If you love riding a motorbike then at some point you are going to want to visit the Himalayas and enjoy the riding experience. The roads are stunning, as are the views, and you’ll want to take your time to enjoy the experience as you cruise around every twist and turn.
You may be thinking about taking a big sports bike or sports tourer with you. But, that would be a mistake. Sure, you can ride the Himalayas on any bike, but some of the best KTM bikes currently available are probably a much better choice.
Power Isn’t the Most Important Issue
You may think the Himalayas, that’s a mountain range and you’re going to need plenty of power to get up the roads. The simple truth is you don’t. All motorbikes have enough power to get up these curvy roads, the real trick is to have a medium-powered bike that allows you to enjoy the road without risk a throttle twist that sends you flying off the road.
Don’t forget, if you go off the road you’re looking at a big drop.
Off Road Ability
Many people will say that using the local bikes, such as the Royal Enfield Himalayan is the perfect option. They are certainly worth considering if you want to rent a bike while you are there. One thing they do have right is that this is an off-road and on-road bike.
If you want to take your own bike then that’s a good path to follow and there are few bikes that give you better off and on road handling than the current range of KTMs.
Although the majority of the roads are tarmac, there are sections where you’ll feel like you are heading off road. You’ll be grateful for the low centre of gravity, great power to weight ratio, and torque of a KTM bike.
Comfort
Of course, if you are going to be riding day after day then you need a bike that is comfortable. That means taking some time on the bike before you head into the mountain range. This is an important part of choosing the right bike. Again, this is where KTM excels because many of the bikes have lower riding heights, ensuring you feel comfortable and balanced before you even start rolling.
Of course, you should also be comfortable standing up while riding, something that the KTM range is very good for.
Reliability
The highest pass is an impressive 17,500ft above sea level. That is high enough to make a carburettor struggle and potentially even for you to find breathing hard. It’s cold and the last thing you will want is to be stuck with a bike that has stopped working. Fortunately, modern KTM bikes have fuel injection and are known for reliability, helping to ensure you can get to the top of the highest pass and back again.
If you love riding it really doesn’t get any better than that!
