All new to motorcycles, trip in south america - Paraguay
 

Hello community

I am currently in Paraguay to visit a friend, a former exchange student from my family.
I have zero experience with motorcycles but would like to get in to it.
I am from Germany, Hamburg have a drivers license for cars and since Oktober 2017 I am in Paraguay.

Is it a good idea to get started with motorcycling here?
I have time until end of April and now at the very very beginning of planing.
My trip should take about 3 weeks. And I plan to buy a motorcycle and sell it after the trip again. What type of motorcycle in general can be recommended for paraguayan roads? How long will I need to practice riding before the actual tour?

Is it even realistic to do a trip like that under the given circumstances (no experience?) or should I rather go back to Germany make a license and return in a couple of years when there is time for it?

Any ideas are very welcome. Also if anyone has a rough idea on calculating a budget (e.g. per week or for the Motorcycle or any other costs I should not forget when calculating - unforseen contingency)

About the Distance:
A very rough calculation with google maps is a 1500 km road. When I start from ciudad del este and make a direct tour through south Paraguay in this order: Ciudad del este - Villarica - Asuncion - Pilar - Encarnacion - Ciudad del este.

IMHO... it's never a good idea to learn how to ride a motorcycle in somewhere other than your home country. At least then you are dealing with road traffic and laws you are familiar with, and frankly, if you have a spill the medical system is known to you.

That said, since you're in Paraguay until April anyhow...

I would suggest maybe get a cheap little 125 or 250 and just learn how to ride it without the ambition of a long road trip. You may find that just having wheels for getting around the local area on day trips will be a lot of fun - or you may find that you don't really enjoy riding a motorbike, and realize that a long road trip on one is not for you.

Good luck whatever you decide!

Hi, thanks for the reply.
A 125 or 250 is a good suggestion as the roads don't allow to go faster than 80 - 100 km/h in many places anyway and I think when I look at all the Motos from Kenton that are on the roads here that this is the category used by 80% of the people.

Kenton is a Paraguayan manufacturer which is probably cheaper than the internationally well known brands. Also as I said everyone's bike seems to be a Kenton so a repair will be easy to arrange/find - just in case.

Has anyone experiences about buying a bike in Paraguay or Bolivia? I presume it's not very hard to get the paperwork done when you have found a seller in these countries, or? (I don't try to import anything or cross boarders)

I love traveling by motorcycle and hate to discourage anyone interested in it, but I have to agree with brclarke. I see that you have some doubts and I think you would be wise to heed them.

You might be able to do this but it does invite disaster.

For example:

- as you come to stop at an intersection you are using the clutch repeatedly (left hand) to downshift,
- and the shifter lever (left foot) to change gears down to first.
- You are operating the throttle (right hand) to maintain smooth forward progress.
- At the same time you are applying the front brake (also with right hand),
- and the rear brake (right foot),
- and modulating the two brakes separately to slow and stop without locking up either wheel.
- You are maintaining your balance, which gets trickier as you slow and no longer have the centrifugal force of the wheels to keep you tracking straight and upright.
- Meanwhile, you are watching for and avoiding sand, oil spots, painted lines, metal sewer covers, potholes, etc- all of which can cause a slip and a tip over.

That's actually a lot to do and requires quite a bit of concentration for a new rider. In fact, for a new rider: just deciding when and where to put your foot down (left or right?) will take some attention.

Notice that you haven't yet given a thought to traffic behind you, to the side, or oncoming; which direction do you need to turn, what lane do you need to be in; One way streets, detours, people pulling out of unseen driveways, pedestrians, dogs, kids, trucks, bicycles........can you sort out the chaos if you still have to look at your hands to find the clutch lever?

This is all requires concentration and makes riding hazardous for at least a few thousand miles (and IMO much longer.) Even in your home country, where you know where you are going, and you are familiar with local traffic patterns and roads/intersections to avoid, you are at a fairly high risk as a new rider. In a foreign country- you are tempting fate.



Riding motorcycles, especially as a mode of travel, is an awesome thing to do and everyone here loves doing it. I would recommend that you get the mechanics of riding under your belt before you venture out into foreign traffic. It is a truth that experienced riders are hurt and killed on a regular basis at home and abroad.

Others will disagree with me and say just go for it! In the end ,of course, you will make your own decision.


Hope to see you out there , safe and having fun.
.............shu

i like people with spontaneous ideas and if they are following their own feelings but:

Riding around with no license and no experience on a bike is not the best idea. You wouldn´t do it in Germany and you shouldn´t do it on public streets anywhere else.

Respect the laws of the country you are a visitor. To get into an accident
without a license, which can easily happen without any riding experience, will cause more than a bit trouble for you.

make your license in germany when you go back in april und prepair yourself for the trip next time you visit paraguay/SA.

Also, isn´t there raining season in paraguay? you will enjoy it more in the dry season.
Another point is that your route misses out the "chaco" and some more beautiful parts of paraguay but then it is much more than 1500km.

Safe travels

Paraguay is a beautiful country with a lot of wonderful people! I have been riding motorcycle in Paraguay two times 1999 and 2001. It is a flat country with a low number of inhabitants and I believe motorcycle drivers license is or at least used to be included in the car drivers license or now at least very easy to get and I think it is a very good place to learn to ride motorcycle IF you can find a good instructor or training course, who you should be able to find in Asuncion. You need to be a good rider as there are some mad car drivers to watch out fore like in most places and don´t ride in night time as you perhaps hit dead animals on the road who are difficult to see in the dark ( I almost did hit a big dead cow in the dark). Most of the motorcycles for sale back then was 125-250cc but a lot of motorcyclists rode big bike who I believe they bought in Brazil.
I spent some time around Asuncion and San Bernadino and I been up to Filadelfia in Chaco and to Ciudad del Este and Brazil a couple of times and to Encarnacíon in the south east.
If you do it right you will be fine! :thumbup1:

I didn't find Paraguay difficult on a motorcycle, although that's in the context of riding all over Latin America. Roads were ok, terrain was easy (see above re: flat), density of other vehicles was low (per above re: low number of inhabitants), and drivers were no more insane than in any of the neighboring countries--Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia. I did not drive in Asuncion, so I can't say what that might be like.

I'd get some instruction and supervised practice, then put some miles on in a non-crazed area before tackling a long trip--just like most people do wherever they learn. Hey, how do you think all those locals learned? I mean, aside from the ones you'll see who make it clear that they never did and probably never will. Sometimes we gringos forget that most of the world's motovaqueros don't live in Germany, Great Britain, or the USA.

Understand that it'll take time to get halfway competent, so if your schedule is tight it's probably best not to bother. Don't ride at night, and don't get cocky: chances are pretty good you'll survive.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Now I get a bit more of an idea:

-On the one hand side it is technically dangerous to get started with motorcycling in any area and so it is especially with poor road conditions in an unknown area.
-But if I start slow and take my time for getting confident on a bike, I can still decide whether I want to do a long trip.

As far as I have travelled through the country (by bus or car) by now I find there is many places with slow and/or little traffic in other words areas to get practise and unless going north (grand chaco) I will not have to ride offroad.

Yes pickypalla, the chaco is kind of the best region, a paradise for motorcyclists according to what I read. Still this time I want to focus on the south of the country because the Chaco is an other league - which I want to keep for the furture and do with a guided tour.

HDAJ and Mark thanks for the sharing the experience of one who actually rode in Paraguay - Who else? :mchappy:
What type of Motorcycle would you suggest and which did you use back then in 2001?

new rider in SA
 

Go for it!
I bought my first moto in August 1017 in Colombia
I have never owned a street bike or had a moto licence
My only experience with motorcycles were motocross, cross country and bush roads in western Canada
So in august I buy this BMW g650gs and drivers licence and a way I go
Colombia has 6 million bikes and 4 million cars and it is total chaos Only a Colombian can cause a traffic jam on a freeway, Trucks and buses trying to pass on hills with no power,
I am on my second bike now I traded my 650 for a f700 and it is more suited for traveling
Buying a small bike will get you around pretty easy and be careful because there are no rules in the minds of commuters probably ten percent have had driving instruction and in Colombia Nobody fails there driving test. I presume its the same in Paraquay and probably less traffic I would say its a good place to learn on how to break all the rules LOL
The hardest thing for me is navigating to the parking lots in shopping malls
they have separate parking for motos and the paths and lots are designed for small bikes
My two Pesos
My opinion is go for it and keep a eye on your brake maintenance good brakes and tires are essential for Safety

Yup, that's pretty much how I see it. And FWIW Paraguay will be way easier to learn in than Colombia. C del E is pretty chaotic, but things get more relaxed just outside of town.

I had my own bike, purchased new in the US with 70k or 80k miles on it by then. You'll presumably want to start small, as one does: 250 or less, lower center of gravity to make it easier. As a beginner, you'll feel like you're approaching the speed of light by the time you hit 3rd gear, so lots of weight and power are not really that useful. Enjoy!

Mark

Requisitos para obtención de licencias de conducir - Municipalidad de Asunción

scroll down about 80% to the section on motos. there are specific requirements listed for foreigners

Interesting. Any idea what a CARNET DE ADMISIÓN PERMANENTE, EXTENDIDO POR MIGRACIONES, COPIA AUTENTICADA and a Certificado de vida y residencia are?

How about an Examen Psicotécnico?

CARNET DE ADMISIÓN PERMANENTE, EXTENDIDO POR MIGRACIONES, COPIA AUTENTICADA = permanent residency visa and an authenticated copy.

Certificado de vida y residencia = a document proving that you are actually living in paraguay

How about an Examen Psicotécnico = psychological questionnaire. nicaragua has the test as well for new drivers licenses. fairly benign.