Climate
India
Owing to the size of the country and its climatic variety it is obviously not possible to speak out for all parts of India. Generally speaking the months from October to March are best to bike in most parts of the country. We had no rain on our Motorcycle tours in Rajasthan between October and March so far.
| New Delhi | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days max. temperature (C°) | 21 | 24 | 31 | 36 | 40 | 39 | 36 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 29 | 23 |
| Days min. temperature (C°) | 7 | 9 | 14 | 20 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 18 | 11 | 8 |
| Days w/o precipitation | 29 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
India - Himalaya Region
One obvious exemption is the Himalayan Region. July and August are the best months to motorcycle the worlds highest roads into Ladakh. The back side of the coin is that it is absolutely necessary to carry rain gear for bike rides in the southern parts of the Himalayas. Ladakh on the other side (of the mountains) sees annual rainfall similar to the Sahara desert. Although it´s sometimes nice to see some rain since it brings down temperatures it is nice to enjoy a "dry ride" as well.
| Himalaya Region | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days max. temperature (C°) | -1 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 15 | 8 | 2 |
| Days min. temperature (C°) | -13 | -12 | -6 | -1 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 3 | -6 | -10 |
| Days w/o precipitation | 30 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 |
Nepal
Without doubt the best time to motorcycle in Nepal is October/November. The end of the Monsoon leaves the country in bluish green, the climate is nice and the visibility of the mountains is good. The second-best time is the end of the dry period, from February to April. Weather is warm again and the wildflowers blossom. Winter nights are cold, but it warms up during the days and the mountain views are great. There is a likelihood of rain showers in October but these are usually short showers.
| Kathmandu | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days max. temperature (C°) | 22 | 24 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 35 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 23 |
| Days min. temperature (C°) | -5 | -1 | -2 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 10 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 5 | -3 |
| Days w/o precipitation | 30 | 23 | 29 | 24 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 18 | 27 | 29 | 31 |
Tibet
The best months to travel Tibet on a motorcycle are April/Mai and September/October which offer mild temperatures, clear skies and good mountain views.
| Lhasa (Tibet) | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days max. temperature (C°) | 7 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 9 |
| Days min. temperature (C°) | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 3 |
| Days w/o precipitation | 29 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 29 | 29 | 29 |