Motorcycle Adventure Touring

Repairing a plastic fuel tank on the road

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 03:33:00 +0000

Cut a plastic milk or water bottle into small pieces, and put them in a can. Tuna cans work very well for this. Build a small fire to melt the pieces to almost boiling and pour it over the crack in the fuel tank, forcing the hot, gooey stuff in as far as you can. Smooth it out with a spatula or tire iron. When it cools it will have a good, strong seal and last for a long time. You can also fix cracked battery casings the same way.

Finding Rooms for Rent in Latin America

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:19:00 +0000

The best way to find rooms for rent in most cities, especially the small ones, is to talk to the women who work at the pharmacies and supermarkets. Another good source of information is the men who work at the gas stations. But the women at the pharmacies tend to steer one toward the safer lodgings.

Many times these rooms for rent are not official, therefore there is no sign out in front advertising that they exist, nor are they in any guidebooks. The only way you will learn of their existence is word of mouth.

Laundry Soap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 14:31:00 +0000

In most supermarkets throughout Central and South America, you can buy a big block of glycerin laundry soap for about a dollar. This will last for months of washing your travel clothes at night or every other night.

Quick, Cheap and Easy Motorcycle Alarm

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 18:16:00 +0000

In the US, JCWhitney offers an alarm in their motorcycle catalog that clamps to the handlebar. I have used them on many of my trips and they work pretty well. One thing I do is let it go off for about ten seconds when I set it at night, so anyone watching with bright ideas will get discouraged and move on to easier pickings.

Here's a link to the little rascal

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/tf-Browse/s-10101/Pr-p_Product.CATENTRY_ID:2001372/p-2001372/N-111+10211+600014362/c-10111

Bigger Fuel Tank?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 16:13:00 +0000

Check out Just Gas Tanks. They have about everything, and great prices as well.

Their link is http://justgastanks.com/

Yahoo Group with a lot of information

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 15:10:00 +0000

One of the best Yahoo groups for people interested in motorcycle adventure touring is mcadv_touring.

The link is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mcadv_touring/

Motorcycle Rental and Repair in Mendoza, Argentina

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 01:41:00 +0000

Ruben Loza runs RideArgentina, and rents out Kawasaki KLR 650s and Honda Transalps. He also has a shop and provides service and spare parts for KLR 650s in Argentina.

His phone number is 54 9261 4728485

email is lozaruben@yahoo.com or info@rideargentina.com.ar and the website is www.rideargentina.com.ar

Idiots on Bulletin Boards

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 19:22:00 +0000

"I've never ridden the (insert model here) so I might be talking rubbish," is a quote taken off a bulletin board where some yoyo was attempting to offer advice to a neophyte interested in a particular model. This genius than went on and on explaining the advantages of the bike he rode over the model he never rode, couldn't afford, and knew nothing about.

One thing I hate about the world of motorcycles is the experts who have read all the brochures and navigated internet sites, and see others as someone they need to impress with the knowledge they have gleaned from these sites and free handouts. They do not know what they are talking about and should be taken to the edge of the village and beaten with sticks.

Mechanics and Spare Parts in South America

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 18:55:00 +0000

The best place to get you motorcycle worked on in Spanish speaking South America is Santiago, Chile. Most of the major manufacturers have distributors there, and the mechanics are excellent. A great contact for all your motorcyle related questions is Mario Molina, his email is mmolina66@hotmail.com

One of the best independent mechanics in Santiago is Jonny, at Jonny Motos. He works on and can fix just about anything. His numbers are Shop- 2229926 and Cellular- 093301408.

If you get your wheel bearings replaced in Santiago, you can get Japanese bearings, and not the Chinese crap you seem to find everywhere else these days.

For tires and oil changes, most of the major cities will be able to help you. My experience is that you should stay away from the shops that cater to "motorcycle travelers", because you will pay on an average 25-30 percent more than you would at a normal shop catering to the local population.

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, a great resource for tire and oil changes is Motocare, Av. Libertador 6588, Capital Federal. Their phone is (0110 4782-1500 or 4787-1573. Email is info@motocare.com.ar they can put tires on and change your oil while you wait, and judging from the quantity and quality of used motorcycles they have for sale, are pretty well regarded by Argentines. They are very easy to find.

I have heard Brazil has some great mechanics and shops, but was thrown out of the country and haven't tried to sneak back, so I can't say.

If you need help in South America

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 18:53:00 +0000

If you find you need help with a motorcycle or travel related problem, the best resource a motorcyclist has is Rutas y Motos.

Their website is http://rutasymotos.org or http://www.rutasymotos.org/

Occasionally it doesn't work. Keep trying, and eventually it will.

Overstay your welcome in Argentina?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 19:54:00 +0000

Many people, at the end of a trip through South America, decide to leave their bike in Buenos Aires. There are motorcycle shops that cater to this aspect of travel, and the charges are usually about $20-30 per month. Once you get back home and realize just how broke you are and that you are not going to be able to save in eight months the same amount as you were able to save in five years, you soon realize there is no way you are going to get back to Buenos Aires before the 8 months are up.

Here are some FAQs about how the Argentine Aduana treats vehicles which exceed the time allowed in the country. This FAQ is by no means complete, nor should it be strictly relied upon in making decisions.

Q- So what will happen to my bike if I leave it in Argentina for an indefinite amount of time?

Once the owner of the place it is stored realizes you are not coming back soon, parts will start to disappear off it. Then you receive an email that the bike got stolen.

Q- Will I have any problems if I decide to come back in a few years with another bike?

Yes. There is a good chance you will not be allowed to enter the country with your vehicle.

Q- Can I give my bike to anyone?

Yes. You can leave it to Argentina.

Q- Can I sell it to a fellow traveler?

No.

Q- What if I come back for it after my time is over?

Your bike will be confiscated when you try to leave.

Q- What do I do to get it back?

You pay a fine.

Q- How much is the fine?

At least 30 percent of the value of the bike, plus other fees.

Q- Can't I just say I paid $500 for the bike like I did when I registered it with the DMV?

No. The Argentine Aduana decides the value, not you. There is a person in the Aduana's office who's job it is to determine the value of your bike. He or she will first see what it sells for in Argentina. It will be more than $500. A CBR600 that has a list price of $8999 in the US sells for $17,000 in Argentina. If he can't find a value in Argentina, he will go to the internet and see what the bike sells for in the USA, then add a percentage, usually a high one. This is when that idiot on cycletrader.com that thinks his bike hasn't depreciated in 10 years will hurt you.

Q- Can I appeal the fine?

Yes You can get an attorney, explain your case to the Aduana and hope the fine gets lowered. It will not get dismissed.

Q- How much does this cost?

About a month of your life and half of what you would have paid to get the bike in the first place.

Q- Can I make a Power of Attorney and let a friend cross the border to give me more time with the bike?

No. The bike will be confiscated because what you are doing is against Argentine law. You will have to come to Argentina and pay a fine to get your bike back.

Q- Can I tell the Aduana I lost the temporary importation papers?

Yes.

Q- Then what happens?

Your bike gets confiscated and the Aduana contacts the Aduana at the place you claimed to have entered into Argentina. After a few weeks or months, they get an answer back and calculate the fine.

Q- Can I blame my inability to take the bike out of the country on a medical condition that I had treated in my home country?

Yes.

Q- Then what happens?

Your bike gets confiscated because it was illegal for you to leave the bike in Argentina when you left the country.

Q- What is the best way to resolve this situation?

Once the Aduana has confiscated your bike, you are pretty much at his mercy. You are better off taking the paperwork to the Aduana and trying to work out the details of your fine without your bike. You are fairly safe traveling throughout Argentina in the meantime, especially in Buenos Aires province. You will pay a fine. Accept it. Once you pay the fine, you are free to come and go, just like before.

Q- Does the fine increase with time?

No.

Q- What is the best way to prevent this from happening?

Leave your bike in Uruguay. You have a year, and if you overstay it, there are ways to resolve the situation cheaply. Email me for details.

Flulike symptoms from Mexico to Peru

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:38:00 +0000

People report experiencing flu-like symptoms while traveling from Mexico to Peru. I think it is caused by all the particulate you breath. Your body just goes nuts reacting to all the crap coming into your lungs, including, but not limited to, quantities of polverized human excrement and unburned hydrocarbons.

BMW or KTM

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:32:00 +0000

If I had to choose between the BMW and the KTM, I would pick the BMW. I have put over 300K miles on BMWs, and they have been decent bikes.

KTMs blow up

As much as it pains me to supply fodder to the Beemer Weinies who take their GS Adventurers loaded with every touratech accessory possible no further than the nearest Starbucks, where they prattle on about the RTW they will never take, KTMs don't even come close in terms of reliability. You will be stuck, it will be catastrophic, and it will be expensive. And the guy in the hut will try to repair it with a welder.

Read some of the things that have happened to people on the singles in long trips, or even trying to use the things as daily drivers. The motors come apart. They are worse than KLRs. And that is saying something. So go with the lightest one, because you will be pushing it in and out of pickups a lot.

The problem with the KTMs is that they don´t use enough oil in the crankcase. Now that they are in use and fairly common, a large number of riders are reporting catastrophic engine failures that occur in the 12-18000 mile range. Oil wears out, and 2 liters is not enough for a high performance large displacement single.

Great Language Courses

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:31:00 +0000

the Pimsleur course, published by Simon and Schuster, is easy, comprehensive, and gives you a good command of the language as spoken by an educated person.

The Pimsleur Spanish course is more like they speak in South America than in Spain or Mexico. It is a very neutral spanish, and like all their language courses, teaches you to speak like an upper middle class college educated individual, and not like the local lettuce picker.

Ship by Air to South America

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:30:00 +0000

People sometimes decide they want to ship their bike by sea because it is a lot cheaper.

You might be surprised at how long you have to wait for your bike. I know of a German couple who waited more than eight weeks after the scheduled delivery date for their bikes to arrive in Valparaiso.

The best way to ship a bike to the southern cone, from what I've seen, is to send it on a plane to Santiago. It takes you about an hour and a half to get the bike out, and the freight forwarder might even meet you at the airport and expedite matters.

Shipping by air out of BA took me the good part of three days, and I speak fairly good Spanish and had a very attractive Colombian woman with me.

The Best Endurance Saddle

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:29:00 +0000

Russell DayLong

This is the best saddle made. Many of the Iron Butt riders swear by them, and I've gone several 700-1000 mile days in it. They put them on anything, and I've seen photos of them on lots of BMWs, Honda Helixes, KLR650s, and DRZ400s. They aren't cheap, but you do get what you pay for.

Here is their website:

http://www.day-long.com/

good Book for women interested in riding motorcycles

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:28:00 +0000

Read "The Perfect Vehicle," by Melissa Holbrook Pierson. Not only does she address your questions, but she also describes the best motorcycle in the world and why she chose to ride it. I recommend this book to every woman I deal with who wants to start riding.

Asking lots and lots of stupid questions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:27:00 +0000

After a while, lots of people who are thinking of eventually planning long rides and bugging the heck out of various shipping departments and veteran travelers stop having their emails replied to and their questions answered.

I think this falls under the "go bother someone else for awhile" category of response. A lot of the people who work in these companies like to ship bikes and talk to the riders, sort of living vicariously through us. We're exciting and different and have interesting stories that take them away from the daily humdrum of million dollar shipments of fruit or cd players. But when you start taking up too much of their time for your one time shipment, and taking them away from the million dollar clients that keep them in business, they begin to feel annoyed. Believe it or not, these companies are doing you a big favor shipping your bike, and you are an insignificant and time consuming client who doesn't contribute a heck of a lot to their bottom line. And that's when you just do as they say and don't ask a lot of annoying questions to make sure you are getting the absolute most you can for the least amount of money possible. Now you have annoyed them. Let's just hope they don't lose your bike.

Shipping costs to and from the Cono Sur

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:25:00 +0000

It should cost about $1000-1500 each way

I paid a little less than $1000 to ship my Quota from Buenos Aires to Miami. It is about the size and weight of a BMW GS. It was strapped to a pallet and wrapped with shrinkwrap, then measured to figure out the charges. This was in April 2005.

I paid a little less than $1400 to ship my MZ Baghira from Miami to Santiago in December 2005. This was done in an open crate, after I removed the handlebars. The good thing about an open crate is that Customs can verify the VIN without taking the crate apart.

I did the Buenos Aires- Miami arrangements myself with the airline and Argentine customs, and it took three days. A freight forwarder, BDP International, (2775 NW 82nd Avenue, Miami, Florida 33122 United States Phone: 305 592 8872Fax: 305 592 1929) did them from Miami to Santiago, and it took about 10 days to get the bike, due to 9/11 and other US Customs regulations and the fact that I was shipping right before Christmas when all the planes are full.

To ship out of the US, the bike has to be on a Cargo only flight, and they aren't as common as passenger flights, and the bike has to sit for three days after Customs has accepted the paperwork, so they can come and inspect it.

Suzuki single cylinder overlander

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:16:00 +0000

A great bike to consider if you are going to do a lot of dirt during your travels is the the DRZ400S, also rebadged and sold as a Kawasaki KX400. Better components, similar hp, and lots of aftermarket support. It will move down the road nicely at 90 mph. The motor is bulletproof (not that I've actually tried to shoot at one) and they leave and never return to the dealerships. See if someone can hook you up with the $49 yosh slipon.

Lots of power, great fuel economy, excellent parts availability and manufacturer support, high quality components, good aftermarket support, I would not hesitate to consider a well sorted DRZ400 for a long ride. I saw one for sale once that was used in a Malcolm Smith guided Baja ride that looked almost perfect for a RTW. Big tank and Russell Daylong saddle.

Mixing Synthetic and Mineral oils

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:12:00 +0000

Someone said, "try not to mix mineral and semi-synthetic oils, as they will separate."

Into what? I hear this from time to time, and it really makes no sense. Semi-synthetic is a blend of synthetic and mineral base oils, and they don't separate in the bottle, as far as I know. And the actions of the motor would seem to me to stir the different oils up pretty well even if they did separate.

I think this is an old wives tale/ urban legend.

Places to see in Baja California

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:12:00 +0000

El Rosario is great, Mama Espinosas and the hotel next to it. Great food. Also, try the French Hotel in Santa Rosalia.

Proof of Insurance in Argentina

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:11:00 +0000

You will be asked for proof of insurance to enter Argentina, and periodically while traveling the country. If you can't produce proof of coverage, your bike could be confiscated. There are plenty of places on the borders to buy it, or you can show them your insurance card from home, as long as it is for the bike you are on.

You may be asked to show proof of coverage entering Uruguay.

How to handle the people who want to test ride your bike

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:10:00 +0000

They give you all the money, and then you let them ride it. If they drop it, it's theirs.

If they won't, they probably don't have it to begin with.

You would be surprised at how many muttonheads just want to go out and testride someone else's bike.

Shipping back and forth doesn't make sense

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:08:00 +0000

I have shipped bikes to and from South America from Miami. It is expensive.

You would be better off shipping one to Santiago, meeting it there, and then trying to sell it to another traveler in Uruguay and flying home from there. Or you can try to buy one in Santiago, and sell it when you leave. Some travelers advertise bikes for sale in these cities. Some are reasonably priced, others not, but most are pretty well used up.

It is a hassle bringing one in via air to Brazil, and can take days to clear one in Quito. Same goes for Venezuela. Bogota is cheap and easy, but you might want to get your South American legs first before tackling Colombia. Plan on at least $3000 to ship to and from South America from Miami.