Gear

The Right Gear For The Ride

We cannot understate the value of good quality gear. It’s not just about safety, comfort makes a huge difference on longer rides. Most of your gear you will have to bring yourself (or arrange with us to arrive a day or two early in Delhi and we will help you buy what you need). Here are our recommendations for gear that you will need to organize before the ride begins:

• Helmet (Full Face):
  Choose a good quality full face helmet which protects you from impact and shelters your head from the elements. A lightweight well-fitting helmet which provides proper ventilation is vital for the success of this ride. Some helmets come with Bluetooth connections and other fancy bits and bobs…the choice is yours as it is BYOH.
• Riding Jacket:
  When selecting the right jacket for touring India, look for one that offers good protection from impact and abrasion. It’s going to be cold up there in the mountains so make sure you consider warmth. We will be near the snow and chances are we may end up in it. So pack warm gear! Some jackets come with built-in detachable thermal layers, while others have only the protective outer shell and give you the liberty of using your own winter wear. Whichever your choice may be, make sure you have armour in the shoulders, elbows, and back for protection from impact; an abrasion-resistant outer shell to protect you in case of a slide; and enough warm layers to keep you cozy in the cold.
• Waterproof Jacket:
  Even if your riding jacket has a waterproof shell it is a good idea to bring a waterproof jacket too. Royal Enfield makes an excellent light weight jacket for around AUD$35 that is small enough for you to tuck away in a side pocket and forget until you need it. Both on the bike and off the bike you want to keep yourself dry.
• Riding Gloves:
  Well-fitting, full length gloves are a must for this ride. They will protect and provide better grip, give you more control of the motorcycle and keep your hands fatigue-free. Impact protection for your knuckles and finger joints, abrasion resistant padded material for your palms, and a closure system for a secure fit work best together to keep your hands protected. It’s a good idea to bring a pair of glove liners too, to keep your hands toasty warm if there is snow.
• Neck Protection:
  In colder riding conditions, it is important to keep your neck warm and covered. Various types of scarves and neck-warmers can help you do this. We recommend using multi-utility headgear (like a buff) which can be used as a scarf or a balaclava. The headgear is also effective in keeping the dust out and it wicks sweat away from your neck.
• Boots:
  Purpose-built protective boots are a must for long rides. Toe, heel, ankle and shin protectors work with a soft foot-bed and flexing zones to offer you optimum protection from rock and road. Attention to sizing is a must, because you may want a slightly roomy fit without making the boots too tight. Make sure you have nice warm socks too, we recommend bamboo socks but the choice is yours.
• Riding Pants:
  Select purpose-built protective pants which can withstand the rigor of a long ride and still remain comfortable enough to be worn for multiple days. Look for a pair with protection in the knees, a tough outer shell; and depending on your preference, go for one with built-in layers or combine your own winter gear with an armored outer shell. Go for a size that should fit you well with all the layers inside. A fastening system at the bottom helps to keep the cold out of your legs too. It’s good to be prepared for wet weather, either by having a water-proof layer for your pants or carry a separate set of rain pants to pull over your gear.
• Warm Gear:
  If you haven’t pickup up on it already, we are expecting things to get cold. Like real cold. So make sure you bring thermals, down jacket, gloves, a fleece jacket and other such gear for both on and off the bike.
  
• Other Gear:
  There is other stuff you will probably want to take along for the ride: cameras (DSLR, GoPro, drone… etc), sun glasses, sunblock, toiletries, chargers… etc. All bikes will be fitted with a 1A USB charger that you can use to charge your devices and a phone holder (use at your own risk over rough roads). You will have to bring your own cables for connecting gear. There will also be 240V power (same as Australia) in most places we stay but you will need an adapter to change from the Australian style plug to the Indian. Here is a list of other gear that we use that you might want to read over for inspiration.
• Luggage Solutions:
  We will provide you with a satellite bag to carry with you on the bike. If you want to carry a small back pack too the choice is yours; for comforts sake we recommend keeping it fairly small -perhaps just a hydration bag (CamelBak). A vehicle is arranged to carry your main luggage, and it will be carried at the owner’s risk. Each rider is allowed to place one bag (backpack is preferred to a suitcase) with maximum permissible limit of 15kgs. Each rider must ensure that their luggage is loaded and unloaded every day from the support vehicle.The support vehicle is the last vehicle to start and last vehicle to reach, hence there might be a delay in participants being able to access their luggage after reaching a destination. Also, it can be tiresome to wait for the service vehicle for something as basic as a sweater; hence your satellite luggage carried on the motorcycle should consist of:
  • A complete change of clothes
  • A warm jacket
  • One pair of footwear (shoes or sandals)
  • A D.Tour toolkit containing OEM tools, our additional tools, duct tape, straps etc.

Renting / Buying Gear

Rather than buying gear in your home country we recommend you get it here in India. Let us know in advance and can help you rent or buy gear before your tour. This does require that you come out a day earlier to allow time for shopping/fitting. We've got a few pieces ourselves that we might be able to hook you up with. Larger sizes can be a little harder to find here but if you have Size 11 shoes and can fit into an XL jacket you should be fine.