[four.bytes]

I have been following this YT channel- c90adventures.
It's just a simple dude riding around continents on an old Honda c90.
I want to do something similar probably at a lower scale initially.
Next 5 yr I plan to ride across different countries and towns.
I'm not too technical mechanically. I want something simple, very light weight as I'm a thin 5-6", 36 yr old man. It should be easy to maintain, should have decent tank capacity, good chances of spare-parts availability internationally, something not very expensive. Easy to repair etc.
The terrain will be mixture of tarmac(preferable) and off-roading.

Also can someone guide me into how do I go about getting the paperwork(visas etc done)
Thanks in advance.

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by four.bytes

I have been following this YT channel- c90adventures. should have decent tank capacity, good chances of spare-parts availability internationally, something not very expensive. Easy to repair etc.
Also can someone guide me into how do I go about getting the paperwork(visas etc done) Thanks in advance.

I follow c90 adventures as well, very inspiring. If I was on a budget, I would get the Hero XPulse. Next step, a Himalayan, then a KTM ADV 390. Assuming you want to start with a country connected by land. If you are going to start in South Africa, or Argentina, you would have very different options.

Does Nepal count as international travel? a 30 day tourist Visa and a 30 day temporary import permit is all you need.
https://www.travelandworktheworld.co...der-motorbike/

You will need a temporary import permit (TIP) for most countries.

[Nilesh5417]

If the your wish is to ride across the world and not exactly a world tour, it's much simpler to pick country, continents one at a time. And rent a bike locally.

I do that usually - have ridden in Europe, Australia and Thailand / Malaysia on locally rented motorcycles for 1-2 weeks. First two were on my stay for work and the last one I & a friend planned as a trip. Next goal is to start from Morroco do Spain/Portugal. America / LATAM /CEE Europe some day...

Far easier to plan and execute.

[four.bytes]

Originally Posted by Nilesh5417

If the your wish is to ride across the world and not exactly a world tour, it's much simpler to pick country, continents one at a time. And rent a bike locally.

I do that usually - have ridden in Europe, Australia and Thailand / Malaysia on locally rented motorcycles for 1-2 weeks. First two were on my stay for work and the last one I & a friend planned as a trip. Next goal is to start from Morroco do Spain/Portugal. America / LATAM /CEE Europe some day...

Far easier to plan and execute.

I plan to ride my own bike through-out. It will be more consistend and hassle free as I would do it for a long period of time

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by four.bytes

I plan to ride my own bike through-out. It will be more consistend and hassle free as I would do it for a long period of time

If you have made up your mind, i think that's ok. But I always felt going local helped since the rental agency/guy is local and steps in when you need help (not just with the bike). In fact we saved on accomodation cause the guy who gave the GS in Malayasia let us stay in his home, took us out for dinner! Plus a motorcycle that is sold locally will bring more peace of mind than having to carry spares, do a lot of background work to find guys who can fix things when broken along the route.

But touring the world is a bug that gets you some point in life and won't let go soon. Good luck with making it happen cause riding is the easy part of such a trip. Hope we can help you make it all come together.

[karanddd]

The Honda CB 200x is not an exciting bike but I believe it shares the standard 200cc Honda engine that many bikes world over use. If you are serious about being in out of the way places in foreign countries, the Honda is less likely to break and possibly easier to fix in case something does break. On the other hand, most capital or big cities have enough infrastructure and options that almost any bike can be maintained and fixed. Royal Enfields sell all over the world and you'd able to find most things or get them shipped to you fast if you decide to go on a Classic or Meteor (for weight reasons). The Xpulse 200 is a good option as it's the lightest ADV style bike you can get in India. I'd stay away from the KTMs because of more complicated internals and the fact that their seats are very high. I know people say anyone can ride any bike yada yada but if you're going long distances, you want to be as comfortable as possible. Every little thing has the potential to become an exhausting nuisance. For your height the KTM ADVs are too tall. Bajaj also sells in many countries and the older gen Pulsars seem reliable and capable of taking abuse. A lot of low cost Indian motorcycles are mechanically simple, robust and easy to maintain and fix. You have many options to choose from.

[Plymouth_Fury]

I believe Honda CB500X should be a good option. Hondas are reliable and as they are sold in many countries, the availability of spares shouldn't be a problem. If I was in a similar situation, I would pick a Honda. Honda CB500X because it is sold in many countries. In all the reviews of it that I saw, people were praising how good it is. I am not exactly sure about the saddle height but please check it out personally, how you feel about it. In fact, for any bike you consider, test drive it multiple times, if possible multiple bikes back to back on the same day.

[four.bytes]

@Plymouth_Fury - Honda CB500X is a bit heavy 200KG.

@karanddd while CB200X meets the weight criteria it doesn't built like an ADV at all. I've a 16 yr old Pulsar which I have a strong relationship with, probably might give it a spin
(jk, it's a bit old and unreliable)

@Nilesh5417 - while renting out is hassle free, it comes with its own problems if you're touring quite a few countries.

[Sudarshan42]

Royal Enfield has an increasing global presence that will be hard to match for other Indian brands, or global brands with India-specific products. The only 2 bikes I can think of are the Himalayan and the KTM Adventure. The former is a bit heavy and comes with tubed tyres, but has an expanding global footprint with services centres and product uniformity. The latter even more so, and without the problems of the former. I'd therefore recommend that if height isn't an issue.

[Grimlock]

Just saw c90's emotional last video today. This may seem dumb, but would have to say that the CB200x would be the spiritual successor for this one. It doesn't have fancy electronics or comfortable suspension like a proper adv, but neither did the c90!. The little honda should be reliable and a truly fill it shut it and forget it bike and with tubeless tires atleast, you won't have to face the punctures like Ed did.

[Haroon]

Its nice to know you have this dream to ride across the globe and want to put it into reality. My best wishes to you to fulfil your dream.
However, as someone who has ridden in many countries across 6 continents, let me give you some perspective on what you are looking at and the challenges:

I also follow C90adventures and what he is doing is absolutely incredible. But let me tell you its not everybody’s cup of tea. True, people have ridden around the world on all kinds of 2 wheeled bikes from a 50cc moped to an R1 supersport to R1250GS Adventure sport bike and even the huge Harley Davidson Electraglide. Our own Bharadwaj Dayala who did a RTW back in 2007 on a HH Karizma. But there are lots of compromises and adjustments to be made depending on the bike, your riding style/comfort zone and more importantly the type of terrain you are going to ride (and enjoy riding). If your ride involves a lot of off roading, then the best weapon of choice would be a Honda CRF300 or something similar as its light, has 21inch front wheels for better maneuverability, enough space to carry & hook luggage, easy to lift alone when you drop it, rock-solid reliability etc but sadly its not available in India and those can be forgotten. The Honda CB200x sure looks it part, but its really not built like those bikes I mentioned. The Versys 300 looks suitable for the job, but not sure its as rugged as a CRF and can take that level of beating.

Now if you are going to spend a lot of time on tarmac and some reasonable time on dirt, in the Indian availability perspective, the 2 bikes that are going to be easy to fix, maintain, run and pick up (when it falls!) are either the RE Himalayan or the Bajaj Dominar 400 (yes one has spoke wheels and the other alloy, but they both have their merits and demerits). They have dealers in many parts of the ‘remote world’ like Africa, South America etc, so parts availability is going to be relatively easy besides, they are not over engineered bikes so most mechanics should be able to fix them as well. You will still need to carry some basic set of spares like clutch plates, cables, chain and sprocket, levers etc. The important part is that when needed you could cruise on highways at about 90-100kms comfortably without fatigue which is not going to be case on a ‘fully loaded’ 50-100-150cc bike.

I will personally give a miss to the other two really nice bikes in this category the BMW 310GS and the KTM 390 Adventure coz European bikes need a different level of care & understanding, and parts availability (and cost!) across the world can sometimes be a major issue.

The present rockstar of motorcycle touring on YT, Itchy Boots has toured extensively in many countries with the RE Himalayan that she bought in India and she had very few technical issues. Similarly, my buddies Deepak Kamath, Deepak Gupta and Candida Louis have combined done couple of lakh kms on some amazing inter-continental rides on the Dominar 400 with almost negligible technical issues. Btw, both these bikes have also been ridden in Antartica, albeit for theoretical purposes!

So its upto your priorities. Anyways, if its solo riding, with a reasonable mix of all that you need, a 300-400cc bike is a very good choice as a RTW touring bike. If 2-up, although I do mostly tarmac on a 1200cc bike, the 650 and upwards are very good choices for 2-up RTW rides. Personally, I would pick the V-Strom DL650.

Anyways, good wishes with your search and final decision.

Ride safe and invest in good touring gear and functional touring accessories. They make a big difference on your rides

[Turbanator]

More than the bike, I will be worried about the documentation and visas. As Nilesh5417 has suggested, hire locally wherever you visit. But if you are ok with spending so much on carnet and all other paper works, buy something here first (I will go with suggestions by Haroon on that), ride for a couple of years and by then, you will have a fair knowledge of what to look at.

Across India trip or maybe in addition to Nepal (it’s easy and cheap) will be a starting point for me before anything else.

[four.bytes]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Across India trip or maybe in addition to Nepal (it’s easy and cheap) will be a starting point for me before anything else.

I'm planning a Calcutta to Vietnam trip. But Myanmar has this mandatory rule that someone from govt to accompany the traveller who's bringing their own vehicle(I know it was true about cars, need to check about 2-wheelers).

[Red Liner]

I highly recommend you really ride across India first on any motorcycle you buy for the world tour. Understand the bike, fix it yourself, figure out everything that can go wrong in our country, speaking our language, and with access to our money and people and service centers. Ofcourse, dont forget domestic insurance for yourself which can come in very handy.

And i am not talking about a kanyakumari to Kashmir road ride. Ride every single state and explore the heck out of India. And yourself.

Then you might be better qualified to ride around the world. Confidence is good, but back it up with logic.

[krishnakumar]

Originally Posted by four.bytes

I'm not too technical mechanically. It should be easy to maintain, should have decent tank capacity, good chances of spare-parts availability internationally, something not very expensive.

Yeah I think this really wouldn't work. You can't do a world tour depending on easy maintenance and spare parts availability.

My suggestion is same as what Red Liner said. Buy one that works for you in India, ride it everywhere to get a feel of it, fix the bike yourself and then think of doing the world tour if the bug is still biting you.

The above experience will give a flavor of what you're in store for in a world tour. Needless to say, good luck in your endeavor!