Searching the Web it seems like there is quite a few Kawasaki dealers in Mexico, and at least one in each of the Central America countries, as well as South America. Harley-Davidson seems to have as many dealers, but that is nothing compared to Honda dealers. These are the only 3 i've looked into for comparaison. But you've been there, so you know first hand how it is to get parts. Somewhat scary.

I'm currently riding solo my '03 KLR throughout Canada and the USA, and will be riding into Mexico this week, and down to Central and South America afterward. I feel like my choice of bike was wrong, and that's why i'm so harsh towards the KLR.

While getting set for this ride, i was thinking about going off-road now and then, but the fact is that when riding on your own, trails are not a smart place to be. So that will not be happening much.

I went off-road in Yukon once with a friend, and that was fun, but nevertheless, a bike loaded with paniers and top box, even if classified as a dual-purpose, doesn't belong off-road. It felt like i was riding a mule.

A chain drive bike, because of the maintenance required, is definitely not a touring bike. I have to take the paniers off to get the bike on the after-market center stand, which is challenging, in order to lube the chain properly, and that is on a daily basis. After weeks and months of this daily routine, i'm faster at it, but i miss my no maintenance belt-drive bike.

At home i have a Road King sitting in storage. I bought it new in '04 and put over 103,000 km on it since then. Last tour on that bike was the Trans-Labrador Highway in 2009. That involved 1200km or so of dirt road. Nothing the bike could not handle. All the other bikers i met on that road were riding dual-purpose bikes. Necessary? I think not.

Touring bikes are easier on the pilot. I've never had rain go through my gear riding the Road King, up to 8 hours straight in pouring rain, once, on highway 11 in Northern Ontario. The windshield and the "elephant ears" on the crash bars kept me dry. After 15 minutes in the rain on the KLR i feel water running inside the rain gear. The same rain gear as i used on the touring.

So far, despite many posts i've read, there's no roads in Yukon or Alaska i couldn't have done with the Road King, besides the off-road adventure in Whitehorse, of course.

So basically, my point is that the KLR is not a bad motorbike, but just not the best choice for a long journey, and unless one's planning to make off-road riding a big part of a journey, and plan accordingly for it, the dual-pupose bike serves no purpose.

Mark, English is not my first language, and i'm not sure what you mean by "first tope". Let me know :confused1:

Dan

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Dan
http://ballade-en-moto.blogspot.com/