I rode through every country in South America except Chile and Paraguay and produced my New Jersey driver's license at each border. There is only a small indication on the document that shows I am authorized to operate a motorcycle. Chances are low that all of the officials processing my papers could read the license well enough to know if I was licensed or not. Going from Brazil to Uruguay the official had such bad eye sight that I gently took the paper form from him and completed the VIN number portion, which he had butchered... That said all you need is one official with excellent comprehension of English and you *may be* sunk. I say it that way because the next person posting could easily and with experience say no country in South America requires a motorcycle endorsement on a license.

The more important consideration is rider experience. If your friend doesn't have a license now, are they planning on learning how to ride in South America? If this is the case, then let me put this it this way (with love and respect), is your friend f*cking nuts? It can take all of your wits to navigate the mountain twisties and urban traffic insanity. And your friend wants to operate a motorcycle on bad roads and in some places where on coming drivers are seeking trophies, with at best limited experience? Think it through.

I took my first adventure into Mexico and Central America after only riding for ~18 or 20 months. To prepare myself I took a motorcycle safety course (class room and practical), then took two long overland trips (some where around 2200 miles combined), and rode to work a lot. With that much under my belt, I sucked on gravel. And there was gravel. My curves skills improved more after that trip when I took a performance turns class.

One the other hand, Ted Simon wrote that he was trying to figure out how to shift as he left the Triumph factory (they lent/gave him a motorcycle) and he was on he epic journey a few days later...

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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