South American trip from Colombia.
 

Hi everybody.

Now I´m so far that it´s time to start planning my motorcycle trip in SA. I plan my ride at a leisurely pace starting in Colombia. So the plan is to buy motocycle in Colombia and sell it back after the trip is over also in Colombia.

My wisher for the motorcycle would be :
1. Saddle height max 800 mm
2. Weight max 175 kg
3. Price about 4000 USD

I have considered the length of the trip to be 10-12 months,while the time is not important becuse I am retired.
I like to take it easy, learn about the local culture and language. At the same
time the plan is to bring a tent and cooking utensils. The overnight stay would be somewhere around 80% in accommodation and 20% im a tent. And 90% of the roads,would be paved, while big cities would be avoided.
I plan to start at the end of october.

A bit about yourself. I live in Finland. I bought my first bike ( Jawa 250 ) in 1970. Then it came Softail Springer in 1996. And Tracer9 in 2021. And TMax in 2022. Somehow like that.

I listen carefully to all sugestions. And sorry for my bad grammar.

Best regards.

For bike model I suggest Honda Xre300 or maybe the old but reliable Suzuki Dr650. They both fall within your wanted specs….

For route suggestions - stay away from the coast - keep it up in the mountains - theres where the fun is. Down in Chile you can ride to some coastal destinations and of course the Careterra Austral. Northern Argentina is fantastic too…

Hi Snakeboy.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have always liked driving in the mountains. I often remember you in Austria, especially on the Grossglockner Hochalpen-
strasse. I belive that those who have driven,there will have memories of it for
a lifetime.
Honda XRE 300 recommendation is very appropriate, I have also looked at this model myself.
Sufficient power approx 26 hp, good compression ratio 9,0:1, is nod bad.Dry
weight 148 kg is close to ideal.

Hower, I am concerned about the seat height of 860 mm. I know 100%, that
is a lot for me.
But the bike is super beautiful !

All the best.

Ah sorry, I really thought the XRE had lower seathight than 860 mm….

Other options are Royal Enfield Himalayan or the Hero X-Pulse 200. Both indian made but sold widely in south-America.

Hi Snakeboy.

Thanks for the answer. The world is constantly changing. Namely, I discovered for myself that Honda also makes a model with a lower saddle height. This model is the CRF 300 LS.

https://www.advpulse.com/adv-news/ho...horter-riders/

I understand that it has little to do with SA countries. But it´s good just to know.

However, as for the proposed models, I think that RE is not a partycularly suitable solution for me. But that´s just my opinion. I would like this second model more somehow.

There was also talk about the Honda 160 Cargo model here. It seems quite interesting. Indicators such as weight, tank volume and ground clearance are not bad. Also saddle height 790 mm

All the best.

The Crf 250/300 and its low seat option is hardly sold in south America me thinks as Honda have the XRE models there.

If you dont mind smaller bikes there is always the Honda XR150 that is widely in use in south America. Or maybe even better the Honda XR190 which is fuel injected and thus better at altitudes. There is also a XRE190 - but I dont know all the specs and seat hight for these models.

Another smaller bike that is available in south-America is the Suzuki Dr200 Se. 810 mm seat hight, 125 kilos wet weight, 13 liter fuel tank, 20 HP engine. Sounds quite nice to me….

Hi
I travelled through South America from Xmas last year to April so I have some recent knowledge which I’ll share - however, ‘viva la differance’.

You sound like a relaxed traveller which is the best way to be.

Route planning:
Things can change very quickly so it’s pointless to plan and definitely don’t book anything in advance. Civil unrest, weather and landslides influenced our route and trip.

Luggage:
The biggest factor with bike problems we came across were caused by overloading and riding too fast on washboard - we did neither and had no problems. In my opinion that 20% in a tent is not worth the weight - we met loads of camping carriers who thought the same.

Bike:
10% off road - Once your out of Colombia you’ll see mainly big adventure bikes (hundreds of them), the vast majority big BMWs and Triumphs, ridden by Brazilians and Argentinans. I would suggest a bigger bike, your travelling a long way in a relatively short time. The only people, we came across with, smaller bikes were 3 North Americans and a couple of Brits and we were in contact with 170 bikers (non Spanish speaking).
My wife had a Himalayan, which was fine, and we came across many other Himmies but after 20K miles she’s got trigger finger which is not healing. There are a few bike hire places with 250s but they’re used by people flying in for a 2 week holiday not a year long trip.
We flew our bikes in and out and the foreign plates enhanced our trip no end and I believe it was worth the extra money. My advice would be to buy a nice bike in Europe with say 25K miles on the clock (so it’s not too expensive), budget for shipping both ways, do your your 30K miles or so and come home with a bike full of history and memories and only 55K miles on the clock - I always do at least 100K on my bikes.
Oh, 10% off road - don’t discount a road bike we saw plenty, even down on the bottom half of the Caraterra Austral.

Anyway, just my thoughts - for what they’re worth.
bier

I have no idea what kind of trip you imagine; goal oriented, buzz down the South America asphalt; or visit publitos that are off the tourist track and back on the gravel roads. So many travelers miss Peru, the best motorcycle country in SA, by traveling solely on the PanAm Hwy. To see Peru, take the interior Highland Route from the Ecuador border to Cusco. Take detours from there.

Consider the Honda XR190CT: 21 inch front wheel, fuel injection, locally sold and serviced, low seat height, well priced. Plenty of power for dirt road exploring and travel. I owned a Honda Tornado, a 250cc carburetor moto that did very well and had a good seat height for a short inseam rider. The XRE 300 does have a higher seat height than the Tornado, and much higher than the XR190. I believe the XRE has dog-bone rear suspension that can be lowered. Another to consider is the Kawasaki Versys 250 with lower seat height.

Again, stay off the PanAm Hwy if you want to experience SA. Study Spanish too. Off the PanAm Hwy there is very little English.

Ten months is not really enough time to tour throughout South America at a leisurely pace, so you'll be making routing decisions and riding more hurriedly than you'd prefer at least some of the time. I spent about eight months, and was racing around far more frantically than I'd like to admit for much of my trip--though I did cover all the countries plus Antarctica during that time. Like most, I still missed vast swathes.

Tents can be very handy for some in the southern tier, but barely (if at all) in the rest of the continent. I was glad to have one, and extra glad it was not a local model, since the neighboring ones all collapsed one windy night in Torres del Paine. In the north there were a few times I set mine up within not-very-weather-or-mosquito-proofed lodgings, and this despite carrying a separate mosquito net of my own. At Salto Angel my tent was a welcome alternative to the open hammocks otherwise on offer. This might apply to you, or not. Do remember that there is little or no camping culture in most of the continent.

Since no one's said this yet, I'll offer that I spent the majority of my time in South America speaking languages other than Spanish because, you know, English (and a bit of Russian) to and from Antarctica, Portuguese in Brazil, Dutch/French/English in the Guyanas, and indigenous languages in a lot of other places.

I wouldn't put too much faith in any of the suggestions you're getting so far; you've not provided enough solid information here for responses you can rely on, nor asked any clear questions. Keep plugging away at budgeting, routing, riding style, your prioritized interests, and the inevitable tradeoffs you'll be making and a lot of superfluous stuff will fade away for you.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Hi Snakeboy.

Thank you for the answer. I also share the opinion that it is difficult to find a model with a low seat in SA.
I have no reason to think a bike should be big and powerful. On the contrary a low and light bike can do the same job. You can look around more if you are not in a hurry.

I also prefer a fuel injection system, whit less care and concern. I am calmly getting acquainted with the models offered by them. Fortunately I don´t have to rush. Thanks.

All the best.

Hi Flipflop.

Thanks for the detailed information. I want to be a relaxed traveler because then I don´t get tired easily. In the world things really change quickly sometimes in a positive direction, sometimes not. Let´s just consider it.

I always consider the weigth of my camping gear. At the same time I think that the tent should be with you on such a long trip ( force majeure ). I am looking at these light tents about 2-3 kg.

The idea of sending a bike across the sea is something new for me. But what I have definitely thought about, what not to do, is to rent a bike. I prefer to buy an sell.

I got a lot of new ideas from your letter. Thank you

All the best.

Hi LD Hack.

Tank you for the new information you sent. By paved roads I mean asphalt and gravel roads. But definitely not enduro tracks.

Since I don´t have big time constraints for the time being, I belive that I will also reach Peru with my travels. Maybe even further.

The offered Honda is high on my list. What I like about it is that you are less noticiable with this model.

Thanks again and all the best.

Hi markharf.

Thanks for relevant suggestions. Since I am a pensioner, there is no reson for me to be in too much off a hurry. You are right to mention that time may be short. Buy I try to skick to my pace, so I drive a lot if I want to or if it´s necessary at the moment.

I agree 100% with the tent recommendation. You never know when you might need it. And I hope that this 2-3 kg extra weight is not very dramatic. The mosquito net also makes being there much more comfortable.

Language skills allways come in habdy when traveling. Question, how did you manage to practice Russian in SA ?

I have just registered here, I think that is why there is little information about me. But everything comes step by step. Correct me if I said it wrong.

Your suggestions on planning and budgeting are very welcome and corect. Since I still have time, I am working intensively on acquiring knowledge.


All the best.

The tent I carried weighs 1.5kg at most, and there are lots like it available in Europe and North America. I'd suggest getting a good one, however, not an off-brand or department store model.

The boat I took to South Georgia, Islas Malvinas, and Antarctica was owned and crewed by Russians, leased to the tour company. There are also enclaves where you'll hear mainly German, or Welsh, or other languages.

Bike and SA tour
 

Some of my experiences and thoughts.
They are my own opinions. Take what you want an leave the rest

I bought a Royal Enfield Himalayan in Colombia.
I added a luggage system from Koju Motos.
So I could carry my camping equipment.
It was the perfect travel bike for me.
I like camping, so it was not an emergency equipment. It was my preferred way of sleeping.
So I used a comfortable setup that I used very much in Chile and Argentina.
Trangia stove to prepare my own breakfast and coffee. And emergency meals. But no advanced cooking. That was my level.

The RE is heavier than your wish. But the center if gravity is low...so you do not feel it. Low seat. RE has an assembly plant in Colombia => low price and a lot of value for the money.
And as long as you avoid the highway, there is no issue with power and speed. And why use highway ?? when there are so may good alternatives

I did not see many "big bikes" outside of the route to Ushuaia.
Almost only 160-200 (250) cc bikes
I spent quite some time in eastern Bolivia whiteout seeing another tourist for weeks.

My decent Spanish was very good to have. I could interact a lot with the local people. I could also ask and get information. Migration and customs goes so much easier if you talk Spanish. I used more or less only Spanish for the whole trip (To Carretera Austral and back to Colombia). Very few times I talked to someone in English. It would not have been even close to that interesting without knowledge in Spanish.


Just do it. Whatever bike you choose and routes you take, you will have a wonderful time.

Dangers ?
1) Traffic
2) Dogs

People: NO. I only met wonderful and helpful people.
I was a guest in their countries. That wanted to see and learn.
And I acted like that.
And again, talking Spanish helped a lot.

Vaya con Dios

Pictures:

My bike with equipment
WC final football with Argentineans
Colombian girl

Hi markharf.

Thanks for the answer. Tent theme : I tend to think that at miser pays twice. Therefore, I also choose a high-quality product, especially when going on a long hike, which is unknown for me. Again, many thanks.

All the best.

Hi Erik_G

Thanks for the relevant repley. A man who has gone through these stages himself is a very good source of information. Now some questions.

How would you describe the Trang camping stove ? Are there any negative comments about RE ?

I believe that these questions willw come again and again.

Thanks again. I also sent a PM

All the best.

I'm in Medellín now and for the next few days...

If I were starting my trip from here, it would be the Honda XRE300.

https://www.advrider.com/f/attachmen...2-jpg.4815807/

The Himalayan is very popular here.

You can also find the Suzuki V-Strom 650 (and I've seen at least one 1000), and a V-Strom 250 and a Tenere 250.

There are a couple local (Chinese?) bikes that I like. You could show up and spend a few days bike shopping, and find one you like.

https://www.advrider.com/f/attachmen...2-jpg.4752773/

Hi Jamie Z.

Thanks for the message and I want to mention that the photos are amazing.

Honda XRE 300 would suit me if it could be made lower. Unfortunately, my height of 178 cm does not allow me to ride high wheels.

Enjoy your trip and thanks again.


All the best.

Don't let me tell you which bikes you're comfortable riding, but I think you're plenty tall enough for the Honda XRE. You're probably taller than the average Colombian man, and definitely taller than the average Colombian woman, and many, many, many locals ride those bikes. Motorcycles absolutely clog the streets.

In any case, there are dozens, if not hundreds of motorcycle shops in Colombian cities (I'm most familiar with Medellín), it would be no problem to take two or three days at the beginning of your trip and go shopping.

Note: I don't know anything about the legality of a foreigner buying or registering a bike in Colombia.

Of course, I believe one of the Japanese brands would be best, but there are a lot of Chinese and Indian bikes which look pretty good, and if purchased new and properly maintained, I don't think you'd have any problems.

Here's an AKT 300 I saw today.

https://i.imgur.com/LT7vyKz.jpg

Hi Jamie Z

Thank you for the answer. It is always useful to hear opinions from those wo hare involved in the subject. I have also thought that I will take 2-3 weeks to look for a bike and complete the paperwork.

Since I`m flying from Europe to Bogota, I think this city will be the first base camp. I want to buy a new bike from the dealer. This should make it easier and faster to get the paperwork done. At the same time selling a new bike is also a big plus, apart from the trip.

I read that it is possible for a foreigner to buy a bike legally in Colombia. A very comprehensive report was written by Erik_G, for wich I thank him from the bottom of my heart. The whole process has been completed by him, to wich comments and advice have been added.

The height comparison whit the average Colombian rider put me in a good mood. I´say, the day was off to a great start. It made me think that the vast majority do not drive very var. In my house they say about it : drive to the pastry shop around the corner. My planned trip would also be to the pastry shop around the corner, only this little shop is somewhere 9000 km away. And then we still need to get back to the starting point of the trip.

And another aspect that matters is that they are local. They are relaxed, because they know the language and know the culture and customs of their country. Unfortunately, I cannot boast of that.

As for the choise of bike, I hope to get an answer after visiting many shops. Saddle height solves all problems.

Thanks and enjoy your trip.

All the best.