10 Ways to Reignite Your Passion for Motorcycle Riding India

Ride 01

Swap Your Daily Commuter for a Classic 350

If you usually ride a 150cc commuter to work, renting a Royal Enfield Classic 350 for the weekend changes everything about how you relate to a motorcycle. The torque, the sound, the upright position — you will understand immediately why so many riders call it a reset button. Book it for a Friday evening. Ride somewhere you have been meaning to go for months. Return the bike on Sunday. Try not to immediately book another weekend.

Ride 02

Ride Old Delhi at Dawn

Old Delhi at 5:30am is one of the best urban motorcycle experiences in the world. The lanes around Chandni Chowk, Paharganj, and Jama Masjid are quiet for exactly 90 minutes before the city wakes up. The light is extraordinary, the smells of early street food are everywhere, and on a Royal Enfield you can go places a car cannot. Leave your hotel before 5am, ride Paharganj to the Red Fort, and have breakfast at a dhaba that has been open since 4am. Discover what this Delhi Motorcycle Tour feels like before the crowds arrive.

Ride 03

Ride the Thar Desert, Rajasthan

The transition from Delhi’s urban density to the Thar Desert’s wide open plains is one of the most satisfying rides in North India. Delhi to Jaisalmer via NH-48 and Jodhpur is roughly 800km — a proper 7-day circuit if you ride it right, stopping at Jaipur and Jodhpur. The Thar in October to February is perfect riding weather — clear skies, cool mornings, empty roads by 6am. This is what the Rajasthan motorcycle tour is built around.

Ride 04

Jaipur at Sunrise

For anyone who has lost their passion for motorcycle riding to routine, a Jaipur sunrise run restores it instantly. Ride in from the Agra direction just before sunrise and you see the Pink City’s sandstone buildings catch the morning light before the tour buses arrive. Amber Fort from the road outside at 6am, before it opens, is a genuinely stunning sight. Park the bike in the old city, walk Johari Bazaar, eat kachori at a street stall, and take the kind of photos you actually keep. This is 270km from Delhi on NH-48 — an easy first overnight Royal Enfield adventure ride.

Ride 05

Ride Toward the Nepal Border

Delhi to Sunauli (the India-Nepal border crossing in UP) is around 600km via NH-27. The ride itself — through UP’s flat highways and small towns — is an immersive experience in how India actually looks away from the tourist trail. Foreign riders should note that Indian registered motorcycles require specific customs documentation to cross into Nepal — check with us at booking. We provide all the necessary support for riders planning a Nepal motorcycle ride from Delhi.

Ride 06

Pushkar — The Town That Welcomes Motorcyclists

Pushkar is 400km from Delhi via Jaipur and one of the most rider-friendly towns in Rajasthan. The ghats around Pushkar Lake are genuinely atmospheric in the early morning — chai with pilgrims, the smell of incense, the sound of temple bells. During November’s Pushkar Camel Fair the whole area becomes a motorcycling event in all but name. Stay two nights, explore the desert nearby, and add it as a stop on any Rajasthan circuit.

Ride 07

Jodhpur and Mehrangarh Fort

Riding into Jodhpur and seeing Mehrangarh Fort rising above the Blue City is one of those moments that justifies the entire trip. The fort sits on a 125m high rock and is visible from 20km out on the approach road — you see it long before you arrive. The lanes below it, painted blue, are best explored on foot after parking the bike. Combine Jodhpur with Jaisalmer for the complete western Rajasthan desert circuit — some of the best Royal Enfield adventure riding in India.

Ride 08

Ride a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 for the First Time

If you have only ridden Classic 350s and Meteors, the Himalayan 450 is a different machine entirely. Liquid-cooled, more torque, better at altitude, more confidence-inspiring at speed. The right place to try it is not city traffic but the Delhi-Chandigarh NH-44 — a smooth, fast national highway where you can actually feel what the bike can do. From there, the road to the mountains opens up. This is the bike for anyone planning the Leh Ladakh motorcycle tour or Spiti for the first time.

Ride 09

Join a Guided Group Tour

Riding with people who share your passion transforms an already good ride into something you talk about for years. The group dynamic on mountain routes — shared roadside repairs, group meals at dhabas, watching someone else’s face when they see Pangong Lake for the first time — cannot be replicated solo. Our guided Royal Enfield tours across India handle permits, accommodation, and support vehicles so the group focuses on riding. International riders from 40+ countries join these tours every season.

Ride 10

Camp Off the Highway

One of the purest expressions of passion for motorcycle riding is sleeping where the road ends. India has extraordinary camping on its doorstep — and most riders never access it because they are booking hotels. The hill stations above Rishikesh, the riverbanks in Rajasthan between towns, the plateaus in Spiti — none of this requires specialist equipment. Pack a sleeping bag, a small stove, and whatever you can fit in a Royal Enfield’s panniers. Ask a dhaba owner if you can camp on their land — in 15 years of doing this across India, we have never been refused. See more riding ideas in our guide to adventure motorcycle riding for context on how India compares globally.