We use a whole host of different motorcycles in the countries we explore. In Tibet we use BMW’s, in India we use three different models of Royal Enfield, in Pakistan we use the best bikes available on the market, in Nepal & Bhutan we use Honda enduro bikes or Royal Enfields and in Mongolia we use Honda and Yamaha motocross bikes. 

What sets Himalayan Heroes apart from others is our strict maintenance regime. All motorcycles are serviced before your adventure and have to pass a 21 point checklist before being handed over to a rider. The rider then checks their bike and makes sure it is to their satisfaction before they start their adventure.

The motorcycles are then maintained daily throughout the adventure so they are in optimum working condition the whole time.

When In India…(and Bhutan & Nepal)

…do as the Indians do and ride a Royal Enfield. For decades, Indian motorcyclists have been traversing the Himalayas on the quintessential Indian Motorcycle – the Royal Enfield Classic 500cc  so we suggest for the truly authentic Indian riding experience, you should give it a go as well.

The Classic and Bullet models look like they are straight out of the 1960’s (when they first started producing them in India) but now they are equipped with electric start, a 5 speed left shift gearbox, disc brakes with ABS and fuel injection. You’ll be amazed at the terrain these workhorses can cover.

In 2016, Royal Enfield listened to its customers and released an adventure/dual sports motorcycle and called it the Himalayan. It’s a basic bike with a low seat height, lots of ground clearance and does everything the Classic/Bullet models do but makes it a lot easier. 

We use both models of Royal Enfield in India, Nepal and Bhutan. The Himalayan is better suited to the more challenging mountain adventures so it comes standard, but you can choose to ride the Classic/Bullet models at no extra cost.

Interesting Fact about Royal Enfield.

• Royal Enfield is now the oldest motorcycle brand in the world still in production with the Bullet model enjoying the longest motorcycle production run of all time.

For those looking for a more challenging adventure in Nepal then we also use the Honda CRF250L which has far better suspension with an extra 35mm of important ground clearance and more importantly is 45kgs (100lbs) lighter than the Himalayan.

We love them so much, we upgraded our fleet in our sister company Ride Africa to the CRF’s.

Only the best in Pakistan…

The streets of Pakistan are littered with small 150cc capacity commuters. Now we love small capacity bikes but if we’re going on an adventure through the mountains to the Tibetan border along the Karakoram Highway and going off road to explore glaciers and national parks then we want to ride something with a little more power.

We’ve chosen the attractive and very capable RX3 which looks like a certain German brand of adventure bike. At 250cc, it shouldn’t be more powerful than the 411cc Himalayan but it is AND it is 40kg lighter! A popular motorcycle in South America and even some police forces in the USA use them. It’s the perfect bike for the conditions.

Off Road in Mongolia

We tried the Royal Enfield Himalayan in 2018 in Mongolia and the combination of low power and heavy weight meant they struggled in the sandy conditions. For 2019, we switched to using the Yamaha XT250 which is 60kg (139lb) lighter and far more suitable for the terrain.

For riders that wanted a bit more power then we also offer the venerable Honda XR400 at no extra cost. While it has a tall seat height, it is 50% more powerful than the Himalayan, and even lighter than the Yamaha!

You’d have to be an exceptional dirt rider to need any more than what the Honda offers but we are considering adding Yamaha WR450’s to the fleet for the hard core riders.

Mt Everest on BMW’s in Tibet

China is busy sealing every dirt road it can find so we use the ultimate road based adventure bikes. The BMW 750/800 is highly regarded amongst journalists and loved by its owners.

And if the power of the 800 twin isn’t enough, you can pay as little as US$100 more (depending on group size and time of the year) and go for the grand daddy BMW 1250 GS