[jamwaldds]

Sorry for jumping into the thread but have you considered a used Gypsy for this trip. It will give you best of both worlds. You can carry luggage, use it as open top and it is extremely reliable.

Yes it runs on petrol but so what..

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by jamwaldds

Sorry for jumping into the thread but have you considered a used Gypsy for this trip. It will give you best of both worlds. You can carry luggage, use it as open top and it is extremely reliable.

Yes it runs on petrol but so what..

Hey jamwaldds, the transportation budget of recker_us is Rs. 1.50 Lakh. I don't believe we can get a used Gypsy at that price ( roadworthy in all sense to take the rigours of a 6 month tour in North and North eastern India and Himalayas).
It is an ideal vehicle only if one can stretch his transport budget much more which is not the case here. So the transport idea is confined to an Alto/Wagon R/Maruti 800/Omni or a Bullet/Karizma/Avenger or even a CBR250 if he chooses a 2 wheeler. That's the upper limit as far as transportation goes and it leaves many a desirable vehicles out of reckoning.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by ashkamath

But having said that I have come to this thread again to perhaps retract my earlier stress on riding a motorcycle over a car after going through the discussions and sharing done by lot of senior and experienced T-BHPians.

I would have put it in one line:- 'If you have to ask, go for the car'.

Actually when I suggested a car, I should have given some background.
Own and use a M800, Alto K10, CBR250R, and a TBTS.
Have owned/ used practically all the vehicles recommended in this thread (excepting Sumo).
Love blasts in the hills on a bike.
Would not choose a bike as my only means of personal transport for six months.

Full disclosure:- Primarily a car guy (cager!), recreational rider.
And the blast in the hills on a bike:- Not more than ~100 Km a day. And assured comfortable/ cosy night shelter at the end of the day.

Regards
Sutripta

[silverado]

Originally Posted by jamwaldds

Sorry for jumping into the thread but have you considered a used Gypsy for this trip. It will give you best of both worlds. You can carry luggage, use it as open top and it is extremely reliable.

Yes it runs on petrol but so what..

I can understand the reason behind your suggestion. below are the reasons why gypsy can be ruled out.

1)Suspension is bouncy and very uncomfortable for an unloaded vehicle.
2)No security in a soft top gypsy
3)It runs on petrol, and for a guy using it extensively and on a budget , it is a big factor.
4)He is not going to do much offroading , hence the utility factor of gypsy in such a scenario remains, well underutilised.

It looks like everyone of us is dreaming about these things, but we cant find the guy who started this thread, buddy what is your opinion now?

Also it would be nice if he carries some message on any of his vehicles, any message which he feels can improve lives of normal Indians.

Also as mentioned by Ashkamath below, he needs to get membership of YHAI ( Youth hostels association of India ),and maximise his stays around them, since they are there ideally for a traveller on a budget.

[recker_us]

Thank you all for your enthusiastic support.. another interesting combination coming from these threads:

- Omni with a bicycle and bed inside it.. A kinda mobile home to sleep.. and a bicycle just in case, I need to go 10s of kms in narrow, non-existent roads.. May be good time to use my Rockrider...

Omni is usually considered unsafe though.. Not even sure how comfortable it would be for longer drives... How about doing this combination in a WagonR. I am inclined towards WagonR as I used it earlier for a week long in Rajasthan and it was pretty decent enough.

I tried searching a bit about Mobile Homes in WagonR, but didnt find any Pic or article. Are you aware of anyone having done it with WagonR?

[condor]

@Recker, if the core idea of your drive is to explore places, then you would not be doing high speeds. If I were you, I would also avoid the 4-lane / 6-lane highways, and hence be on the state highways where speeds would be lower, and I get time to soak in the country. An Omni would be just right !

A Wagon-R would have lesser space for you + a cycle.

[HyperRetard]

Don’t Ask Any Old Bloke For Directions: A Biker’s Whimsical Journey Across India
Hot Tea across India
One Life to Ride

Sit down, read these these books, and you will understand this is precisely what you want to do.
And when you have an idea of what you want to do, go out and buy whatever appeals to your heart, because touring is not what you do with practicability in mind.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by recker_us

Thank you all for your enthusiastic support.. another interesting combination coming from these threads:

- Omni with a bicycle and bed inside it.. A kinda mobile home to sleep.. and a bicycle just in case, I need to go 10s of kms in narrow, non-existent roads.. May be good time to use my Rockrider...

Omni is usually considered unsafe though.. Not even sure how comfortable it would be for longer drives... How about doing this combination in a WagonR. I am inclined towards WagonR as I used it earlier for a week long in Rajasthan and it was pretty decent enough.

I tried searching a bit about Mobile Homes in WagonR, but didnt find any Pic or article. Are you aware of anyone having done it with WagonR?

As long as you not hell bent on speeding at 100+ and taking sharp turns Omni is quite safe. I have done Delhi to Hills in one. Once you reach the hills it will beat the other vehicle in terms of maneuverability and narrow track. As the omni (and M800) tracks fit neatly between truck ruts this one of very few vehicles that can be driven with ease on rutted roads.

The best configuration would be the one with side facing rear seats. That leaves plenty of space to sleep and carry loads of gear.

Regrading WagonR, that is a good car in urban scenario, but the GC and wheel base and the height are more or less similar to omni, hence you gain nothing by paying more.

In Delhi the prices are as follows
MARUTI OMNI MPI STD BSIV 2,49,567
Wagon R MC Lx 3,60,896

At one lac plus less than the lowest version of Wagon R, buying a new Omni a viable solution. If you want to shave of further 25K get a "Cargo version" a configuration ideal for touring alone.

[gurudutt]

Last i know you had a Safari and it would have been the ideal vehicle for your endeavor. Among the choices you have given, being a car guy, i would prefer a M 800 and am assuming you would sell it after you are done. Reasons being.

1) Will be less expensive than an alto.
2) Leaf suspension on the rear wheels are rugged and would not bottom out the car as easily.
3) Its quite peppy and light weight which means it can literally fly over the bad roads.
4) Maintenance and spare parts would be on the lesser side.

Space wise, i don't see much difference. Two things i would be worried about is the safety and lack on power steering.

[recker_us]

Originally Posted by gurudutt

Last i know you had a Safari and it would have been the ideal vehicle for your endeavor. Among the choices you have given, being a car guy, i would prefer a M 800 and am assuming you would sell it after you are done. Reasons being.

1) Will be less expensive than an alto.
2) Leaf suspension on the rear wheels are rugged and would not bottom out the car as easily.
3) Its quite peppy and light weight which means it can literally fly over the bad roads.
4) Maintenance and spare parts would be on the lesser side.

Space wise, i don't see much difference. Two things i would be worried about is the safety and lack on power steering.

Thanks Guru... I sold my Safari before I left India.. It was very comfortable for my trip to Kashmir.. But I was always worried about maneuvering it on narrow mountain road..

M800 was my initial plan.. but I feel that the low seating may hit my back for longer drives.. Thats why i was getting inclined towards WagonR.

[gurudutt]

Originally Posted by recker_us

Thanks Guru... I sold my Safari before I left India.. It was very comfortable for my trip to Kashmir.. But I was always worried about maneuvering it on narrow mountain road..

M800 was my initial plan.. but I feel that the low seating may hit my back for longer drives.. Thats why i was getting inclined towards WagonR.

I agree, WagonR would be a better choice than a M800 in terms of driving comfort. I hope you find a good one at the price you are looking at.

[recker_us]

one of my friend Tilak Soni from WED, uses EECO for winter exploration of himalayas. He recommends EECO for this trip.... Here is a pic of EECO from his ongoing trip..

[condor]

That's the advantage of a FWD, where the weight of the engine helps traction.

[Viper21]

Sir, respect your decision, i had only dreamt of a trip like this for so long. Like some of us have suggested, you could go in for a used Wagon R, they are reliable have a lot of flexibilty in terms of space usage. Please Please consult HVK and GO FOR IT !!!!

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by condor

That's the advantage of a FWD, where the weight of the engine helps traction.

EECO FWD?

Regards
Sutripta