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1Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty India the easy way Thu Mar 02, 2017 8:54 pm

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
After werewasi did India the hard way about three years ago, I did it the easy way last year. We both spent most of the trip in the state of Himachal Pradesh but it couldn't have been more different; whereas Dave organised everything himself (including buying the Royal Enfield Bullet he rode to Leh), I settled for an organised tour - basically a very well put together and executed package tour. So, if you're interested, it's here:-

www.simpilot.net/~india/index.html

Don't listen to the on-bike clips with the sound turned up. They're still the raw video and haven't had the wind noise removed, nor have they been image-stabilised (yet - it's in progress).


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

2Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Fri Mar 10, 2017 7:22 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
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Just a slight correction.

I did it with a tour company -I AM ADVENTURE, but it was certainly a low cost option because they did not supply the bikes and the accomodation was tent camps on about five nights.   Hotels for the rest. However it was an amazingly good deal because all we had to pay for was lunch.
Seem to remember  it was about AUS $800.
 
I think that what turned it into a tougher trip than i anticipated was that i got sick early in the piece and couldn't get totally rid of the "delhi belly' but that was just my not coping with the buggy food in the chai houses along the way.

I didn't buy a bike but rented one from a tour operator in Delhi. I opted for a fuel injected one thinking that it would do better than a carb one up on the Khardung La at 18,500 feet. Despite being allegedly supplied by BOSCH, it was a poor performer and I would have been better off with a carb.  Additionally despite showing only 13k on the speedo, the engine was stuffed and burnt a lot of oil (a litre every 100 miles).

However i did it in May/June with virtually no rain so I'm very interested to see if the monsoon rain gets to you. (i'm only on Day 3) 

Looking forward to reading the rest but I've got slightly distracted with my doing K BIKE ELECTRONICS 101 and it doesn't look like I'm going to get a pass mark.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

3Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Fri Mar 10, 2017 7:41 am

Chocolate

Chocolate
Life time member
Life time member
werewasi wrote:…
I did it with a tour company -I AM ADVENTURE, but it was certainly a low cost option because they did not supply the bikes and the accomodation was tent camps on about five nights. …

Hello!
What about showing us some pictures?
Would be great! :-)

Cheers


__________________________________________________
Only a few activities make me experience my senses in a way motorcycle riding does, it is like swimming in the nude in a river.
K75 BA/1992 ABS, K75 BA/1991 noABS, Ducati, Mobylette M1/1973
    

4Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Fri Mar 10, 2017 7:48 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
Platinum member



Last edited by werewasi on Fri Mar 10, 2017 7:55 am; edited 1 time in total


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

5Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Fri Mar 10, 2017 7:51 am

Chocolate

Chocolate
Life time member
Life time member
Can't see anything, google wants me to log in?!
I would like to see.
Maybe you have to post the link without being loged in.

Cheers


__________________________________________________
Only a few activities make me experience my senses in a way motorcycle riding does, it is like swimming in the nude in a river.
K75 BA/1992 ABS, K75 BA/1991 noABS, Ducati, Mobylette M1/1973
    

6Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:02 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
Platinum member
lol!



Last edited by werewasi on Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:40 am; edited 1 time in total


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

7Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:06 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
Platinum member
OK - our team of highly skilled and knowledgable  technichans is currently dealing with a problem in MOSUL but will be here shortly.

[size=16]Try this in the meantime[/size]


[size=16]Ladahk ride - prelude

I’ve written a ride diary for this trip for the ADV rider forum, being aware that many others may have done rides in Ladahk, but maybe something here will help guys with a little bit of info that will make preparations easier because I had a lot of questions before setting out and a few were still unanswered when I got on the plane.
I spent weeks trawling the net looking at the various tour packages being offered, ranging from the ultra up market expeditions with their own dedicated doctor, and pressure bag ( to counter serious mountain sickness ) to those like the one I chose, being minimalist and just running support vehicles and a mechanic. In one of my madder moments I thought of doing the ride on my own because of being able to opt for the more gradual climb from Srinagar to Leh, rather than the very quick ascent from Manali to Sarchu over the Rotang  pass on day 3. However thankfully, I didn’t and realize that I wouldn’t have had the resilience to keep going alone and would have missed the fun of the group ride.

I intended hiring a bike in Delhi and after initially booking with Tony Motors in Karol Bagh, found Cosy Travel which would do an Enfield Classic 500 for 1000 R per day.


[/size]

India the easy way IMG_0043




I wanted fuel injection and the gear change on the left and racks fitted. Neel did a deal with me whereby I left AUD $1000 with him as the security deposit and got the same returned to me, avoiding ending up with a heap of rupees on the day before leaving Delhi. I saw this Enfield at K B, which interested me more, a new Indian developed model, with an enlarged 535cc engine and good quality “bought in” ancilliary componentry- fuel injection, brakes etc and dreamed of riding one of these – crazy, because you couldn’t go to Ladahk on one.

India the easy way Continental%2BGT




For those who are interested in where these Enfields originated, here’s a bit of info:
Royal Enfield can trace its history right back to 1851, when George Townsend established a needle making mill in Hunt End, Redditch. After his death, his son George started making safety bicycles, but ran into financial trouble, and R W Smith and Albert Eadie were appointed to take control in 1891.
The works were re christened the Eadie manufacturing Co Ltd, and a substantial contract to supply precision rifle parts to the Royal Small Arms factory in Enfield, Middlesex, put the business back on its feet. In celebration , the new bicycle was called the Enfield.
The prefix “Royal”(in tribute to the Royal Small Arms factory) was licensed by the Crown and one of the most great names in motorcycling history was born, soon adopting its famous trade mark “Built like a Gun”.
In 1901 R E’s first “motor bicycle” with an engine mounted above the front wheel appeared, and by 1912, motorcycles with larger V twin engines from Motosacoche, Vickers Wolseley and JAP were being produced.
During the First World war, R E gained contracts from both the U Ks War Department and the Imperial Russian government. When peace was made, more models followed including a 976 cc twin in 1921 and a 350 single, three years later. In 928 R E pioneered the use of saddle type petrol tanks along with centre spring front girders.
Around half a dozen military models were produced during WW2, mostly side and overhead valve singles, including the 150cc ‘flying flea’, looking a bit like a stripped down BSA Bantam, and designed to be dropped by parachute.
After the war ended, Royal Enfield marketed the 350cc overhead valve Model G and 500cc Model J, which had rigid rear ends, but telescopic front forks. In 1949 the 350cc Bullet, with front and rear springing went on sale, and this model, and the 500cc version that followed were the basis for the continuing manufacture of Indian made Royal Enfields.
The first of R Es parallel twins, a 500cc model, soon followed and from it the popular Meteors, 700cc, Super Meteors, Constellations, and finally the 736cc Interceptor were developed.
The 250cc ‘learner class’ dominated the final British chapter, with the Clipper, Crusader, Crusader Sports, Continental and Continental GT. Enfields also produced every day two strokes such as the Ensign and the Prince.
By the mid 1950’s, there was a substantial demand for sturdy trouble free motorcycles for the Indian Police and Army and an order for 800 350cc bullets was placed. From UK components supplied under licence, assembly was handled by Madras Motors, and the Indian bikes are still made at Chennai. The tooling equipment for the Bullets was sold to Enfield India in the 1957 and long after the Redditch built bikes have become history, they are still being turned out in their thousands, the latest versions having fuel injection, twin spark engines.
I wasn’t very enthusiastic about riding an Enfield, even before the trip started but saw that they had two major pluses – the possibility of being easily fixed at the many bike workshops along the way and their ability to take the rough road punishment that might have cracked the alloy frames and wheels of other bikes. So despite the assurances of Enfield owners here telling me that I’d get to really like them, I didn’t. The Classic I rented, performed poorly and I’m unconvinced that others would be much better. But, more of that later.
With IAA, the main questions were about AMS and the cold and Akarsh was fairly nonchalant about both, so I got some Diamox before leaving and took a heap of padded gear.
Taking an armoured jacket, boots, helmet and the “warm” gear meant that this wasn’t much less than I needed to take for my US ride a couple of years before. I have a gear list if anyone needs one.
I had to pick up the bike from Todapur, not a long way from where the hotel was at Parharganj  but was freaking out when, after arriving in Delhi, I first got in a tuk tuk and saw what happens when there aren’t any road rules. It was seriously scary and I thought we would end up under a bus but these guys know exactly where the four corners of their vehicles are and operate with millimeter clearances.   Delhi is a huge confusing city and a GPS on the bars would be great. You really don’t know what the surrounding vehicles will do and the most daring win at the roundabouts. Apparently you get your licence by post.(and it shows)
I made the mistake of not spending enough time checking the bike over because I had a tuk tuk waiting to guide me back and problems arose later.
I deliberately chose a group which was bar one Malaysian, all Indian Nationals and thinking that as the only pakeha, I would get a more direct “cultural experience”.  I thought that if the group was largely Europeans, then on passing though the small himalayan towns, we’d be ‘isolated“ from the locals.  My own experience bore this out because once outside Delhi, speaking English was not widespread and I relied on the guys in the group to find what I wanted.
So travelling with these guys who largely were bi lingual, was great and I learnt a lot. The downside was the menu.

They could eat stuff at the roadside dhabbas and not have a problem. Many ex patriate Indians I’ve spoken to here in Aus have told me that when they go back visiting, there’s no way they can just eat anything and not get a dose of delhi belly.

India the easy way IMG_0111




Aakarsh, the IAA leader  ( getting ready  to take off on his KTM 390)


I had a few e mail exchanges with Akarsh Pall from I Am Adventure and felt reassured by his answers although there was a tricky moment when I asked him to demonstrate that they weren’t a bunch of crooks. It was all go for a 28 May start until I broke my shoulder in March, and suddenly the plan collapsed. I kept aiming for a 28 June departure and was lucky that despite a bad lateral break, it healed well. The ortho surgeons were a bit skeptical of my being ready for what they considered a big ask for a recent break.  Ride starts tomorrow



[size=19]Day 1 Delhi to Naggar   ( 536 kms )[/size]



Up at 2.45 for chai at 3 and departure at 4. We’ve all been required to stay at the Natraj hotel so that the rollcall will find out if anyone is still in bed. By Delhi standards the traffic is light, and we seem to be able to stay together as a bunch of 30 riders. We go through red lights but it seems to be OK and may be they have to get a bit redder before anyone thinks about stopping. Sheer mass enables us to push through the roundabouts which are generally a free for all.



India the easy way IMG_0114



All loaded up. Indian flag with IAA logo proved useful when trying to find other riders, but I would have liked a TEAM AUSTRALIA one.

I haven’t a clue where we are but as daylight comes, we are on a main highway lined with an assortment of industrial buildings and small workshops, all of which is pretty ugly and unplanned. It’s a 2 and mostly 3 lane road but there are clapped out old trucks running at about 40 kph in the far right lane so there’s no European style lane discipline here. At the chai stop I ask what is going on but am told that it would be a waste of time trying to get these drivers to stay in the left lane and if they did get fined, they wouldn’t pay !!!!!
At times the motorway comes to an abrupt end, and you drop off on to a side road which is then intersected by crossroads. Who is meant to give way?   Seems the least daring driver.

We stop for an hour for lunch – nobody’s in a hurry to move and then half an hour later are told to refuel. Since there’s only one attendant on the pump and he has to do the filling and collect the money, refueling 30 bikes takes nearly an hour and I’m a bit perplexed at the sense in doing it this way. What about a third of the riders stopping at successive fuel stations but I keep my mouth shut.

At the end of the plains and the start of the climb to Manali, the twisting road, is an opportunity for the tintop drivers to really show how daring they are, so coming round a corner you meet up with cars on your side of the road. Somehow you manage to get over to the left verge to avoid being taken out, but it’s pretty scary stuff and I’m not used to it. It seems to go for hours and it’s almost dark before we make the turn off to Naggar, near Manali, where our hotel is. The road becomes a goat track. It’s been a long day. A bike guide I spoke to before we left the Delhi hotel, who had just brought back a group of dutch riders back, thought we were crazy trying to do the 530 kms in one day. However the thought of a hot shower seems to be enough to make you happy.


India the easy way IMG_0112



 FYI -That’s a dhabba, a small roadside shop, and they sell Chai and often Indian style food. The food handling practices manual is nowhere to be seen so…………..
As we climb higher, and it gets colder, it’s great to be able to get inside and out of the wind, but this is a low level one as evidenced by the greenery on the rocks. And that’s Jebez 

Arkash has booked rooms in a 2 starish hotel, but it’s very suitable for our needs. It’s arranged that you will share a room with same guy every night and I end up with Jebez, from Malaysia, who is the only other person who can’t speak Hindi. He’s a nice guy and we get on well for the two weeks. He introduces me to the Indian poet Tagore, carrying a book of poems with him. Who said all bike riders were boofheads.  He doesn’t have any Diamox and I have plenty so I offer him a daily dose. It’s a drug with possible complications so it has to be at his own risk.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

8Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Fri Mar 10, 2017 11:38 am

Point-Seven-five

Point-Seven-five
Life time member
Life time member
Delhi Belly.  LOL! 

I spent some time in India on business back in the 80's. 

The water there is lethal as is anything it touches.   NEVER visit the subcontinent without a very large supply of Imodium A-D.   It's absolutely amazing how quickly it can cure the "squirts".

NEVER open your mouth in the shower!!!


__________________________________________________
Present: 1991 K100RS "Moby Brick Too"
 
Past:
1994 K75RT "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"
1988 K100RS SE "Special Ed"
1994 K75S "Cheetos"
1992 K100RS "Moby Brick" R.I.P.
1982 Honda FT500
1979 Honda XR185
1977 Honda XL125
1974 Honda XL125
1972 OSSA Pioneer 250
1968 Kawasaki 175
    

9Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:01 pm

Chocolate

Chocolate
Life time member
Life time member
Many thanks for your diary werewasi!India the easy way 212902

Was great to read, thanks again.
Good choice to go with the lokals.

Cheers



Last edited by Chocolate on Fri Mar 10, 2017 2:47 pm; edited 1 time in total


__________________________________________________
Only a few activities make me experience my senses in a way motorcycle riding does, it is like swimming in the nude in a river.
K75 BA/1992 ABS, K75 BA/1991 noABS, Ducati, Mobylette M1/1973
    

10Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Fri Mar 10, 2017 1:01 pm

Point-Seven-five

Point-Seven-five
Life time member
Life time member
Yes, great story.

+1 on going with the locals.  I have found Indians to be some of the most hospitable, accommodating people on earth.


__________________________________________________
Present: 1991 K100RS "Moby Brick Too"
 
Past:
1994 K75RT "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"
1988 K100RS SE "Special Ed"
1994 K75S "Cheetos"
1992 K100RS "Moby Brick" R.I.P.
1982 Honda FT500
1979 Honda XR185
1977 Honda XL125
1974 Honda XL125
1972 OSSA Pioneer 250
1968 Kawasaki 175
    

11Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Fri Mar 10, 2017 6:02 pm

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
Platinum member
Day 3 Naggar to Sarchu ( 235kms )

Here's a map so that you have some idea of where this trip took us. Delhi to Pathankot only because when the others headed for Delhi, I went on my little sidetrip to Dalhousie.


India the easy way India%2Bmap

Up at 3 and supposed to be gone by four but we lapse into I A A time and it’s a late start. However it’s still dark and the drizzle and the goat track road are challenging. We pass down narrow roads (by passing Manali) and try and get through the herds of goats that are being moved along the road. We have our first casualty – one of the guys who is riding a 220cc locally made bike, with a pillion. He tries to climb out of the lower centre part of a bridge onto the wheel tracks with predictable results. Apparently, he’s new to biking and hasn’t the required road skills, so he packs it in there and then and gets into the support vehicle. He’s paid the required amount to secure both of them a place in it and one of the support boys takes over the bike. I see him only once again on the bike and that’s on one of the easier sections.

This is National Highway 21 between Manali and Sarchu (not quite the M7)
India the easy way IMG_0106
















And another view of the road (and not as soft as it might look)

India the easy way IMG_0110

The climb up on to the Rohtang Pass comprises a lot of long section switchbacks which just keep doubling back with sharp corners to get us up in height, 4290m.
India the easy way IMG_0095

We reach the top and I'm relieved to find that despite the quick ascent from 1800 to 3970m (13050') , I don't feel affected by A S, just the fingertip tingling sensation that often accompanies the use of Diamox.
It's time for a chai, the ritual stopping at the dhabbas that we will do everyday.

India the easy way IMG_0100

I wonder what is under all these tarps but find out that they’re quad bikes. Apparently it’s a novelty for Indians to come up and get around in the snow.
India the easy way IMG_0102

Today’s distance is only 235kms and  I remember thinking, when looking at the ride schedule in Australia, that it seemed a short stretch, but now….
We are climbing up to the Baralach La, but on the way have to try and get up this water filled cutting and end up pushing bikes through the freezing water. My boots fill up and after while my feet are really cold. I should have put glad bags over my socks. 
 
India the easy way IMG_0115

That’s about 150mm of water flowing down the cut over slippery boulders.
Yes, and it’s still NH 21
We climb up and over the Baralacha La (16040'-  4890m) so having got to it and feeling no AMS symptoms, I’m happy.

India the easy way IMG_0120

It’s starting to snow, or it could be sleet so it’s very cold and we have to stop at a dhabba, run by friendly Tibetan women who sell chai and food. As you can see, they have stone end walls and when the oncoming winter necessitates their closing down, the roof is removed. Note the nice doonas and cushions and they didn't jack up when some riders got beneath them in their dirty gear.
I drop down on to what looks like a couch thing but find that it’s a rectangle of rocks covered with mats.  Very comfy. These were lovely women.

I’m feeling cold and a bit nackered and it shows.
India the easy way IMG_0118

At least I have good warm riding gear, esp the Firstgear rain jacket which I got while in the US, which covers my mesh jacket and being bright yellow, will hopefully be helpful in saving me from being wiped out by the guys who think that my side of the road belongs to them.

In an e mail I asked Akarsh about bringing wet weather gear but he said not to bother – “It doesn’t rain up there”.   Hullo.  There seems to be a level of dampness today.

We get to the Sarchu tent camp, before dark but at 4290 m, ( 14,070') it’s going to be a cold night. One of the doctors looks to be in a bad way and collapses onto the bed in our tent without even pulling off his boots. We leave him there but later on, Madan, one of the ride organisers, comes over and tells him that he has to come to dinner and the briefing, trying to pull the blankets off him. Buda merely pulls them back over his head so we burst out laughing, but it’s more serious than anyone realizes, as we find out at Leh. Dinner is an all Indian menu affair and I’m past eating. Go to bed with a padded jerkin and a fibre filled jacket on. Jebez, my tentmate, has less warm gear and uses one of those chemical warmer pads during the night.  Says it works well.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

12Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sat Mar 11, 2017 5:38 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
Platinum member
Dai, What was the date you arrived in Delhi -don't see it mentioned.

Day 3 quote - The distillery closed its doors in 2010 and when I bought this bottle especially for this trip, there were only 184 bottles left in the world. As of the day that I wrote this, now there are none.


I think the only way that you could know this would be if YOU bought all 184 and have been busy drinking them.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

13Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sat Mar 11, 2017 7:23 am

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
werewasi wrote:Dai, What was the date you arrived in Delhi -don't see it mentioned.

Day 3 quote - The distillery closed its doors in 2010 and when I bought this bottle especially for this trip, there were only 184 bottles left in the world. As of the day that I wrote this, now there are none.


I think the only way that you could know this would be if YOU bought all 184 and have been busy drinking them.
India the easy way 44271 India the easy way 44271  Easier than that - I went to order another bottle from The Whiskey Exchange only to find it was no longer available.

We arrived in Delhi on August 23rd, at the backend of the monsoon season.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

14Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sun Mar 12, 2017 4:26 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
Platinum member
Day 4  Sarchu  to Leh,   ( 230 kms)
“Don’t be big fools
Follow the road rules”  BRO roadside sign

Day is fine but cold and the road is a mixture of the terrible to the magnificent.
We rode along this valley on a good surface for about 20kms.
India the easy way IMG_0123

These bits of road give you a break from the pounding and the riding is great because rather than be totally preoccupied with threading your way through the potholed road, you get an opportunity to take in the dramatic landscape. It’s very barren desert with scree slides off the steep mountains, not dissimilar to what you get in the Sth Island of New Zealand.
Next it was this, as we had to claw back the altitude lost in the run down the valley from Sarchu. 

India the easy way IMG_0125



Yes, that road looks good but when I was down there two minutes ago, it was crap. Potholes and frost heave damage.
It’s cold and dry up here and nothing grows, even in the summer.

The long climb up on to the Taglang La  at 17582' goes on for many kilometres and the bike throttle response seems to be getting progressively worse. This was the whole point of getting a fuel injected bike rather than a carburetted one because carburettors become markedly less efficient as the air pressure drops. I'm very less than impressed with this bike and dream of being on one of my own bikes.
This is the second highest motorable road in the world and while it's cool up here, the day is fine and
really enjoyable.
India the easy way IMG_0127


We drop down on to what seems to be a high plateau, (Is it the Moree plains?) and run on a beautiful piece of black bitumen road which despite no centre marking is 4 cars wide and goes for 20kms. Can’t see Mr Moti’s (PM) holiday house so who knows.

India the easy way Between%2BSarchu%2Band%2BLeh%2B2



One of the typically Tibetan styled  monasteries (or were they stupas) perched on the mountainside.

India the easy way IMG_0128

There are welcome breaks to get chai at the Tibetan roadhouses and to try and re group because people are moving along at very different speeds. It’s the classic argument - do you try and get over the broken road as fast as possible and “fly” over it, or just pick your way through. The result for the fast ones as we discover later is that frames crack and break and my room mate, Jebez, loses the whole back light and number plate assembly plus the rack breaks, and he dumps it.

India the easy way A%2Bbreak%2Bon%2Bthe%2Broad

At Upshi, 40 kms from Leh, the road improves dramatically and we get into race mode (well the nearest thing you can get to, on an Enfield). Akarsh the I A A chief, rides a KTM 370 Duke and is a great rider but we try and stay with him.



India the easy way Not%2Bfar%2Bfr%2BLeh



Getting into Leh, the pollution becomes very apparent and vehicles, especially the trucks are spewing black clouds of sooty exhaust. There are no DPF filters (diesel particulate) fitted in India and the result is pretty bad. Makes you wish that you’d bought a mask with you, and some of the locals have scarves wrapped around. Not sure about the micron rating of scarves though.  We get to the hotel and the irreverent subgroup  I’ve become part of do a ritual “ Fnn Incredible India – YEEHAH.”  Great to be here and the hotel seems fine for 1 or 2 star. We go to the Il Forna restaurant and while the others have curry stuff, I have bascaiola. Never did a meal taste so good.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

15Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sun Mar 12, 2017 6:27 am

Born Again Eccentric

Born Again Eccentric
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Life time member
Enjoying the read and pics immensely Werewasi. What an incredible journey to undertake, even if it's not on a K. 
Wonder how a K would stand up to the atrocious conditions?

Keep it coming.


__________________________________________________
India the easy way Uk-log10 India the easy way Sco-lo15
                              Paul  India the easy way 905546712

"Heidi" K100LT 1991 (Grey) (VIN 0190172 Engine No. 104EB 2590 2213) - 5th owner. January 2014 (34,000 - 61,000 miles and counting....)
"Gretel" K100LT 1989 (Silver Grey) (VIN 0177324 Engine No. 104EA 2789 2211) - 4th+ owner. September 2015 (58,500miles and counting....). Cat C Insurance write-off rebuild Feb 17
"Donor" K100LT 1990 (Red)  (VIN 0178091 Engine No. 4489 2024) - 6th & final owner (crash write-off now donor bike).   June 2012 (73,000 miles) to November 2013 (89,500 miles)
    

16Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:12 am

werewasi

werewasi
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Actually my K75 would have been great to have done a lot of it on especially when i was trying to get past black smoke belching soot spewing Tata trucks on my 2 RWHP Enfield.  However there were many creek crossings and some seriously icy stuff up on the high passes and so my little Kawasaki Sherpa would have been perfect.
I sometimes think of going and doing a Bhutan or Nepal ride but I'd want to be on a 'fun' bike like Arkash's KTM 300 (the group leader)
but the availability of this stuff in India is minimal.
Also my mum doesn't like my being out after dark so I'd probably not be allowed to go again.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

17Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:32 am

Dai

Dai
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Bhutan... somebody suggested that to me a couple of days ago and the idea sort-of stuck...

Yeah - ignoring the carburated Himalaya, I noticed the FI Enfields starting to lose power above about 11,000 feet to the point where flat-out at fifty (mph) was a good result. We also had a 'fast group' and a 'slow group' (I alternated between the two) but by sticking rigidly to the Tail-End Charlie procedure we never got badly separated. The highest altitude we reached was 15,060 feet on the Kunzum La.

The Enfield Himalaya is designed for the home market (it's a 440 engine) and it's also designed to be easily fixable in the field. Access to the carb is dead easy, so carrying a handful of jets would deal with the altitude problem. Also, on some of those roads it's a lot easier to ride than the Bullet is.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

18Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:07 am

werewasi

werewasi
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Yes, the Himalaya looks promising but it wasn't anywhere near being available in 2015 when I went.
The story is that the Continental 535 was being built at Chennai , away from the Classic/Bullett stuff, and that the engineering was of a much higher standard. I'm sceptical.  Where is the Himalaya being put together.?

My trouble is that I like 'good bikes' - like the V7s that i've got and am not tolerant of 'dogs'. If that Enfield had run better and not drank oil, I might have felt more positive about it. Pity really, because the rest of the experience was good.

What did you think of my idea of joining a group almost exclusively composed of Indian nationals rather than pakehas?

Have just been looking at the I am A site and see that they are doing a 9 day Bhutan trip from Bagdogra in West Bengal to Guwahati in Assam. Siliguri is the nearest place you could rent a bike from, 550kms north of Calcutta. 1400 kms east of Delhi

I'll ask Arkash how much tomorrow for his tour price (this is EXCLUSIVE of bike hire)

P S Sorry if it seems like I've hi jacked your thread but Chocolate asked me for pics.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

19Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sun Mar 12, 2017 4:34 pm

Dai

Dai
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I don't consider it a thread hijack at all - I'm enjoying reading/discussing the differences in the two trips.

The fact that we got a full group of eight Ozzies and three Brits was just co-incidence. Atul did say that mixed-nationality groups (including locals) was more common. There wasn't a point on the trip where we felt cushioned from the local population; hand gestures and a few learned words and phrases of Hindi did help a lot!

AFAIK all Enfields come off the same line in Chennai and have done for some years. There used to be two different build streams - home market and export - where export had more attention paid to it and better quality parts fitted. If you're heading that way again then a Himalayan might be a good idea but don't forget the jets and the tools to fit them! Beware the back brake as it's a vicious bastard. I wasn't over-impressed with the instrument panel as it's an LCD display and I did wonder how long that would last being beaten up on those roads. However, having said that, most of the 125 Pulsars seem to have an LCD display too and the Himalayan was designed for the home market. Rumour has it that an 'export' version is due in the UK this year.

I still can't figure out how I managed to scrape the Himalayan's crashbar on the deck!

Our experience with the Bullet was vastly different to yours. I guess that yours was not maintained properly between hires; that's a problem that Atul says is rife amongst the northern India bike hire companies. Fleece the westerners for a poorly-maintained bike and then fleece them again for more money for 'repairs' when the bike falls to pieces under them. The worst place for it is up in Kashmir where the locals operate a cartel to keep out tour bikes from other states. If a tour group comes over the Kashmiri border then the cartels make sure they have to swap to local machines, otherwise 'something might happen to them'. Of course, the local machine isn't maintained between hires and... see above. For this reason Atul no longer operates Leh tours.

My mate bought a 500 Bullet not long after getting home and I'm seriously thinking about it.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

20Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:27 pm

werewasi

werewasi
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Clarification needed.
In your post you showed a pic of no 10 (your bike??? ) Bullet or classic and then you said above that you scraped the Himalayan crashbar. When did you ride one of these?

You're right about the poor mtce but the guy who supplied mine seemed very trustworthy although curiously defensive when I told him what was wrong with it on my return. When i mentioned the pissy fuel injection he said that i had insisted on a Classic (which had the F I)and that i shd have chosen a Thunderbird (carb). Well no. I booked a F I bike but if he'd told me on arriving to pick up, that it was no good for altitude, then i would have got a carb one. 

I'll ask Akarsh about the Leh prohibition because at that time the local cab drivers (Leh) were blockading the roads and not allowing Delhi hire 4 wheelers to go to Pasong lake or the Khardung la. They hadn't started on the bikes and Maybe taking on a group of 30 bikes might have been difficult.
This is the group and don't we look like a gang of escaped murderers.
https://postimg.org/image/s7n1z22cl/
Note poor little white boy in back row RHS

Leader looked like this
https://postimg.org/image/daeky1p45/

I mentioned the type of group (nationalities) and i'd opt for the same again because it was a real learning experience for me - completely different from the "indian' Australians I've had contact with here.
These guys were into fun and we laughed a lot. Some of the best I ever ridden with and they were extraordinary in their efforts to 
make me part of the group.  I needed to see a different side of another race.

I just don't get the idea of buying an Enfield. You can buy a MG V7 for the same money and they are a 'fun' bike. I liked my Special so much that I went out and got another one - A Racer.  She is such a rocambolesco donna bella that we are spending a lot of time together on winding roads and my Ks are sulking in the dark garage.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

21Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:23 pm

Dai

Dai
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We had a Himalayan along with us for testing. Atul wanted to know if we thought it was any good for this type of trip; of those that rode it, we were split evenly between yea and nay. I was a naysayer for a number of reasons, all of which I've forgotten by now. I clocked around 100 miles on the Himalayan over two separate runs.

You took the right bike. A carburetted one would have died at that altitude without a change of jets, so my guess is that the FI was just on the inside of fooked.

Kashmir isn't so much a prohibition as a mafia. After all, there's no-one to keep the law up there and any way to put money in your pocket goes.

You might be able to get a V7 for the same price as a Bullet but I can't. A new Bullet here is half the price of a year-old V7!!! The other thing is that we are a small country and riding something as slow and as light as a Bullet lets you look around. Mind you, if I could afford a new Bullet I'd be looking for a Falcone again (I think!).


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

22Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:58 pm

werewasi

werewasi
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Yes Dai, not as simple as i made it out to be.
Two years ago I paid $8500 for a 2012 V7 Special with 4000 kms on it (but it had aftermarket exhaust and clip ons  added) and a new Bullet/classic was this sort of price. They couldn't sell them and the local dealer has dropped the franchise. Even the Continental which i thought looked quite nice wasn't going to move at $9500.  Last year I was offered one with 700 kms on it for $7000 but i turned it down and used the money to buy a Racer. (2014 with 10k kms on it). As you know, the great thing about nearly all Guzzis is that no matter how old, they will always get a buyer.

I've just seen that a dealer in Brisbane has a Himalayan - $7000 ride away. Will go and have a ride but already it's 100lbs heavier and 10hp less than a comparable 400 so could be a hard sell. Can you try and remember what you didn't like about it?.
What did you think of the standard of the assembly/engineering

Indian price is 1.78 lakh . Is this 178,000 rupees - if so $3548 AUS which doesn't seem right. Too cheap.

Why don't you (or any other Irish guys or BAE or.......) think about coming for a ride/holiday out here. I have a bike you can ride (K) and the weather is good nearly all year round. Roads in northern NSW are made for great bike riding.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

23Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:44 am

werewasi

werewasi
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Dai, 
recollection fairly correct when I said about $700 for tour. Might have been a bit more for the Leh trip because that was longer.

For the Bhutan 9 day ride it's 35k rupees which for us is just under $700. Incredible value because that covers accomodation, brekky, and evening meal. Sometimes Arkash even bought our lunch at a Dhabba. Also support vehicle to carry your gear and ride to next stop if you got AMS or crashed. Mechanics (not the world's greatest) who would fix your bike (minor stuff).

Possible downsides - accom was basic 2 starry type hotels with room share and otherwise tent camps which i thought were fine.
Group was large -just under 30 but somehow it didn't seem to be a problem -just once when we stopped for fuel near Chandigah.

Think I've got the bug because I've emailed IAM asking if they can give me a date for the Bhutan ride. I'd be happy to ride the 1400 kms fr Delhi to Bad whatsit. -3 days easy stuff.
Have been reading the Himalaya reviews - not all good but I'd be prepared to rent one.

My mum doesn't want me going alone. Are you interested?



Day 6 Leh to Pangong Lake  (164 kms)

The road is initially fairly good (continuous tarseal), but as always you have to be super vigilant because of occasional potholes and the concrete spillways which channel water off the road high side. For these, it’s a case of get up on to the pegs and not throttling off, but the bike has a nasty habit of jumping out of gear as it receives a great whack. Still there’s no way, you want to be on the seat. We stop as usual at one of the many ”restaurants” that serve chai and have a long break. It’s the usual “herding cats” problem when we need to get going.

We approach the Chang La (17688' ) and the road up is turning to icy patches and slush with the air temp at freezing.
India the easy way IMG_0133


I’ve got rid of my old mesh gloves and have padded ones but have frozen hands so stop and try and get warm.

The road now has short bad sections of dirt and as I’m coming down a hill I see a broken piece ahead  but I’m travelling too fast and  maybe grab too much front brake. I go down and end up in a boulder filled drain on the side of the road. I lie there, and am too winded to get out. One of the guys following, gets the bike up and off the road and then gets me up. I’m feeling a bit shaky but the only thing is to get back on the bike and get moving. My knees feel a bit knocked about and could be bleeding but I don't check (big mistake as I later find out) Seems that's all and I’m very lucky. I went down on my previously broken shoulder side but fortunately there's no damage to it. I’m not looking forward to arriving at the camp because I know that I’m going to get ragged unmercifully by Akarsh, and this is my own fault for previously baiting him with the remark that this has been a ride for pussies and questioning the "adventure" content. The other guys are wonderful and all ask me if there’s anything that they can do – very heart warming.
We get to Pangong lake and stop by it for a rest. It's a beautiful azure colour and 70% is actually in Chinese territory. 



India the easy way IMG_0134


Unwisely I stay too long on the "beach" and have to ride with one of the guys who says he knows the track to the camp site. He doesn’t and we end up pushing bikes out of the sand stretches – pretty exhausting at over 13,000’ and I’m feeling knackered by the time we get to the camp.


India the easy way IMG_0137


India the easy way IMG_0136


Camps like this are used by hiking groups and bike riders for about four months of the year and then dismantled. They have a large tent as a dining room and buffet style dishes on burners. 
It's cool but not really cold so there's no need to put on heaps of clothing at night. Thermal u/wear is enough.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

24Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:15 pm

Born Again Eccentric

Born Again Eccentric
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werewasi wrote:Why don't you (or any other Irish guys or BAE or.......) think about coming for a ride/holiday out here. I have a bike you can ride (K) and the weather is good nearly all year round. Roads in northern NSW are made for great bike riding.
I was there about 11 months ago - werewasu?! 

https://www.k100-forum.com/t10864-northern-visitor-inbound-sydney16-22-apr-16

I can certainly attest to the great bike riding (and even better Kamaraderie) and am certainly thinking about coming back for a much longer period...just need to get both daughters of to Uni to free up some free time (half way there) - late 2018 is looking like an option or early 2019.


__________________________________________________
India the easy way Uk-log10 India the easy way Sco-lo15
                              Paul  India the easy way 905546712

"Heidi" K100LT 1991 (Grey) (VIN 0190172 Engine No. 104EB 2590 2213) - 5th owner. January 2014 (34,000 - 61,000 miles and counting....)
"Gretel" K100LT 1989 (Silver Grey) (VIN 0177324 Engine No. 104EA 2789 2211) - 4th+ owner. September 2015 (58,500miles and counting....). Cat C Insurance write-off rebuild Feb 17
"Donor" K100LT 1990 (Red)  (VIN 0178091 Engine No. 4489 2024) - 6th & final owner (crash write-off now donor bike).   June 2012 (73,000 miles) to November 2013 (89,500 miles)
    

25Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Mon Mar 13, 2017 7:49 pm

Dai

Dai
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Unfortunately Dave, the next three years' major holidays are already booked up! Orlando this September, Petra (Jordan) next year and (if nothing goes wrong), touring Rajasthan with my wife in 2019. Or maybe 2020 - that one's still on paper rather than bookings made.

It looks like the Himalayan is going to be imported into the UK this year, at four times the price in India. Different version though; FI + ABS + a big fat colostomy bag of a European exhaust system. At the proposed price (£6-7K) it has some serious competition and, quite frankly, probably isn't worth it. What didn't I like about it? Well, AFAICR,

1. I wasn't sure about the survivability of the instrument panel
2. The back brake was too vicious. As you know, that's the main stopper on Indian roads
3. Problems at altitude unless you're ready for them
4. No kickstarter
5. Not as much lowdown grunt as the Bullet (yeah, okay, Bullet!=grunt)
6. Can't remember...

Big pros though; dead easy to maneuver round potholes, good handlebars-to-footpeg ratio for standing, nearly impossible to wheelie it (yes, it's a pro!) and a gearbox that selects gears instead of going right through them and out the other side.

You might not believe this, but I did manage to get the Bullet airborne once. All it took was flat-out-at-fifty and a bike-sized pothole. The bike dropped into the pothole, bounced off the far lip, went sideways and the subsequent landing was as ugly as all hell. It had me p!ss!ng myself with laughter though. What was very surprising was that I didn't do any damage to the wheel rims.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

26Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Mon Mar 13, 2017 9:27 pm

Chocolate

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Dai wrote:Unfortunately Dave, the next three years' major holidays are already booked up! Orlando this September, Petra (Jordan) next year …

Hello Dai!

Petra is worth visiting. On my trip to Israel I past the border and took a taxi to Petra from the Jordanien boarder. Eilat Israel, afterwards I visited Acaba.

Entry to Petra is 90€ peer person !!! To much

We didn't want to pay that, so there a two ways:
1. Ask the Beduine to bring you to Petra through the hills. Pay less.
2. the one we choose. We waited for a group and mixed with them, we waved a pice of paper instead of the ticket while passing the control :-)
Worked fine.

Cheers

India the easy way Img_0911
India the easy way Img_0913
India the easy way Img_0912
India the easy way Img_0910
India the easy way Img_0916
India the easy way Img_0915
India the easy way Img_0917
India the easy way Img_0914


__________________________________________________
Only a few activities make me experience my senses in a way motorcycle riding does, it is like swimming in the nude in a river.
K75 BA/1992 ABS, K75 BA/1991 noABS, Ducati, Mobylette M1/1973
    

27Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Tue Mar 14, 2017 10:08 am

werewasi

werewasi
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Paul,
when you came here werewasi. Well, actually I was seriously distracted with litigation in the Federal Family Court and missed a bit of what else was going on around me.
However I read your report and it was great to see that you enjoyed yourself. Seems you'd like to come back but as you realized, it's a big place and you need weeks to cover a reasonable piece of it.
Anyway lots of us Kers would like to see you guys come and will provide wheels, places to stay etc



Last edited by werewasi on Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:50 pm; edited 1 time in total


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

28Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Tue Mar 14, 2017 10:30 am

werewasi

werewasi
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Day 7 Pasong Lake back to Leh. ( 164kms)
There’s no way I can ride with my left hand having ballooned out and being very difficult to bend my fingers. Seem to be other casualties.


Somehow a truck is found and three bikes are loaded on to it. I get in the support vehicle and have six hours of boom boom  bollywood songs,  but we have “Saturday Saturday “ several times and that’s OK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fXlZ3vnQd0

There’s a constant rotation of people in the support  SUV’s and you only get to stay while you’re sick or injured. Some have paid 15,000R to book a permanent place because either they’re not bike riders or wanted to have a fallback position, if electing not to ride. This means that the IAM team guys (4) have to get on the bikes and ride. Today there seem to be just too many bikes needing to be ridden so a truck is called in. If your bike needs to be transported, this is not a freebie and you have to pay. You might get one freebee ride in the SUV but then it seems that you have to demonstrate that you’re keen to get back on the bike and not just opt for an easy ride. I end up paying 1200 R (Aus ($27) for a support ride but nothing to move the bike. I’m happy with that.


There was a blowup at dinner last night because one of the guys wants his wife to ride in the SUV rather than pillion, but since he didn’t initially pay for a seat, IAA say no and so he leaves the group when we get back to Leh. “Blowups” in Hindi are fairly dramatic with a fair bit of screaming and shouting but Akarsh is impressive, not losing his cool but not backing down. This guy is a master at leading a group. I find it interesting that the guy complaining, opts to voice his unhappiness in front of all the guys in the meal tent, where he’s likely to lose face if he can’t get what he wants and Akarsh doesn’t try and close it down so he has something to lose if he has to climb down.


I’m lucky, the mechanic’s offsider takes my bike because they can’t fit it on the hired pickup truck but I know from past experience that he is a fairly savage rider and is hard on the clutch. Still I’m not going to worry about that.

The antibiotics and Lopramide seem to be working finally and I’m feeling better and able to eat. 
 
No pics today so how about a treat:


https://postimg.org/image/bc8vqc6zp/


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

29Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Thu Mar 16, 2017 4:35 am

werewasi

werewasi
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Dai,
I seem to have got the Bhutan ride bug and have contacted IAM .Seems they have a ride departing Siliguri on the 10th of Sept which is later than i want but Akarsh says the monsoon rains determine the timetable.

Guy that rented me a bike in 2015 has now got Himalayans so I'll try one. Means I might have to ride Dehi to Badogra (1300 kms) which would take 3 days but at least I know what to expect on Indian roads. Not sure i would trust the train to get it there on time.

BUT I saw this on Wiki 

In 2014, Bhutan received 133,480 international visitors.[99] Seeking to become a high value destination, it imposes a daily fee of US$250 on tourists that covers touring and hotel accommodation.[10


Fnn hell -what's all that about and did you have to pay this ?  $3500 extra for a 10 day ride is not a runner.

Other concern is not getting the bug this time so can you tell me what your experience was, and how you avoided it?



Day 8 Leh to Nubra Valley ( 130 kms)

The trip to Pasong lake took us in a northeasterly direction so we had to come back to Leh to fuel up and head off in a northwesterly direction to go over the Khardung La. This is the big one (18380’) and if I’m going to experience AMS, then it will be today. As it turns out the road is very challenging and the riding effort high up seems to take something of you.
The road is the worst yet, kilometers of those back breaking compacted and frozen hummocks of grey moraine ‘sand’, which are worse than the ‘stony’ patches. There’s a piece of road on the ‘dark’ side of the mountain that the sun hasn’t got to and the road is a slippery icy track that is scary on two wheels.


India the easy way IMG_0143
[size]

We get to the top but it seems that this place has become a pilgrimage spot so it’s a matter of waiting your turn for  photographs against the backdrop of the sign. Bit of an effort, occasionally, breathing but no symptoms of altitude sickness so I’m happy.
You get a taste of that 'on top of the world' feeling with the the surrounding Himalayan peaks, although guys summiting Everest go up another 10,000'.The landscape is spectacular.[/size]


India the easy way IMG_0139


We head down and finally get to the Nubra valley. There’s a deal of u turning and blind roads before we find the camp, but it’s a great one, the best yet and a surrounded by poplars, a recent planting addition on Indian army land.


India the easy way IMG_0142


Some of the others go off to see bactrian camels but I just want vege out in the warm sun.
I think the Nubra Valley was an orchard area and in mid summer, like now, it's wonderful to be here.


We have a campfire that night after a quite professional dinner and the guys sing Hindi songs so I’m lost. The only one I seem to recognize is “Saturday, Saturday” a catchy piece of Bollywood

You tube track
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OljkSVLIt6c


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

30Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Thu Mar 16, 2017 5:49 am

Holister

Holister
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werewasi wrote:Other concern is not getting the bug this time so can you tell me what your experience was, and how you avoided it?
Try Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) aka Traveller's Friend. Its natural and it works. 4 or 5 drops in a 250ml glass of water. Drink half before and half after food if you think it's suspect.
10 drops will purify 1 litre of water in about 30 mins if you need to drink local water.
A more concentrated dilution, about 5 to 10 drops to about 50ml of water is good for washing over minor abrasions and scratches and is good for mozzie bites
WARNING: Do not use it straight, even on your skin. Its very strong and will give you a chemical burn.

Local Health Food stores sometimes carry it or you can order it off ebay. This is about as cheap as you'll find it.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Grapefruit-Seed-Extract-118mL-/232272247157?hash=item3614813975:g:EaYAAOSwSlBYyayd

You must've forgotten David but I told you about GSE before you left in '15.


__________________________________________________

1989 K100RT     VIN  0097367 (naked)  
1996 K1100RS   VIN  0451808		 India the easy way Austra12    Fuel:  95 Octane
Engine Oil: Nulon Full Synthetic 15W50
Gear Box Oil:  Nulon Synthetic 75W90
    

31Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Thu Mar 16, 2017 5:59 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
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Thanks Nigel
yes must have forgotten. Thanks for the info and I'll try it.

Do you think it would cure my K100 which is only running on 2. Thought I had it fixed with a 1 and 4 coil substitution but didn't work.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

32Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Thu Mar 16, 2017 2:32 pm

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
werewasi wrote:Other concern is not getting the bug this time so can you tell me what your experience was, and how you avoided it?
1. Don't allow any untreated water to enter your mouth - not in the shower, not brushing teeth
2. Drink only bottled water. If the lid doesn't go 'crack' and snap the plastic when you open it, throw it away. Destroy the bottle after use to prevent the locals from refilling it and selling unpurified water
3. Chlorine Dioxide to purify water when you have no choice. CD kills everything nasty
4. If it ain't been cooked and it ain't hot, don't eat it. This includes -especially- fruit. Rule can be relaxed out of the city but only if you're on a campsite that caters for westerners

I avoided Delhi Belly but did get something on the last couple of days. It was more of an ignorable nuisance rather than an 'oh shit' problem (see what I did there?). I had no need to open the Loperamide. A couple of guys from work went out to a village in the West Bengal bush in January for a month; they followed those rules and avoided any problems.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

33Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Thu Mar 16, 2017 7:42 pm

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
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Dai,
I knew about the water 'regime' and was scrupulously careful with it, including the brushing your teeth thing. Where i got in to trouble
was eating at Dhabbas and I would have thought you'd have the same issue where you were on the road at lunchtime (away fr the 'clean' hotel food) and not having much choice.  On the Manali to Leh road the dhabbas were few and far between so there was NO choice. You either ate what was going or remained hungry.

What was the all up cost for your Bhutan tour ? Was it pretty much a multiple of the number of days x US$250 + 40 ?
It seems that the 'tourist levy' is more aligned to people who are going to stay in more upmarket hotels and eat three big meals a day and have a car and driver laid on to soak up the AUS $405 per day I'd have to pay.

Having trouble getting any of your pics after the first four or five pop up immediately, then just sits there. 
Any one else have the same problem?


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

34Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:26 am

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
Dhabas is where the 'cooked and hot' rule comes in Very Happy - if possible!

I didn't look at Bhutan; it was a throwaway suggestion made by someone at work but the idea has stuck as a future possibility.

The website is hosted on a private server setup. It can be annoyingly slow at times and really fast at others, a situation created (I suspect) by the fact that the same bunch of servers host one of the world's most popular aviation websites. Check the status bar at the bottom of the browser to see if it's still saying 'downloading from...'


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

35Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sat Mar 18, 2017 12:43 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
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Day 9 Nubra Valley back to Leh   130 kms)

Fantastic day with azure sky and not a cloud in it. Very lucky with the weather and the overnight temperature didn’t get anywhere near freezing despite the altitude.


India the easy way IMG_0144


It’s the same hard bone jarring ride that we experienced coming in but somehow the journey seems shorter and we don’t even stop on the top the Khardung La at over 18000’. This is an altitude that I expected to be suffering from “mountain sickness” but not even a trace of a headache. However you notice that you’re breathing OK for a while and then you suddenly start needing to breathe rapidly. The problem is accentuated as you meet an approaching line of trucks spewing out clouds of black diesel soot and you try not to breathe until they’re past.


India the easy way IMG_0146


We have to stop for about 40 minutes because a dozer is trying to re make the road after a rockfall but as he pushes the spoil over the bank I can see the boulders landing on a lower level of the switchback road. We push past the cars and get in behind the dozer as he trundles down to the lower road and clears boulders.

India the easy way IMG_0145


Back in Leh and we have a late lunch at a place I know does alternatives to Indian  - have Penne el Fungi , and can barely eat anything at the “ride provided” evening meal. There’s Kingfisher beer available but it’s not very good so I continue my “alcohol free” phase, something that the doctor suggested might be a good idea given my ‘home habit’ of drinking wine every day.

The mechanic is working until late, so I get him to do the critical oil level check but I really don’t know how much the bike is using-seems to be a lot according to the chit that he presents with a bill for servicing. Only 650 R ($15) for a week and two spark plugs included in this. I’m never really sure what is going on with the bike because the ‘technical’ details pass from this guy to an English speaker who seems to have a slightly vague knowledge of bike mechanicals and adds a level of bs.      
We are told that it's an early start in the morning but is it IAA or real time?



Last edited by werewasi on Sat Mar 18, 2017 3:19 am; edited 3 times in total


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

36Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sat Mar 18, 2017 3:14 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
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Dai, 
you talk in about post 10 about the Bullet with it's FI going better than the Himalayan. Until now i'd thought that the Bullets had carbs so had kept away from them.  What was the FI system on the bikes like at altitudes like 4000m. Was mine just an exception?
You mentioned that some people say that the Enfield is not the bike for these rides. It is - almost indestructible. I just should have gone to "bike therapy' for the previous 12 months in Oz to prepare me for riding one. Just imagine coming off a V7 Racer and doing cold turkey.

On my maps the Monastery is shown as being at KYE and you called it KI .  Nako is shown as Tako !!!! Not that my mapbook is anything great - Google maps show different road numbers etc.
 
I like the idea of taking that road like you did from Shimla around to the Rohtang junction and down to Manali. I've not actually been to Manali because on the way up from Chandigarth we veered off early and went to Naggar where our hotel was. I was very apprehensive about doing the climb fr Naggar to the top of the Rohtang pass in a single ride. - 6726' to 13050' - recipe for AMS.

Not good that you got a migraine. Getting anything becomes doubly difficult on a ride because some days you just have to keep moving, so could have been worse earlier. Was getting in the support truck fr Manali for the day not an option?  One good thing was that your day rides were not big distances. I found 235kms fr Naggar to Sarchu over the Rhotang quite tough and will go for much shorter distances this year.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

37Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sat Mar 18, 2017 10:46 am

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
werewasi wrote:However you notice that you’re breathing OK for a while and then you suddenly start needing to breathe rapidly.
That happened a couple of times while sleeping up above about 4,000 metres (13,000 feet).   Woke up, figured it out, did the breathing exercises and went back to sleep.

The Bullets started losing power above about 3000m but that was as I'd expect. They did keep fueling properly; tickover no problem and when I cracked the battery kickstarting was no problem at all. A Bullet flat-out at sea-level will do just under 80mph (ask my mate - he tried it!), so to get 55mph at 4000m was pretty good. They gave us no trouble over any of the high passes. The only thing that annoyed the crap out of me was that on downchanges it was too easy to go right through the gear you wanted and into a neutral between it and the next one down. Not good on a steep pass.

Indian standard spelling is completely optional. Ki, Kee, Kye and Key are all the same place; the monastery itself uses Key. It just happened that Ki was the first spelling I saw so I stuck to it.

I admit that at one point climbing the Jalori Pass I did think about chucking it in and going for the support vehicle for the day, but then I found I couldn't do it. I had to keep going. I know I missed some spectacular views from the side of that pass because I just focused in on the next twenty metres of road and followed the focus.

The loop we took was absolutely perfect for altitude acclimatisation and the short runs seemed to double the amount of time we had in a day because there was always time to 'do things'.



__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

38Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sat Mar 18, 2017 10:15 pm

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
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Quote "The Bullets started losing power above about 3000m but that was as I'd expect"  
Mistakenly i had the idea that altitude had only a minimal effect on FI engine output but as this says


"The Pikes Peak race begins at about 9,000 feet, where atmospheric density is just 71 percent of sea level. That means engine torque will also be 71 percent of sea level torque. Pretty feeble. And at the 14,110-ft. summit, torque will be down to only 59 percent of the sea level value. This is not much better than running on half-throttle.

So no wonder the Classic was struggling at 18500' dodgy FI  unit or not !!!


I'm in 2 minds as to the Shimla train - I've made a point of doing some pretty interesting train rides like the SHAY loco ride from Cass in West Virginia up into the timber cuts in the Mongehela mountains so unless you say it's NOT to be missed then.... .  Hiring a bike in Delhi, rather than Shimla also complicates going on the train. Did you see if there were bikes being carried?


What would you have done differently?  more gear, less gear, more waterproof boots rather than straight leather ones, ..........


I've seen this
www.adventurenation.com/trip/delhi-to-spiti-motorbike-expedition-via-manali

which is exclusive of bike. I know it's more down market than your tour but what do you think?


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

39Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sun Mar 19, 2017 8:14 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
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Day 10  Leh to Kargil. ( 230  Kms)


We leave at 7am but already the narrow streets are clogged with fume spewing vehicles so it’s a major herding cats” exercise trying to keep everyone together, including a fuel fill up stop , and on the right road to Kargil. The road is good (if only it were like this most of the time) and so we cover a fair bit of ground before a chai stop at Nurla.


The only high pass is at Fotu La (4120m) 13500’ but is as well that I have the liner insert in my jacket because it starts to get very cool at this altitude. 


India the easy way Top%2Bof%2BFotula%2Bbetween%2BLeh%2Band%2BSrinagar
[size]

and then down


[/size]
India the easy way Down%2Bthe%2BFotula%2Bpass
[size]

Somewhere beyond here, I go down again on a corner covered with loose gravel. Probably too much front brake but this time I land on the right side which is better. Enfield doesn't fare so well and I take out the front light.  

A lot of people don’t realize that despite the temperature being low, the solar radiation at altitude is very high and you can and up getting a very painful sunburn.  Inside a helmet, it’s necessary to slop the sunscreen on your exposed face and use lipbalm.

There's plenty of this:


[/size]
India the easy way Water%2Bcrossing%2BLadahk





We get to the tent camp at Kargil about 3 and the guys who run it are very welcoming, serving a local drink - but as becomes apparent, there are some things that need to be attended to before they can attract people who want a reasonable level of comfort. The beds are a sheet of ply with a thin palliase layer on top and VERY hard and the water supply to the attached ‘bathroom’ is non existent.
For some reason, the ride boys are responsible for one of the evening dishes - a mutton based dish but I notice that there is a bowl containing about a fifty cloves of garlic and a lot of chillies. The 10kg of meat is parked on a log and there’s a combo act with a chopper and various hands reducing the mass to manageably eatable pieces. The ‘food handling techniques’ preparing it are fairly non existent so maybe the spices and the boil over a wood fire got rid of the bugs.
I’m too scared to even try it, the boys having warned me that it might be a really good idea if I kept away from it.  It’s things like this, that impress me, because they resist the opportunity to have a bit of “fun” and “burn“ me,  because there is no curd in the kitchen.  


I get a lot of ragging during the night about Team Australia’s performance (crash- and so all out) in the points table and so I have to convey the idea that the psychological pressure, as the team’s only rep, is enormous. Again I realize how good these guys have been and made efforts to include me.  However a lot of the time when they’re all together there’s a very loud frantic Hindi dialogue with lots of laughter going on. In spite of this, going with a Indian group has been a good choice and when I’ve crashed or needed help, the care has been great.

The Line of Control is only a few hundred metres away and the area has been in the past, over run in the past by Pakistani insurgents, but the heavy presence of the Indian army seems to be keeping the incursions across the line to a minimum. It all seems very safe and quiet now but apparently not, as I read in the paper, when we get to Srinagar.


India the easy way LOCincident



The Indian army is appearance wise, very impressive, the guys being slim and wearing smart uniforms and looking professional. I know that looks aren’t everything but even on a good day, Aus soldiers can look as if they’ve climbed out of a dumpster. Their bases, many in Kashmir, are absolutely devoid of any of the rubbish that generally litters the Indian landscape.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

40Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Sun Mar 19, 2017 8:53 am

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
What would I do different? Heat during the day was a problem, so I'd dump my Brit all-year weatherproof kit, buy a lightweight summer-only non-armoured outfit and pair that with strap-on armour and (if necessary) a one-piece waterproof. Waterproof boots are a necessity for the riverroad crossings (remember that word? Very Happy ). It wasn't a one-off hot trip as I noticed that at times Richard, who was on his seventh trip with ABOriginal Tours, was riding in t-shirt and jeans with strap-on armour and I was as jealous as hell!!! Otherwise I think I got it just about right but that took days of research to figure out just what I'd need.

Reading your blog, it seems that a large part of the problem was the size of the group; IMHO thirty bikes was way too many. Looking at the link you gave, it covers about half of the route I was on and I have to ask; do you really want to spend at least thirteen hours each way on an HPTC bus?! To be fair, the road from Delhi to Manali is pretty good blacktop for most of the way. Also, they're throwing the very real probability of AMS at you with the Manali (2000m) to Rhotang La (4000m) without any form of acclimatisation whatsoever. There's also an assumption on that page; everyone has a pillion passenger, otherwise you get charged another IR10,000.

I have to admit the price is good though, but what's the group size like? I'd guess that you'd want to avoid big groups again!


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

41Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Mon Mar 20, 2017 3:10 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
Platinum member
yes Dai, 
The group was large but I suppose that's a product of the amount you pay and I understood that it wasn't going to be a one on one trip. The big joke was that half the time I didn't see a lot of them because they were out in front or MIA.
I do think that if you go with a group of pakehas like you did, then there is the possibilty of making some nice friendships along the way.

Next ride may be different and I've had a look at these people

www.adventurenation.com/trip/delhi-to-spiti-motorbike-expedition-via-manali

Am waiting for them to get back to me regroup size etc.

I have one of those FIELDSHEER mesh jackets with a removable nylon liner and removable armour in the shoulders and elbow. It's brilliant in hot weather. Bought it from MOTORCYCLE SUPERSTORE in the US and it was only about $150.
If it starts to rain lightly I put the liner over the top of the jacket.

I'm pretty sure though that I wore that black and yellow FIRSTGEAR rain jacket from Manali most days because the temperatures around to Leh were low, and were much the same to Srinagar. Only after this did I revert to just the mesh jacket. However no matter how hot going back to Delhi, I always kept it on.
Manali /Spiti trip - I'd live in a meshjacket.  

If you'd had to ride from Delhi to pick up your bike you'd have cooked in your gear.

Those strap on kneepads are a great idea and I'll get some. Maybe I wouldn't have ended up in hospital if i'd had them.

The boot thing is more of a problem and i like to ride in good leather bike boots but they're not good at staying dry and dry feet when it's cold are a must. Might just do the GLADBAG thing over my socks. 

or what about some of these:

https://postimg.org/image/5h02u5eud/


Saw these on the Goose forum and they're great 

http://www.altberg.co.uk/product/hogg-all-weather-original/

But 194 pounds !!!!!!!


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

42Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:16 am

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
The Altbergs have a decent reputation in the UK and the cost is about halfway up the scale for boots here. I'm going to horrify you - I'm on my second pair of Daytona RoadStar GTXs at AU$620 each! The first pair did an excellent job of protecting my feet during last January's crash and the only reason I'm on my second pair is because the insurance company insisted they were replaced. Another mate is now wearing my original pair as the only damage they took was to scrape the sides of both boots. You get what you pay for with that price;totally waterproof, armoured all round, fully adjustable to fit you and supremely comfortable.

And before anybody makes the obvious crack about the price - yes, they are handmade! Very Happy Surprised me when I found out.

Fieldsheer also have a decent reputation in the UK. I did the India trip with a Hein Gericke Master VI jacket and Master V trousers (the trousers were 'written off' during the crash but only had surface scrape marks. Tough kit!). Again, completely waterproof (if treated correctly) and the liners and the armour is removeable. Both are also vented. That was the last Hein Gericke kit I bought as I consider that their products went downhill after the second bankruptcy some years ago, so the crash-damaged stuff was replaced with Rukka Armacore. I would not, under any circumstances, wear those in India as they are designed for northern European weather.

If all goes well, I'll have a chance to put mouth into practice in about three years' time. We're hoping to get Elizabeth through her bike test this year so we can do the Rajasthan tour.


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

43Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Tue Mar 21, 2017 6:46 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
Platinum member
Can I become a mate of yours and qualify for your castoffs - boots , Master v trousers etc


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

44Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Tue Mar 21, 2017 6:51 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
Platinum member
Day 11 Kargil to Srinagar. ( 203 kms)


Up at 6 for breakfast but the ‘restaurant’ is still locked and no sign of life from the camp staff. Akarsh has to wake them up and by 6.30 they had produced some chai and later omelettes. All of this meant that the proposed 7am departure was delayed by an hour. I felt quite lethargic about getting on the bike and was the last rider to leave.

A turbulent river ran alongside the village and the road out to Drass, (60kms) the first stopping point and the road was a good curvy one with a good sealed surface. Large memorial at Drass to honour Indian soldiers killed in the 1962 indo- china war but principally to remember the surprisingly large numbers (and high ranks) who were killed in clearing the mountains of the Pakistani insurgents who entrenched themselves, overlooking the valley, in 1999. This place has become a national shrine and the equivalent of the Australian National War Memorial.


India the easy way IMG_0147


One of the guys who helped with the “fun”, whom I labelled Al Pacino, when the Indian names were proving difficult to remember.
He’s part of a rockband in Delhi, and later on in Dharamshala, I see a poster that seems to have a dose of self promotion so send it to him.


India the easy way IMG_0176



 From Drass, east, the road turned to shite and there was  a punishing 20km stretch of badly broken road that just left you feeling exhausted followed by a really scary “Colombian Death Road “section where the left hand side of the road dropped away into a deep ravine hundreds of feet below. Being scared of heights I just stayed in the middle of the road and prepared to squeeze up against the cliff wall, if a truck or other vehicle came around a corner.  

India the easy way IMG_0124


A bit further on, a fair bit of this


India the easy way IMG_0149


The drop down is a series of switchbacks and the dust was bad, but interspersed with water crossings which we’d been warned about so I’d started the day with glad bags inside my boots

We sight Baltal, where pilgrims go on a journey to Shiva’s shrine at Amarnath. You can see the tents. 
We don't go down to Baltal but continue running west along the valley floor.


India the easy way IMG_0150


The last few kilometers into Sonmarg were sealed but I arrived feeling not very enthusiastic about the rice/dahl style lunch that was being served. Two chocolate bars seemed more appealing.
The remaining 80kms into Srinagar were the domain of lunatic drivers who overtook us, even  though we were behind slower vehicles, waiting for a reasonably safe opportunity to pass. Road surface was very average so the whole section, seemed to turn into a bit of a race as you struggled to keep up with the leader, and not risk being left behind and unable to find the Srinagar hotel.
There was a minibus driver (in one of those very robust looking “FORCE” vehicles) who driving as if he were on crystal meth, sat behind us horn honking non stop, until there was just the slightest possibility that something might not be coming the other way, and who would then pull out, even on a blind corner. If something was coming, then he’d force his way back on to our side of the road, forcing the bikes into the roadside verge. We did enjoy it when he’d get stuck behind something on a bend and the  bus engine would bog down, so we’d whip past. This seemed to trigger something in his brain to just try harder to pass everything no matter where. If I’d been a passenger I’d have been really worried about getting killed in a headon. When we got to Srinagar, we all remembered him and it seemed quite funny by then.
Woodlands hotel very nice and great to have a shower after 2 days on the road. Although the back up truck with the clean clothes bag was much later getting in. 

Dinner arranged to be at a restaurant where the emphasis was on Kashmiri food, a welcome change from the roti, rice/dahl diet of the last week. Despite the lack of alcohol – this state being dry – we kill ourselves laughing.
This is the last time I will be with the whole group, some of us will meet up at Pathankot. I'm going to miss their company.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

45Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:49 am

indian036

indian036
Life time member
Life time member
I'm enjoying reading these travelogues, but I do question "the easy way" in the title after reading some of the posts! affraid

Bill


__________________________________________________
1985 K100RT  VIN 0028991  My original Very Happy ROB the Red Old Bike   (Historic rego)
1985 K100RT  VIN 0029036  BOB the Blue Old Bike  (Historic rego)
1990 K100LT  VIN 0190452  Work in progress
1984 K100RT  VIN 0023022  Work needing lots of progress
1986 K100RT  VIN 0090542  Work needing lots and lots of progress
1993 K1100LT  VIN 0183046  Work in progress
1993 K75S  VIN 0213045  Tom the Triple (now on Historic rego too.)
    

46Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Tue Mar 21, 2017 8:36 am

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
werewasi wrote:Can I become a mate of yours and qualify for your castoffs - boots , Master v trousers etc
India the easy way 44271 India the easy way 44271 Dave, I really scraped the piggy bank's ass-end to get some of that kit. I figured I don't bounce like I used to but I wasn't too happy about proving it!!

Cliff roads... it's funny, when you're on them the drop-off on the side doesn't really register, does it? The views are incredible and the road becomes something you're just riding on. We had a bus driver like that when we dropped down into a valley south of Manali. The valley was a serious heat trap and the temperature went from somewhere around +10C to the wrong side of +30C in about three miles. Then we got a tit in a minibus doing exactly what you described on a road that was barely wide enough to take a car the size of a Mini. Looking back on it, I then did something that could be classified as suicidal; I was Tail-End Charlie that day so I sat out on the righthand side of the track and refused to move, however much horn-blowing and see-how-close-I-can-get intimidation came from behind. In the end, it turned out that he only went half-a-mile or so down the track before reaching his destination anyway. Indian ego...

But yes, there was lots of fun to be had from allowing pushy bastards to come by and then shooting round them on the next bend! Very Happy

Bill - compared to Dave I did do it the easy way!


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

47Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Wed Mar 22, 2017 1:53 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
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Well it was easier only for you in that you had smaller daily mileages and you might not have had the cold to contend with as we did on that first day in the mountains on the way up to the tent camp at Sarchu. Maybe throw in the greater possibility of AMS going up the Rohtang pass.

However, for anyone who hasn't been there, no matter which way you do the Himalayas, I think that you shouldn't under estimate the possibiliity of a fairly substantial chance that something will go wrong, (apart from your own personal stuff) like a crash, getting injured and being a long way fr medical facilities, AMS, getting gut sick, ......................

AND don't even think 'pillion'


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

48Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Wed Mar 22, 2017 2:07 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
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Day 12. Srinagar to Pathankot   392 kms

It’s 4 am and there's thunder and rain outside so there's the prospect of wet greasy roads. I’m not good in the rain and don’t really know what an Enfield will do in the wet on greasy tar. Any hard front braking could be hazardous. We are supposed to be on the road by 5 but things seem to stray into I am Adventure time, rather than real time so it’s 5.30 by the time we leave. There is minor road flooding and I’ve lined my boots with gladbags so that my feet will stay warm (if damp). We seem to travel through miles of industrial mess and about 40kms out start to pass a long line of trucks. We pass them in the oncoming lane for several kms and there’s no traffic coming towards us. Strange!!!!! . We are pulled over by Akarsh in the support truck and told that there is a landslide a long way ahead. The bikes may get through but he can’t and goes back toward Srinagar to find another way round to Jammu. Soon we are embroiled in the biggest tangle of trucks and have to squeeze along the left road edge or overtake and duck in when there’s an oncoming truck. 


India the easy way IMG_0141



A typical Indian, owner operated, truck with its Mercedes Benz origins being evident, but having been given a workover by Tata, (the big industrial importers and vehicle suppliers) and finally a graphic “artiste” (probably the owner)
There must be thousands of trucks just parked nose to tail and we manage to keep going , with the police being very tolerant and letting us scoot up the wrong side of the road. 20kms later in the world’s biggest truck traffic jam, we get to the problem and the can see that the whole hillside has slipped down onto the road. Apparently it happened at 5am and there are 3 dozers and 2 front end loaders working to clear the road but there’s just so much spoil, that progress is slow.


India the easy way IMG_0151


The natives just stand there seeming enthralled with every minute of the drama, and on getting some sort of a signal, (don’t know what it is), the pedestrians with their bags run across the uneven ground. We have to wait for 2 hours and are told by the police that the bikes will be allowed through first. Good news but the consequence is that once the cars start up behind, it will be like an elephant stampede down the mountain. Get Indian drivers to sit in their vehicles, immobile for hours, and they get all primed to do even more daring things than usual. I just want to ride at a sane speed but the drivers come up behind, horns blaring and charge past overtaking on blind corners.

Sometimes they get it wrong and it’s messy.


India the easy way IMG_0154

                                                               OOOH my head hurts – 

One of the trucks overcooked it a bit


India the easy way IMG_0185


I liked this one with the environmentally friendly warning triangles being placed at a safe distance from the vehicle (and that towrope !!!!!!!!)


India the easy way IMG_0157



We enter the Jahawal tunnel (2.5kms long)and it’s like going into an unlit cave with water streaming down the roadway and if you think the Sydney M5 tunnel is bad for exhaust, this is a thousand times worse. No apparent ventilation and you can hardly see for the diesel smoke. At 2000m in, everything stops but the engines seem to be still running. Great place to die, in here. 10 minutes later we’re moving and out and the air that I previously thought so bad seems like heaven.
It’s now 3pm and we stop for lunch at a dhabba. Kalayan (IAA 2 IC) says he knows a short cut to bypass Jammu. Hmmm.

I’m usually very suspicious of these sorts of “shortcut” pronouncements but we set off. By 7pm, he’s pulling off his LHS rack because the welds are broken and we waste half an hour with the sun starting to go down. I’ve got no front light (crash damage) so am not looking forward to the final bit of the ride in the dark (60kms). Yes, it turns into the trip from hell, and we seem to be lost with Kalayan taking star sights as part of the celestial navigation program. We get to Pathankot at 10.15pm, nearly 17 hours after starting and we are all knackered. A day of rough roads and a few near death experiences haven’t helped. Some of the guys who brought their car to travel in and couldn’t past the trucks, like the bikes, get in at 5am (nearly 24 hours) just as the “ to delhi ‘ riders are getting ready to leave.


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

49Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Thu Mar 23, 2017 7:21 am

werewasi

werewasi
Platinum member
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Day 13  Pathankot to Dalhousie and Nurpur   (143kms)
I’m going up to the hill stations alone, so have a slow breakfast and get the mechanic to do his final oil check. He pours in nearly a litre. This engine is really bad and is drinking oil, so I buy a litre pack for the following day
Now after coming down to the plains and the heat at Pathankot, I have headed for some moderate altitude and am now travelling on my own, the others in the bike group having returned to Delhi. I am going to several of the hill towns that were the refuge of the British  civil service (1840’to 1947) , people esp. the wives and children when the heat down on the plains made life unbearable.
I have this fascination with the hill towns, probably because I read Ruth Jahablava's "Heat and Dust" years go. David Lean made a film in the 1980's and it is worth seeing.



India the easy way IMG_0153


The lush Indian Hill Country


Road is crap to Dalhousie for a good portion of the way and I had thought things would now improve.
Car drivers constantly charge up behind you, horn going and attempt to pass even on the corners, Having done this, you often find that they’ll then stop a kilometer up the road at a dhabba or have a leak. Just a different mindset, and one that you’ll never understand. If I pass something, then there’s a furious round of horn tooting. What’s this all about – injured national pride ?

When I find the hotel (confirmed resvn) the guy says that there is no room and that they were shut. HULLO – there are 2 lackeys at the front desk (of sorts) so it’s just BS and he's just sold the room to someone else. I will check my card and see if they took the money. No point in arguing, you'll never win in India.
There seems to be little else visible of the British colonial presence, just a very Anglican church near the central square.

It starts to rain and I go to 10 hotels in an effort to get a room but being the tourist season, there’s nothing available. Rain gets heavier and I see that there’s a building labeled as a library so I get in there. It’s filled with locked cases of books, all in English and they’ve been there for a very long time, probably rarely read. “The problems of Leninism” by J S Stalin is one I see.

After an hour I bite the bullet, because there’s no way I can sleep in the bus shelter without a sleeping bag, and decide to head down the mountain to Nurpur where I’m told there are hotels. Now 5.30 and I need to get there before dark.
I get there at 7.30. It seems to be Nurpur although I can find only one hotel called Royal Dreams. – IN YOUR DREAMS !!!!!! but it is getting dark so I just have to take it but look at the room first. Moderately nauseating smell in foyer and sheet on the bed looks as if it had not been changed since last person (and probably wouldn't be changed for next.) Sleep with all my clothes on but the logic of this as a bedbug anti dote is questionable. Can't clean my teeth - the water is too bad and don't use the shower.
This is depressing and for the first time in 3 weeks, I wish I was home.

A pleasant streetscape view from the “In your dreams hotel”    NOT


India the easy way IMG_0156


__________________________________________________
K100RS  1983 and 1986 (bought a 2nd and put them both together in a dark garage thinking that i would get a heap of parts from the progeny but nothing happened- think they're gay)  Laughing Laughing Laughing

1985 K75, Guzzi V7 Special, 1986 GB500, 1974 T500, 1986 MB5 with the whoppa 100cc engine transplant, NC 700 SA Honda, two 1986 Kawasaki BR250s
    

50Back to top Go down   India the easy way Empty Re: India the easy way Thu Mar 23, 2017 8:02 am

Dai

Dai
Life time member
Life time member
werewasi wrote:I am going to several of the hill towns that were the refuge of the British  civil service (1840’to 1947) , people esp. the wives and children when the heat down on the plains made life unbearable.
I have this fascination with the hill towns
Me too, only it was Shimla in particular and not through a book. Time to tell another short story, I suppose...

Some years back I had a really nasty dose of flu, to the point where I was too weak to climb the stairs and had to sleep in the living room for nigh on two weeks. I woke one morning, wide awake, at around 5.00am in the certain knowledge that I wasn't going to sleep again for some time, so I did something that was extremely unusual for me and reached for the TV remote (I don't have a TV habit and prefer to avoid it at all times). The first thing I came across that even remotely held my fevered interest was a program on the Indian Hill Railways. As at the time I was running a high temperature, the program and the images stuck in my mind in bright technicolour and put Shimla and the railway on my bucket list. I never expected to actually get there...!

I didn't answer one of your previous questions Dave: is the ride on the Toy Train worth it? Yes, it is. If you do the full trip it takes almost eight hours to get from Shimla to Kalka. We did it Indian-style but if you're after comfort, you can arrange in advance for the Shivalik Queen coach to be hooked up to the train for an additional AU$81 each (minimum four people through). We came down on the Himalayan Queen departure - all second-class seating (called 'chair cars') but still surprisingly comfortable. Some of the views from the track beat the road views hands-down and, of course, you can concentrate on the view and not be looking out for suicidal drivers! Very Happy

If you can reach it, the program is still available here:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00r5wk7

And a review from one of the UK's most respected broadsheet newspapers:-

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/asia/the-shimla-kalka-toy-train-is-one-the-most-beautiful-railways-in-the-world-9823414.html


__________________________________________________
1983 K100 naked upgraded to K100LT spec after spending time as an RS and an RT
1987 K100RT
Others...
1978 Moto Guzzi 850-T3, 1979 Moto Guzzi 850-T3 California,1993 Moto Guzzi 1100ie California
2020 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
    

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