How to Buy a Used Enfield

Transportation on the Train

A train is a great option to do really long distances.

Go to the Parcel's Office at the train station, which is usually somewhere near the back of the train station. You will need to check the motorcycle in 24hours or less before departure. At the very least do this 3 hours before your train leaves (gives you enough time to pack the bike, fill in the paper work, find the right platform etc).

You will need to take the mirrors off the bike and you must empty the petrol tank (although ours wasnt completely emptied and they dont check). When filling in the paperwork you must already have a train ticket and a photocopy of the Registration Certificate or the bike will NOT go on the train.

We paid 50rs in Calcutta for the packing guy to cover the bike with a plastic hessian bag and straw underneath it. Covers the head lamp, tank and the entire seat. Make sure they pack the exhaust pipe too.

Train from Kolkata to Chennai December 2007
* 1805 train fare at 1662Km's
* 37 booking
* 400 (value of bike at 1%. We wrote down 40 000)
total= 2242rs

We thought this 400rs was insurance and when we arrived in Chennai and discovered the exhaust pipe was damaged we were told this 1% was more like a stamp duty and no one was really interested in helping us make a claim! Better to write down a low price; so the next time we wrote 10 000Rs.

When we collected the bike the porters wanted an unloading tax. (just a scam) Another porter had already warned me earlier and told me not to pay more than 10rs to these guys. Which is what I gave.

Train From Margao to Jaipur March 2008
* freight charges for the bike 1745Rs
* packing charges in Margao 350Rs - Which is 7 times higher than Calcutta but we couldnt negotiate it down. We were at their mercy...

Comments
Can only load or unload the motorcycle at a major train station. That is, where the train will stop for more than half an hour.

If the cargo carriage of the train is full then they will send it on the next train. We were stressed by this when we caught the train to Jaipur as the train runs only once a week, which meant we would be in Jaipur for a week waiting for the bike to arrive from Margao. Ofcourse they cant say how full the cargo bay will be until the train arrives. (Turned out the cargo bay was empty :-)

Heard stories where a guy paid the cargo loaders some cash to ensure the bike was on his train. When he arrived at his destination the bike was not there- it was off loaded! For this reason I waited at the station until the cargo bay was sealed shut (the door is locked just before departure) to ensure this didnt happen to me.

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