Darian Gap, alternate methods..
 

Im currently in Turbo, Colombia, building a boat to be powered by two KLR's to get to Panama. Its a orange 1964 life raft we found in disrepair on the beach. Im certain moto power has been used before for this crossing, overland for example. I forget his name?? Has this ever been done in similar style to us? Who else has ridden the length of the Americas reliant only on their motorcycle power?

As you can probably gage im looking for a title to warrant all the effort and risk we have put ourselves through in recent weeks.

You can but may not be legal, or that good of an idea. I have seen it done, but a outbord motor may be best way. You can make the bike a inbord motor on a shaft drive. You brace the bike in the back run chain from the frunt sprocket to a prop shaft with a sprocket welded to it. here are some that have. 14' ski boat to convert to inboard w/Motorcycle power - Boat Design Forums

Some vids of someone that did Motorcycle Powered Boat

Some things to think about you will be crossing 100 miles of open ocean in this thing at a a slow speed and there is little help along the way. You will also need to cool the motor down as the KLR needs air moving to do the cooling and there will be little air moving to cool it.
If all you want to do is get around it hire a boat or fly over. If you want to do this on your boat get an outbord for it.

Just looked at the boat of yours looks like it will do you can replum the water cooler and run it on the outside of the boat with longer hose or use ice chest and pump water in and out of that. Look out for rust and running salt water in your bike is not a good idea. A DC fan will also work but you will need a doner out of a car for that may want to use a jumper car battery as well, no need for lights so your bike may have the out put for that. You may want a bigger prop to drive the boat and a good size rudder. Just take a video and pics and post befor you go I want to see this thing run hehe.

Thanks DLbiten.

Love your thoughts, all things hopefully have been considered and fortunately the boat has a prop shaft that pops right up in the middle. Old radiator submerged might be the go for cooling. Legality in the major hurdle at the moment, might just have to do a runner as my visa is due to expire as well.

But has anyone got accross the Darian on moto power?

The Darien has been crossed by motorcycle - Ed Cuthberson and Helge Pedersen come first to mind. Also by Rokon trailblazer, jeep etc.

By boat around - of course it depends on your definition - millions of sailboats etc, and probably even canoe, but not motorcycle powered that I know of.

Good luck and keep us posted - post your story as you go in the Ride Tales section!

World’s first amphibian KTM


This was on a river, not the open sea mind you. Whatever kind of boat you end up building. just make sure it has a bar and somewhere to tether your goat.

Hi Mike, just a quickie, being an innocent abroad, what do you do with the tetherd goat when the bar closes? Ride (sail) safe.

Being your own boat, the bar would never close. The biggest danger apart from drowning or sharks etc would be running out of rum. Re the goat, I believe the drill is to 'dispatch' it and get the BBQ going.

Alternative Sheeping....
 

Having fresh water aboard, or a system of converting sea water to water you can drink, might be the most important consideration. Unless, of course it is the rainy season, and then be sure to carry tarps and water bottles to collect and store the rainwater.

As for the tethered goat, what a great idea! Years ago, in San Francisco, I remember seeing emblazoned on the marquee of an adult book store, "PLASTIC BLOW UP SHEEP, NOW AVAILABLE." A blow up sheep may be less hassle, and if the raft sinks, you could also use her as a required flotation device.

Best of luck, xfiltrate

Eat, Drink and Be Careful

Thankyou guys,

Now on the shopping list are two floating goats to be tetherd within design specifications. One for a BBQ breakfast and the other to trade for rum when it runs dry. As we need two it will certainly help in price negotiations, might even get the detonators thrown in for free!

For the first time in a month ive seen other bikes pass through Turbo, an American, English man, New Zealander and a Colombian, we were very proud to show off the work in progress.

Anyone passing through, please come via Cactus for beer.

I didn't know you were serious.... Now I do.....
 

Before I availed myself of your web site:

Four Strokes of Luck

I was in the dark regarding your substantial adventures, your accomplishments the expertise and the luck you bring to your Darien Gap, moto-boat Colombia to Panama adventure. (That boat was quite a find, a real treasure)

It pleases me to know that, through the now "2" inflatable sheep that will be on board, "technically tethered floating goats" (TTFGs) as you prefer to call them, i have contributed in some small way to your monumental task.

I noted, in one of the hundreds of excellent photographs and videos you share on your web site, that one of the crew was using an electric razor plugged into his motorcycle's electrical system. Might I suggest, that the blow up sheep might be inflated via an electric air pump also plugged into his motorcycle.

And, might I also suggest that you do not mention Bar-B-Q nor "trading for more rum" in the presence of the "2 technically tethered floating goats."

Just a thought,: It might get pretty lonely out there on the high sea. And, mentioning any plans or any device that might lead to their demise, may make courting them much more difficult than it needs to be, or not to be?

On the other hand they might enjoy the idea of an a spontaneous swim with the crew.

Now how about a good idea or two for our motorcycle parking garage in Buenos Aires... you would not believe the motley crew of international characters that pass through our garage.

Elisa and I, are permanent residents of Argentina but have traveled much of your route and your planned route (35,000 K) before and we will be on the road again in December, when do you sail?

Eat, Drink Cuba Libres, and be Careful xfiltrate and Elisa

1 Tethered swimming goats may end up being bait for bigger fish than you might really want to catch!

2 Inflatable chickens are also available

3 Having seen the African KTM paddle boat before on his own website at the time, I think the reason the KTM engine lunched itself was because its not designed to sit at idle for hours at a time, head lubrication only really happening at (road) cruising rpm? So you may want to look into additional lubrication depending how your head is lubed?!? ;) Or gear it to use more revs, with a lot more sound proofing?!
I suppose more revs = more power = more speed so you'll probably leave the noise behind you above 30 knots? :)

Good luck!

j

Good news!!

The boat is alive and working, a few little adjustments and we will be off... Its tied up in the military compound, beside several other boats confiscated in the last month after a narcotics inspection, there is a stockpile of hundreds out the back...

We have had to write an engineering report to get the permission to pass which we have put up on our web site, should get a few more pics up soon enough but there is a video we have made.
Thought id let you guys know..

Will be putting it up for sale eventually as well... any takers??