Table of contents
- India-Germany Moritz’s great journey
- Buying a motorcycle in India
- India-Germany (2)
- India-Germany (info)
Flatau / Werle
to travel
India-Germany
India-Germany
Moritz’s great journey
Fly to India, buy an Enfield and then roll home the 10,000-kilometer route? a trip in a class of its own. And eleven-year-old Moritz was allowed to accompany his father Andreas and his friend Johnny.
06/09/2006
Clogged streets, acrid exhaust fumes, 40 degrees heat and almost 100 percent humidity – if you land by plane in the Indian metropolis of Delhi, you first roll your eyes. But Johnny and Andreas don’t have time to get used to. The two are pursuing a daring plan: for two Royal Enfield Bullet is supposed to go overland from the Indian subcontinent back to Monzernheim in Rhineland-Palatinate. Makes around 10,000 kilometers, for which you have a maximum of six weeks? so that the third member of the group, eleven-year-old Moritz, is back at school punctually after the summer holidays. Father Andreas has been looking forward to a big vacation trip with his son for a long time.
Right from the start, the trio realized that such an undertaking could not be planned like an Alpine tour. The motorcycles, the frames of which come from Germany for registration reasons and were sent to India in advance, are not fully assembled. Expected to wait three days. While Johnny and Andreas look over the shoulders of the mechanics, Moritz is delighted that the Gameboy is in their luggage. Thank God, Indian cuisine is not a problem. Moritz ?? Favorite drink: Mangolassie, a kind of sweet buttermilk.
Finally, the nostalgic bullets are available for the equivalent of 1500 euros per bike including hand-decorated luggage boxes and various spare parts. A good price for a cylinder, 500 cubic meters and supposedly 22 hp with a weight of around 170 kilograms. And the pilots learn to appreciate something extra right at the first corner: a shrill twelve-volt siren, a so-called “cow horn”, without which one would not have the slightest chance in the Indian traffic chaos.
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Getting used to: river crossings.
A four-lane main road leads northwest to Amritsar, which is already near the border with Pakistan. There is no boredom while driving. Truck drivers in particular care little about traffic rules or the safety of others. Overtaking is the order of the day.
Entering Pakistan is going to be an incredibly expensive pleasure. A lot of bribe is needed to convince the officers that everything is fine with the papers. Andreas, Johnny and Moritz have a bad mood for the first time, which reaches its climax in Lahore. The abnormal heat and smog in the metropolis hit the three hard. Moritz almost falls off his motorcycle from exhaustion. Just keep going, get out of this wretched Moloch as quickly as possible.
In rural Sheikhuputa, the trio allow themselves a day’s break, the schedule does not allow more. Fortunately, Moritz is fit again quickly? and it will remain so for the rest of the journey. In general, he seems to particularly like Pakistan, because there is cola at every petrol station. Only the crowds that surround the two motorcycles as soon as they stop somewhere can be nerve-wracking. Nevertheless, everyone is overwhelmed by the spontaneous warmth and helpfulness of the Pakistani.
Behind Dera Ismail Khan, the south course is the order of the day. It goes through seemingly endless land emaciated by the sun. The thermometer shows an unbelievable 50 degrees. Every kilometer becomes a torture tour. Finally, the Bullets turn west at Dera Gazi Khan, following the path towards the Suleiman Range. The well-developed road ends in one fell swoop, and the Enfields have to prove what they are really capable of. The narrow slope to Fort Munro now leads steeply to an almost 2000 meter high pass. Bare rock, deep potholes, gravel. The motorcycles show real taker qualities, literally sniffing at the trucks, which are panting at a snail’s pace. Brilliant. Moritz is very enthusiastic, especially since the temperatures are finally reasonably bearable again.
Buying a motorcycle in India
Do you fancy a real exotic? Then think about whether a Royal Enfield Bullet is the right vehicle? regardless of whether it was bought in India or Germany.
Flatau / Werle
Enfield dealers in Delhi, India.
First of all: Buying a Royal Enfield Bullet in the production country India is really only for real fans. The traditional English brand was sold to India 50 years ago, and over a million Enfields have left the factory in Madras to date. There is a choice of two model series with a displacement of 350 or 500 cm³. The legendary diesel variant with its 325 engine has not been built since 2001.
Simply buy in India and drive home to Germany, which is likely to fail at the latest at the borders with Pakistan and Iran. A Carnet de Passage is required for every foreign vehicle, which can only be issued in advance to an already registered vehicle. The authors of the travel report did the following: The carnets were made out on two Enfield frames approved in Germany. These were then shipped to a well-known dealer in Delhi, where the motorcycle was then assembled ?? including various extra requests for around 1500 euros per bike. The specialist on site: Lalli Singh from “Inder Motors”, who enjoys a trustworthy reputation. Email inquiries are usually answered immediately: lallisingh@vsnl.com.
Flatau / Werle
Getting used to: daily maintenance work on the Enfield.
Of course, a brand new Royal Enfield Bullet 500 can also be bought in Germany. There is a choice of four models of the classic, which has been built almost unchanged in appearance for at least 50 years, and cost from 3300 euros depending on the variant and equipment. On request, the 22 hp 500 series is now available with a left-hand five-speed gearbox (otherwise right-hand four-speed gearbox), electric starter and disc brake. Also possible: constant pressure carburetor, electronic ignition, modified fork and gas struts. Further information from the German importer Zulpicher Motorradtechnik GmbH, phone 02252/94280, www.zmtgmbh.de.
Technical specifications:
Air-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke engine, carburetor, four or five-speed gearbox, bore x stroke 84 x 90 mm, displacement 499 cm³, compression 6.5: 1, rated output 16 kW (22 PS) at 5500 rpm, empty weight 168 kilos, top speed 120 km / h, price: from 3300 euros.
India-Germany (2)
Flatau / Werle
Break in the desert near Baluchistan.
Next destination: Loralai. At the sight of the increasingly battered slope, the adventurers brood a little about the point of the whole enterprise. You buy a new motorcycle for the first time in your life? and then downright executes it in the Pakistani mountains. The Enfields, who fought so bravely the day before, are barely making any headway today. Andreas’s machine in particular is weak. With Moritz pillion and all the luggage, the load turns out to be far too rear-heavy for such routes, especially since the rear shock absorbers are completely overwhelmed. Stones and heels simply lever out the front wheel several times, and a few falls over cause the first scratches in the paintwork.
Accordingly, the Enfields swing through Beluchistan. Just desert and mountains in this remote part of Pakistan. The daring-looking and sometimes even armed figures on the roadside turn out to be extremely friendly hosts during the many stops. ?? Which Country? … Ahhhh, Schermanie! Your name ??? Countless invitations to tea follow. Moritz is always the focus of interest.
A blazing wild west landscape begins behind Quetta. Nothing but desert. The only thing that provides variety on the journey to Iran is the many controls. The last 200 kilometers to the border. Bolt straight. In return, the route is in a very good condition. Because nobody else is on the road, Moritz is allowed to drive for a while. He confidently keeps the load on course. At such moments, father and son are almost bursting with pride. Homesickness? On days like these, Moritz could drive around the world.
Flatau / Werle
Unknown load limit: suspension bridge in Pakistan.
Around noon the border with Iran ?? in the middle of a junkyard. There isn’t even a turnpike. A few listless officers take care of the clearance. After an hour and a half of bureaucracy, suddenly the feeling of being back in civilization: There are even garbage cans in the parking lots along the wide highway to Zahedan. And in the evening you can relax in the city in parks with large, shady trees and fountains. The joy, however, does not last long: Foreigners are not allowed to buy gasoline. A rule to suppress smuggling. A liter of fuel, which is only available here against coupons, costs the equivalent of just under seven cents, compared to around 40 cents in neighboring Pakistan. However, the Enfield drivers quickly realize that exceptions are often made in Iran for cash? even if a tank of fuel costs just one euro.
The next day is the hottest stage of the whole trip. 52 degrees! And an almost hurricane-like headwind. Sometimes the Enfields only make it in third gear. So that they run better, Andreas changes the main nozzles on the way and also re-tightens the timing chains. Hard work in this heat. After the tough stage, the three of them treat themselves to a really good hotel in Bam for a change? with indoor pool! At the sight of the historic city, however, they take their breath away. The devastating earthquake in 2003 left its mark. Only fragments are left of what was once the oldest and largest clay citadel in the world, the symbol of the city.
After Bam it’s back to the mountains. Finally. The road to Kerman rises steadily up to an altitude of 1,800 meters. While the German trio in India and Pakistan have been among the fastest road users so far, they will be thoroughly blown away here. Hardly anyone adheres to the speed limits on the good stretches, least of all the many surprisingly modern trucks.
Between Kerman and Yazd, Moritz discovers a special delicacy in a small shop on the roadside: a chilled can of Chinese pineapple that has to be opened and eaten immediately. A real holiday feast. Moritz ponders how these fruits have made it from the Middle Kingdom to the Iranian desert.
The bullets rush to Bijar via Yazd, Esfahan and Borujerd. The travel team was particularly enthusiastic about the last stage. The route leads for many hours along gleaming golden wheat fields that seem to stretch endlessly in the gently rolling hilly landscape. Once in Bijar, which is more than 2000 meters high, for the first time since the start in Delhi temperatures below 30 degrees ?? a boon for people and machines.
India-Germany (info)
Flatau / Werle
A refueling stop quickly becomes a public attraction.
Traveling overland from India to Germany is a real adventure. One should always keep an eye on the tense political situation.
Getting there:
Various airlines fly to Delhi in India. Flights from Frankfurt cost there and back from around 600 euros. A one-way ticket is significantly more expensive.
Documents:
India, Pakistan and Iran each require a visa for entry, which is best applied for in advance at the relevant embassies or consulates. Addresses: Consulate General India, phone 069/15300518, www.cgifrankfurt.de. Consulate General Pakistan, phone 069/42101215. Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran, phone 069/56000739, www.irangk.de.
If obtaining a visa is too cumbersome for you, you can contact an appropriate agency, which will take care of all administrative procedures for a fee. At the Visum Centrale, phone 030/230959110, www.visumcentrale.de, this service costs 19 euros.
A Carnet de Passage is also required for the vehicle to travel through the countries mentioned. The ADAC issues the latter against a deposit of 3000 euros.
Flatau / Werle
Time required: six weeks; Route length: 10,000 kilometers
Security:
Pakistan and Iran in particular have made headlines with many negative events recently, and the Federal Foreign Office (www.auswaertiges-amt.de) urgently advises against individual motorcycle or bicycle trips, especially through Iran. It is essential to follow the security recommendations of the Federal Foreign Office.
Literature:
For India, ?? India ?? is recommended. (in German) from Lonely Planet for 28.50 euros. Out
The English-language works ?? Pakistan ?? come from the same publisher. as well as ?? Iran ??
for 24.99 euros each. There is a very good map from Gizi Maps: ?? Silk Road Countries ?? on a scale of 1: 3,000,000, which covers the route from Delhi to central Turkey. ISBN number 9632041372 CM, price: nine euros. Further information about this trip can be found on the authors’ websites: www.extremedieselbiking.de and www.delhi-monzernheim.de.vu.
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