Here is a list of frequently asked questions. If your question is not in this list, just contact us.
- What will be the Ride of My Life team be on the tour?
- Which motorcycles would I be riding on your tours?
- How will I get used to riding a Royal Enfield?
- Can I ride my own motorcycle on the tour?
- Would I be carrying my own luggage on the motorcycle?
- Do you have restrictions on how many riders you allow on each tour?
- Can I bring a partner with me on the tour?
- Can my partner travel in the back-up vehicle?
- Do you have a criterion on who can join the tour?
- What kind of travel insurance would I need?
- What should be my fitness level?
- What is the risk involved?
- What happens in case of a medical emergency on the ride?
- Are the motorcycles insured?
- What kind of clothing should I bring for the tours?
- How do I book a tour?
- When should I book the tour?
- Do I need vaccination before I come to India or for tour in general?
- Should I bring Indian currency to India?
- Will I have access to ATM machines to withdraw money?
- Should I bring a sleeping bag?
- What kind of food will be served?
- Will I be given bottled water?
- When will snack breaks happen?
- What kind of accommodation do you provide?
- What about toilets?
- Will I need to share a room?
- Would I be sharing a tent while camping?
- Do I need to carry medicines?
- What kind of camera is recommended?
- How often can I charge my electronic equipment?
- Do the Motorcycles have luggage carriers?
- Will my out of India cell phone work on Indian networks?
- What about internet access?
- How fast will I be riding a motorcycle on your tour?
- What happens in case of unforeseen situations such as landslides, bad weather etc?
- Do you provide travel arrangement services before and after the tour?
- Can I use the motorcycle to travel after the day’s ride has ended?
- We are planning to come as a couple. Do we get two motorcycles or just one?
What will be the Ride of My Life team be on the tour?
Each tour will have a road captain and a support vehicle with a mechanic on board.
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Which motorcycle would I be riding on your tours?
Depending on the tour you select, it will either be a Royal Enfield 500cc motorcycle or a 411cc Royal Enfield Himalayan dual-sport motorcycle with gears on the left and the brake on the right hand side.
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How will I get used to riding a Royal Enfield?
We keep aside half a day at the start of your tour for this very important exercise. On this day, you ride with an experienced road captain and support staff to get the hang of riding a Royal Enfield on the left hand-side of the road.
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Can I ride my own motorcycle on the tour?
On our tours, we have identical make and model of Royal Enfield motorcycles for all riders and road captains. This ensures that we have adequate spares and required tools in case of any breakdown. Hence we do not allow riders to do the tour on their motorcycle.
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Would I be carrying my own luggage on the motorcycle?
No, we have back-up vehicles on all our tours that will carry your luggage for you. But you should carry your valuables like passport, cash, camera and other important equipment with you at all the time. We shall be providing you with a tank bag for the same.
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Do you have restrictions on how many riders you allow on each tour?
Yes, there is a restriction on the number of riders for every tour. The main reason behind this is to keep the group size small for us to interact with each rider personally and give them a Ride of their Life. The maximum riders we take on a tour are mentioned on the individual tour pages.
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Can I bring a partner with me on the tour?
Yes, you surely can. We believe that the travel experience is more enhanced when you have your partner with you on the journey. That is why we have discounted couple packages for our tours. Please note that if you book the couple package, we only provide one motorcycle.
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Can my partner travel in the back-up vehicle?
Ideally, your partner should be riding with you on the back seat of your motorcycle. But occasionally, they can travel in the back-up vehicle. Back-up vehicle are primarily for support staff and to carry your luggage, motorcycle spares and tools. Each back-up vehicle acts as support vehicle and will always tail the group maintaining a certain time distance.
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Do you have any criteria for who can join the tour?
We are motorcyclists and are well aware of the fact that when a motorcyclist really decides to do a route, he will do it come what may. But to join our tour, you should have a reasonable level of fitness at the time of the tour and at least one year experience of riding a motorcycle. Most of our tours are on routes that are physically enduring.
The same applies to your partner/ spouse riding on the back seat of your motorcycle with you. He or she must have some experience riding behind a motorcycle and fitness level appropriate for such an adventure.
You should also have a valid motorcycle driver license and additional permits to ride internationally. If your partner is also taking turns riding the motorcycle, he or she would require the same set of documents.
You would also need travel insurance that includes riding a motorcycle in India.
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What kind of travel insurance would I need?
Different countries and companies have their own policies, but you should pick one that covers you for your entire period of travel. The policy should also cover you for riding motorcycles, unexpected curtailment of the holiday, medical expenses arising overseas, loss or damage to luggage & property and personal liability claims against the participant and emergency evacuation.
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What should be my fitness level?
We definitely are not making you climb Mount Everest. But if you can climb few flights of stairs without getting breathless, you are fit enough! But you should consult your doctor if you want to join any of the tours to Ladakh, where all the action is at high altitudes.
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The risk factor is about the same when you drive or ride to work every day in your country. Just because you are riding a motorcycle in India does not mean that all of a sudden you are in a high risk zone. Motorcyclists around the world get overwhelmed after watching images and videos of Indian traffic, but all our tours are in remote regions of India where traffic is minimal. It all depends on your mindset, whether you want to call tough riding conditions as adventure or risk, or understand the paradox behind this argument.
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What happens in case of a medical emergency on the ride?
We will arrange transportation to the nearest doctor / hospital immediately. We do carry a basic first-aid kit with us.
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Our motorcycles are covered under third-party insurance and don’t cover accidental damages. We trust that you will, in good faith, cover the cost of repairs in case of any unlikely damages caused by you.
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What kind of clothing should I bring for the tours?
Ideally, you should wear certified waterproof riding gear, riding boots, riding gloves along with a helmet. But if you do not have riding gear, wear clothing that will give you some protection in the unlikely event of a spill. As a minimum, you should wear the following: Footwear that protects your feet and your ankles (hiking boots are good). Durable pants-leather is best; but you can make do with jeans, work pants, or something similar. An abrasion resistant jacket that zips or buttons up close to the neck. For the Ladakh tour, you would also need a pair of thermal inner wear to combat the cold. Please make sure your riding gear is waterproof or you have a separate rain gear. You should also pack nightwear and casual clothing and footwear for your time away from the motorcycle.
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To book a tour you have to fill this form. After receiving your details, we will send you the bank transfer information. You will then have to pay the booking amount as per the tour you have chosen. The balance amount will be payable not later than three months before the start of the tour.
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You should book the tour as soon as you are sure of making it. For all our tours, we have limited seats, so book as soon as you can.
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Do I need vaccination before I come to India or for tour in general?
Yes, you should meet your doctor and he would be the best judge on the precautions you need to take depending on your medical history.
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Should I bring Indian currency to India?
It is a tour specific question, in some tours, we cover all your expenses, but in some budget tours, we do not cover all your expenses. Details of the same are mentioned on each ride page. If you plan to shop around or need Indian currency for personal needs, you should bring INR (Indian Rupees) available at various establishments at the airport or in major cities around the world. You should bring cash depending on how much you intend to spend on personal shopping. Don’t count on Traveller’s cheques or credit cards being accepted at the places that we are visiting. You can check currency conversion rate to Indian Rupees at http://www.xe.com/ucc/
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Will I have access to ATM machines to withdraw money?
Since most tours are in remote parts of India, you will not have access to ATM machines every day, but once we are in small towns you can avail of this facility. You will need to check with your bank if they would allow withdrawals at Indian ATMs, though.
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Should I bring a sleeping bag?
It is a tour specific question, for most of our tours, where night stay is at Hotels or campsites, a mattress/blanket is provided by the respective establishment. But for tours that involve a lot of camping, you would need to bring your own sleeping bag. Tents will be provided by us.
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What kind of food will be served?
On all our tours, we would serve hygienic Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian food. Depending on the tour you take, your meals will be made by our cooking team while camping or by the hotel or campsite staff when we stay at their facility.
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Will I be given bottled water?
Bottled water is included only in the luxury tours.
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When will snack breaks happen?
Usually late in the afternoon, a few hours after lunch. In the luxury tours, we would also be providing you with biscuits, dry fruits and nuts that you can carry in your tank bag.
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What kind of accommodation do you provide?
It is a tour specific question. For our budget tours, the stay is at guesthouses and for the other tours it is at well-established hotels.
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If we are staying at a hotel or fixed campsite, you would have proper toilet facilities and if we have set up our own tents, you perform your duties out in the open. During a day’s ride, toilets would usually not be available.
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Yes, lodging for all our tours are on double-occupancy basis, but you can choose to avail of single-occupancy lodging for an additional charge.
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Would I be sharing a tent while camping?
No, you will have tent a to yourself.
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You should carry the medicines you have to take for your present medical condition. We would be carrying general medicines for basic illnesses.
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What kind of camera is recommended?
Depends from person to person. If you are into photography, you can bring the camera of your choice. If not, a simple point and shoot digital camera to save your tour memories should be sufficient. Avoid carrying too much equipment because it will be very cumbersome to manage it on the tour.
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How often can I recharge my electronic equipment?
You can recharge your electronics through power outlets on the days we have hotel accommodation. Note that in India, the power mains run at 220v. Most modern electronic device chargers support both 110v and 220v but do check each charger / device in advance since 110v chargers and devices will not work without a special adapter.
The standard plug socket is also of a different kind. You will need to get converter plugs to enable your chargers and devices to plug into standard Indian wall sockets.
While we are camping, you can recharge your equipment using the 12v DC connection in our back-up vehicles. Note that you will need 12v car chargers for your equipment in this case.
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Do the motorcycles have luggage carriers?
No, all your luggage would be carried in the back-up vehicle.
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Will my mobile phone work on Indian networks?
If you have international roaming activated on your mobile phone plan, it will work in places where network coverage is available. But you might want to check with your cell phone company for related tariff and compatibility.
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You will have access to the internet in major town and cities, but in remote regions of Himalayas you will have zero access.
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How fast will I be riding a motorcycle during the tour?
You would not be riding at more than 30-40 mph (60-70 kph) on any given day. Apart from the obvious safety reasons, we advocate riding slow for you to enjoy and absorb the landscape.
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What happens in case of unforeseen situations such as landslides, bad weather etc?
After judging the situation on the ground, the Road Captain will take a call on the alternate route.
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Do you provide travel arrangement services before and after the tour?
No, but we can guide you to the best of our knowledge to make your stay in India comfortable before and after the tour dates. There will be no consultation fees for the same.
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Can I use the motorcycle to travel after the day’s ride has ended?
We are planning to come as a couple. Do we get two motorcycles or just one?
Our couple package entitles you to only one motorcycle. If both of you want to ride separate motorcycles, you will have to book separately as individual riders.
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More questions? Email us!