FAQs

Rogue Riders is a motorcycle adventure tour company, started by Nicholas Wilkinson in 2020.

Nicholas has travelled around India for nearly 30 years and knows the country intimately.

Nicholas's passion for motorcycles and adventures led him to start Rogue Riders so he could share some of the incredible adventures around India with you.

Rogue Riders tours are unique, we take you around regions less travelled and stay in stunning locations. Our tours combine challenging roads, beautiful scenery and the best accommodation available. We want you to experience the best of what India has to offer on our life-affirming tours.

We only take riders with a full motorcycle licence with a minimum of two years riding experience.

Roads in India are not like those in Europe or other developed countries. Traffic can be unpredictable (and usually is), often with domestic and wild animals on the roads, trucks overtaking on a blind bend (might is right in India!) and judicious use of the horn in non-emergency situations.

It is important that riders are competent and comfortable on a motorcycle so that your attention can be on your environment and not on controlling the bike.

The challenges of the roads are, of course, all part of the fun and it usually takes a short while to get into the swing of things.

Most importantly, bringing a positive attitude, patience and a spirit of adventure will serve you better than many years of riding experience.

Rogue Riders tours are kept to a maximum of 10 riders. We like to keep our tour groups small for several reasons -

A smaller group makes for a more intimate environment and attentive experience. When riding as part of a large group of 20+ riders it can feel like you are part of a procession and inevitably, there is less focus on individual riders needs and enjoyment.

We have better accommodation options.

By keeping the tour groups smaller, a broader range of accommodation options are available. In remote regions of India, where we sometimes operate, it can be difficult to find quality hotels and lodges that can accommodate a large group. Our smaller groups mean that we can stay in boutique lodges and hotels that may only accommodate up to 12 guests.

On a Rogue Riders tour, you can be assured that the quality of accommodation is the best available.

Whilst fun riding is the main focus of our tours, we like to include other activity options on rest days. For example, our Tigers & Temples tour offers the opportunity to go on a tiger safari with the superb safari lodges that we stay at as well as serene boat trips on the pristine Ken River at dusk. The Himalayas tour gives riders the chance to go on overnight treks in the mountains.

We include places of special cultural, historical and natural interest in our tour itineraries, of which India is well endowed.

After making a booking, we will send you a tour pack for your chosen tour but there are some basic kit items that you should bring along.

• Helmet - If you have a cheap head, bring a cheap helmet!
• Riding gear - It is worth investing in an adventure suit but it's not a necessity. Armoured jeans and a summer riding jacket will be fine. You will be more comfortable with a vented jacket that has a removable windproof liner and various under layers so you can adapt to any temperature changes.
• Boots - Adventure style boots are ideal, short boots are also fine as long as they are supportive and allow you to ride standing on the pegs. City-style riding trainers are not suitable.
• Phone mount - We all use these nowadays. Having your phone mounted to the handlebars is very useful, there are many options available for specific phone models as well as general phone holders. We provide USB charging connections on all our bikes.
• A head torch / flashlight - Very useful item. Some places we stay at have limited electricity at night.

Our motorcycle of choice is the Royal Enfield Himalayan. The Himalayan is the ideal motorcycle for touring India and can handle anything that Indian roads throw at you. All-day comfortable, a manageable size and powerful enough for its environment. Speed and power are not the name of the game in India where riding speed rarely passes 100 kmh.

We ensure that all our motorcycles are in top condition and properly serviced with good brakes and tyres. We also fit USB charging sockets so you can keep your devices charged on the go and provide tank bags for your valuables and smaller items.

A reasonable level of fitness is desirable. Our tours are not endurance races, but you should expect long days in the saddle, sometimes on broken roads and dirt trails which require more physical input from the rider.

Yes. You can only take part in our tours with adequate travel insurance that covers you for riding a motorcycle in India. We will need to see a copy of your insurance documents before you travel.

Yes. Tourist visas for travel to India take around a week to process in the UK. We advise you to not leave this to the last minute. 30 day tourist visas start from the date of entry to India and are valid for four months from the date of issue so there is no harm in obtaining your visa a few months in advance of your tour.

NOTE: DUE TO COVID 19, INDIA IS NOT CURRENTLY ISSUING E-VISAS FOR TOURISTS WHICH MEANS YOU WILL NEED TO VISIT A VISA CENTRE IN PERSON. WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH MORE INFORMATION TO ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR VISA ON ENQUIRY.

Yes. Absolutely – contact us for more information.