I also pre-purchased Mexico insurance and it made it that much easier though it can be bought at the border.

I suggest we all buy it in advance so we can basically breeze through.

I recall the Mexico insurance being the most expensive single item as well.  It it was worth it to ride that amazing country.

Is there a single company for insurance, or did you have to contract with several?

Mexico is the only one I am aware of that had what I would call real insurance that must be in place and I recall it being somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 but it may have been less or more as I am struggling to recall.

The rest of the countries were $20 here or $30 and probably extra “fees” that never got reported. Who knows? I know that the border crossings weren’t that bad expense wise. Paperwork and aggravation are another story. Even so I was never held up more than 45 minutes to an hour tops.

But I made sure to take many copies of everything so I didn’t have to track down a copy machine. Whatever they asked for I was ready to produce.

But Mexico as a whole was much more professional. You had documentation issued and you better have that same documentation when you leave. They actually checked the VINs. Honestly, a pleasure to deal with.

ETA: I am recalling now that I did my TVIP (vehicle import)and insurance a month or so before I went. I was across the border in ten minutes and hauling ass out of the danger zone.

I saw in some videos that in SA they give you an entry doc when you cross a boarder into a country and must have it to turn in when you leave that country. It was repeated every time the rider crossed a boarder.

My experience stops in Panama.

But it is my understanding from talking to others that South America is actually quite a bit more "organised" than Central America. That's putting it kindly.

In the next few months I will start studying hard on the entry and exit requirements. The good thing is on ADVrider there is always someone who has just passed through wherever it is you are going so first hand info is easily obtained.

This thread cost me 8k so far. I see some Florida guys here, I haven't ridden in 25+ years. Any of you guys local to Fort Myers/Cape Coral area? I have a year to prepare the body, the mind, the bike, the family and the job for this, so here's to making a go of it!

I’m in Port St. Lucie

I don't have any experience riding through south America, but it looks like something I would be interested in doing.  I ride a sport touring bike.  I don't think this is the type of bike for this trip.  Does anyone who has done have any equipment suggestions?   Are people bringing spare parts, tires, etc?

When I think of riding around Europe, I picture an adventure bike, but for some reason a ride like this has me leaning towards something more like a dual sport.  A bit lighter weight and more aggressive tires for off road. Maybe the picture in my head of the type of riding you will be doing is not the reality.

I bought a 2020 DR650 after seeing this post. Took note of weight issues with this type of trip.

Obviously my choice as well. Actually I think there will be several DRs. The bike was made for stuff like this.

The problem now is you get to try to d figure out what you want to add. And add up it will.

I haven't had much luck getting a solid answer on who is planning on going as of now but I think

Mpatch: DR650 my mistake. A KLR250 Sherpa is his goal...if he can find one
GaryM: KLR or possibly something else
car_wash_guy: trying to work it out I believe but also a DR650
cardboardkiller: a fancy KTM I think
Red_5: a BMW GSA...I think?
BlackdogGS: I am guessing a GS
MisterPX: are you thinking yes?
Banditman: you seem like you are wanting to say yes as well?

Lots of equipment suggestions and all of it will vary based on which of us you are talking to.

I can definitely say you could do this trip on about anything but a sport bike might turn into a personal hell. I imaging it would have its belly ripped out in the first day on Mexican topes.

We will see a bit of dirt and mud. A dual sport that was set up for adventure riding could be great. But anything stock that claims it is adventure would be fine.

My main concerns would be fuel range and 10 hour days in the saddle. And of course reliability.

I will be taking a few spare parts but not insane amounts. Wheel bearings, sprockets, plugs, and etc.

We will go through multiple sets of tires. This trip is somewhere around 25,000 miles and dual sport tires aren't known for lasting a long time.

But the way, I got my mesh "shirt" today. Its an athletic fit  to say the least. I can pull it off but I need to see if this is what I want to wear daily for a month or more until we hit cooler climes.

Really well made piece of gear though.

How dare you presume I'm taking a DR....
Im on the hunt for a super sherpa.
like canoe kid and I discussed earlier if you can't spoon a tire or deal minor inconvenience this might not be the trip for you.

Mea culpa. I recall that now and indeed a Sherpa could be awesome.

Got my shit torn apart to get to the ACC2 wires for my phone mount with wireless charging. I hope I can remember how to put it back together.



Easiest way is to pull the TFT to run the wires through the opening, but you have to get to the wires by taking the headlight loose. ACC2 is switched power.




Trying to wrap things up so I can get away for a couple of weeks.

Well, mine comes apart with like 3 screws so...

Not my GSA though. My face was one of sheer disappointment when I changed the air filter the first time. Are you shitting me.

Yanking to tank on this thing to access the air box is some bullshit. At least I only have a 6 gallon tank.

Looks like an abused Transformer.

All I have to do is find one. They are pretty rare. I've been on the hunt for one for years. It's a lame bike but for some reason I've had a hard on for one for a while.

So I saw this thread last week, watched that 70's flick with the 3 dudes heading south. Drove 2 hours Friday to the closest dealer with one in stock, they delivered next day(Saturday). Wife calls off work Sunday due to a sick kid and I wake up not knowing that, freak out because I thought she had seen the new and unannounced to her bike in the garage and was pissed(not the case though!). So I got a chance to hop back on after 25+ years Sunday and put 140 miles on the cherry. Best part was in my driveway with my special needs neighbor who religiously rides his scooter around the neighborhood watch in awe as the shiny new bike stalls like 4 times trying feverously to leave the driveway cause the rider is panic stricken by being watched by his neighbor. Needless to say I took off yesterday and did another 140 and I'll be back out today. Last night was the first order, Modular helmet to supplement the one the dealer had on hand at the time, racks and luggage, pegs and relocate mounts, SEAT, gas tank, springs(cause I'm fat), skid plate and some better mirrors to get started. I'll piece her together on the weekends bit by bit as I adjust back into riding.

I love that you went all in. Its really the only way to approach it. A million things can happen in the next 11 months but you just have to say I am going and do every thing possible to see it through.

You need to order an oil change kit from procycle as your 600 mile service is just around the bend. Do all of your services yourself as you might as well get used to it.

It sounds like you haven't watched Long Way Round and Long Way Down yet? They may be the single most influencing factor on getting ADV motorcycling where it is today. Yes they had support and we won't. But the series are very watchable and ignites the imagination. After that there are a lot of great documentaries out there to watch. Tough Rides: China, Tough Rides: India, Tough Rides: Brazil. Somewhere else tomorrow. C90 adventures on youtube as well as Itchy Boots that everyone seems to love. There is another called Himalayan Heroes I like really well too. Not to mention the insane amount of trip reports on ADVrider Epic trip reports.

As for my DR I am doing or have done the following:

NSU fixed (yours should be good)
Seal retainer in place (yours should be good)
Bar risers with fat bars
Heated grips (almost a necessity)
Barkbuster Hand Guards
Cogent Suspension ($$$)
Safari 7.4 Gallon tank
GSXR MUffler
Carb Jetted
Tusk Racks and Panniers
Moose top rack
320mm front rotor  kit and stainless brake lines
Acerbis polymer skid plate
Sargent seat
LED light and turn signals
Upgraded stator so I can run an electric vest
Wolfman waterproof tank bag (I couldn't live without a tank bag when travelling)
MadStad Windshield
Case savers
Lowered pegs
vapor dash (maybe)
folding mirrors
Upgrade the cush rubbers if not replace with double bearings (A DR specific thing)

So there you have it. All I have to do is spend the same amount I paid for the bike to begin with and it will be perfect.

I have also dropped the forks and greased the steering bearings and will do the same on the swing arm shortly. Right before I leave I will put on new sprockets, chain and replace the garbage stock wheel bearings.

and then there is tires...

Truthfully you don't have to do any of the above. But I enjoy it and the improvements aren't for looks, they genuinely improve the comfort or performance by degrees.

While I am at it I guess I will do a list for additional items I will be taking…

Spare parts and tools for the bike:
Spare cables taped alongside existing cables.
Spare wheel bearings
Spare sprockets
Spare spark plugs and oil filters
Spare tubes and patch kit.
Complete but minimal tool kit
Chain breaker
Tire inflator
Tire irons
Duct tape
Loctite
Tire lube

My crap:
Aerostich Darien suit
Mesh armor which will likely get shipped home from South America
Multiple pairs of gloves, especially for colder climes. Gortex for some pairs
Aerostich glove covers for the truly bad days
Gortex riding boots
Some sort of warm tights
I have seen some ¾ length insulated pants that have me intrigued.
Soft shell jacket liner
Exotogg inflatable vest (maybe)
Heated vest (maybe)
Mesh skivvies, 2 pair
Wool riding socks, 3 pairs
Some sort of tech t-shirts, 2
Beanie
Maybe a wool sweater for layering but it is bulky and a luxury
Some sort of walking around shoes
Flip flops
Towel
Jeans, 1 pair
Hat because I am bald
scarf

Other stuff:
Individual first aid kit including surgical glue and tourniquet
Medication for altitude sickness
Imodium, sweet Jesus Imodium
Sunglasses
Bandannas
Sunscreen
Hydration bladder
Sleeping bag and bivvy sack for emergencies (I hate this one because of the space required)
Sleeping pad and pillow, both inflatable and very compact
Flashlights and batteries
Inreach GPS tracker and sos beacon
Spanish dictionary and phrasebook
A ton of copies of all documents
Passport
Paper maps
Spork, probably plastic (sounds stupid, but you’ll see)
Can opener


And all this crap has to fit on the bike which is why I am working so hard to reduce what weight I can on the DR.

I am sure there are other items I have missed.

Tip

A 3/8” ratchet extension or a wrench long enough to get both hands on and some paracord makes a pretty good field expedient spring puller. I couldn’t find my spring puller when swapping out kickstands, so I knotted, looped and wrapped paracord around a 3/8” 8 or 10 inch long extension and pulled the spring off and put it back on. I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work with a tire spoon unless the spoon was too long and got in the way.

I don’t have one made up at the moment or I’d take a pic.

Hondo Juiced Squeeze phone mount installed and everything back together except the windshield. Hopefully my Madstad shows up shortly.



It doesn’t work with my Otterbox Defender. I’m going to try a Lifeproof.

I would very much like to go.

When you started this thread I was in the middle of a cancer diagnosis.
Things were not looking good so my wife told me I could quit work and do what I want.
Well it turns out the lesions were benign and I get to keep my prostate. So it
would not be wise for me to lose my job. There is no way I could get that much
time off. I am close to retirement (less than 6 years) and need to put those years
into my pension. I did get a nasty infection from the biopsy that nearly killed me.
Felt like that anyway.

I will live vicariously through you guys like I did when Red_5 did it.

As a DR650 rider, I would definitely do the dual bearing cush hub with the polymer rubbers if going on a long trip.

I am seriously considering this trip.  I wish I had a better understanding of the type of terrain and itinerary planned. I am looking at motorcycle options since my current bike is not capable, and find myself wondering how a group of guys with heavier adventure bikes with big gas tanks, are going to mesh with guys with lighter dual sport bikes with less range before they have to fill up.  I would personally pick a dual sport if I knew that frequent stops for gas and technical off road riding is likely.   Prolonged riding at highway speeds would likely favor an adventure bike with windscreens and larger tanks.  Decisions, decisions.  If we are all on similar bikes it certainly makes it a lot easier to plan and execute, not to mention we can coordinate bringing spare parts and pool our resources.

It’s probably going to depend more on bladders, asses and taints than fuel range.

The terrain I will be looking for is avoiding highways and larger roads as much as possible. Not letting the condition of the road or track scare us off be it mud, dirt, gravel or bombed out pavement. But not breaking trail or single track.

I think any adventure bike will be fine but the bigger bikes will have zero advantage. Their power won’t be used and their size will be more work. But that’s for the rider to decide. This is not the Pan-Am highway.

These international ADV trips are not what many perceive and this is 2020. Every year the condition of the roads improve.  But there will still be plenty of mud and dirt and it won’t stop me from going where I want.

I think a true dual sport like a KTM 500 would be a waste. I also did South America on a KLR that was overloaded. I loved it but I don’t personally want a bike that is any bigger. In fact I am intentionally shaving a lot of weight compared to that bike.

As I have said I think a 200mile range per tank is a necessity and even then a rotopax may be needed or at least wanted for peace of mind in parts of South America.

If we all have 200 miles of range then fueling isn’t going to cause any issues. Power definitely won’t make a difference as I think my average speed probably worked out to 35-45 mph.

What got me on bike weight and size wasn’t really riding down the track. It was the little things like turning around on an inclined cobblestone street. Or riding over a sidewalk and down a hallway into the hotel. Or riding up a small set of stairs.

On itinerary...

having every road mapped out is not what I consider a true adventure. I just picked a new town or some set of ruins I wanted to see and headed that way. I ran into amazing stuff every day.

I don’t doubt that there may be some things people want to see and I don’t see any reason that can’t be accommodated. Tikal, Mach Pichu, the Panama Canal, Belize, and the Bolivian salt flats just to name a few. We just make the road curve that way.

Plus I am absolutely planning on my wife flying down once or twice to see some of South America. Probably Peru for sure.

Loose confederation is the key word. We may end up hopscotching or we may end up holding hands the whole way. Everyone knows any decent man is going to offer a helping hand or assistance when needed but everyone should be prepared as if they were alone as we could become separated and shit happens.

The days of pioneering through the wilderness are gone. But make no mistake this is damn far sight from a run down to the local Walmart. There will be days when all of us will wonder what the fuck we are doing?!? And those will be the stories we all tell the most.

Thank you for taking the time for such a thoughtful reply. My thinking echoes yours.  I can ride on highways here in the States.  If it was a European trip I could see the benefit of an adventure bike like a BMW R1250, but something a bit more light weight and suited for off road is more mission appropriate in my head.    

For South America I doubt that I would ever break off from the group and go off on my own intentionally.  South America to me is definitely a safety in numbers kind of thing. As long as one of us isn't crazy or or a jerk to the locals.

I'm gonna keep my eye open for a DR650 or something similar. Can upgrade the tank and  set up pretty well for something like this.  Count me as a maybe.

I have been given the impression that the parts of South America we will see are actually a bit nicer than Central America.

However I can tell you none of it will be a big deal. Last time I was solo and had not a single issue. Common sense goes miles.

I am not too concerned.  Common sense and keeping eyes open is the way.

Hit 600 miles on the bike today, need to park it now and order the oil change kit......and a new set of handlebars

Probably the most important one you will do.

I went with the tusk riders and tapered bar.

If you are changing bars it would be a good time to throw on the Oxford heated grips as well. They are awesome.

And then there are bark busters.

And then...

With the possibility of getting bad fuel the remote cans can provide some confidence as well.
For some reason I saw that some stations will not fill bikes in SA and you needed a container
for them to fill and you would then fill your own bike. sometimes the stations do not have
containers. The remote can could come in handy in that situation.

Tusk Chubs and the Tusk adapters 7/8 to 1 1/8(3/4" rise in the adapter alone). Tusk D Flex Pro bark busters. ordered.

I know Red 5 did his Columbia trip with a F650, but the bike I would do the trip with is a Tiger 800XC with 25K on it.  I'd put a new chain on and redo the forks, but I would think it's not too heavy?  (I've done single track with this bike where guys passing on 2 strokes told me I was crazy)  Still, I don't want to be "that guy" where everyone else rides for 10 minutes and waits.   I've been in Mexico and Peru, where the roads would be fine, but I don't want to hold up the crew on jungle roads in Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, etc.   Should I buy a lighter bike?

Am I going to be the only one on a 1000 cc plus beast? You guys are going to have sore backs from picking my bike up.

I can reverse deadlift (or whatever you call it) this thing with no problems. I guess that’s one advantage to not being a giant. I haven’t done it while loaded with a bunch of gear in mud up to my ankles though.

I got the Madstad 18” screen and brackets and the Warm and Safe harness installed just now. I can say the Madstad made an ugly bike uglier.



I went ahead and ordered a Lone Rider Outlander 48. The 30 fits well, but it isn’t hardly big enough for the packing I’m doing for the trip I’m about to take out West. The attachment points and being semi-rigid make this thing great. I’ll strap it on the rear rack and the 48 across my seat. I might be able to get by with clipping the bags together side by side and only using tie downs for the front of the 48 and the rear of the 30.

I threw 6 pairs of jeans, 7 pairs of socks and underwear, two pair of motorcycle vented and padded underwear, and a neck gator in it with room to spare to fit it on the bike. My Dutch Shepherd finds it interesting.

It will be fine I feel certain. You should do the trip on whatever bike you want to take.

My overloaded and top heavy KLR was fine. I just knew I wanted a lighter bike when I came back. Not massively so but definitely lighter.

I will help you pick it up. It’s a beer for every lift after the first one of the day.

I took a lot of socks and underwear last time but ended up rotating just a few pairs with washing them in the sink at night.

This time I am worried about wet and struggling to dry at night so I will add a couple to the rotation.

Wool socks and high tech skivvies for the win!

That single track I mentioned a few posts ago.....   my buddy dropped his explorer 1200 about a half mile in and snapped the shifter off, in neutral of course , so I've pushed a pig thru mud and sand for several miles....    If the biggest issue is picking up a bike, I will be a happy mofo!

I am in Florida right now and thought I might could stop by Madstad for a new windshield until I figured out where they are. Nowhere near me in St. Augustine.

I really wanted to ride over there and get mine this week, but the weather and other shit came up. They are about 3 hours from me.

If the weather will settle down, I’m going to run up to Orlando to the Dainese store this coming week, unless my dealer has some Klim or other pants I like. I’m going Monday morning for a software update. The dealer is way more MX oriented than street or touring.

I had the Klim Badlands pro jacket for about 2 days. It just didn’t work for me.

The arms bit into my very average biceps and the sleeves are very long.

I also hated all of the bulk of the multiple layers.

The final straw was the fact the pockets are so tiny I couldn’t fit my gloves hands in. And I don’t mean it was tight I mean they were unusable.

I ended up with the Darien, the middle aged mans choice in ADV jackets.

What I got was a real fit, simple but robust construction and giant pockets in all the places I needed them.

Aerostich is old school and lame by new standards but five minutes of riding with it tells me an actual rider designed it for riding and not for looks. I can appreciate that.

Of course there are some modern materials in the new jackets which sounds great. But I have never seen anyone lose any skin in the old designs despite there being tons of after action reports.

I also tried the BMW enduro guard and experienced the same as the clime. Bulky as hell due to so many cool looking layers and ill fitting for a very average build.

The only thing I will change on the Darien is I will add a single snap to the bottom of the jacket to assist keeping the Velcro closed. I also wish it had a back rabbit pouch but the front pockets are absolutely enormous so I can live with it.

Well put

Something you guys might want to add to your traveling kit.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078HH5H3N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There’s a ton of different sizes, but I’d make sure I got some with buckles and not just get the cheap ones with just a hole punched in them. Cheap insurance in the tool kit that can be used for organization and securing stuff.

Several different sizes of zip ties wouldn’t hurt.

I’m piddling around looking at solar charging panels with or without a battery bank, but there’s this.

I’m hopefully headed out in about two weeks and I’m going to use this 5 or 6 thousand mile trip to sort out some of my gear.

I use the small ones instead of zip ties in place like strapping down cables and wires on the bike.

That way I can easily move them while I am working on the bike.