I received some helpful advice and here is the result - "So here it is . What I have been dreaming of for the last few years. The picture was taken in Bombay, the day I bought it. It is a 1995 model, first registered in 1998. When I got it there was about 3,000 miles on the clock. The price? Three and a half grand. More than I wanted to spend, but for more or less a new bike in perfect condition ... the right price I think.

I had to put it on the train to get it to Darjeeling as the monsoons and road conditions meant it was going to take too long to ride across. Before putting it on the train in Bombay I had to wrap up the whole thing in bubble-wrap and sacking. I arrived at my station 42 hours later, at 3am in the morning. Went to get the bike off and was told that it will not be possible to unload as other parcels had blocked the door. After pleading, waving money around and threatening all around was told to go to the end of the line on the train and then unload it, put it on another train and then come back the next day. So, another 12 hours to the end of the line. 6 hours waiting on the platform, then another 12 hours back to the station I want!!

It finally arrived at my station 30 hours late! Was it worth it? Hell yes. It is the perfect bike to have here. A journey by jeep here from Karmi to Darjeeling now takes 3 hours due to the roads being in such a state at the end of the monsoons. On my bike the other day it took half that time, and oh boy, what fun!

In fact if anybody wants a biking holiday in the Darjeeling, Sikkim area then I'm your man. I have got a couple from the UK coming out in November for a 12 day trip. They are hiring an Enfield 350 from a friend of mine and then traveling around the area, staying with me at the farm for a few days en route.

The story I got in Bombay about the F650 is a strange one. BMW India imported 100 F650s into Bombay in 1995. The original asking price was very high and only a handful were sold. Then in 1998 they decided to try and get rid of them again this time cutting the price by half. They were 
overun with buyers and a first come first serve basis was introduced. So all these bikes are 1995 models but most of them were only put on the road by 1998.

For me here in the hills it is the perfect bike. I am still getting used to it and you have to be always on your toes when riding around here. Potholes that you could disappear forever into, landslides you have to cross with a 1,000ft drop on one side and the everyday oil and shite that goes with Indian roads. It is the only bike of its' kind here and it does attract a lot of attention, but I get so much fun out of it it doesn't bother me too much. Nobody has seen a bike with a radiator before and I get questions like, " Is it a diesel?", " Is that the air-conditioner?". Needless to say I answer "Yes" to both! - Andrew - http://www.karmifarm.com/karmi/content/intro.htm

back to owners images