Tom & Sally,
I've done the trip pretty much in both directions. Some comments:
The border crossings seem to be the same in either direction. Mostly miserable in Central America, much easier in South America. Take plenty of copies of everything (registration, license, etc.) and getting copies can be a major delay. You will still need to get some copies locally, such as copy of the stamped passport page, but this will depend on location.
I was riding a KLR650 with a 6 gallon tank so gas was generally not a problem. You might have quite a different experience. In Argentina, for example, in the busy season many of the stations run out of gas. With a small tank this could be a problem if you don't have extra. There is also a stretch of about 400 miles in Baja with no gas, although there was a guy selling gas out of old bleach bottles.
You do not need a carnet for any of North or South America.
Most of Central and South America is not set up for camping. There are some places with "proper" campsites but they are rare. I saw a few in Peru and Chile, but nothing in Central America. Not particularly safe to camp on the side of the road. That said, there are lots of reasonably cheap hostels.
Have fun!
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Steve Barnett
Panama City, Panama
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