- Thin Air, Full Throttle - July 13, 2026
- Regular Tour Items - July 7, 2026
- Happy Birthday - June 18, 2026
Thin Air, Full Throttle, by Rajeev Bagga
I did not know what this book was about before grabbing it for Kindle, I just wanted something to read on another long flight and saw it promoted by motorcycle travel writer Spencer James Conway.
Turns out this is a guide book to encourage people to ride Ladakh India and mostly aimed at people who have limited experience touring or doubts about riding high altitude.
Since I have already ridden Ladakh and have considerable moto touring experiences I found myself skipping forward frequently and finished it in just a couple of hours.
Still it is well written and would get me interested in riding Ladakh if I had not already been. I also think most of the advice is good. The author runs moto tours there so the book does lean towards readers likely joining a tour and as such is a bit light on specific info for planning a solo ride.
I didn’t 100% agree with the authors suggestion that riders fly into Leh and do a tour from there. That certainly is the easiest option, and if renting it might be the only simple option but I think the classic approach of riding from Manali is far better scenery. That route is described by the author as very challenging but the scenery on the way to Leh from Manali was for me by far the best of my tour.
And I am not alone in thinking this. I wrote in my Ladakh ride report the road captain of my tour told us he felt the landscape on the route Manali to Leh was his favourite in the region. I’ve also read other riders say flying into Leh you miss out on the sense of achievement having ridden there from Manali provides. But can you currently rent a bike in Manali one way to Leh or even ride it in Leh? When I went there we had to swap to local bikes in Leh due to infighting between the towns. Info like this and on the road from Manali was missing from the book.
I do agree with the suggestion that riding in Delhi is best avoided. My tour took a bus from Delhi to Manali and that would have been fine if it had been broken into two days instead of one marathon day on the road. Another ride group in Manali just flew into there so that would be a good option too.
Personally I found joining a tour for Ladahk worked for me as I had some affects from altitude and could not ride every day. Also I am not experienced fixing flats on the RE tubed wheels and I might have struggled with the high altitude tent camping by myself where as the tour set everything up and had a supply of fire wood and beer in the truck. So if I went again I’d want to join a tour but one that starts in Manali.
It’s just a shame that moto tours have become so expensive now. The one I did has since doubled in price.
If you are thinking of riding the Himalaya’s and unsure about it then this book might be for you. Ladakh is a special place not to be missed. I also say the same about Northern Pakistan which I found even more jaw dropping, but both are amazing in their own different ways.
