I am planning to fly from Holland to Buenos Aires next week, buy a motorbike there and follow the tracks of Che Guevara : Eastwards to Bariloche (depending on road and border conditions maybe down the route 40) into Chile, and then up through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Columbia to Venezuela.

Although I do have some travel experience, a (international) motorbike driving licence, a motorbike maintenance book, and a Spanish self-study course; I do not speak Spanish (yet) and don't know much about motorbikes.

As I am sure I am not the first one to do this, I hope someone here can give me some advice on the following issues. I have tried to find the answers in this forum, but some are still unclear. At first I wanted to just get there and see as I go, but it seems there are some difficulties :

- What models are popular across SA (easy maintenance) and suitable for this trip
I am planning to take a large backpack and maybe an extra small one, a tent and a guitar. I would prefer a small cruiser over a off-road. Is that smart ?

- Buying a motorbike in Buenos Aires
On this forum I read it is quite hard and expensive to buy a motorbike in Argentina. Does anyone know any reliable dealers in BA ? And what would it cost to buy a simple (250-500cc) bike in Argentina ? Or would it be necessary to do the first part to Santiago by bus and buy a bike there ?

- Registering it (in my name?) in order to get it over the border
I also read on the forum that it is difficult to register a bike on my name (as a foreigner) and take it out of the country (need to wait for a year?). Is it doable to ask a dealer to register in his name and get his permission to take ´his´ bike over the border ? And could I then still sell it in another country ?

- Reselling it in Venezuela
If I could get my hands on a bike in Argentina (or Chile), would I be able to sell it without too much loss in Venezuela ?

- Getting a motorbike insurance in Argentina
On this forum ATM has often been recommended, but sometimes noted that it is difficult for a foreigner to get the insurance, specially for the other countries.

I know there have been many people before asking similar questions, but it would be great if someone could help me out ! Thanks in advance......

Oant sjen,

Rienk

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Motor Gringo - Through the Tire Tracks of Che : www.motorgringo.com