Motorcycle Riding in the Eastern Himalayas

The Himalayas are the world's tallest mountain chain.Europeons who know only about the Alps may find it difficult to visualize that the Himalayas are much loftier and harder to negotiate than anything they may have seen. The Eastern Himalayas have the Kanchen Junga which is the highest peak in the world after Everest. All in all a drive in the eastern Himalayas covering the area above Darjeeling, Gangtok and Mirik can be an exciting experience.

First things first. You will have to select the bike for this trip. Small 100 cc bikes so prevalent in India will not serve the purpose. You will need a heavier bike. You could think of the new breed of bikes like Ducati and Yamaha marketed in India nowadays. But these bikes may not fill the bill as the back up support for them in the hills is zero. The best bike for a Himalayan drive in India is the Royal Enfield Bullet. You can have your pick from the 500cc or the 350 cc bullet. The advantage of selecting a Royal Enfield is obvious, as you will be able to get some back up support for the bike, as it is in production in India for more than 50 years. The royal Enfield bullet made its entry into India in the early fifties,when the Indian Government imported 800 bullets for patrolling the border with Pakistan .Subsequently Enfield got the go ahead to manufacture the bike in India.

The Bullet is a 4 strike motorcycle which is driven by a chain attached to the rear wheel. The bike rides a little stiffly but you can hit a pot hole at 80 km an hour and you will be none the worse for it. The bike these days has an improved carburetor which gives better mileage and develops 18 BHP while in motion. So it will be best to select a bullet. My preference is for the 350 cc bullet as it gives sufficient power and at the same time is not bulky on the mountain trails.

Having selected the bike the next step is to get it ready for the tortuous road ahead in the Himalayas. You will be advised to keep a puncture repair kit with you as well as a spare wheel. This can be attached transversely to the front of the engine fork of the bike. Have check of the tires and in case they are worn out go in for new tires. Travel light and use a knapsack for your essentials. Get the engine tuned and increase the idling speed so that the bike can negotiate the steep climbs ahead. The bike itself is sturdy and has stood the test of time. It will not be out of place to mention that this vintage model is exported to England where nostalgia reigns.

The launching pad for your drive should be Siliguri which is situated on the foothills of the Himalayas. You can reach Siliguri by air or train from Calcutta. Siliguri is a nice town has a lot of friendly people. You can also stay at the Sinclair's hotel which has star accommodation. Start the drive up the mountain, early morning preferably before 6 am as the sun rises early in this part of the country. When you drive out from Siliguri you will pass the narrow gauge rail line. The road moves along the rail line for most part of the drive. There is a good chance that you will see the narrow gauge toy train chugging along. It is a beautiful sight and we must thank the colonial rulers the British for this .This is now classified as a heritage rail by the UN.

When you drive up the hills you will come across tea gardens that flower on the hill slopes. This is tea land and the home of good tea. Savor the countryside .While riding the bike keep the bike in 2nd and 3rd gear and let the engine power itself up the mountain. Use minimal clutch so as not to strain the engine .The climb really starts from Matigara and all along you can see the towering mountains .As you climb up the hills you can look down and see the plains. It is a wonderful panoramic view. If you drive with alacrity you will soon reach Kurseong and you can have a halt there .Have cup of tea and kick start the bike again.

The original Enfield comes without the self start option and you will be well advised to select a bike with a kick start as the self start option bikes may trouble you up the hill. After kurseong the drive is steeper and within another hour and a half you will be at Darjeeling. It's another hill station courtesy the British and is worth a visit. You can continue from Darjeeling to Gangtok in Sikkim. The road is reasonably ok and moves along the edge of the mountain. Darjeeling is at a height of over 8000ft.

Keep the bike steady and while overtaking change to lower gear and press forward. Gas could be a problem and you better keep your tank full as and when you come across a pump. The Royal Enfield if handled properly can make this a worthwhile experience for a tourist. From Gangtok you can continue to the Tibet border. You will have to turn back after that, as the Chinese will not allow you into Tibet which they have colonized.

You can return to Gangtok or Darjeeling and make that as a base and go for drives all the way to further places like Mirik on the Nepal border or Kalimpong.If you have a puncture on the road fit the spare wheel and repair the punctured tire. You will need a small hand pump handy in your kit as the tires are the means of your roaming the Himalayas. Riding a bike up the Himalayas is an adventure of sorts and all you need is resolve and a good bike.