I am planning a 6 month trip in S. America and am overwhelmed by all the information available on this and other websites. I'm finding it challenging just sorting through all the information to find what I need so I decided to create a post and ask for help from those of you with experience. So far, this is where I am:

My plan is to start in Santiago in October or November (flexible) because I have spent a lot of time there, know the city and have several friends there who can help me get launched. I am thinking of traveling through Chile, Argentina, maybe southern Brazil and Uruguay, Bolivia and Peru.

I have been told it is best to ship a bike down there because it will be cheaper and easier than buying one there and I can set it up here and know what I will be on. Do you concur?

I have yet to find a shipper who can do better than $2500 by sea from LA to Valparaiso. This is for a 20' container with just my bike. Anyone want to share or do you know a cheaper way to go? Has anyone shipped a bike from the US to Santiago/Valparaiso? Who did you use? Air or Sea? What costs can I expect in getting it through Customs in Chile?

I had previously been told a KLR 650 is the bike to have but one of my friends in Santiago says they are rare there which surprised me. In looking at a website for bikes for sale there are definitely more BMW 650 GSs on the market and the price of those is not much higher than in the states while the KLRs seem to be dramatically higher than US. I have found a great deal on both a 650 GS and an 800 GS here in the US so am leaning in that direction now. Any other inputs on this?

So far, bike selection and shipping are the big issues I'm initially dealing with. I have a huge list of other topics I need to address later in my planning but if you have any other suggestions for me to consider right now beyond the bike and shipping please chime in.

If anyone else planning to be down there and wants to join up for a while, let me know. My itinerary is pretty flexible.