A Rajasthan (northern India) reconnoitre

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Jodhpur[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]


A[/FONT]ccording to Rathore tradition, the clan traces its origins back to the Hindu god, Rama, hero of the epic Ramayana, and thence to the sun. So the Rathore's belong to the Suryavansha (solar race) branch of the Kshatriyas, the warrior caste of Hindus. Later, breaking into historical reality, in 470 A.D. Nayal Pal conquered the kingdom of Kanauj, near modern Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The Rathor capital for seven centuries, Kanauj fell in 1193 to the Afghan invader's led by Muhammad Ghori.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]T[/FONT]he fleeing ruler, Jai Chand was drowned in the Ganga. But his son Siyaji, had better luck. An expedient marriage alliance between the Rathore Sihaji and the sister of a local prince enabled the Rathors to consolidate themselves in this region. In fact, they prospered to such a degree that they managed to oust the Pratiharas of Mandor, nine km to the north of present day Jodhpur.He later set himself up as an independent ruler around the wealthy trading centre of Pali, just south of Jodhpur. His descendants flourished, battled often, won often, and in 1381 Rao Chanda ousted the Parihars from Mandor which then became the Rathore seat of government.Rathore fortunes then turned for better. Rao Chanda's son and heir, Rainmal, won praise for his capture of Ajmer and was then entrusted with the care of his orphaned nephew, destined to inherit the Mewar throne of Chittor. Rainmal may well have had his eyes on this fine, hilltop fort. But court intrigue and treachery stopped him. In 1438 he was doped with opium, and finally shot dead. This triggered bitter feuds, ending with Mewar and Marwar becoming separate states.Rathore legend continues in various versions. One is that Jodha, one of Rainmal's 24 sons, fled Chittor and finally, 15 years later, recaptured Mandor in 1453. Five years later he was acknowledged as ruler. A holy man sensibly advised him to move his capital to hilltop safety.




http://jodhpur.nic.in/dp.html#history




The old market & famous clock tower in Jodhpur


IMG_0357_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0355_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Chaos and bustle


IMG_0353_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0350_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Police


IMG_0349_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0358_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





IMG_0359_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




A great bustling city, we liked Jodhpur immensely



IMG_0364_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr















 
Found the old, aristocratic family palace, which has been converted into a hotel - fantastic place


IMG_0415_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0412_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Oozing character



IMG_0403_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






IMG_0414_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Not knowing what to expect, this was the entrance to our converted room - even beautiful marble slab floors


IMG_0419_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




The room --- perfect


IMG_0420_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0421_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





400 years old and funky rooms, highly recommended


IMG_0423_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Old market in Radakpur town, flower sellers


IMG_0443_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0442_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0446_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Monkeys are everywhere in Rajasthan


IMG_0448_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




The old road to Udaipur is a really fun ride


IMG_0450_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Hardly any traffic a plenty of sweeping turns through the beautiful hills


IMG_0451_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






Lets hope this isnt headed this way, looks pretty angry


IMG_0453_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Looks like we might be ok


IMG_0456_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Kumbhalgarh Fort is on the way and worth a stop. From here, looks like something out of a horror movie


IMG_0459_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





IMG_0461_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0463_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




We didnt know this before hand but the Kumbhalgarh Fort is the second longest wall in the world after The Great Wall of China


IMG_0465_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




330px-Aerial_view_of_Kumbhalgarh.jpg





Built on a hilltop 1100 metres above sea level, the fort of Kumbhalgarh has perimeter walls that extend 36 kilometres, it is the second longest wall in the world.[SUP][1][/SUP] The frontal walls are fifteen feet thick. Kumbhalgarh has seven fortified gateways. There are over 360 temples within the fort, 300 ancient Jain and the rest Hindu. From the palace top, it is possible to see kilometers into the Aravalli Range. The sand dunes of the Thar desert can be seen from the fort walls.
According to legend, in 1443, the Maharana of Kumbhalgarh, Rana Kumbha, was initially repeatedly unsuccessful in attempts to build the fort wall. A spiritual preceptor was consulted about the construction problems and advised the ruler that a voluntary human sacrifice would solve whatever was causing the impediment. The spiritual advisor advised building a temple where the head should fall and building the wall and the fort where the rest of his body lay. As can be expected, for some time no one volunteered, but one day, a pilgrim (some versions suggest a soldier, and some, that the spiritual preceptor and the pilgrim were one and the same) volunteered and was ritually decapitated. Today the main gate of the fortress, Hanuman Pol, contains a shrine and a temple to commemorate the great sacrifice.
According to popular folklore, Maharana Kumbha used to burn massive lamps that consumed fifty kilograms of gheeand a hundred kilograms of cotton to provide light for the farmers who worked during the nights in the valley.
Its wall is the second largest wall in Asia, and the world.



Kumbhalgarh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia







IMG_0467_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Udaipur in relation to the Fort above


IMG_0468_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Started to get foggy and really chilly as we approached Udaipur


IMG_0470_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Roads through the villages were worn out



IMG_0471_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Outside the villages beautiful



IMG_0472_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Into Udaipur - this might be quite a show?


IMG_0474_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Udiapur is a huge, beautiful city on a big lake with oodles of old historic building that keep the tourists coming. Population is around 600,000. The Indian sections of the James Bond 007 movie Octopussy were filmed here, several restaurants show this movie every evening.


Hotels are plentiful and cheap, many are converted noble homes and palaces. We paid 2,200 rupees (1,100 Bht) for this gigantic room in high season in s uperb location with secure parking for the bikes. Right on the lake.


IMG_0476_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



IMG_0478_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0479_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





There is loads to see in Udaipur, we only had one night. This is somewhere id like to spend a few days..... a few of what's to see:



City Palace, UdaipurMain article: City Palace, Udaipur
Standing on the east bank of Lake Pichola is a massive series of palaces built at different times from 1559. The balconies of the palace provide panoramic views of the "Jag Niwas" (the Lake Palace Hotel). They also have views of Jag Mandir on one side and the city of Udaipur on the other. Its main entrance is through the triple-arched gate - the Tripolia, built in 1725. The way now leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping parations, terraces, corridors and gardens. There is a Suraj Gokhda, where the maharanas of Mewar presented themselves in the times of trouble to the people to restore confidence. The Mor-chowk (Peacock courtyard), gets its name from the mosaics in glass decorating its walls. The chini chitrashala is noteworthy while a series of wall paintings of Krishna are on display in Bhim Vilas. There are numerous other palaces such as Dilkhush mahal, Sheesh mahal, Moti mahal and Krishna vilas - in memory of a princess of striking beauty who poisoned herself to avert a bloody battle for her hand by rival princes. Now the palace contains many antique articles, paintings, decorative furniture and utensils and attracts thousands of visitors every day. Celebration mall (Highest rated mall of Rajasthan) that is India's first and only Heritage mall, is now serving as a tourist attraction destination.
The former guesthouse of the city palace, Shiv Niwas Palace and the Fateh Prakash Palace have been converted into heritage hotels.



Lake PalaceMain article: Lake Palace
The Lake Palace was built in 1743-1746. It is made of marble and is situated on Jag Niwas island in Lake Pichola. It was originally built as a royal summer palace, but is now a luxury 5 Star hotel, operating under the "Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces" banner.


Jag MandirMain article: Jag Mandir
Jag Mandir is another island in Lake Pichola which is known for its garden courtyard. Shah Jahan took refuge here while revolting against his father. There is a restaurant run by the HRH group of hotels.



Monsoon PalaceMain article: Monsoon Palace
Monsoon Palace also known as Sajjan Garh Palace The summer resort of the Maharajas is atop the hill overlooking all of the lakes. This palace had a way to collect rain water for consumption all year around.


Jagdish TempleThe Jagdish Temple is a large Hindu temple in the middle of Udaipur. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh Ist in 1651 A.D. It is an example of Indo - Aryan architecture. This temple is a great example of architecture and art. The area is the main tourist place in the city. You can also find some special kind of things like rajasthani dress, paintings etc.



Fateh Sagar LakeMain article: Fateh Sagar Lake
Fateh Sagar Lake is situated in the north of Lake Picholas. It was originally built by Maharana Jai Singh in the year 1678 AD, but later on reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh after much destruction was caused by heavy rains. In 1993-1994, the water vanished from the lake, but in 2005-2006, the lake regained its water.



Lake PicholaMain article: Lake Pichola
Lake Pichola has two islands, Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. This lake is 4 km long and 3 km wide, originally built by Maharana Udai Singh II. There are many ghats, like the bathing and washing ghats, which can be approached through boats from the City Palace of Udaipur (Bansi Ghat). In the heart of the lake the Lake Palace stands, which is now converted into a heritage palace hotel. The lake remains fairly shallow even during heavy rains, and gets dry easily in times of severe drought.



Saheliyon-ki-BariMain article: Saheliyon-ki-Bari
Sahelion ki Bari was laid for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. The gardens set below the embankment of the Fatah Sagar Lake have lotus pools, marble pavilions and elephant-shaped fountains. These fountains are fed by the water of the lake gushing through ducts made for the purpose.



Gulab Bagh and ZooMain article: Gulab Bagh and Zoo
A rose garden laid out by Maharaja Sajjan Singh is situated near the palace on the east side of Lake Pichhola. A library in the garden has a collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books. Some of the part of the Satyarth Prakash have been written in this library. Styarth Prakash stup is situated in Gulab Bagh. Within the garden, there is a zoo with tigers, leopards, Chinkara gazelle, birds, and many wild animals. Children can enjoy mini train, track of which covers the main part of the garden and the zoo.



Bharatiya Lok Kala MandalA museum of folk arts. It also hosts puppet shows in its auditorium.
Maharana Pratap Memorial or Moti MagriAtop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fatah Sagar Lake is the memorial of the Rajput hero

Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse "Chetak".[SUP][8][/SUP]


Bagore-ki-HaveliThis is an old building built right on the waterfront of Lake Pichola at Gangori Ghat. The haveli now stages Rajasthani traditional dance and music.



Ahar MuseumMain article: Ahar Cenotaphs
Located about 2 km east of Udaipur is a cluster of cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar. There are about nineteen cenotaphsof Maharanas cremated there. One cenotaph is that Maharana Amar Singh, who reigned from 1597 to 1620. Nearby is also Ahar Museum, where on display is limited but very rare earthen pottery, as well as some sculptures and other archaeological finds. Some pieces date back to 1700 BC, and a tenth-century metal figure of Buddha is a special attraction.
ShilpgramA crafts village located northwest of Udaipur, Shilpgram hosts an annual crafts fair which is one of the biggest in India; people from different states in the country have stalls showcasing their art and crafts work.[SUP][9][/SUP]



Udaipur Solar ObservatoryMain article: Udaipur Solar Observatory
Asia's only solar observatory, the Udaipur Solar Observatory, is situated on an island in the middle of the Lake Fatah Sagar.
 
There is a fantastic restaurant on the banks of the Pichola Lake with one of the most romantic views

IMG_0480_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




How about that for ambiance?

IMG_0483_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



IMG_0488_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Great service and great food - a 10/10


IMG_0491_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



The Lake Palace was built in 1743-1746. It is made of marble and is situated on Jag Niwas island in Lake Pichola. It was originally built as a royal summer palace, but is now a luxury 5 Star hotel, operating under the "Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces" banner.




IMG_0486_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Keep those pix and comments coming Phil.... I'm getting mightily tempted to schedule a visit to Rajasthan towardsthe end of this year ( I imagine it mightn't be the best for biking in the middle of summer!! ) Doing it on a KTM seems much more attractive then a RE. :vee:
 
Jim, I can probably line you up a KTM to rent if you need one. Enfield would be easy to find of course.
 
Time to push on for Pushkar, a quick look around the beautiful city of Udaipur on the way out, one of the ancient temples below


IMG_0494_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Entrance to the Udaipur Royal palace


IMG_0495_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0496_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Real high security around all of the places of interest. Several times we were asked for ID


IMG_0497_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0499_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Huge green chillies "tempurered"


IMG_0503_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




More beautiful temples on the road to Pushkar


IMG_0504_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Lunch


IMG_0506_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Chipatti making


IMG_0510_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Fresh palak paneer - spinach & cream/ milk with cubes of cottage cheese


IMG_0512_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Delicious!


IMG_0513_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Masala tea from home made clay cups


IMG_0514_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr








Approaching Pushkar another awesome temple


IMG_0515_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Pushkar


Lots of great value hotels and great eating. Pushkar makes a nice break from being off the beaten path for a day or so, we really liked it. It's also one of the oldest cities in India, some Indians say the city is 10,000 years old. Even good pizza here.



pushkar.jpg




The date of its actual founding is not known, but legend associates Brahma with its creation.[SUP][citation needed][/SUP]
According to legend, Brahma was in search of a place for Mahayagna and he found this place suitable. After a long time, Brahma came to known that a demon, Vajranash, was killing people here so the Lord intoned a mantra on a lotus flower and killed the demon. During this process the parts of flower fell on three places which were later known as Jyaistha, Madhya and Kanistha Pushkar. After this Brahma performed a yagna to protect this place from demons. The consort of Brahma, Saraswati, were needed to offer Ahuti for the yagna but she was not there that time so Gayatri, a Gurjar girl, was married to brahma and performned yagna. This act made first wife of Brahma, Saraswati, angry and she cursed Brahma saying that he would be worshiped in Pushkar only.[SUP][3][/SUP][SUP][4][/SUP]
The Mahabharata says that while laying down a programme for Maharaja Yudhishthara's travel, "Maharaja after entering the Jungles of Sind and crossing the small rivers on the way should bathe in Pushkara". And, as per Vaman Purana,Prahlada on his pilgrimage to holy places visited Pushkarayana.[SUP][citation needed][/SUP]
A Gurjara Pratihara ruler of Mandore, Nahadarava, restored this tirtha in the seventh century. He got the place cleared and the lake restored by making an embankment on the side of the river Luni. He rebuilt old palaces and built twelve dharmashalas (resting places) and ghats on three sides of the lake.[SUP][citation needed][/SUP]
According to Rajputana Gazetteer Pushkar was held by Chechi Gurjars until about 700 years ago.Later Some shrines were occupied by Kanphati Jogis.[SUP][5][/SUP]
There are still priests from the Gurjar community in Pushkar temple, known as Bhopas.[SUP][6][/SUP]
The sage Parasara is said to have been born here. His descendants, called Parasara Brahamanas, are found in Pushkar and the surrounding area. The famous temple of Jeenmata has been cared for by Parasara Brahmans for the last 1,000 years.
It is also the venue of the annual Pushkar Camel Fair.[SUP][citation needed][/SUP] In 1901, the town was part of the Rajputana Agency had a population of 3,831.[SUP][7]




[/SUP]Pushkar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





It has a reputation of attracting ganga-smoking Isrealies and we did see plenty of them while we were there. Hotels almost beg for you to stay as they are so plentiful, all great value and well run. WIFI worked well here unlike most other places.


We scored this room real cheap in a huge hotel


IMG_0516_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



The place really has the feel of an old trading town, busy and noise everywhere, of course great old temples


IMG_0517_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



IMG_0518_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



The holy Pushkar lake is spectaular with the bathing Hindi's

Pushkar Lake - The prime attraction of Pushkar is the Pushkar Lake which is considered sacred like the Mansarovar Lake in Tibet. Pushkar has become a place of Hindu pilgrimage because of this holy lake. Legend has it that this lake was consecrated to Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe when a lotus dropped from his hand into the vale and a lake emerged in that place.


IMG_0523_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




 
Last edited:
Into the huge city of Jiapur and the main road in takes you right passed the pink stoned, Hawa Mahal Palace that was constructed in 1799 AD. Legend has it, that it was constructed for the women of the Royal household, so that they could people watch, without being viewed themselves.


IMG_0525_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




its Jiapur's number 1 attraction, very unique


IMG_0531_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



IMG_0532_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




A snake charmer sitting outside. look closely you can see the cobra's head


IMG_0534_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



A monstrous Royal Palace in Jiapur


IMG_0543_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Jaipur is the famous city and capital of Rajasthan. It was founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, after whom the city has been named. Jaipur is known as the Pink City of India because of the colour used exclusively in the walled city.
The city was built on the principles of Shilpa Shastra, the science of Indian Architecture. The city was divided into nine blocks. Two of which contained the state buildings and palaces, while the remaining seven were allotted to the public. Huge fortification walls were built, along with seven strong gates. The directions of each street and market are east to West and North to South. The Eastern gate is called Suraj (Sun) Pol, while the Western gate is called Chand (Moon) Pol. There are three gates facing East, West, and a Northern gate (known as Zorawar Singh gate) which faces toward the ancestral capital of Amber.
The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is rich in history and culture. Here the past comes alive in magnificent forts and palaces. The bustling bazaars of Jaipur, famous for jewellery, fabric and shoes, possess a timeless quality and are surely a treasure-trove for the shoppers. This fascinating city with its romantic charm takes you to an epoch of royalty and tradition.



District Administration Jaipur, District Computerisation Jaipur, District Profile Jaipur




IMG_0547_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0550_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






IMG_0551_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Ancient temple in Jiapur


IMG_0553_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Ancient bathing area at the Jiapur Fort

IMG_0599_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



This was up there as one of the best forts of the trip, dont miss Jiapur


IMG_0608_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



IMG_0614_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




20 minute ride, up the next mountain and another Jiapur fort


IMG_0620_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



This fort has the largest wheeled cannon in the world, the cannon weighs 50 tons


IMG_0623_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



IMG_0627_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Look at the guy walking next to it for size perspective


IMG_0630_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



IMG_0631_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0632_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0634_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Getting a bit forted out by now, you could really do with 2 days for for exploring in Jiapur



IMG_0644_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





IMG_0642_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



IMG_0645_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr







more to come
 
A cold, ride, north to Agra, traffic now start to get heavy. The Taj Mahal is in Agra, which is about 4-5 hours south of Delhi


IMG_0648_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Entrance for Indian's is 40 Rupees, foreigners 700 Rupees!!


IMG_0651_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Entrance area


IMG_0652_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Around the corner and there you have it - stunning


IMG_0653_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0655_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Beauty


IMG_0669_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Took a few goes to get that right


IMG_0672_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



IMG_0673_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0682_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Time last riding day & probably the most dangerous - Agra to Delhi. The traffic is a nightmare, absolute nightmare.


Toast, made by holding the bread over a propane burner, it actually tastes pretty good.


IMG_0693_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Then off into the tarmac fight. 4 hours of hell and a quick stop at India Gate, which caused some problems with the security police. Passports and Intl driving licenses were checked.


IMG_0694_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0696_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Funky temple on the outskirts of Delhi


IMG_0698_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




We managed to find one of the big KTM dealers on the way back into Delhi, they also of course are a Baja dealer (KTM's Indian owner)


IMG_0700_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




30 minutes more, then it was over. Those KTM's looked after us damn well and were a blast to ride - The girls saying thank you


IMG_0703_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Time for them to be taken away and put back to sleep (only for a couple of months though)


IMG_0702_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
I made sure we had a whole free day left to have a look around the enormous, second hand motorcycle market. Now just to find it

IMG_0722_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Any ideas what this is?

IMG_0720_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




The motorcycle market is fully open around 11am every day. This was 1015am & about 40% was already open


IMG_0724_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




There are Enfields as far as the eye can see


IMG_0725_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



The new model Thunderbird 350, not my cup of tea

IMG_0726_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Indian Rupee/ Thai Bht exchange rate is about 2 Rupees to 1 Thai Bht, quite easy. Im told this was a 1937 Enfield Bullet that was offered for 35,000 Rupees ( 17,000 Bht)


IMG_0732_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




"Modern" (not classic/ collector) 350 Royal Enfield Bullets are offered in the range of 50,000 - 80,000 Rupees


500 Royal Enfield Bullets range from 80,000 - 140,000 depending on condition

IMG_0736_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




No idea what CC this horror was


IMG_0738_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





There is a spike in price for the older models in good condition


IMG_0739_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0740_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Army colors

IMG_0741_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Chrome 500 Bullet offered for 100,000 Rupees


IMG_0742_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Classic


IMG_0743_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





This classic was 140,000 Rupees

IMG_0748_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




...more to come
 
With the India assembled, KTM 390 Duke, being available for over a year in India now, I was interested to see how many there were for sale in the second hand bike market in Delhi. My first quick look around I didnt see any.



Then out of the corner of my eye I see this, a 390 Duke being wheeled out

IMG_0749_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



The new retail price of a KTM 390 Duke in India is about 225,000 Rupees (112,000 Bht !!).


This one showed just over 1,000 km on the clock and was offered for 165,000 Rupees (82,000 Bht)



IMG_0751_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
There were even "real" Harley's for sale second hand. Price range was 275,000 Rupees - 500,000 Rupees for the bikes below


IMG_0752_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





If you're every thinking how cool it would be to have a diesel Enfield, think twice


IMG_0757_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_0758_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






When its cold, as it was here, it aint going to start easy - no glow plugs


IMG_0760_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




They must have kicked this 100x and it wasnt even close to firing, i wouldn't touch one


IMG_0772_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr







A break for tea and get their breath back


IMG_0774_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Some oil injected into the barrel and 30 kicks later they got it going


IMG_0771_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Another walk around and more and more Enfields appear as the markets opens

IMG_0754_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




I think this was my favorite bike in the market


IMG_0762_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





More KTM's started to show. A new KTM 200 Duke in India is around 125,000 Rupees. Second hand ones can be picked up for 85,000 Rupees


IMG_0765_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Yamaha FZ is the top, quality bike seller here


IMG_0767_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Lots of the 2 stroke Vespers, get renovated and sent to Europe


IMG_0769_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Wow that market is a real bike lovers paradise i could spend a week there, the 2nd hand KTM is a steal. The black 500 classic is beautiful.
 
KTMphil said:
Im told this was a 1937 Enfield Bullet that was offered for 35,000 Rupees ( 17,000 Bht)


IMG_0732_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
Click to expand...
A 1937 should have a girder front fork, solid rear frame and a single saddle (with springs), I think the seller meant 1973 :-)
Here is a 1937 RE catalogue with drawings, the 350CC is the model G and the 500 is the model J: 1930s Royal Enfield Motorcycles
Also note the twin port 500 Bullet, it says 4 overhead valves!
 
Found the last few photo's from the India trip.


The graveyard, none of these will be brought back to life


IMG_0778_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Some lovely reantal Enfields in Delhi. All clean and in great condition. Rental price is about twice the market rental price from the market area


IMG_0779_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




One of them thats just come back


IMG_0780_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




One more beauty from the market that inspired me

IMG_0770_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Couldn't stop myself and am having a 1966 Royal Enfield 500 Bullet restored, should be ready in 2 months as new. Hopefully will resemble the bike below:



royal-enfield-bullet-classic.jpg
 
Thoughts on Motorcycle touring around Rajasthan




Weather- when to go:


December - January, you will experience very cold mornings and evenings. The mornings are a problem as once you get some speed up, its freezing riding a motorcycle, not fun at all. Take a look at the temperature graphs below, you can see it gets down to 6 centigrade.


raj temp.JPG



The Rajasthan cattle festival is the first week of February in 2015, ideally, April/ May would be the best time to ride there, before it gets hot.




Riding:


Getting out of Delhi is an absolute nightmare, it is the most dangerous place ive ever ridden. Far worse than China even. The cars and trucks have a culture of they are more important than the motorcycles and you should get out of their way. Many of the motorcycle tour companies start and finish their tours in Agra to stay away from Delhi.


The riding in Rajasthan is varied. The northern side of the loop is long, straight roads, most in good condition, you can cover 350km a day with ease. The southern side of the loop back to Delhi has more interesting riding, through some beautiful mountains, with many small road options.




Thats all, it was a great trip, will go again.
 
Brilliant, Phil.
Looks like Allysala had a great trip (Well all of you actually)
 
Speechless with envy. Great family adventure Phil. Thanks for the wealth of info.
Great Post.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
2wheels NORTHERN IRELAND FIRST RIDE International Ride Reports 3
asiarider Riding with a BMW R Nine T in northern flat Germany a bit Off Road !!!!! International Ride Reports 0
Y Ladakh Region, Northern India . (Fly and Ride) International Ride Reports 12
Similar threads
NORTHERN IRELAND FIRST RIDE
Riding with a BMW R Nine T in northern flat Germany a bit Off Road !!!!!
Ladakh Region, Northern India . (Fly and Ride)
Back
Top Bottom