Best bike for central/south america
 

I am planning a trip from Texas to chile , beginning november. I'm thinking to buy a new bmw f650 gs and then sell it in chile or ship it back to new york. My concern (among innumerable others) is that if i have problems, bmw parts/ service will be hard to obtain.....does anyone reccomend a different bike or brand?...or do you think this is a good choice....ANY reccomendations/ guidance would be appreciated. also, how long do you think a leisurely trip would take?....i know this is rather general, i'm just starting to plan....also, would anyone advis e against travelling during november and december in this region?....

thank you,
scott
kidcalavera@hotmail.com

Yes,BMW spare parts are expensive here in the south!I drive XR 650L and very happy with it.
Honda is the most driven bike.You find spareparts in all mayor towns.
November and december are the best month here.You can go to the HU meeting in Viedma on december and celebrate new year and Christmas in Ushuaia.
But if you like BMW go ahead!
BYE
KH

I rode a KLR 650 30000 mis thru Latin America and was very pleased with the bike. It took a pounding and never failed me.

It's considerably lighter than the Beemer, and that's a huge plus. And it's easier to work on, and less expensive (about $5K brand new). Parts could be found with some persistence.

Two absolute musts for KLR adventure riding are to upgrade the subframe and replace the so-called "doohickey." Both fairly easy jobs. Info on both may be found at www.klr650.net. Good luck.

If you plan to sell the bike at the end of your trip,I would consider a small Jap model(250-350 cc).Suzuki and Honda dealers can be found through out The Americas.You will find that that the locals tend to use smaller sized models than you would expect.The bikes are mainly used for deliveries,and messenger service.Smaller bikes are cheaper to insure,easier to pick up,and much easier to wrestle thru narrow doorways and staircases.Also,in a worst case scenario you could leave the bike in a ditch,or even give it away.Horsepower is seldom a problem since your average speed will be in the 40-45 mph range,and you will spend a lot of time puttering along in first and second gear.Let use know what you decide,and how it works out.

I dont know if they are marketed in the USA but I ride my XT600 yamaha enduro All over Brasil argentina and Chile. Parts and service are easy to find...(Include Costa Rica Panama as well as Ecuador).......
Jim

I would have to give my vote to the KLR. I rode a used 98 that was basically stock through Baja, Mexico and Central America for 11600Km with no problems. Its tough, dependable and simple to fix. As the other person said, change the "dohickey" and do some prep work to overcome a few of its known weak spots. I upgraded the sub frame bolts with 12.9s and I think as long as you don't intend on installing large hard bags you'll be OK. Keep the load manageable and it will handle it all. I had soft saddle bags and had no problems banging along dirt mountain roads in Costa Rica. There is an aboundance of aftermarket parts and great internet support for this bike. It's not the prettiest bike on the block, but if you dump it, it hides it's scars well. After I build up the travel fund again, I hope to ride mine again through South America.

Hello,

1) Is not possible to sell a used bike here in Chile. Forget about this idea.

2) My brother have a BMW F 650. Is very expensive about service and not very reliable. You can find official BMW services in every capital here in South America, but the problem is that you will need to visit them often than you want.

3) The F 650 haven't wind protection enough to ride on the highway. My brother and I went to the Chilean south last summer, me on my Honda Africa Twin and he on his BMW. At the end of the trip he decided to sell the bike and buy one that can travel without figthing all the trip against the wind. And the BMW side paniers are not good, he have some problems with them on dirty roads.

Probably a Suzuki V-Strom 650 or 1000 is a better alternative.

------------------
Ya verás como quieren en Chile al amigo cuando es forastero (traditional song)

Jose Pedro Espinosa
Curico, Chile

The absolute best choices for the trip would be BMW's R1150/1100GS, F650GS Dakar or the new R1200GS. BMW's in general are very reliable and in most Latin American contries there is at least one autohorized BMW dealer/shop. In a worst case scenario you can have someone like BOB's BMW Fedex you the parts. My best advise is to be somewhat technically inclined. You can do a lot of preventive maintenance and avoid getting stranded. What are the most common problems for a specific type of bike. There is a lot to be leanred. Also, do you plan on traveling on the main roads, or plan to go into secondary dirt roads?

Have a look at MZ Baghira!

New York to Potosi so far, this is a far better bike than I am a rider.

Pros. 300mm travel Marzochi Forks
250mm travel White Power Rear Sus.
Yamaha 5 valve 660cc. engine
Cons Tall seat
Uncomfortable seat as standard
Heavy (but strong) no more than 650
BMW
Requires larger tank

Best wishes Alec.
Very dirty Baghira

I have a BMW GS adventure, 2 KLRs, a Suzuki Vstrom 650, etc..(I just sold a Transalp)

I would vote for the 650Vstrom if you plan to be more road oriented....or the old faithful, KLR650.

less cost of ownership, easy maintenance for both....

We hammered 2 KLRs from wisconsin to Roatan Hondyras in 8 days one year ago...the bike were flawless....zero problems on the KLRs for the 18,000 miles over the last year...I would change out the sprockets and chain at 10-12,000 miles...YMMV

a note on subframe bolts...yes upgrade to better grade bolt ($5 for all of them)...subframe bolts have failed and many fo the failure are due to the bolts woprking loose then getting worn to fatigue...

on a KLR, loctite is you friend...after every day or 2 I went thru and tightened everything I could.....


a KLR with a few upgrades is the bike I would take...have fun and go now

[This message has been edited by FREEFLOW (edited 02 November 2005).]

[This message has been edited by FREEFLOW (edited 02 November 2005).]

I'm currently near Cordoba, heading towards Ushuaia on an Oregon-born KLR. It's a good bike but I will definitely take a larger twin on my next long trip.

The CONS of long-distance KLR touring in my experience are:

1) too much vibration... very tiring on long rides.
2) lack of power, especially at altitude
3) a lot of wind turbulence at highway speed, even with a huge Clearview windshield. This will also drain your energy on long rides.
4) not capable of two-up touring. This will really cramp your style when you meet some Colombian/Venezuelan/Brasilian/Argentinian etc, etc, etc honey and want to take her with you for awhile!

Don't get me wrong, I love my KLR but I think there are better, albeit more expensive choices for a trip of this length.
After 8 hours on the KLR I'm exhausted... I think in large part to the fatigue caused by vibration of the big single and wind turbulence. With such huge distances to cover down here and a lot of high-speed driving, I would consider a smoother, more powerful twin-cylinder bike.

------------------
Steven
KLR "El Terremoto"
Currently heading towards Ushuaia.

My F650GS has been bouncing around S.America for two years now. Numerous spills and some breakdowns.

Finding spares is difficult but air-freight makes that simple for small things. Sometimes a little creativity is required but many parts are 'standard', CB500 brake pads, Africa Twin fork seals, bulbs, fuses, bearings, etc.

Despite its troubles I like it - and I'd rather eat worms than ride a Honda ;-)


------------------
Last seen in S.America, missing presumed fed.
http://www.smellybiker.com

Did you replace the `doohickey' on the KLR? It's a well-known fault. Same as the subframe bolts. Fix those, and a couple of much smaller quirks, and the bike's good to go for a lot of miles. Many have done more than 100,000. Simple to work on, and much better off-road than most.

The KLR is definitely rough around the edges, but there isn't much to it that you, or the average shade-tree mechanic, can't figure out. Sure beats the BMW exploding-driveshaft syndrome, or faulty fuel-pumps, or wondering who to call when your bike's computer(s) craps out.

Sohrakoff, try taking off the windshield. I use the stock one, and I don't have turbulance problems. The tall sheild very well may be your problem.

Of the people I know, who have trvaled to South Amercia, one had a R1150GS another a R1200GS, a F650GS and a KLR. In terms of bike trouble, BMW bikes did not present any problems. The KLR broke down several times and at high altitude is was a piece of junk. The guy who rode the KLR regreted he did not take a F650GS. Most bikes are reasonably reliable. You can prevent a lot of problems by puting close attention to the bike. (changing the calbes of time, on a R11GS, change the rear bearing seal every couple of years, etc)