[SafariMan]

Welcome aboard Arnie, hope to see ur ride in namma bengaluru.

With all papers, visas, carnet in order, the endeavour should take care of most external controllables.

For the machine some pointers would be :-

1. Overheating, the biggest challenge also affecting other components. Shorter rides of say 150-200 kms before allowing the engine to cool down. I have seen Rick drivers in the hotter parts of India keep the rear engine door open tying it up to the sides while riding or keeping a cut 2 litre soft drink plastic bottle as a gap and not screwing the engine bay door to the body. You would have to be pretty innovative with something like these and the use of radiators and heat sinks and dissipates, etc

2. Keeping extra 5 sets of the rear axle and bearings. Driving with damaged axles affect the engine block, housing and joints.

3. Changing of oil and pre-mix coolants say earlier than 50% before recommendations , adding fuel and engine oil additives, keeping brake oils, clutch and accelerator cables, grease, mseals, araldite etc.

4. Having a netted tarpaulins side and overhead carrier helps to carry many things. I will add if I can remember anything.

Have known people who have done all India trips by autorickshaws. In fact during one of my all India trip of nearly 16 months met a person from Chennai who set a record for the most kms on the mahindra ev auto. He is not here but in Facebook, insta and was recognised on twitter by Anand Mahindra. I had met him at Zemithang, Arunachal Pradesh a very remote place overlooking China. Had a lot of discussion on mechanical things of an auto.The only problem he faced was charging the rick in remote places. Anyways the two Rick's are completely different beasts I agree it maybe comparing apples and oranges.

I wish you all the very best in the adventure and yes it can be done. Keep riding. Cheers.

[silverado]

Its doable, please try and reach out to Bajaj Auto with your dream. This way you will get solid advice and maybe some support since Bajaj is now a global brand selling ricks outside india as well. Good luck and i look forward to your journey.

[Arninger]

Originally Posted by maximus_fiat

Welcome to the forum, Arni !!
I have seen many Indian restaurants in Europe who have used Auto as part of their decor or it can be used for city ride as an attraction. Anyways, you will definitely find ways to use it.

Unfortunately keeping it in Germany might not work. At least as a registered vehicle.
I would probably also lose the money for the Carnet, which is not that little I think.
But sure would be fun.

Originally Posted by dileepcm

https://www.facebook.com/bringushomeitoh

This is from a Dutch couple who drove a van from Kerala to Netherlands a few years ago.

Thanks, will try to contact them.
Has been a couple of years, but would be great to get their experience first hand.

Originally Posted by vishwasvr

What are the odds! We're neighbours! I keep seeing you guys with the Indies, we've even said hello during the lockdown!

I live in the lane behind your place!

Say hi next time you see me

Originally Posted by noopster

On a serious note, I wouldn't really recommend following through on the dream to ride across half the world in an auto (or a riksha, which is what we call them up here). They're neither the safest nor most reliable of vehicles. But if you do, please ensure you document it here on Team BHP!

Yeah, I get your point. But the lack of comfort and reliability of the Auto should turn the trip from a journey into an adventure.
I have traveled in Laos and Vietnam with a total piece of junk of a 100cc motorcycle and I feel it was way better than it would have been on a big functioning bike.

Originally Posted by VaibhaoT

I noticed on your channel that you are using same song on auto for multiple videos. In case if you are interested in another song, here is another one in Marathi, which is local language of Maharashtra.

Haha, thanks. I actually saw that video before when I was looking for fittings songs, will use it in one of the next videos.

Originally Posted by SafariMan

With all papers, visas, carnet in order, the endeavour should take care of most external controllables.

The whole paperwork thing is my biggest concern at the moment.

1. Overheating, the biggest challenge also affecting other components. Shorter rides of say 150-200 kms before allowing the engine to cool down. I have seen Rick drivers in the hotter parts of India keep the rear engine door open tying it up to the sides while riding or keeping a cut 2 litre soft drink plastic bottle as a gap and not screwing the engine bay door to the body. You would have to be pretty innovative with something like these and the use of radiators and heat sinks and dissipates, etc

Already have experience with that.

On our way back from Goa, up the Western Ghats, the Auto was struggling a bit, and I did exactly that water bottle technique plus plenty stops.


2. Keeping extra 5 sets of the rear axle and bearings. Driving with damaged axles affect the engine block, housing and joints.

Good point, would get a list of the most commenly replaced parts from Bajaj and pack a set of each.

3. Changing of oil and pre-mix coolants say earlier than 50% before recommendations , adding fuel and engine oil additives, keeping brake oils, clutch and accelerator cables, grease, mseals, araldite etc.

Yup. Luckily the engines are very simple and air/oil cooled

4. Having a netted tarpaulins side and overhead carrier helps to carry many things. I will add if I can remember anything.

Yeah, planning to get a roof rack fabricated. Have seen autos with roof racks somewhere before.

Originally Posted by silverado

Its doable, please try and reach out to Bajaj Auto with your dream. This way you will get solid advice and maybe some support since Bajaj is now a global brand selling ricks outside india as well. Good luck and i look forward to your journey.

Yeah, will surely try that if this trip happens.
There is a guy (Australian?) traveling South-America with a Bajaj RE. As far as I know Bajaj South America is sponsoring somehow.

[Arninger]

At admins, I hope it is ok to keep this as a separate post.

Since this an automotive form, I thought people might be interested in a list of vehicles I have owned so far. Actually never bothered to make a list before. more than I remembered off the top of my head.

By the way, I am not rich, not even close to it. The vast majority of my vehicles were well under 1 lakh rupees. And I sold some of them for more than I bought them for. My first and only two brand new vehicles were my Himalayan and Kiger here in India.

1: Cheap Chinese Quad-bike with 250cc
Shinarey or something was the brand, was fun in University times and my first own ride.


2: Mercedes Benze 190E Sportsline
My first car, did cost me the equivalent of 70k. Unfortunately did not pass the bi-annual check-up and was sold to some African guys from the DRC.


3: Suzuki Vitara with soft-top
Got this after the Mercedes, mainly for driving in the forest for my Masters thesis about bats.


4: Volvo 440
My girlfriend moved away at that point, so I had to travel long distances on the Autobahn, and the Suzuki was not really suitable for that. Paid even less than for the Mercedes.


A friend of a friend used to have the same car and gifted me some spares, including a spoiler for the rear. After fitting that, I spontaneously decided to turn the whole thing into some kind of a rat bike. Brought me and some friends to Croatia and back.

Unfortunately, the engine had some issues at some point and it felt like it was only running on 3 cylinders. Could not be fixed for reasonable money, but managed to sell it for almost the same money I bought it for.


5: Opel Frontera
At that point I went hunting regularly, so needed something that would do in the forest. Really liked that car. Unfortunately, the head gasket died and it made no financial sense to repair it.


6: Honda NTV 650
My first bike, had just gotten my motorcycle license. Got it super cheap. Was bothered by the 90s look and the colour, so decided to paint it. Was a solid but maybe a bit boring bike. Sold it for more than I bought it for.




6.1: Audi A4, LPG conversion
Forgot about this one. Probably my most reliable car with also the most km driven. Had it for years, moved it to Berlin, Hamburg and Scotland with me.
Unfortunately while living in Scotland and being on the way home to Germany with the car in Germany for Christmas, the wheel bearings and rear suspension started acting up. Unfortunately, it is impossible to get a mechanic between Christmas and Newyears in Germany and I had a ferry back to catch, so the most sensible thing (or not) was to buy a new car in Germany and drive that one back to the UK. To be continued in "9"


7: Honda Win 100 (Chinese clone)
Bought it in Laos (Vietnamese reg) for 200 USD and drove it through Laos to the southern tip of Vietnam. Tons of stories with this bike. At some point, I was driving it without a drip of oil for almost 100 km. Lost a good chunk of the little power it had, but it survived despite the engine seizing up multiple times. Managed to sell it for 150 USD


8: Honda Win 100 (another clone)
Was in Laos again a year later and despite the fact that I was there for only 2 weeks, decided to buy a bike. Bought for 200, sold for 150 again.


9: Ford Mondeo
As described in 6.1, my Aui had issues, so I bought a UK-registered car in Germany and drove it back. Unfortunately, that car was even worse. Wheel bearings sounded like a German Stukka in attack mode, not heating with the outside being -10C and a horrible smell of wet dog.

We somehow made it back to Scotland, where I sold it for more than I bought it for.


10: Honda VRX400
First bike in the UK. Got it dirt cheap. Gave it a little makeover with some spray paint. Drove the NC500 with it. Did not have a proper pillion seat, so sold it, again for more than I bought it for.




11: BMW X3
Bought as a replacement for my Audi. Not a bad car, but not good on Scottish roads. And super expensive to repair. Was sold when I moved to India (for less than 2 lakhs)


12: Yamaha Diversion 600
Bought after the VRX. Inline 4-cylinder. Again, dirt cheap. Someone tried to steal it just before I moved away and broke the full front.


13: Another Diversion 600
Bought for less than 20k, purely for spares


14: Royal Enfield Himalayan
Bought it after 3 weeks in India. Had a really bad experience with a rental bike in my first week here, so decided to buy one.


15: Ford Mondeo
In 2020 I was stuck in Germany for about 8 months due to Covid. Got this there as a work car. Needed to fit a lot of tools etc. Unfortunately died due to some injector issues. o one was willing to repair it. In the end, gave it away for free, and did not even get anything for scrap. :(


16: Kawasaki KL600
Spontaneous buy because I started to miss my Himalayan. Buying a Himalayan in Germany was too expensive, so I got this cheap ride. Still sitting in my friend's place in Germany and waiting for some TLC to get back on the road.


17: Renault Kiger
We needed a car for work here. I would usually always buy used vehicles, but after looking at some and the state and price of used cars here, we decided to get an affordable new car.


18: The famous Baja RE
Enough said about that one


19: Suzuki Samurai
Always wanted a 2-stroke. RX100 and RX130 were too expensive, so I ended up with a cheap Samurai. Got it a bit modified, for the first time I did it not myself but paid someone, but I really like riding this bike.