My South American adventure is about to begin and ½ of the route is planned going from Medellin Colombia to the tip of South America on Kawasaki KLR 650 motorcycle. In the spirit of helping others I am sharing my travel route, how I went about putting the route together, and a few useful tips.

If you would like to follow the adventure: https://www.instagram.com/jerryromine/. My goal is to post a picture a day and if we happen to cross paths we can toast a and swap stories.

THE BIKE.
Purchased a 2016 Kawasaki KLR 650. Why? 1) it is a good dual sport bike big enough for 2 up, 2) If it breaks down parts and mechanics are available throughout South America, 3) Resale will be easier when the trip is completed, 4) I think the KLR is the best bike for the money/trip/location. While there are plenty of BMW GS’s for sale in Medellin it is my opinion they are too expensive to purchase and finding parts and mechanics can be a challenge in remote areas.

You could do the trip on almost any bike just realize big bikes (over 500 ccs) are expensive in Colombia.

Note: I was in Medellin and ended up flying to Cali to purchase my bike because I was picky and wanted a late model KLR 650.

HOW TO LEGALLY BUY A BIKE IN COLOMBIA
Check out Mak’s post below. He covers everything.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...colombia-95891

There are not a lot of countries in South America where you can legally purchase a bike with a just a tourist visa which makes Colombia an ideal starting point. Some people purchase a bike from another person and go the route of photoshopping the paperwork so you appear to have “legal” title and this may serve you well. The problem is if you are in an accident the SOAT insurance you bought will be worthless because you do not have “legal” title and if somebody was seriously injured there is the possibility of sorting things out from a South American jail.

THE MONEY TRANSFER
See Mak’s post above.

What worked well for me was opening a free account with Alianza Fiduciary, Alianza Fiduciaria. Transfer fees are only .6% and the exchange rate is the true market rate. I found a local attorney to help me with the paperwork for under $20. The paperwork is not tough but there is a form for reporting the transfer to the Colombian government that you need to get right. Allow approximately 2 weeks to open the account. Alianza was by far the least expensive and safest way to get the funds to Colombia to purchase the bike.

THE ROUTE
When I started searching for possible routes online I was disappointed with the lack of results. To help others I’m attaching the route I’ve pieced together which you may or may not find useful. (See attached PDF file at the end of this message) More importantly I’m sharing the methodology for how I created the route.

PLANNING A ROUTE METHODOLOGY

Step 1. Google “Country + Motorcycle + Self Guided Tours”. Example “Peru motorcycle self guided tours” (do not use quotes in the search). I found this was best way to find possible routes offered by motorcycle rental companies that provide detailed route information and highlights. Once I figured this out everything became much easier. Here’s a good starting point for finding routes worldwide: https://www.bookmotorcycletours.com/

Step 2. Create separate google maps for each route of interest. Yes, it takes some time but in the end you’ll be able to piece together the route with the highlights you want.

Step 3. Google “Country + bucket list”. Example “Peru Bucket List”. This is a great way to find the best places in a country and when you find a place of interest add it to the Google Map to see if it is something you want to add to your route.

Step 4. Use Instagram to follow #visitsouthamerica, #discoversouthamerica, etc. Visit the two listed and you’ll find breathtaking locations you may want to further research.

Step 5. Create a route plan similar to the one I’ve attached. I included a few thumbnails, useful links, and Google maps link in my route so I always have a quick reference/info during the trip.

Step 6. Add Border Crossing Information from WikiOverland, the encyclopedia of Overland travel. Example Overland Colombia Travel - WikiOverland.

Step 7. If you would like to create a detailed map of the entire route you can use www.motogoloco.com. Here’s the link to the ROUGH outline of my trip: https://www.motogoloco.com/map?route=56347&key=deec0e49.

Pro Tip – you can EXPORT my trip then customize it to fit your needs. I’m curious how many people find this useful so if you get this far and appreciate the info I’ve shared give the link above a LIKE. This was the type of information I was hoping to find when I started planning my trip and it just wasn’t available online or I did not know where to look.

Note: Please share any tips you have for finding and creating your routes.

OTHER USEFUL LINKS AND APPS
iOverlander | Find your next destination and the app. Best APP I’ve found for traveling. Find hotels, gas stations, mechanics, and almost anything you need for the trip.
South America Archives - ADV Pulse- Some good route info and inspiring stories
WikiOverland, the encyclopedia of Overland travel - use for visa, insurance, and entry information
Passport & Visa - World Travel Guide - use for visa/passport requirements, country/city guides.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_r...tates_citizens - use for visa/passport requirements
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medell%C3%ADn - Use for city guides and things to do.
https://wikitravel.org/en/Cali - same as above
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ - use for city guides, things to do, restaurants, etc
Accuweather APP – When you need weather information this is the app I prefer.
Maps.me App – Great for offline maps. Check when you have good wifi to easily download the area you are in.
WAZE APP – in many locations, like South America, it is better than Google Maps and includes more detailed traffic information, accident locations, police & radar locations, etc.
Uber APP – Consider using UBER if you need to navigate through a big city. Call the Uber then follow them to your destination. This tip can save you a lot of frustration when your GPS is lagging or it’s just a pain in the butt to follow GPS through a congested city. Plus, Uber is inexpensive.
East Sleep Ride APP – I like this app for tracking shorter trips. If you have better suggestions let me know.

HOW YOU CAN HELP ME?
1. Please share any resources or apps that are really helpful by responding to this post.
2. If you have any must-see places I should visit on this trip please post them here with a brief description.

FAVOR TO ASK
Putting together a detailed post like this is a lot of work and I’ve done it to help others. My favor is simply this… take the time to do something similar and know you are paying it forward. Who knows, maybe when I’m planning my next trips through Turkey or India I’ll find your post.

CLOSING QUOTE
"You are on your own. You are not protected by two tons of steel, rubber, foam padding and safety glass. Neither are you steering two tons of guided missile toward other cars, people and property. If you are prepared to accept the responsibility of your own actions, then motorcycling can be both safe and thrilling. Riding is an art as well as a craft and no amount of explanation can take the place of experience.” - Theresa Wallach

Attached Files

South America Motorcycle Itinerary by Jerry Romine.pdf (1.59 MB, 821 views)

When you will start your trip?I want start my trip next November from Canada .

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

Should be starting in about 10-14 days.

Hey Jerry great stuff! Thank you and c u somewhere on da road...

__________________
Round the world by bike. www.RTWbyBIKE.com

Your trip will take how long?

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

I'm guessing 4-5 months round trip but I have not time constraints.

Hi Jerry,

Add to your route -
Sillustani, an archeological site north of Puno, Peru. Just a few miles off the highway.
Huascarán National Park, get off the PanAm and see Peru. There are a few roads that cross the mountain range. The southernmost road is my pick. Mostly packed gravel. Cross before mid-afternoon when rain and snow may fall.
National Sicán Museum - located in the city of Ferreñafe , near Chiclayo , on the north coast of Peru
When near Lambayeque (norhtern Peru) eat some King Kong cake. Oh yeah. Great with coffee. You can get it further south too.
The "Death Road of Bolivia", a half a day ride northeast of La Paz. Not so scary. More for bragging rights.
Perito Moreno Glacier, Los Glaciares National Park, Santa Cruz, Argentina

Subtract -
Get off the Pan American Highway in Peru. It is boring, windblown, screaming trucks, no scenic vista, saying it sucks is putting it mildly.

Recommendations

• Get a simple currency converter for your smartphone. I use Currency on my iPhone
• Download offline map set via Google Maps. You don't need a local cell plan to use them and they expire after 30-days.
• Put all your border receipts in a durable envelope. Keep it organized.
• Don't speed.
• Yield to oncoming trucks on the switchbacks. And everywhere else for that matter. You are a fly on their windshield.
• There is a method to download all of your Google map points of interest as a file, then import them into your GPS. It's handy to have all those pinpoints already in your GPS.
• Download free routable map sets from here Free worldwide Garmin maps from OpenStreetMap
• Don't leave your bike on the street at night. There is always a garage nearby, roll into the hotel lobby or your room.
• Apparently, some of the main highways through Lima are closed to motorcycles. Search this forum for details. Lots of great museums and food in Lima.
• Take extra batteries for your camera. Lens cleaning fluid and cloth.
• Keep your passport in one of the stupid sacks around your neck or in your jacket. Don't store it in your bags.
• Scan all your important documents and email them to yourself.
• Get an offline translator if your Spanish is weak.

Have fun!

__________________
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

Peter, thank you for the recommendations. Recently I've updated the route to do the mountains through Peru & added Sillustani.

I'm weak on GPS and routing with coordinates and will look into it.

Appreciate the info.

And stop by Huanuco in central Peru and visit! 'a Peter-recommended site'

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

Hi Jerry
This is very good and useful information, thanks for putting it together.
Good luck with your trip, hope to see you on the road.