Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Brakes and Horns

This must be the capital of brake pad and horn replacements and I for one will never drive in Delhi India where the white lines are just a suggestion of which way to go but you will often see a scooter pedicab or tuk tuk sneaking up the side of the opposite direction. I know the subject of lane splitting has been brought up in the past on this site but fellows you aint seen anything until you see these people drive, what lanes(?) just toot the horn and go or not. The drive in from the airport in the fog was a good learning experience even on the divided hightway our driver was always straddling the white lines in case he had to quickly change lanes horns blowing and cars scooting up between us and the barriers. Surprisingly I have not seen a single accident yet have been in cars and tuk tuks centimeters from other vehicles. These guys are masters of merge and yield and the motorcyles/scooters are like knats all around you all the time.

Lots of smaller bikes and scooters, Royal Enfields are the biggest seen but not that many as they are not as manueveralbe as one needs in this mayhem.

Sounds like NYC to me ! ROFLMAO

Sounds like downtown Chicago taxi drivers to me. I always enjoy the ride, makes me feel Like a Blues Brothers extra.

In Spain, at least in the early 60's, they drove with both feet on the gas, both hands on the horn and their eyes closed!

Hate to say it but we have a large Indian immigrant population in Michigan, and they as a rule are terrible drivers. But the good news is they are great Doctors.

Your description fit Thailand perfectly, except the use of the horn is frowned upon.Road rage is becoming more common.
Even the first time I rode there, about 20 yrs ago I guess,it was dangerous, but now it's horrendous.30,000 plus killed on the roads annually and I don't know how many tens of thousands injured.I keep thinking about another bike there,
but two things stop me.Fear and common sense.

I rode in a Thai Tuk Tuk when I was in Bangkok many years ago. Likely the scariest thing I ever did. If it's gotten appreciably worse in the decades since I was there 30,000 dead would seem to be a conservative estimate. I think an appropriate vehicle for Thailand would be a Toyota Land Cruiser or a Hummer.

Funny in Old Delhi where the streets are smaller and speed is slow for the most part I didn't feel weary some of the time the peddle tuks could keep up but we went to New Delhi today where the streets are bigger and speeds are higher not so comfortable in a tuk tuk.

On another note I did see the new Royal Enfield 500 albeit in a showroom but I did get to sit on it, vroom vroom It does not look any different then the 350 . Also saw another bike showroom with cruiser style bikes although from research UM also makes sport bikes and scooters in India and China but they are actually a Miami based company. Cant say that I have ever seen one before.

I can rent a Royal Enfield Himalya for $50 CAN a day I am sooo tempted at that price. I know a few of you are saying go for it but even after 2 weeks my level of confidence isn't there. Our Tuk aka Auto Rickshaw driver and guide said you just have to go with the flow. If they would drive it to the outskirts of Udaipur I would say yes. I met an American that just did 3 weeks touring around Rajesthan on a Bullet I congratulated him on his bravery.

In the southern beach town of Verkala we rented a small Honda (they had sold the R.E. a few weeks ago) about the length of a scooter but a motorcycle.$7.00 for a 24hr period. Auto tranny which is weird and the rear brake is the left hand lever. Not as many on the road but it does take some nerve to drive through intersections. It isn't exactly chicken but someone decides who has the right of way or you just move over and let them in. It was fun to get out into the countryside however 30=40 kph was the norm and the occasional 60 kph when there was clear site and a straight road. I almost launched Jane off the back over an unmarked speed bump when I was looking a bus and trying to figure out was it going to pass the oncoming car. It felt good just to be on a bike.