Topic Approved.

I Would Suggest you a Honda Unicorn, if you are buying out a Bike here in india.

OMG... Are you planning to ride back to UK from india, after the trip in India is completed ?

what about the royal enfield? and like 125cc mill i think stunner is also a piece of masterwork by Honda!

common guys !!!

common guys he need a light bike !!! enfield ???? wouldnt it be too heavy !!!

i would suggest honda unicorn or yamaha fz !!!! or go for honda stunner !!!!

sometimes your brain too works

@Simon, Kriss is very right here. A Honda Unicorn or a Hero Honda Acheiver (more or less the same bike!). They are very manageable, good handling, very reliable, good spread out service (for Hero Honda. Honda service sucks!) and have been in the market for some time so every road side mechanic knows somethign about them and spres pretty much available.

BTW, they are 150 CC bikes and run about a 50-55 KM per Liter of petrol.

Please make sure you upgrade the lighting system... you do not even have marking on many roads (forget reflecters!). A very common approach here is to add an extra fitment light on the leg guard!

In 125 CC I believe the Yamaha Gladiator (particularly the non RS & SS edition!) would be better for him than the Stunner. Good riding position, good handling, big bike feel but no tall seating, cushy seat, light clutch... When you count the service part, then Yamaha definitely scores in availability of trained mechanics through out the country... remember, most of those old Rajdhoot mechanics from our grand father days are trained on Yamaha bikes. Critical spares are common across all Yamaha bikes except the FZ & R15. So much so that the clutch plates is the same right through RX100 to Gladiator... engine block has the same pattern and hence same packing kit!!!

Welcome to India.

The Honda Unicorn all the way. Go for it.

salute to ur spirit simon

by the way simon salute to ur spirit man !!! at this age to have spirit!!!
brings bikers like us more confidence!!! i also i get inspi from father who is 62 yrs old loves to ride bikes !!!!

Preferably without riding through Pakistan - so I thought of Nepal into China and through the 'Stans to Iran, Turkey and on home. Hence wondering what the situation is from Nepal into China.

Honda Unicorn all the way....

Gratitude

My thanks to you all. Honda it is. How about Nepal into China?

@Simon sir : Things aren't looking so good on the diplomatic front between India and China. Hopefully, India-Nepal-China won't be a problem.

I too feel that if its a 125 you are after, the Yamaha Gladiator SS would be perfect for your needs sir. If you don't mind the 20 Kilo surplus weight that the Honda Unicorn entitles in exchange for a couple of BHP, amazing ride and handling, then the Honda is quite simply the best choice for your needs

Cheers..!!

I think India-Nepal will not be a problem. From Nepal into china ? With Maosists ruling Nepal, they have become buddies with the Chinks so maybe its easier than before.

No idea about exit points and road state.

It is nothing like that. The Maoist party shares the ideology with Mao Tse Tung, who started Maoism in China. Besides that, they are not politically driven by any country. Nepal is a multi party democratic republic. Power is shared. China has had a 'internal matter' policy for the Maoist issue since the very beginning. They have no strengthened or weakened relations with Nepal.

The roads leading from Kathmandu to Nepal-China border Kodari are in good condition mostly, except for a few potholes and bad stretches. Roads are kinda narrow though, so you have to be kind of careful. I have no idea about the roads in China, but I am pretty darn sure they are good, hearing about the multiple trip logs of bikers crossing Nepal - China.

Welcome to India!
The bike : Even i recommend the Honda Unicorn. 150cc, five speed. Has more torque and power than the Honda Shine/Stunner (the 125cc in India). The mono-shock rear is brilliant and the bike will return around 30miles to a litre of fuel at around 85-90km/h cruising. A new one costs Rs 65,000 or just under 1000 pounds.

As of entering China from Nepal: Most of the replies here have been false. Regular tours leave from Kathmandu for Tibet / China. The problem here is that the govt doesnt allow single riders. U will have to be in a 'group' - or arrange a guide. U might just come across other bikers willing to travel into Tibet/China. Tie up with them. The worse case scene : u will have to bear the whole cost of hiring a guide with a back up vehicle - again as per the rules.

Cheers

PS: if u want a riding partner from Kathamandu, i recommend u check out Horizons Unlimited - THE Motorcycle Travel site