South America 2023

Jaz Newman

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Hello to whoever reads this post,
My name is James and I've been thinking about doing a road trip to South America for years and I've decided that I'm going to do it next year.
I would take any advice you have for me about things like what bike to use for the trip = do I bring a bike with me or hire/buy one there? and my missus would preferer if I went with a group of guys or an organized tour (then which company to go with)

So to say that this will be a big deal for me to choose all of the above questions above, and hopefully someone will answer this post and get the ball rolling.

Thanks in advance guy's.
 
Jaz


It would be well worth going onto Horizons Unlimited and also Advrider.com as there are a lot of people on there who have travelled in that area, and lots of information; there are also regularly bikes for sale down there which seems to be the most cost effective option. Although I have travelled a fair bit in S America, mostly it’s been backpacking apart from a moto trip in the Peruvian Andes.

One other tip: learn some Spanish (eg Duolingo) as it will be a big help (DAMHIK��).

Rereading your post, I see you are thinking of maybe going with a company or tour - in which case, do take lots of references, the people I went with in Peru were pretty bad and their motorcycles not really roadworthy (head bearings gone, cheap Chinese chains snapping, absence of basic maintenance). And run by a Brit, to boot!

Good luck in your research. It’s something I have considered doing for a while (the brother has lived in Brazil for many years) so do keep us posted.
 
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Touring South America is easy enough but a few things need to be put forward first. Time, South America's a big place so 6 or 12 months would be good, the seasons are reversed, when would you plan on getting/leaving here? If you don't have much time, I'd concentrate on just a couple of countries Peru/Bolivia, Chile/Argentina, there's plenty to see no matter where you decide to go. Maybe get the Mrs out at the end of the tour to take in Machu Picchu and other delights of Peru together.

Money, if you're loaded there's a few companies that do tours, I know Compass are quite popular and if you are after smaller trips, there's plenty of BMW dealers that do tours or bike rentals. In Chile there's a street (Lira) just full of cheap Chinese bikes that would be considered disposable if you can get the mileage out of them. Quite a few travellers finish their journey off in Ushuaia around Jan/Feb so keep a look out on Horizons for bike sales around then. If you do take your own bike, you should be able to maintain it on the road and there''s plenty of big dealerships around for spares, but South America is not as cheap as people like to make out, after covid like the rest of the world inflation has been horrendous.

Also what experience with on/off road do you have? Lots of fun to be had off road but then the risk factor comes into it.

Get your Spanish (Latin American) lessons underway. Having a few basics under your belt can be of great help.

So many questions, lets start off with the four basic ones. Time. Money. Experience, and maybe the most important, what would you like to see of South America? It's a big place, no point in racing past it all, take it in a little at a time.
 
Hello Jaz, I lived in Chile for 4 years but quite some time ago 1999 - 2003. The Mrs is Chilean born although now Dutch and goes back every year. I also travelled extensively in ALL Latin America to all countries except Paraguay and the small countries in the top right.
Things have changed a lot since i was there but can recommend going with a tour as much as possible. Chile and Argentina are great; Peru, Ecuador and Colombia all have their risks. Brazil is also risky especially in the big cities with violent crime.
I can give you a lot more info off line if you PM me with your ideas
 
great info

Hello Jaz, I lived in Chile for 4 years but quite some time ago 1999 - 2003. The Mrs is Chilean born although now Dutch and goes back every year. I also travelled extensively in ALL Latin America to all countries except Paraguay and the small countries in the top right.
Things have changed a lot since i was there but can recommend going with a tour as much as possible. Chile and Argentina are great; Peru, Ecuador and Colombia all have their risks. Brazil is also risky especially in the big cities with violent crime.
I can give you a lot more info off line if you PM me with your ideas

Wow that was really good info you sent me and I will reply to you over the weekend when I'm not working so hard lol

but in the meantime thanks a million.
Jaz
 
Hi John, fantastic to see how much really good responses I'm getting and I will give a lot more info about myself and what I'm thinking about over the weekend.
 
Thanks Simon, I'll be replying to all of you guys on Saturday but until then a massive thanks to you for the great reply.
Jaz.
 
Hi Jaz.

i see you are Wexford based.
Have you seen fellow wexford man Ian Horan's trips on Instagram. ( Ianhoranphotography ).
 
If you have not already it would be well worth watching the Itchy Boots episodes in South America on You Tube - especially if you fancy seeing some of the less travelled and off road parts
 
Hi Kritou, Yea I've been following her and she's a fantastic person with an amazing judgment of situational awareness and she speaks several langue's which certainly help her in some sticky situations.
I'm 63 but luckily I'm fit and strong now so this is why I'm planning to do it before old age catches up on me lol
 
So I said I would explain some more about the first post and here I go, I've been dreaming about doing a long road trip ever since I saw the Long Way Round and maybe even before that I'd been thinking about just being on a bike traveling around Europe or where ever and I now feel that the time has come to just do it.
I have 5 bikes 3 of them would be suitable to do the trips once they get fully prepped, they are all BMW's an R80gs a R100GS/PD and a R100 Mystic BUT after watching so many YouTube videos of people doing longer trips on smaller and lighter bikes I'm beginning to wonder would I be better off getting a lighter bike????

the Honda have the new 300L or a KTM or similar could be a good option with soft luggage = less is more! anyway that Question can be answered later but in the meantime I just need to arrange time off work, decide where I start and where to finish my trip, with things like will I be bringing the bike back with me or selling it there to someone who wants to do something like what I was doing???

For me I'd like to do it with one or more guys or even a tour operator who has a nice rout planned, so now you have a better idea of what I am thinking about, if anyone has anything they would like to suggest to me I would really appreciate it.
 
So I said I would explain some more about the first post and here I go, I've been dreaming about doing a long road trip ever since I saw the Long Way Round and maybe even before that I'd been thinking about just being on a bike traveling around Europe or where ever and I now feel that the time has come to just do it.
I have 5 bikes 3 of them would be suitable to do the trips once they get fully prepped, they are all BMW's an R80gs a R100GS/PD and a R100 Mystic BUT after watching so many YouTube videos of people doing longer trips on smaller and lighter bikes I'm beginning to wonder would I be better off getting a lighter bike????

the Honda have the new 300L or a KTM or similar could be a good option with soft luggage = less is more! anyway that Question can be answered later but in the meantime I just need to arrange time off work, decide where I start and where to finish my trip, with things like will I be bringing the bike back with me or selling it there to someone who wants to do something like what I was doing???

For me I'd like to do it with one or more guys or even a tour operator who has a nice rout planned, so now you have a better idea of what I am thinking about, if anyone has anything they would like to suggest to me I would really appreciate it.

I've been waiting for this info from you.

I did the long trip from Ushuaia; Tierra del Fuego to Prudhoe Bay; Alaska two up on a KTM 990 in 2011/12. I went back in 2018 on my Africa Twin XRV 750 and circumnavigated Argentina because I wanted to do the full length of Ruta 40 from Km 0.

My recommendations are: Moto freight to fly your bike to Buenos Aires from London and use Sandra and Javier (Dakar Motos) for the customs procedures and to arrange your Mercosur insurance.

If you want to go as far as Columbia use Lynn Cargo in Bogota to return your bike.

Highlights will be many, Torres del Paine in Chile, Agua Negra pass between Argentina and Chile, Carretera Austral in Chile and the cloud forest and bird life in Mindo Ecuador are my lasting ones.

You need plenty fuel carrying capacity - especially in Argentina; I had 45 litre Safari tanks on the KTM.

You will meet corrupt police on the Pan American in Peru.

Hostel accommodation will save you money and you can usually park your bike in a safe place.

You will meet fellow travellers and have a great time.
 
Still a bit unsure on your time off and looking at shipping your bike wouldn't be a problem but buying a new bike to ship over just for the trip might be a bit much. As you say no need for monster adventure bikes, I've met many on little Hondas but most are on middleweight machines (650s). Linda who had her 70th birthday in Bolivia was touring on a CG125 and some crazy French man had one also but carried a paraglider with him. A couple of 5 ltr jerry cans will get you by, I bought a couple of coke bottles to get me sorted, before I got hold of some petrol containers. Bolivia can be a real pain to get hold of petrol being a foreigner, not impossible but not paying the foreigner tax or they can't be arsed to serve is works against you.

Accommodation is everywhere, but in my eyes it's always nice to have a tent on standby. It can get quite windy on the road so riding with a crosswind can be a bit concerning. look at some of the commercial tours to pick out the highlights you would like to see. It's a big place, when I arrived there I thought I'd be in Ushuaia for New Years, nip up to see the Dakar and then over to Rio for Carnival. In reality that was never going to happen. Down south in the summer you'll never be alone on the Carretera Austral, it feels like the M5 with the amount of tour operators and the travellers shooting up and down, which can be handy if you do need help. Ruta 40 a bit more on the quieter side and a few get aways and into the wild a bit harder going on the gravel but they may have sealed a few more miles since I did it.

Heading into the central region of S America gets you crossing into a few different countries, Brazil is big enough to have you tied up for a long time, also it's all about the weekend, party party, young or old they do love to salsa all night long. Heading across back to the west coast and up you get lots more touristy things to see and do which can take you all the way up to Colombia where most would say is the best biking country in the whole of S America. I'm pretty sure all those that have been there will have no regrets and will have left with many good memories.

I'm back out to Chile in a month or so and have just been shocked by the increase in airfares, so I'm sure the cost of air freight has also gone up. Maybe buying a cheap and cheerful over there might be the way ahead.

Like I say, it's a big place and best not to rush it.
 
Hi Deise, I bought his old GoPro gear off him a few years ago and I have spoken with him on the phone and I had forgotten about him as a good guy to get some advice from him but I'll be reaching out to him now.
:aidan
 
Hi Wilbjr21, ho man I think you have had some amazing trips out on the big open roads and in some amazing places as well, as you can see from the fantastic responses I'm getting from the guys here, I'm getting loads of solid advice on all sorts of topics and I'm making loads of notes under different headings so that I don't make some of the mistakes that you guys are warning me about now.
I'm looking into a few options for early next year and hopefully I can keep you guys updated on any new developments if anyone is interested that is.
Thanks for reaching out to me man.
 
Jaz, Just seen this on the FB Pan American page. It's a bit early for you but maybe the rider will know where he can store it, if you were interested. Also if you were to get out earlier, it would give you a nice bit of time to ride south to hit Ushuaia at the right time.

PanAmerican Riders Association
Sixtine Chetor · 9h ·
FOR SALE – MOTORBIKE VOGE RALLY 300
Voge Rally 300
Year 2022 - Chilean plate
Estimated mileage at time of sale : 20,000 kms
Available from late July/early August in northern Chile.
My adventure coming to an end, it is with regret that I sell my "Cocotte". Bought new in Chilean Patagonia in March 2022, this bike allowed me to travel the Carretera Austral to Villa O’Higgins, then to Ushuaia, before crossing all Argentina by the famous Ruta 40.
It's a great bike, very fun to ride and reliable. In 15,000 kms (including 3000 off-road), I encountered absolutely no mechanical problems.
To tell the truth, I wish I could bring it back to France !
- ABS front and rear
- USB port
- The front tire is still in good condition, the rear tire will be changed soon and will therefore be at the start of its life
- 11 liters tank - Low consumption: 3 to 4 liters/100km - 5 liters side jerrycan sold with the motorcycle bringing the total fuel capacity to 16 liters.
For more technical details and photos: https://vogespain.es/modelos/300-rally/
All paperwork is OK:
- "Permiso de circulacion" and "SOAP" valid until 03/31/2023
- "Certificado de Homologacion Individual" (acting as technical control in the case of a new motorcycle) valid until February 2025
The procedure for buying a vehicle by a foreigner is quite simple in Chile. For more information, see this very comprehensive article (in French) : https://www.google.com/.../ta-comment-acheter-une.../amp/
Of course I am available to help with the formalities.
The maintenance of the motorcycle was done seriously (maintenance book provided).
The motorcycle will be sold with spare tubes and some tools. My motorcycle outfit and helmet will also be available for sale if interested.
For more information (photos, price...), do not hesitate to contact me !
 
Hi Jazz, I shipped my 2005 Dakar to SA in 2019 and have been riding it in stages through most of SA since then. The ride will finish in Oct/Nov 2023 in Cartagena, Colombia. The bike is UK plated and will have done approx 40,000 miles by the time I sell it. Let me know if you want to take things further.

Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk
 
Hi Geoff, I only looked at the web page late last night and seen your post, so thanks for reaching out to me. I have a loose plan to do my trip early next year so as of yet I don't have a date, I have also been contacted by a guy on here who is also looking for someone do join him so we will be trying to come up with a plan and once I know more I'll get back to ya.
Thanks for the message.
 
Hi Jaz,

I spent eight months in ‘17-18 going Ushiaia to Canada and I would agree with all the other people above.

I’d start in Sept/Oct and fly into Santiago, Chile (with Moto Freight). No need for customs help, MF deliver your crate and all you need do is unpack, sign some forms and ride away. They’ll brief you.
Start at Casa Matte, hostalcasamatte@gmail.com initially as they are bike people, bikers stay there and swap stories and routes etc.

Head south into Chilean Patagonia because it’s amazing and easy to learn dirt riding there. Get some halfway knobbly tyres. I like the Mitas 07’s.

Down to Ushiaia and back up Ruta 40.
Atacama desert, La Paz, Peru, but for God’s sake leave the Pan American. It’s a shithole. Get up in the mountains. You’ll take longer and burn more fuel but you’ll love it. We (wife and me on one bike) came down once and it was so shite that we headed back up after 50 clicks.
Equador and Colombia next! Lovely mountainous countries.

That trip is a superb trip but if you want to carry on you either fly over to Panama or catch a boat like the Stalleratte and head north. Mexico is a marvellous country.

Use MAPS.ME to get around as Google maps are way off on timings.
Use Booking.com for accommodation and secure parking. Take a tent if you like.
Use Chris Scott’s Adventure Motorcycling Handbook as a primer before you go.
Halve all the shit you want to carry.

Smile and engage with people. Learn the language now on Duolingo.
 


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