We are in Delhi...and I am now riding an Enfield :)

The train from Varanasi to Delhi was a whole lot better than the train from Gorakphur to Varanasi! We had a sleeper (non-A/C) and it was much cooler - we actually got a bit chilled overnight. The train was 5 hours late in arriving though and it was back to being sweaty by the time we got in. We hopped a rickshaw back to our favorite Delhi hotel (after much bargaining....we are seasoned travellers now :) in Manju ka Tilla, dropped our bags, ate some of their delicious momos and headed into town for a reunion with the Pulsars.

As usual, there was a lot of waiting around (this *is* India :) but finally the bikes arrived and were sorted out by the "boys" at the shop and we were ripping it back to Manju ka Tilla before dark. I had a look around while we were waiting and I was still thinking about the Enfield that we nearly rode back from Nepal....so I had a chat with the boss at Tony Bikes (where I originally bought my Pulsar) and arranged to come back this morning and talk about a swap.

We got some business sorted this morning (got A some coffee at Cafe Coffee Day, got money, sorted our flights with Gulf Air...got A some coffee at Costa Coffee :) and then we headed over to Karol Bagh. I was immediately sent out on a test ride on a 2004 Enfield Bullet Electra 350. It was a good looking bike and it has electronic ignition (we don't want points if it is going to be wet, and the monsoon is targeted to hit Delhi on July 2nd), the only drawback is that the shifter is on the right and the brake is on the left - this is the reverse of all modern bikes.

I was a bit concerned, but I got used to the weird shift pattern on the Pulsars, it can't be that hard :) Well....it is. It is very strange...but I would rather be on a Bullet than a Thunderbird (the cruiser model with all mod cons :). My first ride I came back telling them there was a problem with the gears and that the front brake didn't work at all - this is key, because when you react and accidentally step on the shifter trying to brake you would at least have the front brake! :) They explained the shifting and made sure I was not treating the beast like a delicate flower - if I want to shift I need to send a clear message with my foot. They adjusted the front brake, too and on the second test ride it was better and it was a go...if we could afford it.

Now that I was happy (I had a list of things that needed to be fixed) the boss took my Pulsar for a ride to see what he would value it at. He came back happy and told me my bike was in excellent shape (I had taken good care of it, I wasn't surprised :) and we started talking money. We did a swap with with the value of my bike coming up 5500 rupees less than I paid for it - in real money that is about 65GBP or US$135 for 4 months of use and all those kms! Excellent!!! I will treat the Enfield just the same, so it should also hold it's value - 3 people came in to look at it while they were fixing all the bits - when I sell it back in a couple of weeks.

We had a bit of work done in preparation for the mountains - we both got new, grippy
tires. They are dual sport type tires, not full knobbies, but chunky all the same. I also got new brake pads front and rear and the rear sprocket needed replacing (I only paid for the tires for both bikes and one set of brake shoes). They went a long way to sorting the front brake...we will see how the new shoes wear in. The bike sounds great, the ride is a bit firm, but it should be fine. I loved the Pulsar, but it's nice to have a bit of change and a challenge, too :)

The plan is to head out early tomorrow morning and head for Amritsar - we wanted to go there before we left for China but we ran out of time. Then it will be mountain roads for us as we head to Dharamsala and on to Manali and then the road to Leh. We will hit the Kardungla (the highest pass) and look around Ladakh and then ride south and head down through the Spiti Valley. Then it's over to have a look at the Garwhal Himalaya and then back to Delhi to catch our flight out on the 11th. We will keep you posted, as we can.

Photos will be forthcoming! I know you want to see the new bike :)

Later! Must go pack :)