Hi there I am new to this website! Here is my story...

I am a 33 year old Physiotherapist and I intend to travel solo to the US in October and head South to Buenos aires en route to Australia. I intend to volunteer my professional services in Central and South America on the way wherever feasable. The bike I have chosen is a Honda XR650R Liquid cooled. I would appreciate any advice or positive suggestions with a few things in particular...

- Would it be more viable to purchase a bike in the US and head south or get it ready here and take it to the US by freighter/sea freight from a UK port..

- What would be the best registration plate to travel with how registration is affected as you cross borders

- How to arrange trip insurance

- Considerations for visas etc

- Any contacts or organisations in the Medical profession travelling south that may appreciate assistance

- Any other positive suggestions or advice would be great esp from anyone who has carried out a similar trip/route/bike

It can and will be done...

I am curious as to why you have chosen the XRR? They were never sold in great numbers in Europe and most that were have now been supermoto-ed.
I think the US probably would have a much greater range of XRRs for sale then here and you could possibly pick one up there that has been plated and set up for long distance travel.
BUT looking at this from a practical point of view the KLR650 has a much greater following in the US and Central America, because it came out of the box road legal, same as the XRL.
You are much more likely to find a prepared example of those two bikes in the US then over this side of the pond.

The XRR is capable of the trip, no question but whether it is the best bike for the job is debatable in my opinion.
They are in a higher state of tune which is great for desert racing and enduros and supermoto but not really what you want for overland travel.
If you can find a sorted example with racks and all then it might be a viable option but most of the stuff you find will be for making it better offroad not carrying luggage.
No Battery, hard to make things work sometimes unless you convert the stator and add a battery and reg-rec unit...

Bikes can be purchased in the US, some dealers will allow you to use their address for registration purposes.

Are you planning to ship the bike from BA to Australia?

Air freight is usually more expensive BUT sea freight incurs lots of port 'Taxes and charges' which evens things out. You also have to crate your bike (lots of advice here on how to do this to achieve minimum volume or weight depending on how you'll be charged)

It might make sense to sell you bike in BA but check out if there are any issues around leaving without your bike.

There have been load of threads here on this subject that you can search. You can always send a message to the HU group in BA for specific advice.

There is a shipping company (james shipping?) that has good reports check out prices with them.

Thanks for reply dudes! I have picked the XR R because it is liquid cooled and I assume it would perform better in the heat than the Air cooled models? Is there such a thing as XRL liquid cooled?? I have owned a number of Hondas both road and dual sport and have a good knowledge of their workings and they are pretty well made in my opinion... As I am going alone I would rather not look like a moving credit card on a GS etc. I am bringing very little... Single man single cylinder...
Im not sure how to arrange insurance etc for this trip as I have not rode outside Europe aside from short trips...
It sounds like the best thing to do is purchase in the US and head south. I dont have a time scale or agenda except to stop where I like and drive through where I dont...

If you are worried about overheating an aircooled engine, get an oil cooler fitted and you won't have any problems.
People have been riding aircooled bikes into places like Algeria and not had problems.
The problem you will find is that there is very little gear made for travelling for the XRR, it was mainly built as a competition bike and not a touring Dualsporter.
Additionally the problem you may find is they are hard to find with plates on them and road legal lighting etc.
I know where you are coming from regarding Honda build quality, I have one myself, the NX650.
BUT you can't argue with the KLR success in N and S America, there are countless to choose from and spares are available easily.
They are also watercooled.
If it was me, I would choose either a XRL or KLR both are discreet in appearance compared to a GS...
Your choice but have a good look on the bikes for sale section on this board, you could maybe pick up a sorted one that has all the bits you need already bolted on saving you time and trouble getting it sorted over that side.
Good luck with your tour, it sounds cool and a lot of fun.
Let us know how you get on.

I have lived and ridden in SA for 30 years and I agree all the others! I love the XRR too, but it is too high-tech for the riding you will be doing and you will have to adapt every accessory!

The KLR has a bigger following with expats riding throughout SA and they are fanatics to the point that they will even share parts if you are in a pinch. But I personally would go with an XRL (in fact I spent 36 days on one this summer riding every dirt road all over Peru) and as it has not changed AT ALL since 1996, they are easy to come by and parts are quite inexpensive in the USA. I like to off-road and the KLR is a head-heavy beast good mostly for straight line riding. Also, many parts supplied all over SA for other Hondas also fit the XRL's. Tires, chains and sprockets, levers, brake pads, etc will be quite easy to find. The only advantage to the KLR (IMHO) is the more comfortable seat, but then I mostly ride hard standing up.

My recommendation is to carry virtually NOTHING! Get a bigger plastic tank, a rear rack, and a very comfortable (w/ internal frame) slim back pack. Besides my riding gear I only take: 2 changes of clothes, a pair of CROCS, 2 lbs of tools, an extra tube for each end, water bottle, camera, and a pair of tie-downs.

If you break down, you just flag down a truck and tie down the bike. There will be everything you need at the next town. Don't camp and don't cook! It is safe and people are friendly. There are small good hostels w/ hot water and internet EVERYWHERE, usually for under $10/night including breakfast. You can even find their websites online.

400km pavement / 250km gravel are good days. When you push more than that you have problems and miss all the good stuff. Don't plan riding for days back to back to back. Your bike needs days off too. Two "on", one "off" is the heaviest schedule I would keep. I've done the back to back to back, through rain and snow, etc. You finish the trip and feel like you never even saw anything!

I've riden alot in the Andes, up to 17,000 ft and have some recommendations. PM me here or email me. I can also recommend (as fresh as 2010) many, many roads in Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. DON'T DO THE !@#$%^&* PANAMERICANA! You see NOTHING! Leave that to the 2-wheel trucks! GO INLAND!

Where in the US do you plan to start from? I can hook you up with great Honda dealerships (with discounts) in Virginia and North Carolina who are personal friends and love to see guys do these trips.

Where are you coming from in Ireland? I know every American likes to claim Irish heritage.... but as a Shannon I DO have some ties!

Blessings,

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http://www.aroundtheblockmotoadventures.com/
'We build the bike (in Peru) for your Epic Ride of South America.'