CBR300R South to North America?

[frenchy]

Hi gang
I see you can buy a brand new CBR300R in Chile for 3 million pesos or about €3500 for Europeans which seems great value
Is this a suitable bike to ride to North America?
I know it's not your typical 'adventure bike'.....
Any thoughts?
cheers

[mark manley]

It should certainly get you there although I would be looking at something slightly more trail orientated like the CRF250 if it is available instead.

[frenchy]

Originally Posted by mark manley

It should certainly get you there although I would be looking at something slightly more trail orientated like the CRF250 if it is available instead.

Hi Mark
yeah you can buy a CRF250L new for 3.8 million pesos about £3900 so it's about 900 quid more expensive than the 300R, has less power and the seat is about 60mm higher than my inside leg!
Looks like the CBR300R is cheap as it's not very popular....trying to work out why...are the roads really that bad!?
I watched a recent youtube video where an American guy raved about the CBR300R....
XR190L looks good value at 2 million pesos....
I'd look for a flight if I was sure I could get out of Chile on one of them....

[mark manley]

If you try the CBR300R and like it that is the bike to buy.

Originally Posted by frenchy

XR190L looks good value at 2 million pesos....

This is an excellent bike, I have ridden the 125 to Azerbaijan and the 150 around India and Nepal with a passenger, I suggest test riding both bikes and buy the one you enjoy riding the most.

[markharf]

South and Central American roads are bad mostly when you choose to ride on the bad roads. You have choices almost everywhere.

The problem is that many of the really interesting places and experiences require getting off the nice, easy, paved highways--that and the occasional washed out bridge, construction zone, or detour around areas of civil unrest. Decide what kind of trip you want, and choose your ride accordingly. Personally, I've had only good experiences with the CRF, and it's not particularly tall (unless you're particularly short).

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Edit to add: Oh, and then there's the seating position. You'll want to decide whether you prefer to be upright rather than leaning forward for the next, say, 40,000 km.

[AnTyx]

I've seen a ride report of someone who did North to South America on a KTM R390, and plenty of people ride classic UJMs on that route, so yes, definitely doable.

Now, if you are a US/Canadian citizen/resident and want to ride that bike home, you may have to pay significant customs fees to bring it into your home country and register it, and a South American-spec bike may not meet US (e.g. Californian) exhaust specifications. So just keep that in mind.

Also yeah, I second the XR190L idea. Rode an XR150 in Vietnam and it was the perfect bike there. The same bike, with a smidge more horsepower and fuel-injection, for 2500 euros new, would definitely be my first choice for a South American adventure.

[NewbRider]

Yeah I'll 3rd the XR150 or 190. The cbr will do it but some of the dirt roads are going to break your spine on it. Also it will prevent you from going some places off the beaten track which would be a shame.

If you've got the extra cash go for the 190, it's fuel injection vs carb on the 150. Not much more power but so much more convenient with altitude changes.