Yes, you can get to the Salar, either via Potosi (tarmac from Oruro ->Potosi->Uyuni).

Or use the Oruro -> Uyuni road/ripio/sand. But it is raining there today (just got into Oruro).

If you mean ride on the salar with your bike, I'd say go along and take a look yhen make up your mind.

Cheap accom in Uyuni, don;t know. We treated ourselves to the Tonito.

Thank you!
I am in Oruro now, managed to get the rear tire but still looking for Pirelli MT60 100/90/19
Probably ride to Potosi tomorrow avoiding ripio/gravel on the other road.
Thanks again for teh info.
Jorge

The road from La Paz to Oruro and then to Potosi, Uyuni is all paved. The rainy season has started. I booked a 3 day tour ($90) with an agency (Tunupa Tours - very good). The salar is wet, you'll rust your bike to bits if you ride in it now.

We left Oruro on Wednesday. Now in Cochabamba.

You would be able to get the tyre down here.

Have you had trouble getting fuel in Oruro ? The YPFB station is just north of the old north train station. Or ride the 117k to Challapata, no problem with fuel there.

Hi guys!

we are now in Lima and so we can plan better the next leg of the trip South.

Our idea is to go to Cusco and then to Bolivia. But as it is rainy season there, our doubt is: would we see anything there (in terms of nature, mountains, peaks) or everything will be cloudy and we'll get rain and that's it.

Also, other question is:

is there a main road that goes from Bolivia to Chile? We have our route more or less to Uyuni but then... we don't know if there is an OK route to go to Chile or we would need to double back to Peru.
Any suggestions, ideas?

Here's a post I just put on ADV Rider about that:

If you have gravel and dirt experience, you won't have a problem with Oilague to Uyuni or Calama to Oilague. It's gravel, and mostly you can go 30-40 mph. There are a few soft spots, but very short, a few hundred yards here and there and well marked. Yes, unless you are a good off-road rider, you don't want to take the San Pedro road. From San Pedro to Calama is all pavement, then about 40 kms of pavement towards Oilague, then dirt. At the border it gets much better and Bolivia border to Uyuni is all hard-packed smooth dirt. Note that there is no wifi in Uyuni at all, except for one (expensive) hotel (400 Bolivianos/night). I stayed at Hotel Avenida (something starting with an A... lat/lon S20 27.772 W66 49.381). They have bike parking. 100 Bolivianos for a room with private bathroom.

Take Tunupa Tours (a few doors down from the hostel) for a 3 day tour through the Salar de Uyuni. Not worth wrecking your bike with the salt. All-in tour was 680 Bolivianos (nice Lexus 470 offroad machine).

Btw, Uyuni to Oruro is all perfectly new asphalt if you go Uyuni, Potosi, Challapata, Oruro.

Mombassa, thanks for the update. Very good info. So the road to look into is
Uyuni-Oilague-Calama as the best way to go from Bolivia to Chile.

Did it rained on the road when you where there? I wonder how the road would hold up if it gets wet. And how long between the gas stations on that road? with a 350 km range, would I be OK?

Being 2up and with a lot of luggage, I would prefer to stay as much as possible on tarmac especially if the weather is wet... But I do understand that in those parts, that might not be possible all the time. So we have to adapt.

The border to Uyuni is 227 kms. From Calama, it's 200 or so kms to the border. There are a few gas station on the Chilean side, so no worries.

The road was dry. The only tricky part (red sandy raod) is about the last 30-40 kms into Uyuni, but it's all flat and straight and hard-packed. But slippery when wet.

No tarmac 50 kms outside of Calama till Uyuni. Uyuni itself is all dirt too, but once you head to Potosi, it's smooth tarmac.

Patacayama (north of Oruro) to Chile, all paved

Oruro to Chile (I believe all paved now)

I am in Copiapo for a few days then plan to cross into Bolivia at some point so will post again with up to date info

Bringing part into Bolivia via air plane - duties / tariffs?
 

My motorcycle is being stored in La Paz for three weeks while I am in the USA. Return with a chain and air filter. Does anyone know if I'll pay duties or tariffs for the parts? In my mind I am not importing the parts as I will be taking out of the country by motorcycle...

Andy when you get to Bolivia, contact Corey at Bolivia bound.

Enduro Tours Andes to Amazon

He is a countryman of yours living and running a tour business in Bolivia.
He is a great bloke and would be happy to point you in the right direction.

Tell him Guy sent you.

If you put the parts in your checked in luggage, then there should be no issue as they are for use. We carried a shed load of gear with us to Chile last Nov and had no issues.

I suspect Chile and Bolivia are different beasts. Looking for Bolivia specific advice.

I understand your concern, but do you think they search every ones luggage and pull out computers etc , then ask for import duty ?

Items in checked in luggage are for personal use. They are not going to be concerned about your C&S kit. Especially as it is for your bike that is already there.

If you had crossed the border withy the kit on your bike they would not bat an eyelid.

You could have probably bought a C&S kit for it in Cochabamaba and anyway. (and saved a lot of money)