[nerdlinger]

Hello 2wheelerists

(paraphrased repost from IT forum 1) early November I plan to return to Blore after a month or so in Blighty, pick up my Pulsar180 from a friend's house and ride to Madurai. Don't know how long I'll stay in Madurai yet but when I am templed out and I've had a good look at the surrounding area and the Ghandi Museum I'll set off to Kannyakumari to begin the west coast stage, after I have seen the sights at the end of India. I am hoping this leisurely pace will see me to the Kutch by around end of March. Then up to Amritsar via Rajastan to begin the hilly stage before it gets too warm on the plains. Not sure about Kashmir but hope to get at least as far east as Shillong. Not sure where to go after that but toying with the idea of Kuala Lumpur via Burma and Thailand.

I expect to have some fantastic bike experiences on the way but any tips for detours to special runs (or any advice about this route) would be appreciated.


Hi Sudheer, re the (un)suitablilty of Pulsars for touring (as discussed over a fine lunch in The Only Place at last Sunday's meet). I've been thinking about that and I reckon the Pulsar is perhaps more suitable than a tourer for the abrupty changing terrain of Indian roads as the seating position allows you to transfer your weight to the footrests very easily and quickly when the really big potholes/speedbumps surprise you.

Andrew.

[Poiple Shadow]

I would like to point out that Pulsars are lovely bikes (I have one myself), BUT I don't think they're great for long journeys, they're safe, good on all terain, nimble, esepcially good for in town trafic, good brakes, very good on fuel BUT they really are NOT comfortable for the long journeys...  I drove from Goa to Kerela on one last year and I loved the trip but my bum KILLED...  Oh... Did it hurt!!!!  On the return I was sitting on a towel to make it more comfortable... Be warned!!!! )  I think the Enfields (Also have one of those, well, it's not mine it's the charities... Very nice to ride and would be much more comfortable for the long journeys, downsides are that ours doesn't have an electric start, which as I've been trying for about 30 minutes one time to get the thing started, I do think it's a good idea.  Also they are no way as good on fuel...  We have two waiters from Goa who will be touring the whole length of India on a Enfield shortly...  The Map and everything is here....

Trip round India including the highest motorable road in the world!!!

I would love to try it...  Although my bum twiches everytime I even think of going as far as Kerela again...  

[nerdlinger]

Poiple Shadow, on May 16 2006, 08:45 AM, said:

they really are NOT comfortable for the long journeys...  I drove from Goa to Kerela on one last year and I loved the trip but my bum KILLED...  Oh... Did it hurt!!!!  On the return I was sitting on a towel to make it more comfortable... Be warned!!!! )

I agree they are bum-killers. I have done some long journeys from Bangalore e.g. Hampi; Chikmalagur via Halebid; Mysore via (yes via) Madekiri and my bum was aching but I did notice that the pain factor reduced with each trip. I put it down to strengthening gluteus maximae but it might have been destroyed nerve-endings. I think Pulsars are notorious for bum-ache but I have taken advice from anecdotes on the internet about seat-padding cures: went to JC Road in Bangalore and had some foam rubber glued straight on to the seat and the seat re-upholstered. Yet to really try it out but it feels much more comfortable.

Edited by nerdlinger, 16 May 2006 - 11:12 PM.

[-m2-]

An aching butt is a normal phenomenon, particularly for the first week or so of a long ride regardless of bike.  You do tend to get over it as the trip progresses, but I have found the same kind of adjustment was as necessary on my home bike (BMW) as it was on a Bullet or Unicorn.  The best advice is to not push too hard for the first few days -- lots of breaks and don't try for unrealistic distances.  

The Pulsar should do quite well for what you are planning, in my opinion.  The ergonomics are quite good as ideally, your legs should be in a position to absorb shocks and take some of the weight off your butt.  Substituting the too-low handlbars with the one from a Pulsar 150 or one even slightly higher will make weight transfer even easier.  A piece of sheepskin is an excellent way to improve a saddle's comfort.

You already have a Pulsar, so no need to point out the drawbacks of a Bullet, particularly an older one.  I think we need another thread to discuss the differences, pro and con, of the Bullet vs the rest as it is always an entertaining subject with passionate views held on both sides  

_________________________

nerdlinger:  As to your overall plan, it looks fine to me.  You have lots of time to pick up some specific tips, and your schedule is long enought to account for changing circumstances and opportunities along the way.   ....and welcome to the Tree v2 !

cheers,

mike

[Sudheer Poppa]

Hiyya.. I finally found this thread

It was a perfect remedy that you have done with the more obvious ass ache But I was thinking more about the pressure on the back. But then again with the kind of breaks you are planning on your journey, I would not expect it to be too bad either.

I think the only other modification that you may wanna try out would be on the handle. And what can be done their to improve the posture. Make sure you consult a real expert and not just anyone

All the very best

[Yogesh Sarkar]

nerdlinger after riding for 3-4days you will become accustomed to it . also don’t go for a higher handle bar, since you are already use to the old one. Also adding a higher handle bar (not that of a 150), would have serious implication on the handling of the bike.

Oh yes, the faster you travel, the more exhausted you will be. Maintain a speed of 80-90 and you and your sweetheart would do just fine

[Sudheer Poppa]

Nerdlinger - suggest you to check out Yogesh's signatures

[nerdlinger]

sudheer, on May 18 2006, 05:57 PM, said:

Nerdlinger - suggest you to check out Yogesh's signatures

Hi Sudheer, I have enjoyed Yogesh's website before but only viewed one of the features. Thanks for the reminder, just been back, bookmarked the home page and read the Ladakh pages, exellent photos, good to see so many Pulsars. OK that's another part of my Tour of India route planned. I haven't read the Manali one yet but I have a feeling that will be part of route too.

Thanks for your tips here Yogesh (and poiple, m2 & Sudheer). No mention of carburettor adjustments in the log of your trip to Ladakh, I heard that it was necessary to adjust the air intake on carbs to allow for the thinner air....?

Is anyone going to take up m2's suggestion and start a Bullet v the_rest thread? I'm not qualified as this P180 is my first bike and I can't make any comparison but this debate has come up many times since I first decided to get an Indi-bike.

Andrew.

[Yogesh Sarkar]

nerdlinger, on May 18 2006, 10:23 PM, said:

No mention of carburettor adjustments in the log of your trip to Ladakh, I heard that it was necessary to adjust the air intake on carbs to allow for the thinner air....?

coz we didnt needed it! none of us had to adjust the carb for any part of the trip and our sweethearts performed marvelously. The only adjustments/maintenance we did on the whole trip was changed the oil a few times and got the chain tightened.

[sunil]

Yogesh Sarkar, on May 19 2006, 05:07 AM, said:

coz we didnt needed it! none of us had to adjust the carb for any part of the trip and our sweethearts performed marvelously. The only adjustments/maintenance we did on the whole trip was changed the oil a few times and got the chain tightened.

yeah, coz all the Indian bikes are already tuned for leanest mixture (less fuel + more air) to provide maximum fuel efficiency. So, no need to adjust the fuel mixture, not even my P-150s at the Khardung-La top.

[Yogesh Sarkar]

sunil, on May 19 2006, 05:15 AM, said:

yeah, coz all the Indian bikes are already tuned for leanest mixture (less fuel + more air) to provide maximum fuel efficiency. So, no need to adjust the fuel mixture, not even my P-150s at the Khardung-La top.

K-Top was easy, it was while coming back from Pangong tso when we were climbing Chang La that really did put a strain on the bike. for the first time in the entire trip had to use the first gear often!

[Hippie at Heart]

Nerdy, a handlebar transplant from P 150 onto P 180 is a safe best, and not likely to work very diametrically towards best seating stance. But at least a better idea over narrow P 180 originals. Sore seats after 2 -3 days will be common so best to take it easy as –m2- puts in, you might want to throw in couple of ointment tubes for nappy rashes though.

Hitting the hills without adjusting carburetion is not a good idea, sweethearts are likely to sputter and gasp, enriching fuel mixture is another mistake, let me hear what the pros have to say about it, I have seen a P150 stall and die ascending Tanglung-La, while some chap riding a HH 100 came from nowhere and overtook the dead P150… any guess why?

BTW the new DTSI P180 is nowhere as nimble as old shorter wheelbase versions.

[Yogesh Sarkar]

Hippie at Heart, on May 19 2006, 02:47 PM, said:

Hitting the hills without adjusting carburetion is not a good idea, sweethearts are likely to sputter and gasp, enriching fuel mixture is another mistake, let me hear what the pros have to say about it, I have seen a P150 stall and die ascending Tanglung-La, while some chap riding a HH 100 came from nowhere and overtook the dead P150… any guess why?

quite true, but do keep in mind, dont try to fix some thing that isnt broken. if your sweetheart isnt showing any signs of stress while climbing Tanglang La at 35-40kmph in third, limited at that speed only due to the AMS affecting you. THEN DONT TRY TO ADJUST ANY THING!!!

[Hippie at Heart]

Yogesh nothing is broken that’s needed to be fixed, riding up there is different experience and am sure you know it well. Bikes don’t offer limited performance because of rider suffering AMS, it doesn’t take much to wrangle the wrist only if she can take it…

“at 35-40kmph in third, limited at that speed only due to the AMS affecting you” …. Suppose if the rider had a night halt at Pang and no AMS next day .. Do you mean she can take on that 27 degrees ascend in 3rd gear at her highest rave, which should translate into 60 kmph? Am very interested to know this kinetics coming from a mid segment bike making aprox 15.2Nm of torque at 7000rpm….

I still say its absolutely necessary to tweak the carburetion ‘system’… and I know its for good, so am trying to know if anyone has given any head to it??

[Yogesh Sarkar]

Your right, it doesn’t take much to twist the wrist. But when you’re suffering from sever headache and feeling dizzy. Twisting the wrist to ride at higher speed doesn’t make any sense!

On the road between Upshi to Leh, I managed to hit 110kmph on the speedo. I could afford to do that since the headaches had almost disappeared. Our Indian bikes are already tuned lean and in the past four year of owning this bike, I have learnt one thing. Don’t try to fix any thing that is not broken. You are right I could have adjusted the mixture, in fact I could have gone for K&N, HP or UNI filters to improve the air flow.

The fact is I know when my bike needs adjustment and I only make them if they are needed. According to me she was performing the way she should have under those circumstances and the mileage I got between tandi to leh (38kmpl) just reaffirms my faith that she didn’t need any adjustments (I got an over all mileage of 41.3kmpl).

[nerdlinger]

The internet told me I needed to change a jet, adjust a jet and make the mixture more lean. Whoosh! - staight over my head. My previous attempts at adjusting the mixture in my MK1 Ford Fiesta only made things worse so I might just leave it well alone and hope my bike keeps going like Yogesh and Sunil's did.

Just finished reading Yogesh's trip logs. I have a craving for paranthas. What are paranthas?

[Yogesh Sarkar]

nerdlinger, on May 21 2006, 06:48 PM, said:

The internet told me I needed to change a jet, adjust a jet and make the mixture more lean. Whoosh! - staight over my head. My previous attempts at adjusting the mixture in my MK1 Ford Fiesta only made things worse so I might just leave it well alone and hope my bike keeps going like Yogesh and Sunil's did.

Just finished reading Yogesh's trip logs. I have a craving for paranthas. What are paranthas?

My 2cents, keep the motorcycle as stock as possible. A stock motorcycle is 95% of the time more reliable then a modded one.

Oh yes, paranthas are Indian stuffed bread. My favorites are potato or cheese stuffed. Here is a link for more info   http://www.indianfoo...ipes/breads.htm

[nerdlinger]

Thanks all for help so far. Read a great post from Olga on here, continued on her own site about a trip through Tibet from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp. I want to go to Everest Base Camp, it appears to be easily accessible by road, you just need to walk the last 8km or get a donkeyride. Can I bike it from India? Anyone know if I can simply get some kind of Carnet de Passage at the border crossing like Ewan did so often in The Long Way Round? Or is there no passage from India to Tibet?

[Poiple Shadow]

Hi All...  

A couple of guys have just done the whole (well most of it anyway) of India on an Enfield for us... They have written a HUGE diary of their trip if anyone is interested...  I'm not allowed to add links but if you go to my site (see my signature), then just put this after it...

/TripDiary.htm

(it's complicated to get to it through the menu.... (Help Us | Events |Bottom Event Click on Trip Diary)

Oh, It's not the best English as they're two Indian guys who did it for us....