The initial plan was to use the Harley DYNA Super Glide for the trip, but the recent rides on the GSA tilted the choice in favour of the BMW.
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Ever since my riding buddies did a Bhutan – Kerala round trip on their Harleys in 2016 the itch to ride to Bhutan from Kerala along with my better half on our Harley DYNA Super Glide Custom was on my mind. The opportunity presented itself in 2019. We both are employed in the Middle East and had to coordinate our leaves accordingly. By the end of 2018 we started preparations for the big ride
My riding buddies earlier had coordinated their trip through Mr Sangay of Dainty Tours and Travels in Phuentsholing, Bhutan and we too followed the same path. All arrangements were made and then COVID stuck.
Back in Dubai, my riding was confined to the roads of Dubai on my V-Storm 1000. In 2021 I sold my V-Storm and brought a 2018 model BMW GS 1200 with 5K on the clock. This motorcycle was anything other than what I had ridden so far. In the course of a few months, I ended up buying a pair of Moskomoto saddle bags and a set of GIVI Trekker Aluminum panniers and a GIVI Aluminum top box.
Meanwhile, by Mid-August 2022 we did a USA west coast -Pacific Highway ride from San Francisco to Sandiego roundtrip, on a rented BMW GSA 1200. The rental was from Riders-share.com a platform for bike owners to advertise their motorcycle on rent. An Amazing experience it was.
After riding my BMW GS for about one year I started looking for a used BMW GSA in Kerala and in the process sold my motorcycle in Dubai to have funds in hand.
Since it’s difficult for used BMW GSAs to come by in Kerala my search led me to Bike Shop Racing a used motorcycle dealer in Mumbai. It was a fantastic experience and on my hands was a BMW GSA 1200, 2018 with less than 10K on the Odometer. I flew down to Mumbai in November 2022 did the paperwork and rode the bike down to my native place in Kochi.
Beginning in February, I went to Kerala to register the motorcycle in my state. On return, the motorcycle was left at EVM Motorrad Cochin for service and tire change.
The initial plan was to use the Harley DYNA Super Glide for the trip but the recent rides on the GSA tilted the choice in favor of the BMW. Below are the photos of both of these bikes.
We were constantly in touch with our tour agents and came to know about the latest developments in Bhutan Tourism. Bhutan was one of the last countries to open its borders to tourism post covid. Riders intending to visit Bhutan on their own Motorcycle may note these new requirements for entry into Bhutan as of March 2023.
- A Bhutanese government-approved guide is mandatory to accompany you. Tourists cannot travel without a guide. We had to arrange a Taxi and driver for the guide since we were on a motorcycle.
- We used our passports to enter Bhutan. At the immigration Indians, Sri Lankans and Maldives citizens must pay a sustainability fee of Rupees 1200/ head/ day of stay in Bhutan. For all other nationalities, USD 250/ Day must be paid as sustainability fees.
- Proof of hotel reservations is required, which your tour operator will arrange. All hotels are three-star and above.
- Travel insurance- You may get your own travel insurance; else the tour operator can arrange it for you.
- Preferable to have the motorcycle in your name. In case you are using a Motorcycle that is not in your name you will need an authorization letter from the owner permitting you to ride in Bhutan.
- Original Registration of Vehicle, Valid insurance, Pollution control Certificate (Pollution Certificate can be done in Bhutan)
- Valid Indian Driving license.
- Rupees 4500/ Night of Stay in Bhutan for Motorcycle. To be paid in cash at the Regional Transport office in Phuentsholing.
- These documents have to be submitted to the RTO in Bhutan who will issue the Permit after payment of fees.
- Indian Currency is accepted, and the exchange rate is 1:1
Since my wife had limited leave it was decided that she will join me in Kolkata and return from Paro Airport in Bhutan. I Left for Kochi on February 24th picked up my Motorcycle from the service Centre and rode home. Had a few days to prepare my motorcycle for the ride. These were the add-ons that I had on the stock motorcycle.
- Quad Lock mobile handlebar holder with antivibration
- 12 Volt direct connection from the battery
- GIVI Trekker out back Aluminum Panniers with GIVI Aluminum top Box
- Headlight guard
- Pannier liner bags for all three Aluminum boxes( brought from Ali Express)
Helmets; Airoh Carbon Commander and AGV, Helmet comms – Packtalk bold. For Photography three Sony Action cameras, Insta 360, DJI Spark (Drones are permitted in Bhutan with special approvals. Obtaining approvals takes time, and we were not aware of this requirement hence the drone remained in our bags) and one dedicated Samsung S22 ultra for photography.
Other than all the protective gear, Raincoats and boot covers we also carried essential tools, a Puncture repair kit, a compact rechargeable air compressor, a jump starter (both are life savers), Cable ties, straps, bungee chords
On 26th February the day before the big day, GSA’s belly was filled up with regular petrol. Tried to go a bit early to bed but excitement is over the roof and sleep came it after Midnight.
Day 1 – 27th February 2023 – Cochin to Nellore ( Andhra Pradesh) – 820 Kms
Got up around 3:00 Hrs. The motorcycle was all prepped up and fully loaded. Left home at 4:00 Hrs. Traffic was sparse, and I reached close to Salem by 9:00 Hrs. Had breakfast (Tamil Nādu is a food paradise for travellers, you get fresh vegetarian food on highways), a short stop over for a quick snap in front of my wife’s college where she studied twenty-five years ago.
After Salem, Google map was taking me out of the National highway onto state highways. little that I realized my maps were set to avoid tolls. Andhra Pradesh was super-hot, and my cooling vest came in handy. Reached Nellore at around 19:00 Hrs.
Checked in at Hotel Minerva Grand and crashed for the night. For safe keeping of motorcycles, the hotel has basement parking.
As a rule, I wash my Riding gear every night and hang it out to dry in the room. At times it doesn’t fully dry out, but the dry wind the next morning takes care of it.
My target was to cover around 700 Kms a day but the GSA is a mile muncher. It eats mile after mile in a very relaxed manner and I was covering large distances in no time. Also setting the vehicle on cruise control at times helps you to relax your arms.
Day 2 – 28th February 2023 – Nellore to Bhubaneswar (Orissa) – 1075 Kms
Left Hotel Minerva at around 7:00 Hrs. Got onto NH16 and the GSA was munching mile after mile without any drama. Guava sellers are dime a dozen on the highway during this season (certainly recommended).
One of my rules is to find a bed before sunset and I try not to ride in the night. However, hotels on the highway were fully booked and I ended up reaching Bhubaneshwar City at around 20:00 hrs. Adding to my woes were the road works and lack of highway lights. Found a hotel on the highway and crashed for the night. If it was not for the GSA covering one thousand-odd kilometres a day would have been a daunting task.
Day 3 – 01st March 2023 –Bhubaneswar to Kolkata (West Bengal) – 452 Kms.
In front of the hotel ready for the day’s ride.
Kolkata was 400-odd kms away and decided to have more stops on the way. West Bengal has numerous Paddy fields on either side of the highway, which reminded me of my native place in Kerala. Took a detour from the highway onto an unpaved road that had a paddy field on either side. My drone has a follow-me function and took a video with it.
Everywhere I stopped people wanted to know the price, Mileage and my youtube channel details ( I don’t have one so far). Few wanted to sit on the motorcycle and rev it which I obliged.
After numerous stops reached Kolkata at around 16:00 Hrs. Since my wife was flying to Kolkata, I checked in to Holiday-inn which is very close to the airport.
Day 4 & 5 – 02nd March and 3rd March –Kolkata – 4 Kms.
My wife was reaching on 3rd March, and I had enough time to relax at the hotel. All her riding gear and clothes were already with me, and she was travelling with a small backpack. Kolkata is a very busy place with a cacophony of horns on the road at all times. The street food close to my hotel was super delicious. Tried Sondesh, Gulabjamun, Rasgulla, Rasmali, Roti and Aloo from street vendors.
In Kolkata, there are numerous Ambassador Taxis. These are seldom seen in Kerala. Felt very nostalgic which reminded me of my Dad in his Mark 2,3 and 4 Amby. A whole lot of battery-operated rickshaws were also plying on the roads.
Picked up my wife from Kolkata Airport on the 3rd morning and since we were riding only on the 4th morning, we decided to explore Kolkata for the day. It was prudent not to roam around the city on a motorcycle due to the oppressing heat and traffic. The hotel arranged for us a cab for a city tour. She changed to a Kolkata saree true to the spirit of the city and in Kolkata we visited the Victoria Palace, India Museum, Princep Ghat, Hooghly River, St Paul’s Cathedral, Howrah Bridge and the Birla Planetarium.
By evening we reached the hotel had dinner, packed our stuff, ready to leave the next day.
Day 6 – 4th March Kolkata to Siliguri ( West Bengal) – 569 Kms
Our itinerary in Bhutan was from 6th March and we had two days to reach Phuentsholing which was 700 odd kilometres from Calcutta and a day of hard riding could reach us to Jaigon the border town to Bhutan. After a filling breakfast at the Holiday-inn, we left at around 7:30 for Siliguri. En route, we had a slight detour to Murshidabad. A prominent place in Indian history. The Hazarduari palace and museum were a feast for the eyes, and one could spend the entire day wandering inside the museum learning regional history.
Our motorcycle was kept for safekeeping at a small mandir and a small chit-chat for directions with the watchman revealed that we could take our motorcycle on a bamboo ferry and cross the Hooghly River which could save us some time. We crossed the river through the Lalbagh ferry ghat. While riding the motorcycle onto the bamboo ferry I lost my balance and would have fallen into the river if not for the timely presence of a local gentleman who supported the motorcycle.
On the way to Malda, we passed a big water body- Farakka barrage- a barrage across the river Ganga which is 18 km from the Bangladesh border. This freshwater barrage is the largest in India. The roads leading to Siliguri were proving to be treacherous due to a large number of trucks and highway expansion works, we decided to stop over in Siliguri on 4th March. Checked into Marriot Siliguri at around 20:00 hrs and after a sumptuous dinner rested for the night.
Day 7- 5th March Siliguri to Jaigon, (West Bengal) Via Darjeeling- 250 Kms
Had a filling breakfast and left for Darjeeling at around 8:00 Hrs. Darjeeling is only 60-odd kilometres from Siliguri. Darjeeling was never on the cards, and we decided to have a very quick visit. The ride took us through hairpins after hairpins, which was a welcome change. At last, we started to see mountains and soon the mercury dropped to a very pleasant twenties. This was our first trip to Darjeeling, streets were all crowded with tourists and in a few hours, we managed to visit the Zoology Park and Mountaineering Institute.
Since our destination was Jaigon for the day we did not have the liberty to explore more in Darjeeling. By midday, we left for Saigon. The route took us through a dense forest area. For a South Indian anything below 20 degrees is cold and the heated grips of the Motorcycle came in very handy. We crossed the coronation bridge and stopped for a few photographs.
Cool-weather and good roads and the scenic landscape made riding a breeze. Our plan was to reach Jaigon by late evening however it was getting very dark, and we decided to call it a day and checked in to Hotel Dooars Heritage which was right beside the highway a few kilometres before Jaigon. After the daily ritual of washing all the riding gear a hot bath and sumptuous Momos from the kitchen, it was bedtime.
A painting was taken at a restaurant in Kolkata to end the first leg of our ride on the Indian side.
Continue reading BHPian genesmotorides’s travelogue for more insights and information.
Keyword: Cochin to Bhutan on a BMW GSA1200 with my wife: A 6700 km experience