Sweet! Can you tell us how you got across the Darien Gap and how much it ended up costing you?

That makes all the sense in the world. (The bike also lets you choose which town to go to, choose to go to places with bad accessibility on public transit, easily change your mind, etc.) Remember, you're on an adventure, not on a motorcycle rally - the bike is the tool, not the main purpose. ;)

Depends on where you're traveling. (And sometimes diesel is not an option. E.g. in Brazil, there are - or used to be, at least - no private cars with diesel engines, only trucks and buses. Something to do with promoting local biofuel use.)

I was on a Honda XR150 in the mountains of northern Vietnam over Christmas, and what struck me was that passenger cars - even pickups/SUVs - are an ostentatious luxury there. The quality of the roads and the traffic inside the cities is such that travel by car is really slow. Scooters are by far the faster, more convenient way to get around (and anything too big to go on a scooter, goes onto a five-ton truck). In a place like that, even if you could buy a cheap old car, your travel would be a lot slower and more infuriating in a car than on a bike.

But in other places, for sure.

EDIT: It's also worth considering one's ability to do long distances on a bike or in a car. Personally for me, I know that on a long-distance drive, I am likely to get bored and uncomfortable, even with audiobooks etc. Yes I have a heater, air conditioner, all that stuff, but I still get out of the car stiff and cranky. On a bike, you would think it is a much more physically demanding activity, and you're likely to be exposed to bad weather, but even after a cold or wet or too hot ride over an entire day, I somehow feel a lot more fresh and ready for action. Maybe it's the constant mental activity and having to pay attention, maybe it's different for other people, but I know that given otherwise equivalent circumstances - nice weather (or proper gear), decent road quality - I always much prefer doing long distances on a bike than behind the wheel of a car.

?Quizas?
But "Traveling" on a bike trumps Van or car in all but worst weather, IMO. You just can't replicate magic motorcycle sensations riding in a cage.
Plus the sporting aspect when riding a good bike on a good road! :D

But a nicely set up Van or camper can work on some level ... it worked for me doing a couple Mex/Cent.America trips in the 1970's. VW Camper Van.

Later, Chevy Pick-up with big Cab-over Camper sat in it's bed. Honda 50 on front carry rack. 4 guys, 4 surfboards = totally isolated from locals, less Spanish learned :thumbdown:

Get to a town, find camping spot or safe place to park, then explore around on the Honda (mostly in shorts and flip flops doh).

Or an Airplane!
Many gear head types enjoy being attached to their bike. That bike becomes a lifeline. Many here would rather fiddle with their bike than roam around local markets, museums or see pyramids.

Some riders seem to spend LOTS of time fixing and searching out parts or mechanics to fix their bike. Read Lois On The Loose with her troublesome Yamaha XT225 Sero. A great experience nonetheless. I think some travelers prefer this over struggling to learn another language or doing full cultural immersion. :helpsmilie:

I always wondered whatever happened to Lois's hurt girlfriend who crashed in Bolivia??

THIS! :D

Its unbeleavable that i would say that but traveling Southern Africa with a rented Hyosung i10 car wasnt very different then traveling by bike two up only we could talk to each other while driving.

We drove most of the time with windows open, the local kids came running to wards us asking for money, touching us through the window, we did hard offroad, got covered in dust (also inside) and got stuck in the mud, wild camped behind some bushes on a field...just as i use to do with a motorcycle but renting a car was cheaper then renting a bike or even two and we were allowed into the game parks and we got the local price because we had a local plate :)

http://adventure-travel-experience.d...afrika_101.jpg

Individual journey with the car through South Africa to Kruger Park

I now have three modes of travel.
Alone bike and tent is my preferred mode UNLESS I get more than two days of being wet, putting away and deploying wet tents quickly loses its appeal. Cold is ok, but I don't like the wet.
Wife and I used a car, the boot was our kitchen with a couple of folding chairs and a table. We used the back seat to store all the gear including a bigger more comfy tent, big comfy sleeping bags etc. At a push we could sleep in the car if it was wet or nowhere to pitch a tent. Trick is to fill footwell so your lower legs are not hanging down but same height as the rest of you. At 70+mpg it is about the same cost as your average bike. Have heater, air con and windows to open. 47 litre tank range is about 660 miles and I carry a spare 10 litres behind the drivers seat (just in case) another 140 miles.

A couple of years ago I bought an old camper van. It is very comfy, very convenient. It is a three season model so extends our travelling time by about three months each year.

Like the man says "Horses for courses".