in cities, are they a pain, luggage for two, this could be kept to a minimum, I've seen what Enfields can "shunt" but lots of luggage looks to me to be unstable and harder to control, is that right???

What about sticking the beast on the train upto the foothills, is this feasable and what would it cost (maybe I should just ride and get used to the bike) Should I look for disc brakes on my ride???

Anyway I'm most interested in the question of taking on the bigger heavier bike, I don't want to dive in out of my depth!!!

[-m2-]

For 2-up touring, the Bullet is really your only option and the 500cc would be better than the 350cc.  Yes, you should keep luggage to a minimum and it should be carried as low and as forward as possible to minimize stability problems: a tank bag is fine but don't put heavy stuff on a luggage rack etc.  The Bullet is an easy bike to ride once you get used to the reversed gearshift and brake pedal; nicely balanced and gobs of low-end torque.  2-up and with gear, it will be a bit clumsy going through crowded towns at low speeds but that's to be expected; you will adapt just fine.  

My own Bullet experience was soured because I bought a lemon and had to deal with the consequences.  A well-maintained, new-ish 500 would be the hot ticket; it would have come with the 'big' front drum brake, which is adequate, or the disc which is better and enough power to handle hills 2-up.  Most older 350s had the smaller drum brake which is totally useless, but can be upgraded to disc at modest cost.  It would also be worthwhile to install gas shocks and electronic ignition if the one you buy doesn't have them.  

Shipping by rail is a perfect way of covering big distances you don't feel like driving.  I haven't done it myself but I looked into it once.  Best if you are starting from a train's originating station and going to the terminus.  The cost is roughly the same as for a passenger as I recall but it was a while ago when I looked into it.  At the major stations there are usually people around who will pack your bike with straw to somewhat protect it but you are at the mercy of the luggage handlers anyway.  The Margao-Delhi Sampark Kranti non-stop would get you as far as Delhi then you'd probably have to get to another station to continue your trip to a mountain rail-head.

[cyberhippie]

Cheers m2 that has set my mind at ease a bit. I'll be looking to hire/buy a bike in Delhi as Goa isn't on the agenda for next year, as we won't get to India until about April.

What about thoise funky back rests I see on the Israeli bikes is this just for show, or do they provide support for mrs cyberhippie without compromising the handling of the bike???

Also what type of milage are we talking on a 500cc in the mountains??? 15 to the liter???

m2, Vinay, H@H, Yogesh, Howie and all the other skint knuckles who've contributed here on the two wheeelers forum thanks guys I've learnt a lot from the detailed knowledge you bring to the subject of "bikes" the rideing at altitude thread is .........well amazing and something I never even considered seeing as I'm hoping to ride the Himalaya!!

Speaking of which how does the laden Enfield cope with the hairpins going down       The disc brake was noted but will they stay on a nice line??

[vinayverma]

-m2-, on May 26 2006, 04:08 AM, said:

sorry it seems like I was rumbling, yes I was to know the extent travel agenbts on IM and India Tree would go to avoid any Indians and go on.
The biggest pain and Irony is that so called tourists trust these swiming pool buuddies' rather than true Indians

sorry I was rumbling, without undrstanding the neighbourbhood, BTW how about all of us meetings with kids at the park on every saturday?

if we don't have kids, can we bring our dogs?


starting on the weekend early, Vinay?   Almost sunny enough here to fire up the beast and go for a ride.

mike

Okay okay I can explain that, I was got inspired by the writing style of Hippie_at_heart.
Okay last year I helped two guys from UK in getting enfields for their tour in India. I got to know them from another motrocycle user group. They had planned a 6 months in India with 3 months for motorcycling in north and rest by train/bus/taxi. After 2 months of email exchanges I meet them in Delhi when they arrive. I take them around to show some of the private Enfields on sale (by Indians who were/are part of riding clubs). I also took along with me, my trusted mechanic for complete tech checkup. The mechanics knows what it takes to tour on enfiled in the hills as he himself has been to Ladakh and has first hand experience.
Anyway to cut the long story short, we closed down on 4 Enfields all were 500CC as we thought they liked 500cc, they had said that they need more power, they were expecting to meet fellow travellers and take them on their bikes.
Since 500cc enfield are expensive than the 350cc and not many in the used enfield sale market.
The price was negotiated and we thought they are getting a good bargain.
They went off to their hotel and next day they meet their travel agent, who has been helping them for the entire trip on hotels, car hire, train tickets etc. He was an Indian and he took them out for lunch and over lunch he said that I was cheating them and that I must be getting some commission. And by evenig he took them to karol bagh, to lalli singh and Madan motors, they are good in selling and have history of renting out Enfields to 1000s of tourists. They convinced them that they do not need 500cc and 350cc is fine, the older models of enfield is the real enfield (maybe they had only older models available with them). and they would customise their enfields as per their taste (the looks).
In the meantime, the guys who thought that the deal is done for their 500cc said NO to every offer they got after this.
So next day these guys show up and say no to the deal and started avoiding me.
It did not bother me much except for poor guys who were counting their chicken, after selling their bikes.
So I never heard from them again.
But almost after 6 months, I met an old riding buddy and he told me that after they went back they've been emailing others on that user group that I was a cheat and a commission agent and I tried to sell them very expensive enfields. So I was feeling bit low that day.
No early start to the weekend, I'm not getting any younger and getting disciplined now and next on line is the smoking. where is my hero, Steven?

[HowieUK]

Firstly, sorry that your integrity was called into question by these people Vinayverma.

I personally would not dream of using a travel agent to book or plan any journey or itinerary for me as I can quite easily do that for myself.

Any help offered to me in obtaining a bike in Delhi from any of the Bikers that have been posting regularly on TIT would be really appreciated as we seem to have a nice bunch of people posting on "2 Wheelers" with lots of healthy debate going on!

Howie

Edited by HowieUK, 27 May 2006 - 04:42 PM.

[Hippie at Heart]

I take my biking seriously but minus the riding groups, people with pitted penny worth knowledge about machines are not going to be your best buddies, and with royal Enfield’s you would be starching your luck too far anyways. Vinay forgive them for their folly, god must have given them more then fair share of karma justice, riding a bullet from karol bagh dealer !!

[cyberhippie]

Yeah Vinay it saddens me that tourists so easily switch into suspicious mode with locals, no matter how much you try to help!!

[vinayverma]

Hey! I'm going on, it does not matter what few people think, but it does hurt for few days, then it evaporates reading postings here.
Here is what I think whenever something like this happens to me ( it happens very often with me), its in Urdu with the translation, I hope you get the true feeling
Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai
dekhna hai zor kitna bazuen qatil mein hai.

[I have the zeal of valour in my heart.
Let us see how strong the rival is!]

BTW this was frequestly used by freedom fighters and especially by Bhagat Singh.

[sunil]

Hippie at Heart, on May 27 2006, 01:12 PM, said:

Vinay forgive them for their folly, god must have given them more then fair share of karma justice, riding a bullet from karol bagh dealer !!

Spot on    

[-m2-]

Ouch!  Really makes you wonder about the judgement of some people.  What a boon it would have been to have a knowledgeable biker and mechanic's advice and assistance when I was looking for a bike those years ago (and wound up with a tarted-up Karol Bagh special ).  

Good to hear that discouraging as the experience was, you are putting it behind you:  I like your Urdu motto.

[Hippie at Heart]

Sorry Cyberhippie, I skimmed past your post a while ago, I have to agree if you planning a long haul 2 up, most bikes can’t carry your gear. That leaves you with hardly any choice but to stick up with a royal Enfield. In a very fair assessment it is a proven work horse, slow n steady, very reliable as long as one of parts from bin doesn’t fall out or cracks up which may happen any time anywhere! Most of bullet owners have keep it for sheer nostalgia, while a majority of them would be who have ample time to maintain this machine, don’t mind if their left side of pant have a fine spray of Mobil and right shoe wears out prematurely. In short this bike is for Indians what Harleys are for yanks; needless to say both are little annoying scams, if you ask me.
They haven’t thought it prudent to make any modifications; esp. in the light of booming exports to foreign lands in the name of ‘retro’ bikes. Fritz Elegi tried a stint at making them at par with current trends but was ousted by the traditionalists within. So in reality, except for cosmetic changes here n there you pay today’s money for a technology that is dated as recent as 1954. a very valiant effort by a moving bathtub with lawn mover motor that make dull notes.

If you had even remote interest in racing or motor biking in past, this bike can give immediate sense of insecurity and sense of adventure within 2 minutes of riding. Afterall it IS impossible to ride this one without some trepidation and tackle a hairpin band when the triple clamp seems to be non existent and rear swinging on own sweet will. If you fall then to pick it up and mount on stand while you catch your breath at 13,000 feet from sea level is another story in itself.  If she isn’t hauling up good, then prolly her Contact Breaker Points are the culprits that are acting up on account of ‘not in synch’. If by third day of riding your shoulders feel like they are not attached to your body, just relex it’s either the dumper spring in front forks suddenly decided to call quits to all the dumping or the tyre that developed bump points or its just plain old front fork and triple clamp that’s doint the duty for past 50 years. Or if your gears start to slip, its either because your gear oil is too thin or gear tooth gone knobby because of bad craftsmanship. I can’t suggest anything for won out gears but you can go to home lab and mix 3 parts of SAE 90 and 1 part of API grease with a hand blander and pour that banana shake in the gear box. Don’t take me wrong but it is a banana country, we are all bandanas, we ride banana bikes and even official website is all bananas which would have been a preposterous idea on UK website !! who in right mind will call  500, a scud, but we are like that only because most of our Indian buyers are bananas, its not only scud missile our banana bikes compare to but we are not averse to fudge the RTO and pollution norms by cheating. See its rather simple, mixing fresh air charge from air cleaner  bypassing the carburetor and opening that pipe in the exhaust  bend, duh now who can say our emission doesn’t have requisite O2 levels, see how bananas we are ?

My list is endless and before I am acceded of bias here, I must bring it on record that I had a 500 way back in 1991 which I sold off within 5 months at a huge depreciation. So my views might be biased but not without some experience and reason. It may not be as bad now and you can expect some reprieve from the drudge we had to face those years just to keep it road worthy. Am not expecting any miracles from a single pushrod over cam design of 50s but it will do you good to at least not land up with CB point version, as I see the website they still churning out old 500s. I feel newer ‘electra’ 350 with electronic version will be a much better choice, saving grace about those parts from bin is that they are cheap and likely to outrun the after market fakes that are everywhere. If you feel that missus can ride a separate bike you have a whole world of choice available to you. If you decide to ride two bikes I shall forthwith comment of choices you have. I think my rant must stop now.

Edited by Hippie at Heart, 31 May 2006 - 12:10 AM.