As said before riding all the way or transporting to delhi is a personal option. I prefer driving all the way with required rests so that we are in a good shape to take on the cold peaks!

Hello Viper,

I will move from Pune by the Jhelum Express on 08 June. The schedule is given at Link A. It is also the thread I have opened as a Leh 2012 Planner. Link B is an Excel sheet and it will give you lots of information on planning and prep. Link C is about members who are confirmed or probable riders. Any queries, you can PM me or write on the thread at Link A. You should scan the Leh threads more for up-to-date information; there are others cooking plans too


A) http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/1...2-planner.html

B) https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&p...xY2E5&hl=en_US

C) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...hl=en_US#gid=0

Hi icemang,
Thank you for directing to your thread. I am not an experienced tourer. This will be the first time and a life time experience for me. Of course I still have a huge job to get a nod from my family. I had a hard time to convince them of letting me go to Mumbai on bike. But a little effort should do it. I saw your planning and see that its also suitable for first timers like me. I have a question.. I am using a half face helmet (a good one) with a dual visor because I feel very uncomfortable wearing a full face one. I tried wearing it and almost fell down/had some near misses with other vehicles on road. I feel claustrophobic (not that I am one otherwise) wearing a full face helmet. I lose my sense of direction, vision and overall dt doesn't suit me. Do you think it will be ok to wear a half face helmet on a trip like Leh? Or do I need to make a habit and get used to the full face one?

You are welcome. I hope the information you have now will convince your worried folks that you are capable of doing this trip competently.

About the helmet. The classic half face "bonedome" helmet has its origins in aviation where high altitude fliers needed two things 1) to secure their oxygen masks more firmly and 2) to secure the head from being jolted against the hard surface of the cockpit plexiglas. It is NOT at all suited for bike riding, neither in the city nor on the highway.

A full face helmet, unlike a half face one, gives protection to the critical lower frontal part of the face to include the nose and the chin. Also, it acts as a barrier against the cold wind from the front.

You will be acutely discomfited with a half face on the Leh trip. The cold breeze will chill out your entire head - as the lower part is completely open, wind enters from below and circulates all round the head leading to headaches. Bite the bullet , get a high quality full face, wear it continuously whenever you ride and you will get used to it. Initially, keep the visor open so that you have a sense of space. Later, as you get used to the enclosed feeling, you can lower the visor. And yes, one very important thing. DON"T GET A DARK VISOR. Get one with a clear visor; you can always use dark sunglasses when needed underneath. And then, when you wear your half face, you will feel naked, the traffic noise would be unbearable and the whole setup would be too breezy and windy. Trust me, I have tried this experiment on my precious wife and it worked like a charm - she now feels unsafe in the half face, here nose feels cold etc etc.

If you just cannot get used to a full face, then you would have to wear a balaclava under the helmet. Yet, I would most strongly advise a full face. CROSS, AXO etc are good brands to invest in.

Don't fret, Viper, it is just a matter of getting used to feeling safe and secure :-)

What you say is true. The half face helmet I have is actually the Rjays TSS Tomcat which looks and feels like a cockpit helmet all the way. The half face will absolutely be not useful in cold weather. I guess I'll have take your advice and try on a full face helmet. I'll borrow one of my friends and try it on for now before investing in one.

600+ Kms solo ride to Goa

Hi Guys,

I have just returned from a weekend Goa trip. Did 600+ Kms on Avenger 220 in a day. Will write a travel log in a day or so.
But as many guys were suggesting that 500+ kms in a day for my Leh trip will be too much to endure, Now I can say, its pretty much doable.

Doing 500+ km on Goa stretch and doing that in Ladakh are two different things altogether. eg. Riding from Leh to Shrinagar took me around 16 hours. . . . Distance travelled 440 km.

I agree with you Vishwas sir, I was referring to the Mumbai-Jaipur-Delhi route when i said 500 kms is doable in 1 day. I was getting suggestions to carry the bike till delhi by train as riding all the way from Mumbai may be too much tiring. Since my longest ride in a day before Goa was only 300+ Kms, I was not 100% confident about doing 500+ kms in a day till Delhi.
But now after riding all the way to Goa and back to Mumbai, I am feeling very confident now and have decided to ride all the way.

Beyond Delhi, in Himalayas, according to my schedule, the maximum kilometers in a day is around 200.

hi hoodwing

hi hoodwind i glad u done mumbai goa in day rout is good practice for leh trip i had done this rout in two days even i want to tried that i was planning trip to mahabaleshwar on 27 jan but i dont have company last mins my friends cancel so i will go for small trip with my one friend

Dont worry about the kms part guys.. You shall be able to very well do it with slight efforts.
Just FYI.. My longest ride before my 1st Ladakh ride was 350kms in a day. But then, the things changed..!
Be determined, Thats All.!! Dont practice too much by doing long runs. Save your energy for the ride you always dreamed about..

Hey aatifs, Great you are planning to do a trip to Mahabaleshawar. Enjoy the ride


Point taken Rachit. Doing Goa in a day was a real booster to the confidence. I am determined now to get Leh'd

hi rachit i had read blog it was very nice now i am more excited to go for trip u got good help from xbhpians your blog is very helpful for us can u tell us any permit require for this trip

hi hoodwind can u tell me how many member are ready to go with you to leh so we do one short trip to any good place in feb on 3rd or 4th weekend

Hi Aatifs, Thats a good idea.

Anyone interested in a small ride in Feb??

Suggestion!!

Hi Guys,

I am thinking of delaying the trip by 1 week considering the heavy snowfall this year.
Please share your thoughts.