Riding a motorbike around India has become increasingly popular but is not without its hazards. Beside the appalling road conditions encountered and the ensuing fatigue, renting a bike , unless you are well versed in maintenance, can be a bit of a nightmare, with breakdowns often in the most inconvenient places. If you do breakdown in the middle of nowhere, you may need to flag down an empty truck to transport the bike to the nearest town for repairs. Motorbike rental is available in some tourist towns and useful for local use, but the quality of the bikes is never assured. You could bring your own but then you will need to consider spares. Helmets are best brought from home.

 

Buying a motorbike in India is a much more reasonable proposition, and again, if it's an old British classic you're after, the Enfield Bullet (350 model), sold cheapest in Pondicherry, on the Tamil Nadu coast, leads the field (check one of several motoring magazines for details and reviews). If low price and practicality are your priorities, however, a smaller model, perhaps even a moped or a scooter, might better fit the bill. Many Japanese bikes are now made in India, as are Vespas and Lambrettas, and motorcycles of various sorts can easily be bought new or secondhand . Garages and repair shops are a good place to start; see Delhi Listings for details of the city's Karol Bagh area, renowned for its motorcycle shops, as well as Bales Road in Chennai. Obviously, you will have to haggle for the price, but you can expect to pay half to two-thirds the original price for a bike in reasonable condition. Given the right bargaining skills, you can sell it again later for a similar price - perhaps to another foreign traveller, by advertising it in hotels and restaurants. A certain amount of bureaucracy is involved in transferring vehicle ownership, but a garage should be able to put you on to a broker ("auto consultant") who, for a modest commission (around Rs300), will help you find a seller or a buyer, and do the necessary paperwork. A motorbike can be taken in the luggage car of a train for the same price as a second-class passenger fare (get a form and pay a small fee at the station luggage office).

Some knowledge of mechanics is necessary to ensure that you are not being sold a pup, so if you are not too savvy yourself, make sure you take someone who is to give the once-over to important parts like the engine, forks, brakes and suspension. Experienced overlanders often claim that making sure the seat is comfy is the crucial element to an enjoyable trip.

If you are unsure of negotiating your own bike or travelling around on your own you may consider joining one of several motorbike tours :

Blazing Trails UK tel 01293/533338, www.jewelholidays.com .

Classic Bike Adventure "Casa Tres Amigos", Assagao 403 507 tel 0832/244467, fax 262076 www.classic-bike-india.com .

Himalayan Motorcycle Tours US tel 1-303/440 6482, UK tel 01256/770775. patrickmoffat@yahoo.com www.himalanmotorcycles.com .

Himalayan Roadrunners UK tel 01233/733001