Bike for Canada to S. America

[This Is Mark]

Hi, everyone. I've been reading here and over at ADVrider for several months and planning a pretty big ride. I'm still undecided on a few factors and the bike to use is one of them. I'm planning to ride from Canada down to South America. At this point I am unsure about riding through Central America or boxing the bike up and meeting it again in South America. My main goals are to ride through the USA and through Argentina, Chile, and Peru, spending the majority of my ride time in the S. American countries.

As far as bikes go, I have one local dealership, with other dealerships about a five hour round trip from me. The local dealership has the two bikes I'm most interested in, anyways: the Suzuki DL650 (Wee-Strom) and the Suzuki DR650 (no cute nickname). The Wee would suit me far better for North American riding and riding at home, because I'm not big on off-roading, due to previous serious injury. I'm just wondering if the DR650 would be better for South America, which is where I'll spend most of the time riding on this trip.

All the ride reports I've read are by people who love hitting the trails, so I'm not sure whether or not there were sealed roads as alternatives or not. If I can do South America on pretty much all sealed roads I'll go for the Wee, for sure. But if a fair part of the time I'll have to ride on muddy roads and whatnot, the DR seems like a better choice.

Any opinions or things I missed? Obviously, I have left out a ton of details, but I didn't want my first post to be a book chapter.

[MountainMan]

Welcome to HU.

Based on your comments, go with the DL650.

It's a a good match for your personal preferences, there is a lot of highway just to get down, a DL with a knobbie. front tire cab go an awful lot of places, there are a lot of route options with good to decent roads so you can avoid most of the worst roads when you are down there.

Happy planning. What province are you in?

[Gipper]

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the HUBB,

It sounds like you already want to be on the V Strom so go with that, if you have a bunch of time and want to get off the beaten track the DR is the better bike, but for a trip with tighter time constraints and sticking to pavement the V Strom is far better at eating up highway miles. If you stay off Ruta 40 you will only have to ride a few hundred kms of well packed gravel through Tierra Del Fuego down to Ushuaia, but as MountainMan mentioned with a TKC80 or similar up front the Strom can do Ruta 40 no problem.

What is your time frame ? You can ride from Canada and be in Panama city ready to ship to South America in a month with long riding days - taking 6 weeks would be less of a rush and you'd see a bit more. Alternatively you could fly the bike straight to Santiago or Buenos Aires and spend more time down there, then ride it home. You could also just buy a bike down there and save on shipping costs, do your trip and sell it on again.

[This Is Mark]

Thanks for the welcomes and replies, guys. Hmm. Two for the DL and one for the DR. Good explanations for each vote, which is what I'm most interested in, rather than just tallying 'em up.

Originally Posted by MountainMan

What province are you in?

I am in Alberta.

Originally Posted by Gipper

What is your time frame? You can ride from Canada and be in Panama city ready to ship to South America in a month with long riding days - taking 6 weeks would be less of a rush and you'd see a bit more. Alternatively you could fly the bike straight to Santiago or Buenos Aires and spend more time down there, then ride it home. You could also just buy a bike down there and save on shipping costs, do your trip and sell it on again.

You know, I had it all worked out and then I started reading more ride reports and blogs and now I don't know which way is up anymore. Lol! I plan on taking about four months for the trip, though, with the majority of it down in S.A.

Originally Posted by Cleland

See you in SA

Sounds good!

[Gipper]

Also factor that in stock trim the DR is not a good bike, the seat is horrible, the tank is too small, the suspension is way too soft and it has no screen, it will take ~$1500 and some wrenching time sorting these issues - but out of the box you can just put some luggage on the V Strom and its ready to go.

The current model 650 Strom is probably one of the best sorted and reliable bikes out there, 3 friends have 2013 models and they have been bombproof, modern FI is reliable and nothing to be scared of these days. If you like tinkering and wrenching the DR is great, but if you just want to put gas in a bike and ride it go with the Strom.

I was very close to using a 650 V Strom for our trip and for probably 60% of our trip on the sealed roads we did it would have been a lot better than the DR - long highway trips are not the DR's forte.
The DR shines when your on loose gravel, I'm one of its biggest advocates - a well sorted DR is one of THE best travel bikes out there IMO, but for the trip you describe the Strom will be the better bike.

[juanvaldez650]

Vstrom will work as would a multitude of other bikes including KLR650, Versys, etc. I would guess about as many folks use KLRs as anything else. That is what I'm using '07 KLR.

You know that you will have to ship the bike Panama/Columbia?

[This Is Mark]

Originally Posted by Gipper

Also factor that in stock trim the DR is not a good bike, the seat is horrible, the tank is too small, the suspension is way too soft and it has no screen, it will take ~$1500 and some wrenching time sorting these issues - but out of the box you can just put some luggage on the V Strom and its ready to go.

The current model 650 Strom is probably one of the best sorted and reliable bikes out there, 3 friends have 2013 models and they have been bombproof, modern FI is reliable and nothing to be scared of these days. If you like tinkering and wrenching the DR is great, but if you just want to put gas in a bike and ride it go with the Strom.

I was very close to using a 650 V Strom for our trip and for probably 60% of our trip on the sealed roads we did it would have been a lot better than the DR - long highway trips are not the DR's forte.
The DR shines when your on loose gravel, I'm one of its biggest advocates - a well sorted DR is one of THE best travel bikes out there IMO, but for the trip you describe the Strom will be the better bike.

Thanks, Grif.

Yeah, to be honest, although I can appreciate a bike that's easy to fix, I'd prefer a bike that potentially doesn't need to be fixed as much. I used to enjoy tinkering, but then I owned a couple of cars that were total lemons and the fun gets taken out of it when you should be at work instead of trying to get the darn thing going.

As for customizing a DR, there are some that pop up now and again all farkled out. For instance, check out this baby, from a guy who was looking at almost the same trip as me. I think I may have actually spoken with him by email when he was still trip-planning. Shame he has picked up some health issues. But, great bike!

Originally Posted by juanvaldez650

Vstrom will work as would a multitude of other bikes including KLR650, Versys, etc. I would guess about as many folks use KLRs as anything else. That is what I'm using '07 KLR.

You know that you will have to ship the bike Panama/Columbia?

Thanks, Juan.

Yeah, KLRs are quite popular for this trip, I've noticed. I had them on my shortlist for a while, but recently ruled them out for a few reasons (nothing that makes them a bad bike). I'd prefer a DR if I were going for a more offroad-oriented bike.

And yes, I'm aware of the Darien Gap and its associated challenges for travel. I've been researching this for quite a while. So much to know, though. And of course, some things you only find out when you're in the thick of it. I've already visited or lived in about a dozen countries. I've never been south of the US border, though.

[Gipper]

Originally Posted by This Is Mark

Thanks, Grif.

Yeah, to be honest, although I can appreciate a bike that's easy to fix, I'd prefer a bike that potentially doesn't need to be fixed as much. I used to enjoy tinkering, but then I owned a couple of cars that were total lemons and the fun gets taken out of it when you should be at work instead of trying to get the darn thing going.

As for customizing a DR, there are some that pop up now and again all farkled out. For instance, check out this baby, from a guy who was looking at almost the same trip as me. I think I may have actually spoken with him by email when he was still trip-planning. Shame he has picked up some health issues. But, great bike!

I agree, when you spend more time wrenching on it than driving it, the fun can go out of working on vehicles, but I enjoy working on motorcycles anytime though!

That DR looks OK, my only concern is 530 kms in 9 years, if it has potentially not been started for a few years the top end can dry out, causing extra wear on the rings/bore the next time it is started - but maybe that's just me being overly cautious. Even after our 7 month winter here I turn the engine over 4 or 5 times for about 10 seconds each time with no gas to get the oil moving to the head before I fire it up. Also has anything been done to the suspension? that is the DR's weakest area when stock.

Its hard to ignore a good used DR at half the price of a new V Strom......

[ridetheworld]

You can get round most of South America sealed, but you could end up missing out a lot of stuff. That said, most places of interest should be able to be reached on gravel roads, which can be done by practiaclly any bike. In the end, choose the bike that you will most enjoy riding, and not like a Strom 650 is unreliable or a guzzler.

[Garry_Kramer]

Originally Posted by Cleland

take the simpler bike, one you can do the valves, no radiator to break , no fuel pump, no bull. Just sort it so that it is comfortable.
IMHO the DR 650 is reliable, simple and quite comfortable, with a reasonable range to boot.
If you find that it is, or was, sold in the countries you will travel through even better..
sometimes you want to go down the dirt road..those are the ones that go to the interesting places.
See you in SA

That is why I bought the KLR650. Easy to fix on the side of the road and lots of spare parts everywhere. I start my trip from Edmonton to Ushuaia on Aug 30. The range on my KLR is about 380 km, a lot more than the stock DR.

Garry

[Mad Mex]

To stay with the Suzuki-options, romanian friends of ours traveled in 2012 / 13 from Alaska to Ushuaia with 2 people on a 650 V-Strom. They brought the bike from Romania to US, through the trip and back to Europe nearly without problems.
Traveling alone, I´d prefer an Enduro, but then lighter and a little bit harder than the DR650.
For comfort, some speed and as we travel mainly as couple, I´d go with the V-Strom without any doubt.

Andreeas and Alexs Bloq from the Americas with Gunnar, the DL650:

Micadu International – Across Americas – Journal

Saludos

[PatOnTrip]

Hi Mark,

I did the ride from Canada to the end of South America in 6 months and it was too quick. Since you mentioned that you have 4 months for your whole trip, the bike selection is easy. you will not have time for much offroad riding. You will spend you days on paved road which means that go for the DL650.

Since you are interested in Chile, Argentina and Peru mostly, i would fly directly to Chile and buy a bike down there. Enjoy myself, sell the bike at the end of the trip and fly back home.

As for visiting USA, there are many great places to see but since it is relatively close to your home, i would visit USA in another trip later.

Patrick
PS: Personally i would not consider any bike without a real skid plate. Beside rocks damages from offroad riding, I don't remember how many stair steps i broke riding my bike up stairs in hotels. Seeing the managers faces as you race your engine before flying inside their hotels was priceless!

[mollydog]

Originally Posted by PatOnTrip

Hi Mark,

I did the ride from Canada to the end of South America in 6 months and it was too quick. Since you mentioned that you have 4 months for your whole trip, the bike selection is easy. you will not have time for much offroad riding. You will spend you days on paved road which means that go for the DL650.

Since you are interested in Chile, Argentina and Peru mostly, i would fly directly to Chile and buy a bike down there. Enjoy myself, sell the bike at the end of the trip and fly back home.

As for visiting USA, there are many great places to see but since it is relatively close to your home, i would visit USA in another trip later.

Patrick
PS: Personally i would not consider any bike without a real skid plate. Beside rocks damages from offroad riding, I don't remember how many stair steps i broke riding my bike up stairs in hotels. Seeing the managers faces as you race your engine before flying inside their hotels was priceless!

Agree, four months is NOT enough time, and like Patrick says ... skip the USA on this trip, do it another time.

Buying a local bike in S. America is possible ... but in MANY cases can take a lot of time to get all paperwork legal and on the road. In Chile it often takes a month or TWO to receive proper paperwork, other countries are possible ... not sure how long or short a deal can be done and get you on the road. It does not always go to plan and can eat up a lot of time, hotel rent (while you wait) and more. If you had professional help, the whole process may be able to be speeded up.

But riding down is expensive too ... and don't forget to add around $1000 to cross from Panama to Colombia over the Darien.

Another option is to ship your bike from Florida to Colombia. (something I've been looking into) It's about the same price as shipping cross the Darien.
You could Freight (by truck) your bike to Miami (or ride) then ship to Colombia.

Now you've got most of your 4 months to see Colombia, Ecuador, Peru', Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

You need to get over your fear of riding off road. You will encounter gravel and rough dirt roads in S. America. Get you head into it, you'll be OK. The Wee Strom with TKC80 tires is really pretty good off road. With low pressures it handles quite well off road. I would avoid Mud, deep sand and super steep trails ... but for just about everything else it's good.

Downsides to the Wee:
Crash damage: I would fit good crash bars. What knocks out a Vstrom is radiator damage, water pump or hose damage. So bash plate and crash bars are in order, IMO. (that's the beauty of the DR650 ... good crashability!)

But with Bark Busters on handlebars and crash bars you should be fine.
Try to relax and improve your off road technique. Look FAR AHEAD and STAND UP. Both help a lot off road on the Wee.

The Wee is low maintenance, easy to work on (relatively) and a lot TOUGHER than it looks. Still, you may bust up the plastic some, but mostly the bike can take a beating and keep going.

I put 90,000 miles on Vstroms, now riding a DR650. I do more off road so the DR is not bad ... also good on highway (for me) ... if set up right. Stock is not good. The V-Strom is fast and fun and most likely you'll be 80% on paved roads with a few All Season dirt roads in the mix.

[AnjinSan]

Hi Mark,

I think one important detail is if you will go alone or with a pillion. If solo riding then I think you have a lot of options and to be honest, I would not go with the DL650 or even not with the KLR650 but with something lighter/smaller. And yes this is coming from a DL owner and an absolute fan of this model. But there were times in our trip, especially in S. America, when we struggled with the heavy bike on some roads (think sand, mud, wash stone after rains).

DL650 is not a very heavy bike by itself but then again after you add all the luggage and another person on the back seat... well you can still pass on pretty "off-roady" paths but (for us at least) without that much fun...

So that brings me to the second point... if you will travel with a pillion then... I think that there is no much point in choosing a lightweight bike as you would sacrifice a lot of comfort and speed, but you would still be quite heavy (2up and the luggage for necessary for 2up).

So in short, what I would do:
- if travelling solo: go for something really lightweight that I could take almost on any kind of road.
- if travelling with a pillion (or if off-road is not really your main plan) then DL650 all the way.

In our trip mentioned by Mad Mex we did more than 57000 kilometres without any real problems to the bike. And our model is a 2007 model, which we bought second hand.

Now our bike is getting close to 90 000 km and is going well. I hope I will be able to say the same after twice as many mileage...

And yeah a big +1 to the bash-plate. Do NOT go there without one As soon as Mexico you will meet the famous TOPES

Good luck and do not worry, regardless of your bike choice, you will have a lot of fun!