Which is the best motorcycle for Spiti Trip?

by Vargis.Khan

When you plan a bike trip to Spiti Valley, you know that you will be riding on some very challenging roads; cross at least two high altitude passes and numerous water streams on the way. This then brings up the next question of whether or not your motorcycle is good enough for riding through a place like this; and if not, then which is the best motorcycle for Spiti Valley. Is a 350 or 500CC Royal Enfield a must or will your 100CC bike or scooter survive the journey? Spiti is notorious for bad roads and to some extent, this apprehension is totally justified. Not only will the terrain here test your riding skills but also your machine’s capabilities. In this article, I will provide some information on which motorcycle can be considered best to be traveling through Spiti and can you really take a smaller engine vehicle here.

best motorcycle for spiti

To be quite honest, there is really no best motorcycle for Spiti valley as such. The question should rather be whether or not your own motorcycle is good enough, no matter which one it is. Answer to this question will depend on several factors like how much luggage you are carrying, do you have a pillion, or how old your motorcycle is. I have personally known people who have successfully completed a Spiti trip on 100CC motorcycles and a Bajaj Activa. With careful planning, you can bring any motorcycle to Spiti valley and you will be able to successfully complete your trip; without any hassle at all.

Also read: How to ride to Spiti on 100CC motorcycle or Scooter?

The most important thing to understand is that it is not the motorcycle bringing you to Spiti but rather you riding it to the valley. As long as you know your machine, can maneuver it around steep ascents, are familiar with its limitations; then just about any bike will do. You need to make sure that your motorcycle is well prepared; carefully need to choose the time of your travel and plan your itinerary accordingly.




Explaining the journey from Shimla side and starting from Chandigarh; the first part of the trip is mostly all climbing up till Narkanda; about 175 kilometers. It however never really gets too difficult and you will find a lot of locals commuting on 100CC motorcycles or scooters here. After Narkanda, you descend down to the banks of River Sutlej and from there it is mostly riding in plains until a little before Nako. There will be occasional climbs during this part but not that tough.

Only exception on this stretch is the 16 kilometers climb to Sarahan from Jeori and about 15 kilometers to Kalpa from the Reckong Peo diversion.  If Chitkul was on your itinerary, there is a steep climb on the way on a dirt road but after that, as you move towards Chitkul, it once again turns in to a flat road.

Just before Nako, there is the steep climb of Kazigs, a series of hairpin bends like Gata Loops in Ladakh. From Nako, after a bit of going downhill and crossing Malling Nallah on the way; it is all mostly a flat run until all the way till Kaza and then Losar.If you are planning a trip to Kibber, Komik, Langza and Hikkim, then this is where you may have a little bit of trouble as the climbs are all steep and some on broken roads as well as dirt trails.

After Losar, the climb of Kunzum Pass starts which though is on a bad road but never gets quite difficult from Kaza side. The 14 kilometers road to Chandratal as well is a straight run. After Kunzum Pass, you reach Batal and this is where the most difficult part of the journey starts. The Batal  Gramphoo stretch is a badly broken dirt trails with numerous deep water crossings where you must maneuver your motorcycle carefully. After Gramphoo is the ascent up to Rohtang Pass which is a bit steep. From Rohtang top, it is all downhill to Manali and then back to Chandigarh.

As you can notice from the route details above, a lot of riding in Spiti is on a straight road. Though roads may be bad and broken, you will be able to manage it even on smaller engine vehicles if you just ride slow and carefully. With that being said, the fact still cannot be denied that having a more powerful motorcycle has its own benefits. I am of course referring to likes of an Enfield here. Bigger the engine means more the power which further means that the ride would be smooth, especially at steep ascents and you can dump all the luggage you want on your motorcycle. You do not have to worry about traveling light and can even take a pillion on the same machine, which further reduces the trip total cost.

But what if you do not own a 350CC or 500CC motorcycle? Do you go around buying one for the trip? The answer is no. If it is a smaller engine bike, then you just need to pay attention to a few details which I have mentioned down below before deciding whether or not to take it up the hills.

Age

This probably is the most important factor. No matter how well you maintain it, the chance of a mechanical failure is always more with older bikes than newer ones (a debatable statement, I know). If you have a 10 year old 125 CC motorcycle sitting in your garage, do not even think about taking it to Spiti. You will first have to spend a lot of money fixing and replacing a lot many parts and even then, it will not really perform up to expectations.

Odometer

This is the second most important factor. Here we are talking about age of the motorcycle in terms of kilometers and not years. Your bike may be only 3-4 years old but if you have already abused it to over 1 lakh kilometers, best not to ride it to Spiti.

Pillion

When you ride with a pillion, you need to remember that it is not just two people on the same motorcycle. A trip to Spiti means about a week of riding; which means a lot of luggage. With pillion, it is luggage of two people so in the end, with all the luggage dumped, it actually becomes kind of three people riding the same bike and not just two. In a terrain like Spiti with so much weight on it, your smaller engine motorcycle will huff and puff at a lot of places and give trouble with so much weight.

Luggage

If you are riding a 500CC motorcycle, luggage isn’t really a big concern but if it is a 150 CC bike, then do not carry unnecessary luggage. Just take whatever you must. More luggage on your motorcycle would mean a very uncomfortable and difficult ride, both for you and your machine.

Prepare

Once you have taken into consideration the above mentioned four aspects, you need to start preparing your vehicle for the tough ride ahead. You should know your motorcycle inside out, how it performs at ascents or at great speeds. Before you head out; make sure there are no worn out parts, anything that can break or fall apart. Whatever seems dicey, replace it. Get your motorcycled serviced at least 1 week before the trip. Check all the cables, wires, clutch plates, chain set, tires, wheels and Oils. After servicing, ride it for a week regularly to ensure that it is performing up to expectations.

Also read: How to ride a 100CC motorcycle or Scooter to Spiti

Also read: How to prepare your motorcycle for Spiti trip

Which is the best motorcycle for Spiti Trip?

With that being said, there are of course a few motorcycles that will suit the journey better as compared to others. Mentioned below are a few bikes which may perform a bit better than others.

Royal Enfield

Nothing like it of course to for roads like Spiti. The big engine, whether 350 CC or 500 CC gives it an edge over all other motorcycles. The heavier size of the motorcycle makes it easier to tie luggage around. Good suspension and seating position makes it comfortable for both the rider and the pillion making it suitable for the long journey. Enfield was an acquired taste earlier due to a heavy kick that required decompressing, no electric start, the left side brake system but after all these changes in the newer models, it has now become everybody’s motorcycle. If you own a Royal Enfield, you already know that you do not need to think twice before taking it to Spiti.

Bajaj Pulsar

Probably one of the most popular and best-selling motorcycles today in Indian market. With a Pulsar, you can rest assured that you can rely on it and it won’t really ditch you anywhere. Be it a 220CC, 200CC or a 150CC pulsar, you can confidently plan your adventure ride on it. The huge fuel tank makes it ideal for long journeys and you won’t have to worry about fuel so much. It does have its drawbacks though. The first and the foremost one is the seating position and on bad roads; it is bound to get your shoulders to start aching so make sure that you are not seated in a leaning position. Sit straight to get the pressure off your shoulders. Second drawback is its seat which is not comfortable at all and will kill your butt during long rides; so a good comfortable seat cover is highly recommended.

On a lighter note, be careful with your balls as well while riding bad roads on a Pulsar. Anyone who owns a Pulsar would know what I mean here.

Hero Impulse

Good bike for Spiti if you are going without pillion. Dual sport tires and long travel shocks make it fun to ride on dirt tracks. Upright riding position and comfortable seating posture ensures no fatigue. Biggest drawback is the 12 liter fuel tank with an average of about 40-45 kmpl. Under-powered engine may sometimes prove troublesome at steep ascents though but only if the bike is not well maintained.

Yamaha FZ and Fazer

These would be my next most preferred motorcycles for Spiti. Pretty much the same advantages and disadvantages as Pulsar.

KTM Duke

Pretty much the same advantages and disadvantages as Hero Impulse. This is one motorcycle that would be fun to ride on bad and challenging roads that Spiti is so famous for.

Royal Enfield Himalayan

The newest off-roader motorcycle in Indian market; this motorcycle is a perfect for riding in Himalayan terrains. The 400 CC engine is capable enough to carry it through any trail or any ascent; though anyone who has ridden other models of Royal Enfield would feel that it definitely lacks some juice. The sitting position is straight and very comfortable, both for the rider and pillion; and there is plenty of space to put all that luggage, including the Jerry cans for extra fuel.

Not recommended

One popular motorcycle that I would not however recommend at all is Bajaj Avenger. Do not get me wrong, it is a great motorcycle but in my opinion not suitable at all for mountain rides. It has a large turning radius making it a little troublesome in hilly region. The small height and low seating becomes tiresome for someone tall. The rear seat is not really wide enough for pillion rider. The front disk and the entire seating position is that if you applied sudden brakes at a sharp turn, your are bound to fall. You will be on the ground before you get your feet down. This however is just my personal opinion and others may not agree with it.

If you are riding with a pillion, then do it only if you have an Enfield. On all other motorcycles, ride solo if you can; as the seating position and the hassle of roping the luggage can be problematic during long rides. If you are on a 100 or 135 CC motorcycle, you must ride solo.

Conclusion

As I mentioned above, these are just a few recommended motorcycles. There are several others available in Indian market; like Bajaj Dominar, the newly launched UM motorcycles, Honda CBR 250 to name a few. In the end, it all matters on how well you have maintained your motorcycle; and how well you know it and how well can you ride. If the answer to these questions is “quite well” then by all means; bring it to to Spiti irrespective of which motorcycle you own.

I hope the information above was of help. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section below; or at our Community Forum and I will be glad to answer. If there is a good motorcycle that you know of and have been to Spiti on it, please do share your experience in order to help others.

Related Articles

48 comments

Gs June 3, 2022 - 5:04 pm

Planning spiti, in June. 4 person on two bikes suzuki 150 Cc, vikrant 150cc . Views or suggestions

Reply
Ramesh Uppada March 9, 2021 - 5:37 pm

Hi Vargis,

I was planning to ride on Ninja 650 for spiti valley trip by first week of April, please advise whether its advisable. I will be riding from Mumbai. I own an xpulse too, however was planning to use ninja 650. PLEASE advise.

Reply
Abhishek July 23, 2020 - 7:08 am

Dear Vargis,
First of all thank you for such an informational blog.
I just want to confirm if I can take my FZ-S 2011 model, wel maintained, for the trip from Delhi to Spiti. I’m a little sceptical, please help!
Thank you!

Reply
Vargis.Khan July 25, 2020 - 8:37 pm

Hello Abhishek – If your bike is well maintained, then yes you can take it. Just travel solo and as light as possible.

Reply
Uday July 13, 2020 - 7:36 pm

Hello Sir, I am planning for spiti in October month and having FZ FI bike (1yr old/ 12000 km completed).
It is a good decision to take my bike to spiti instead of hiring a separate one.

Reply
Vargis.Khan July 13, 2020 - 10:04 pm

It is a good bike Uday. Do not go with a pillion though. Ride solo

Reply
Trevor Moore May 22, 2020 - 3:57 am

I’m intending to do the Spiti Valley this year, probably in August.
We’re based in Bangkok, so we will be flying to DEL and hopefully, to save time, onwards to SLV, but we wouldn’t be averse to rent in Delhi and drive to Spiti.
We will need to rent motorbikes and have our eye on Enfield Himalayas.
So far the general consensus is to rent in Shimla and do the circuit anti-clockwise, but we’re open to any suggestions.
Whilst here, your blog is excellent; you seem to be the top authority…..
Do you have any particular recommendation as to where to rent these bikes?

Reply
shakti singh November 16, 2019 - 7:54 am

Hi , I am shakti from Rajasthan,
I am planning a bike trip to Spiti in coming june 2020.
My bike is Appache rtr 160 And less than 2 years old.
It’s ran hardly 11000km.

Can you please tell me whether the time and bike good for the trip . And give me some suggestions if you have.

Thanks.

Reply
Vargis.Khan November 17, 2019 - 1:01 am

Yes Shakti, you can do the trip but do not travel with a pillion. Ride solo

Reply
Kaustubh. Sansare March 5, 2020 - 11:00 am

Hi, My name is Kaustubh and i am from Mumbai.
I am planning my first ever himalayan road trip to Spiti valley in month of September 2020 and your blog is really helping me and encouraging to go for the trip.
Most preferably i will be riding KTM200 2019. The first thing is bothering me is that, how worst the weather can be in mid OR late September also can u suggest me with no. of days required to complete the circuit, can it be done in 10-12 Days. Please help me out with this.
Thanks

Reply
Vargis.Khan March 5, 2020 - 1:33 pm

Weather will not be worst in September Kaustubh. It is a good time to do the circuit and yes, 10 days from Delhi will suffice. Your travel time to and from Mumbai will be in addition to it.

Reply
MKR September 1, 2019 - 6:10 pm

Hi Vargis,
Thanks it is very helpful post.

We are planning to go trip in September. It is good to go? Second I have 135 pulsar 6 yr old with aprox 38000 km run.. is there any problem ????

Reply
Sai Krupa chary Arendra July 21, 2019 - 5:28 am

how about a bajaj dominar?

Reply
adeel July 18, 2019 - 7:00 am

Salaam Mr Khan – We are planning for Spiti Valley from 20-27 july 2019. What are problems that can occur?
we will starting our journey from chandigadh Via shimla route and we have booked royal enfeild 350 CC

Reply
Vargis.Khan July 18, 2019 - 12:53 pm

W.Salaam Mr. Adeel – Monsoon could be a problem at this time

Reply
Christopher Rai June 25, 2019 - 2:59 pm

Hi, I’m planning to ride on a Triumph Street twin with pillion, is it OK

Reply
Vargis.Khan June 25, 2019 - 5:50 pm

Yes it is, definitely.

Reply
Mohd. Talha Alvi May 12, 2019 - 12:06 pm

Hello!
I’m planning Spiti in 1st Week of October on RE Interceptor. Will it be viable?
https://vargiskhan.com/log/detailed-itinerary-visiting-spiti-in-winters/ as suggested by you will this itinerary be fine for 1st Week of October?

Reply
Vargis.Khan May 12, 2019 - 4:32 pm

Yes you can do it. Oct 1st week is fine.

Reply
Minhajj May 5, 2019 - 5:30 am

Hello.
I have r15 v3 150cc model is it okay for spiti trip .Thanks

Reply
Vargis.Khan May 5, 2019 - 8:23 am

You can take it but remove the lower fairing for the trip.

Reply
Minhajj May 5, 2019 - 5:29 am

Hello sir .
I have r15 be 150cc. Is it okay for spiti trip.

Reply
Vargis.Khan May 5, 2019 - 8:23 am

You can take it but remove the lower fairing for the trip.

Reply
Jasman April 25, 2019 - 1:47 pm

Sir , I have 2006 model standard Royal Enfield. Is it eligible for crossing Reckong Peo to Spiti

Reply
Vargis.Khan April 25, 2019 - 2:42 pm

Yes it is Jasman

Reply
Rahat Husen February 18, 2019 - 7:30 pm

Hi vargis
My name is Rahat Husen. first of all the thanks for such a valuable information. my question is can I travel spiti valley with my 2 year old passion pro bike.i am planning to going in mid of April .

Reply
Vargis.Khan February 19, 2019 - 2:39 pm

Hi Rahat – Yes you can definitely. Just travel light and solo and make sure you get your bike ready. Please take a look at the article below.

https://vargiskhan.com/log/how-to-prepare-your-motorcycle-for-spiti-trip/

Reply
Mahesh K January 24, 2019 - 7:28 pm

Hi , I am Mahesh from Delhi,
I am planning a bike trip to Spiti in coming April.
My bike is Gixxer 155 naked version. And less than 2 years old.
It’s ran hardly 13000km.

Can you please tell me whether the time and bike good for the trip . And give me some suggestions if you have.

Thanks.

Reply
Raj February 11, 2019 - 1:02 pm

hi mahesh i am planning for spiti tour in march second week if possible can i join your group

Reply
mashsh March 22, 2019 - 4:45 pm

Hello Raj,

Its pleasure to join, here is my contact number 9544509471, we can discuss over the phone.

Reply
Vishal July 15, 2018 - 1:22 pm

Hi, vergis,
I want to plan spiti valley from delhi by road via my newly 350 classic. On 12 aug to 16.

Plz suggest it is good or not.

Also plz guide 350 claasic is ok gor the spiti trip or not.

Reply
Vargis.Khan July 15, 2018 - 2:15 pm

Hi Vishal – RE is definitely good for the trip but you will have to be prepared for the monsoon. Make sure you waterproof everything when you pack your luggage.

Reply
Dinesh Jangid July 4, 2018 - 7:43 am

Hi Vargis, I am planning to complete shimla spiti manali circuit in september. My travel days are from 1 sept to 15 sept. I am travelling by my own bike. Just wanted to know if something I should be aware of and road conditions during this period. Also what precautions should I take before starting my trip

Reply
Vargis.Khan July 5, 2018 - 3:10 am

Hi Dinesh -Road conditions are mostly good until Kaza with a few bad patches in between. It is the stretch from Manali to Kaza that is in terrible state but as long as you have decent enough riding skills, you will be easily able to manage it. Just travel light and you should be OK.

Reply
Dinesh Jangid July 10, 2018 - 7:39 am

Hi Vargis, thanks for your response. Just wanted to ask if it is okay to complete the journey on gixxer SF??

Reply
Vargis.Khan July 10, 2018 - 1:41 pm

Yes it is Dinesh

Reply
Prateek Sah July 3, 2018 - 5:53 pm

Hi Vargis,

Can I go with my gixxer sf(150CC)? I am asking this question because it has a huge panel at front side which sometimes clashes with high speed breakers.

I think I would face trouble @water crossings also. Any comments ?

Reply
Vargis.Khan July 4, 2018 - 1:24 am

Hi Prateek – Yes, the lower fairing can get damaged at water crossing. It would be better to have it removed before the trip and then you can put it back on after the trip

Reply
Amit Kumar Chaubey June 11, 2018 - 7:45 am

Hi Vargis, thanks for your write-up on spiti trip and this is very informative. We have a scheduled trip to spiti from 29th July to 5th August 2018. In your draft, you said Avenger is not a good option for this trip. But, our trip is only for avengers and we are approx 20 bikers who are planning to go to spiti. Trip to start from Delhi.

Your opinion on not to take avenger is pushing me to rethink for the trip. Any comments?

Reply
Vargis.Khan June 11, 2018 - 6:11 pm

Hi Amit – I did not mean that Avenger is a complete no for Spiti. A friend of mine just did Spiti solo on her Avenger last week and she completed the trip without any problem anywhere. My only point was that if possible, opt for a different bike than Avenger. But if Avenger is your only choice, then by all means, you can definitely go to Spiti on it. Just be careful around steep climbing turns and water crossings, rest would be all fine.

Reply
Sakar Goel June 7, 2018 - 7:03 am

Hi Vargis,

All the information that you have provided in your blog is really helpful.

As I will be traveling from Bangalore (August), I have no other option than renting a bike from Manali to Spiti.
We need to book the vehicles in advance and cannot see the condition of vehicle. That will be all surprise for us.

We are 3 and I am planning for 1 Himalayan and 1 Pulsar 180. My concern: As Himalayan is having tube tyres, I might get into problem like puncture and we can’t even run it for few kms to search for a fix to it.

Would like to know your thoughts on this.

Thanks,
Sakar

Reply
Vargis.Khan June 7, 2018 - 11:22 pm

Hi Sakar, Unfortunately brother this is a risk that you will have to run. After you arrive in Manali, learn how to remove the tyre and change tube rather than trying to fix the puncture. Call Parvez in Manali at 9318646559. He runs a bike rental business there. Give my reference and he will provide you with a good bike. If needed, spend some time learning how to change tubes when you take the delivery of bikes from him.

Reply
Sakar Goel June 8, 2018 - 6:13 am

Thanks Vargis.

I will get in touch with Parvez well in advance.

Reply
Vargis.Khan June 8, 2018 - 11:49 am

You are welcome Sakar

Reply
MACK May 21, 2018 - 12:17 pm

can you recommend good Bike renting Folks for Spiti Circuit?

Reply
Vargis.Khan May 21, 2018 - 2:51 pm

Please talk to Jamaica @ 9418200183 if you want to rent in Kaza. If you want to rent from Manali, please contact Parvez at 93186 46559

Reply
Aritra Dhar April 9, 2018 - 11:13 am

hi,
I am Aritra from siliguri

My question is that can the entire trip be done on unicorn 160[11000kms old] with pillion in mid of September.
I have done bhutan trip[nearly 1600kms] in this bike with my pillion where the max altitude was 3998m in chele la pass and doesn’t felt any problem.

Reply
Vargis.Khan April 9, 2018 - 1:47 pm

Hello Aritra – Yes you can do it on your Unicorn but must travel light and solo.

Reply

Leave a Comment