Mendoza Argentina going South, follow our story...

[El Aleman - Jens]

Hi guys,

finally we made it to Mendoza, we arrived yesterday and we already saw our used bikes, which we bought through a friend...and got already insurance yesterday, here in Mendoza no problem, even that the bikes are foreign bikes! Will post the office later...It costs for 1 months, for Argentina and Chile around 65 Pesos, pretty reasonable! Today we are preparing the bikes and hope to go South tomorrow.

More Infos later - Jens and Udo

[El Aleman - Jens]

Where we stay:

Last night we spent at Damajuanahostel, pretty popular and nice, own restaurant, pool, BBQ etc. but not cheap. We stayed in a dorm of 8 and paid 20 US $ each...No motorcycle Parking.

Today we get our bikes and we switch to Hotel Castillo inluding Parking, double room with own bathroom 40 US $.

Taxi from Airport to Damajuana Hostel was 29 Pesos.

It's nice and warm...30 degrees!

El Aleman - Jens

[canadianmike]

Hey Jens,

Wondering if you had any problem with the paperwork of buying a bike from a foreigner in Argentina? It seems pretty tricky (or impossible) and I'd love to know how you got around it...

Best,

Mike

[El Aleman - Jens]

Yesterday we started the bikes and they run great! Today we left to the South, direction Manzano Historico and now we are at a nice campground in San Carlos, it is called Rosengarten. Pretty swimming Pool.

Next couple of days I will tell you more details - Jens and Udo

[El Aleman - Jens]

Hi guys, just wrote an big article, maybe too big, because when I wanted to post it - it disappeared - I can not believe it...

Okay, we climbed the Laguna del Diamante , 3700 Meters with 125 cc and 10 Horsepowers - they bikes are great!

Then we got to San Rafael, later to Valle Grande and a beatiful canon to get to Nihuil, this would be the best spot to watch the Dakar - we heard!

We struggled with locals through the high Sand Dunes of Nihuil, looks like Morocco! Then we walked, climbed up the Dunes for 1 hour...very hot!

Waited from 10 till 4 pm up on the top no race vehicle to see! Waht a shame! We came back to our bikes and once we left this area , Udo was in front of me - I heard an incredible rooooaaaaaarrrr from the back - a Repsol race bike shot by....Ahhhhh! Then he disappeared in the dust.

Seconds later 2 blue VW Tuareg Race cars came from the left - We nearly got a heart attack - couple of hundred meters later we found a safe spot and after 10 minutes we could enjoy watching the other racers.

What an experience - whenever you have the chance to see this Rallye - do it!

Jens and Udo

[El Aleman - Jens]

Okay - we left Nihuil, met the Rallye again the next day going South, then around Andacollo, Los Moches we tried to get Information how to cross the border with our strange custom papers...

We found on our GPS a little track going into Chile, west of Los Moches.
After driving around for a while we found the track. Of course unpaved, in ther beginning pretty easy, but as higher we got - very rocky and steep.

We were happy to be on this little bikes!

We were driving up the last mountain range and then suddenly a sign welcome to Chile National Reserve! We made it - without control!

20 Km later we found Chilean customs - they were pretty sursprised -

because nobody uses this path! There is no way out of this nice chilean valley, they told us! We couldn´t believe it... It was already 7.30 in the evening and they allowed us to camp there...

Jens and Udo

[El Aleman - Jens]

Did you know that the Customs cook well?

At least our new friends were pretty good - they invited us for dinner and breakfast - great!

What was not so good - we had to go back on this shitty 100 km Offroad track!

Then we got to Las Lajas, my engine, clutch sounded terrible, but I think only overheated... We got some new helpers, they thought they could arrange some paperwork for our bikes... God knows...

Jens and Udo

[El Aleman - Jens]

Now we are in Zapala

Ruta 40, Hotel Pehuen, if somebody is around...Working on our papers, having good beef and ! Yesterday we rode a very nice loop from Las Lajas to the border Pino Hachado, paved, and then on dirt south and back through Primeros Pinos to Zapala - hundreds of Araucaria trees - wonderful!!!

See you -Jens and Udo

[El Aleman - Jens]

So - that`s the fact - the customs in Neuquen took our bikes...

First they said in Zapala we should go there(Neuquen), pay a fine and then we could continue - no problem!

THis morning we got to the head office of the Province of Neuquen and after 10 min. we had no more bikes...

We were talking and discussing, there also works a pretty beautiful blond lawyer girlie...I think she thought it would be unfair, and after half an hour she took the whole customs office to a room in the back.

We were waiting for about 2 hours and then -


they told us we would get our bikes back, if we would pay a fine:

600 .- US Dollar per bike!

We nearly got a heart attack...we told them it would be too much.

They said we should look for an hotel room and come back tomorrow morning 8`o clock.

So we will see tomorrow...

See you - Jens and Udo

[El Aleman - Jens]

So, our trip is over,. just to let you know, but a lot of things happend....

First of all - the customs are not to bad, after hours of discussing in Spanish and 1 night in a hostal in neuquen - we got our bikes back - 150 US$ fine per bike...not too bad. And the best - we were legal then, so we had to leave the country with our bikes within the next 5 days to Chile.

We were free! We rode over Pino Hachado pass into Chlie and then to Pucon.
After the border we turned left on an unpaved track, in the beginning okay, but from Los Laureles to Villarica a pain in the a...terrible conditions. And it started raining, it was really cold...

El Aleman - Jens

[El Aleman - Jens]

We spent one night in Pucon, it seemed to be a nice place, nightlife, party etc. we spent a friday night here, with a lot of rain and our Fleece sweaters and rain jackets...the next day we rode to Osorno to visit some friends. My engine made already for a couple of days strange noises....

From Osorno back to Argentina - no problem - sun came back!

After the border, we followed first the road to San Martin and then into the Traful valley - what a scenery - very beautiful - not paved....washboard!

Nice campground after Villa Traful - Camping El Mirador - highly recommended!

We spent 1 night with nice people and great asado - mmmhhhh!

Then continued to Bariloche...engine noises were worth...

Jens - El Aleman

[simongandolfi]

Hey, Jens, great that you are mobile. If you reach Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego, stop at the Hotel Argentino. The owner, Graciela, is an angel. I was at the hotel five weeks with my leg in plaster. A one-legged doctor/biker friend of Graciela's set my leg in the kitchen. The doctor, Pepe Gonzales, lost his leg on a Triumph. Great guy. See photograph on my BLOG at cover
cheers and have fun,
simon

[Mick O'Malley]

Originally Posted by simongandolfi

If you reach Rio Grande in Tierra del Fuego, stop at the Hotel Argentino. Simon

Very sad.

Regards, Mick

[El Aleman - Jens]

Sorry guys,

our trip is already over, but i have you to tell about the noises...
So we made it to Bariloche and found a very good mechanic, I will post his address later. We took the engine out of my little Suzuki and took the whole thing apart...Every little piece was lying on the table - and the problem was?

The gearbox! 2 and 6 gear were totaly worn out, even some parts broke...a disaster! There were no parts available, if I would be lucky within 1 months they said...It was already tuesday and our plane left on friday from Osorno/Chile(around 300km away!). the mechanic offered to bring us with a truck to Osorno but I wanted to ride by myself! So what to do???

To be continued...

Jens El Aleman

[El Aleman - Jens]

After looking for spare parts, not succesful....I got back to the mechanic.

He asked me what to do - and I asked him if it would be possible to put everything back together without the 2. and 6. gear - why not?

Do I really need them??'

He looked at me and said I would be crazy....he never did something like this!

But I think I got his interest...after discussing half an hour, he agreed. So we put the whole thing together...It took us a little bit over an hour, not too complicated...

We cleaned the bike and put the engine back in. 2-3 kicks and it started like before...incredible - we didn't use even one new gasket!

Test ride around the corner - it works!

Little strange to ride around without the 2nd gear, but still okay!

He still said I am crazy when we left, but I got perfectly back to our campground - wit a big smile on my face!

Next morning we packed our stuff and started for Chile, after 15 min. I had a flat tyre - couldn't believe it...

Changed the tube, once on the open road I figured out then even the 3rd gear dissapeared...did we do something wrong? So I was shifting from 1st to 4th gear and then fifth...but still enough to get back to Chile.
The only thing was the pass road, if I would have to stop going up the hill....I would have to go back down to the flat to start again a catch speed...

To make it short - we made it on the first run! We got over the pass and back to Osorno without problems!

Thursday we parked the bikes in a friends garage, friday we flew out via Santiago - we had a great time!

If you want to hear more about our trip - see you at the 2nd HU Meeting in Germany, 21-24 of may, clos to Heidelberg!

El Aleman - Jens