I bought a 250 cc Chinese bike from charapashanperu (Toby) and rode around north central Peru for 8 days. The bike was very affordable and performed well. Toby does a excellent job preparing adventure bikes (small or large bore), adding accessories and doing custom work (in my case building a frame for two small Pelican case panniers.) Parts for Chinese bikes and local labor are ridiculously low. So build repairs into your travel plans. Chinese bikes are so affordable purchase, it's not worth shipping a bike from Europe or APAC. IMHO

Equally important, Toby is a wealth of knowledge that will enrich your travels in Peru with his tips. My bike is stored with Toby and gets rented out from time to time. I hope to get back to Peru for another rip around the Peruvian Andes. Maybe a short rip in the Fall of 2017...

I won't argue with anyone's opinion about Chinese bikes verses non-Chinese bikes to convince otherwise. Here is my experience, its less about bike's country origin and more about how it's set-up and fine tuned after purchase. I am not a life long rider, having started only 10 years ago. It is my understanding that Chinese bikes earned a bad reputation and I've heard the quality has improved. One clear advantage of riding a Chinese motorcycle in Latin America is the easy availability of parts and labor. Sure, you can find parts for a KTM or BMW if you look in the capital cities and a few other locations. But the locals ride Chinese bikes and you can find parts and mechanics EVERYWHERE. The next easiest bike to maintain would be a Japanese bike, but you may struggle to get specific parts. Is any motorcycle trouble free? Silly question, right?

I rode 32000 miles in Latin America on a F800GS and had a lot of fun. During that trip I was mostly on tarmac and over the months became more comfortable off road. Frankly, a small bike is easy to handle on dirt and gravel. Do you really need a mondo 1200 cc adventure bike? The correct answer is no.

So, think small, get what the locals ride and buy your bike from someone trustworthy, then have them tweak/adjust the bike based on the trip you are planning to take. I recommend buying a bike that is lightly used. A bike that has already seen several hundred or a couple thousand miles will have any "new bike" issues worked out.

Photo of my 250 cc Cross Triton. I call her "Pony" (2016 Jesus District, Peru)

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Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride