[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by whitesquall

It's better to hire a bike which is travel ready.

Could you please elaborate- why?

[BIKeINSTEIN]

I am a bit surprised that some here suggested a bullet?
While i don't want to undermine the OP's riding abilities but a bullet is very different machine.
And he is a Yam RX, Kinetic type fo person- and i dunno how much experience he has had with Bullets.
So for a regular guy, it will be my last suggestion and i am sure even bulleteers will agree.
Looking at the most common of all problems, a flat, try pushing a bullet- maybe the only time a bulleteer curses his beauty/beast- unless the rider fixes the flat himself with spares carried for the purpose.

Bullet for touring is only for those who have a fairly long acquaintance with the same imho.

Secondly- buying a bike and rushing of on a long journey is pretty foolish too.
Ideally, the best bike to take on a long journey, is one you are acquainted with the most and the paperwork is spot-on.
I am surprised as how a person appearing to be a passionate enough rider to go on a ride to Leh has not kept his RX135 in proper shape.

The loss of money involved in buying a new bike, doing the trip to Leh and then selling is also not feasible.
You may consider buying a used bike of choice in a good condition, riding it around for sometime to rule out any issues and getting it in proper condition and also getting acquainted with it and then taking it out for the trip.
Then you may sell it after the trip for almost as much as you bought it for.
Enterprising people may even get more than what they bought it for.

Given all the bikes available at our disposal locally, a Karizma and the Unicorn, as they are off the shelf, have a fairly decent percentage of rideability, comfort, reliability to make it to the list of pseudo- sports cruisers/tourers for the less priviledged.
Actually, the higher cc on the Karizma allows the engine to not run out of breath and HH outlets are almost as frequent as Maruti which gives the Karizma a significant edge.
Most 150CC and above machines these days can do those runs, given a fairly skilled rider, as the terrain is not as unforgiving as earlier.

The first gen Fiero was a bike with a brilliant engine but slightly dicey handling.
Prepped up appropraitely for a long ride, it performed fairly well on long, hard rides.

I do know some P200 Mumbai-Leh adventurers but my exposure to the quality of BAL bikes from a mechanics point of view restrains me from suggesting them to my friends.

In fact, one of my friends on his Karizma and his pal on a P200 with a pillion maybe, are in Leh at the moment or on their way back to Mumbai.

I had read long back that Sita travels in New Delhi has bike tours to Leh/Ladakh, if i am not mistaken.
Maybe you can check up on the details and the fine print.

[silver_shadow]

all good points made by bikenstein... those were pretty much the same doubts i had when i asked whether a bullet is the best option in this case. and if i were in the TS's place i would take those seriously.

bikenstein:
what mods are we talking about on the fiero? would a swingarm change be good enough?

[whitesquall]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

Could you please elaborate- why?

I hear that there are many places in Delhi where you get the bikes ready for these long/tough rides on rent.

[desideep]

Again What mr BIENSTINE said is rite, bullet for a yamaha person direct to LEH is not a good choice.

i would really suggest you to get your RX 135 sorted out, get every thing repaired. and you would certainly be able to make it to Leh easily with the Stroker. i plan to do the same next year, just keep a good feed of the 2t and you would be good going.

[phamilyman]

Bikenstein ji, minor disagreements though your surprise is echoed here.

I would say pushing a loaded RX at that altitude is impossible beyond the first few meter either some machismos do it happily too. no nataks.

And I'd wager to say most 125+ cc bikes will do the trip happily. but yes, for good happiness, nothing like a p180 good enough mileage, and good enough power.

[hell_rider]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Leh today is like lonavla. every tommy dicky and harry and their chachaji has done it. Any bike in decent condition will take it.

consider a fresh rebore and take your trusty.

its not quite all that easy. just my opinion.

i recently did a 24 day drive through ladakh (chandigarh-manali-jispa-leh-khardung-la,nubra valley, diksit, hundar, tso moriri, pangong-tso, saspol, alchi, batalik, drass/kargil, to srinagar) .

some sections are just horrendous on vehicles. caught a guy stranded with a fiero (i think) at edge of pangong tso, with broken axle. try looking for a mechanic anywhere near there. i mean you literally are in China, across the lake.

not a good place for a breakdown. and there are plenty of places like that. and like has been mentioned above, pushing a bullet through some of these places...well...i really can't think of a suitable analogy.

also remember, some of these places, you are at really high altitudes, the air is really really thin, and any physical exertion at some places like khardung-la, barlacha pass etc, will just leave you gasping and in very very bad shape.

i would recommend a balance between something reasonably light but reliable.

[phamilyman]

Rider ji, been there, done that.

End may, if you will, so add in frozen landscapes all around - from a fully frozen surajtal, to the entire ascent up baralachala (slightly before ZZbar) amidst walls of ice.

It is really that easy. With a mechanically sound bike (big inherent if), all one does is patiently hold/twirl the throttle. Done with timing, the body takes minimum load as well. What is not easy in it. Its not actual trekking, which needs guts.

Know enough junta like a gent who just plonked min spares, engine oil, clothes in cramster, strapped onto his 2k done karizma, and did it same time, with wifey as pillion. And except a fall atop Tanglangla at 5pm, none the wiser!

and i can relate to what you say about breakdowns - not only a bit btdt, here's from a friend: ADVrider - View Single Post - 18000+ Ft and Beyond, Worlds Highest Passes in Himalayas, India Chalta hai. I still think leh for bikers is horribly overhyped. For cyclists, it is truly a test of man's mettle. We bikers are nothing in comparison. Like the 70 year old cyclist that my friend met at KTop.

[khaleelda1]

Thank you so much guys!!!

i feel like i have a much bettter picture about this trip now, earlier when i used to discuss this with my friends, it was all fancy fascinations.

i need to do some serious preperations, which will probably outrrun this season, so 2009 it is.

Thanks bikenstein for all the great details!

And as far as it being a hyped up bike trail...well i am plannin this to njoy the nature and a nice ride!!..not here to prove anything. Always believed in ..."its the journey that matters not the destination"

Thanks again.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by whitesquall

I hear that there are many places in Delhi where you get the bikes ready for these long/tough rides on rent.

Yes you are right,but nothing like riding your own machine since you know it better

Moreover most of these rented bikes are junk and drink fuel like anything.
my uncle had to hire a bullet 350 from manali 2 years back and it returned a princely 13-15km/l

[rowhun]

Dude,
If you really wanna make a trip to Leh, you must get the Bullet.
But before you escape to Leh, you gotta know ur bike. And you definitely cannot do it on a new bike, as it is sure to bugger it up, without running it in first.

So I think a better idea would be to go to Karol bagh and buy the fixed resale bike from there and use that, as it probably has seen such trips and has been used for sometime.
Secondly, do NOT go without company..especially since you havent done this trip before and neither have you used a Bullet on such a long ride, Im guessing. Try and fix up with some of the riders on royalenfield.com who are planning a trip.

I did the mecca route of the Bullet in 2007 June. Went from Delhi-Chandigarh-Manali-Sarchu La-Pang-Leh and returned Leh-Kargil-Srinagar-Pathankot-Delhi. The trip was mind-blowing, and I'll be doing another one in June 2009.


All the best for that roadtrip dude!

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Leh today is like lonavla. every tommy dicky and harry and their chachaji has done it. Any bike in decent condition will take it.

consider a fresh rebore and take your trusty.

I beg to differ here,it might be overrated but no way its like you are comparing it to Lonavala.

[hell_rider]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Rider ji, been there, done that.

End may, if you will, so add in frozen landscapes all around - from a fully frozen surajtal, to the entire ascent up baralachala (slightly before ZZbar) amidst walls of ice.

It is really that easy. With a mechanically sound bike (big inherent if), all one does is patiently hold/twirl the throttle. Done with timing, the body takes minimum load as well. What is not easy in it. Its not actual trekking, which needs guts.

Know enough junta like a gent who just plonked min spares, engine oil, clothes in cramster, strapped onto his 2k done karizma, and did it same time, with wifey as pillion. And except a fall atop Tanglangla at 5pm, none the wiser!

and i can relate to what you say about breakdowns - not only a bit btdt, here's from a friend: ADVrider - View Single Post - 18000+ Ft and Beyond, Worlds Highest Passes in Himalayas, India Chalta hai. I still think leh for bikers is horribly overhyped. For cyclists, it is truly a test of man's mettle. We bikers are nothing in comparison. Like the 70 year old cyclist that my friend met at KTop.

phamilyman,

no doubting that your contributions are coming in from your experience as well. no offence meant. i was just trying to put across that in no way can you compare it to a ride to lonavla.

its a very very different cup of tea.

i just felt that might convey the wrong impression to people hitting ladakh for the first time and they might tend to get a bit complacent with respect to preparing themselves mentally as well as in terms of logistics.

by the way i went in around the same time as you did. first week June. trip of a lifetime if i may say so.

[phamilyman]

never rent bullets from k bagh/manali - they may have been rented, abused unless you got a contact. bullets need decent TLC (as any bike does) - but most junta who hire them abuse them/clutch. Why take the risk.

And bikes in manali will atleast be tested till rohtang, so you can return and take another one lest the bike aint pulling. if rented from delhi, its a looong way back. and still no way of testing how well its pulling!!

FYI: Leh - BikeNomads can help in planning.

[throttleking]

with no second thought, go for a Bullet, and if you want real performer then go for Machismo 500, i been to Leh on my Electra and i have no doubt that Bullet is the one...