Bike choice.
Oh and as for bike choice for americas trip, after reading pretty much EVERY post on the subject here on the hubb and advrider.com, the clear choice for myself is the KLR650.
The suzuki dr650, bmw 650gs or r100gs being the runners up. Now this subject has been discussed/argued over ad nauseam. Just do some reading on both sites for info on that debate.
However I would like to throw my 2 cents in on the KTM.
From what I understand these are incredible machines for adventure riding. BUT, I'm not so confident in the reliablty of such a high strung beast nor the availability of parts/service on a trip south of the equater. The KTM is quickly building a reputation around the world, but for now it's still a specialty bike for niche riders with a big bank account.
The aftermarket is slim and pricey compared to other more time tested bikes.
You could buy yourself a low mi. KLR already set up with panniers, grip warmers bash gaurds tkc80s etc. etc. and still have enough left over to pay for gas all the way down for what a brand new KTM will cost. Plus you'll have the confidence of riding a proven mule that the developing world is more familier with if anything does go wrong.
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