This is Spartan!

There are a few ways to start this post, and I'm inclined to address the first question, "How hot is it?" and to quote Robin Williams: "Damn hot!". In all seriousness, I'm mildly concerned about my keyboard that the sweat dripping from me could short it out. Yet, there is a picture of Santa on my bottle of Coca-Cola. Which unfortunately isn't glass, but it is still cold, well, it was a few minutes ago.

Attached are pictures of the courtyard and of the room. The room is fairly spartan, but livable. I did find a coupld of cockroaches on the floor this morning, which was a less than welcome surprise.

The dive shop is a 15 minute walk away located in a resort called the Blue Bahia (Octopus Diving). First dives will be tomorrow, and the numbers right now are for 3-4 people plus instructor/divemaster. The British gentleman was explaining (Like many tropical destinations, the staff come from many areas of the globe) many of the dives involve going along the corner of the reef dropoff and that sea turtles have been in abundance the last week or so. I'm excited.

The environment is so different from home, I thought I remembered from Mexico the heat and humidity, and either my memory is faulty, or it didn't get that warm. My dive computer says the temperature is 84 F (28-29 C), so it isn't *that* hot, but the humidity is oppressive and given the amount of noise the rain made last night, it must be close to 100% RH.

As I sit here, various things catch my eye, the flours are one, the hummingbird that came by a few minutes ago, the colourful butterflys and the little green lizards (geckos?) are things that are rarely seen or nonexistent at home. I shake my head at the worker chipping concrete without any safety equipment, and force myself to remember that things are done differently in other places, and that it is the differences that have created such a rich tapestry of cultures and provide reasons to travel.

The Courtyard

A view of the room as you enter, bed on the right, bathroom through the door.

What's going on over there?

A few changes over the last couple of weeks. As we started planning finer details it became clear that what I had thought the riding and trip was going to look like was a little different than what Kyle and Trevor did. After much thought, I decided to step back from the trip down from Edmonton. This isn't bad, simply different.

I am still going down to Chile/Argentina with my father in Jan/Feb to ride to the tip of South America, and as I can still take a significant amount of time off, I will be in Roatan, Honduras in November to scuba dive which I am very excited about.

Last Post: A combination of a How I Met Your Mother reference and Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Which interestingly I've never seen)

Suit Up! Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Gear List - Part 1 of Many

Gear. Yes. Well, there is a lot of it. I could leave it there, but there is a significant word count that can be written on this and some people may find it interesting. We will try to give user reviews as we discover short falls and highlights of various pieces.

The "Gear List" started off innocuously enough, Kyle came up with a list gleaned from other ride reports (RR) mostly off ADVrider.com. After I put my eyes back in their sockets and retrieved my jaw from the floor, I went through the list and with some very minor exceptions discovered that I really did need to buy most of the items he listed. After the jump I have posted the list from the V5.0 Gear List that includes the text list, much (but not all) of which we have bought or plan to purchase.

I'll talk about a few of the main parts in more detail, please feel free to ask questions about these and other items we may not have listed.

Bike Upgrades

Rear Shock:
Total riding distance will likely end up being just south of 30,000 km. On a loaded bike (I weigh 150-155 lbs and come close to 175-180 with gear and water) over roads that are not necessarily smooth, a more robust shock is almost a necessity. It is supposedly possible to do without it, but the chances of a seal leak or similar are pretty high. The goal is to stay under 60 lbs of gear which puts me around 220 lbs loaded.
Total cost: $544.95.

Front Shocks:
This is a flat out necessity. The stock suspension dives with no load on the bike and jumps around. Kyle and Trevor have gone to RM250 Inverted Forks while I have chosen to rebuild using a .55 kg/mm springs which is significantly stiffer than stock.
Total cost of the rebuild: ~$350 for Springs, New Valves, Oil and Seals.

Windshield:
I have been mocked for this and I don't care. I like my windshield, and I'm a complete wimp without it. I bought a bigger one while Trevor and Kyle went with a "Sport" solution. Probably will only make a difference on the trip through the States and then when we hit highways in Argentina/Chile as it makes significantly less difference below 100 km/h.
Total Cost: $100

Gas Tank:
Stock fuel tank is 13L. The new one is an Acerbis 5.3 Gallon (20L) which is a rather significant improvement. More fuel is always good, and the range increase is pretty substantial.
Total Cost: MRSP $360, available for $270

Seat:
The stock seat is like sitting on a rail. It does not provide a "comfortable" feel after about an hour. Great in town, not so much beyond that. I have a Corbin that I got from Kyle when he purchased a different DR to ride down, and he has a seat built for mutants tall people.
Total Cost: $370 New

Power Mods (Exhaust + Jetting, Air Filter):
DG O-Series Muffler w/ Quiet Insert. Procycle Jet Kit. Do I need more power? Not at this altitude. Once we start going up (La Paz for reference is just shy of 12,000 ft) it will be convenient.
Muffler: $180
Jet Kit: $70
Air Filter: $30
Secondary Breather Filter: $30
Total Cost: $310

Hand Guards:
Three advantages: Keeps wind and rain away from your hands keeping them warmer. Helps prevent fingers from getting broken etc if you go down. Keeps branches and other obstacles away from the levers.

Heated Grips:
Non-bikers might see this as a luxury similar to heated seats. You are wrong. They are a necessity. While the major weather issue I believe we will face is warmth, if it gets cold, these will save your life.
Total Cost: $~70 (Heated portion ~$50 + New grips ~$20)

Engine Concern:
Specifically a case saver that the chain will hit instead of hitting the case of the engine, which invariably causes damage and can wreck the engine completely. Second, a counter-shaft seal retainer because I like the seal to stay in rather than spewing oil out the side. Third, case armor that attaches onto the sides of the engine and takes the abrasion instead of the engine itself.
Case Saver: $40
Seal Retainer: $20
Case Armor: $100
Total Cost: $160

Tubliss System:
To simplify this, it is a tube that sits very close to the wheel rather than touching the outside part of the tire, meaning that a normal car patch kit can be used instead of taking the tire off, putting a new tube in and then remounting the tire. If everything goes properly it turns a 45+ minute stop for a tire puncture into a 10 minute one.
Total Cost: $200 ($100 per tire)

Centre Stand:
Ever tried to get a rear wheel off while the bike is on a kickstand? Yeah, I thought not.
Total Cost: $160

Luggage:
Two main portions, the first is a tank bag, I think all three of us have bought Giant Loop Fandango bags that at $160 are not cheap, but are supposed to be very close to waterproof. It has a clear top pocket that a map can be placed in for viewing while riding.

Second, we have bought 3 Pelican cases to attach to the sides as paniers and a top case above the rear wheel. These will likely be supplemented by either a dry bag or dry duffle to hold large items like sleeping bags.
Total Cost: $213.06 USD (If you can avoid it, never buy Pelican gear in Canada)

Riding Gear

Boots:

We have all bought Motorcross boots. These are a hard boot that go up to high calf and are like walking in ski boots. Not great for walking, but really good for a) Water Resistance b) Keeping your ankle intact should you go down (You break the Tibia and/Fibula rather than the gazillion bones in the ankle). Does have the potential to allow for wrenched knees which does cause me some concern.
Total Cost: $50 (Kijiji can be amazing. New they should be $250+)

Helmet:

I wear an Arai helmet that is designed for on-road riding and racing. Unfortunately, my head is shaped weird and it is in the $500-800 range for me to buy a comfortable helmet, so I don't want to buy a new one.

Kyle has an AGX which includes an external visor which is nice for tropical climates and for keeping rain off the visor.

Pants:

Personally I have a set of Alpinestars pants which I think are the Drystar model. Honestly, I've tried on all the pants in my size available in the city of Edmonton, and these fit. Decent knee protection, not much padding on the hip, but reasonable abrasion protection. Unfortunately, they don't fit over my boots, so I have to tuck them inside, which as long as I am not wearing jeans, this is not an issue.

The big problem is going to be when it gets hot. They are black and have no vents. I recognize that I am going to roast, but an appropriate solution has not presented itself.

Trevor and Kyle bought some mesh pants from Tourmaster, and they will likely be much more comfortable.
Tourmasters: $180
Alpinestars: ~$200

Jacket:

Tourmaster Transition V3. Traditionally Tourmaster zippers have been unreliable and I have stayed away as a result in the past, but I needed a jacket that fit well and this is as close as I can find. Venting works surprisingly well, though I suspect I will disagree with that statement once the weather breaks 25 degrees.

Kyle has a Scorpion jacket of some sort, and he seems to like it, unsure what Trevor is currently riding.
Tourmaster Transition V3: $224 USD

Gloves:

An eternal debate. Shorty? Gauntlets? Mesh? Leather? Textile? Hard Armor? Soft Armor? Pinky Padding? I want  need a new set, I'm currently riding a pair of Scorpion EXO Mesh Shorts, and they held up OK when I laid down a couple years back, but I do not want to ride for 4 months in them.

Hydration System:
Yet to be purchased by me, but a 2.5L reservoir in a backpack style. Possibly one of the most important pieces of gear.

No idea what Kyle or Trevor will be using.

Total Cost: Lots. I haven't added it up. Most of me doesn't want to, the rest is curious. It might happen. Estimate is in the vicinity of $3.5k.

Off-Bike Gear:

Clothing:

Not much. It may have to be burned before we can return to civilized society. Everything should be quick dry synthetic or merino wool

• 1 pair, pants
• 1 maybe 2, shorts
• 1 pair, swim trunks
• 2 synthetic T-shirts
• 1, fleece long sleeve
• Toque
• 3 pairs, socks
• 3 pairs, boxers

Sleeping:

Oh man has there been talk about this. The problem is that it will be +45 in Central America, but potentially as cold as -20 at night when in the Andes and at altitude (Salar de Uyuni!). We are bringing tents for certain areas, but the temperature swings are a challenge.

Last Post: A statement from Bilbo Baggins, the full quote bears printing:
“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” - JRR Tolkien

I should also point out that the title references apply to posts by me (Alex)

Less than three months to go

My name is Kyle and I am 26 years old currently working in the banking industry in the oil booming economy that is Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. My work has graciously granted a 4 month leave of absence making this dream a reality.

About three years ago I had a dream, conjured up in the last year of university. I wanted to explore South America by land and I was going to take this jeep.

At the time I was quite into 4x4ing and camping and was avidly developing my love for wrenching. One day while browsing Expedition Portal I came across Dan's website; The Road Chose Me (http://theroadchoseme.com/). Somebody else was actually doing this trip! Somehow I have to make this happen... Well there weren't any takers, life went on.... a career was started and the jeep was sold. 

In 2011 a friend asked if I was interested in going to Thailand and Cambodia for a couple weeks. The travel bug was reignited. Around that time I was also getting into dirt biking, at home in Alberta as well as beautiful British Columbia. Thailand was also the first time I legally took a bike on the street, I was hooked. In Cambodia I found Siem Reap Dirtbike tours (http://www.siemreapdirtbikes.com/). I convinced them to take a friend and I out for the day, no formal tour. It was a highlight of the trip. Exploring far from the tourist areas. Terrain ranging from rice fields to mine fields to ancient hill top ruins. It was amazing.

Life continued. In spring 2012 I bought a house and shortly there after a 2003 DR 650. I figured a DR would be close enough to a dirt bike to make me feel comfortable on the street. At the time I was also influenced by ride reports on Advrider, the Long Way Around and Motorcycle Diaries.

In September 2012 I met Trevor at a friends BBQ, within the first 10 minutes the South America motorcycle trip/dream came up. I was not going to let this opportunity pass! In October it was finalized. One year later we would depart for Argentina by motorcycle. Shortly thereafter Alex joined the crew. I met Alex in Business School in 2007. We have worked on projects together and started a business over the years.

So here we are, July 2013, less than three months to departure. The parts have been ordered, the bikes purchased and the approximate route set. This dream is becoming a reality!

Ed: Tagged post for future reference and removed double spaces.

It's a dangerous business, going out your door (Route)

You will have to forgive me for using multiple maps to show the route, Google Maps has issues with certain border crossings (For example, it doesn't know how to get out of Colombia). These are very high level planning routes and no guarantees are made to their final validity.

Proposed Route Part 1

Points A and B are pretty standard, nothing extra there.
Point C may come after a detour from Mexico into Belize.
Point D states La Ceiba but the plan is to take a ferry (with the bikes hopefully) over to Roatan (Home to the largest reef outside of the Great Barrier Reef) and SCUBA dive for a week.
Point E is where we need to be in the middle of November to catch the boat to get us to Cartagena

Proposed Route Part 2

Point B will actually include a detour into Venezuela, because hey, we're there so why not?

Proposed Route Part 3

Point B allows us to park the bikes and fly to the Galapagos Islands for a week, primarily to dive.
Point C is Machu Picchu
Point E is the Uyuni Salt Flats, which I'm certain you have seen pictures of (Wiki, Picture you really are looking for). Sunscreen mandatory.
Depending on time we may try to go through Paraguay.
Point F is where we will pick up one or two travelers to join us for the leg to Ushuaia and then to Santiago. There will also probably be a ferry trip over to Montevideo to cross Uruguay off the list.
Point G is not actually the final location, Ushuaia is located on the landmass to the South East of G and there is a ferry to take, but Google doesn't know about it.

Google Map Links:
P1
P2
P3

(All three maps add to 23,535 km ridden if you are curious, but that number will be low)

Last Post: Star Trek, Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Though it is actually "He's dead Jim")

It's dead Jim

Well, not quite. Kyle purchased a new bike due to wanting a lower mileage version. He had replaced the forks on the first with RM250 Inverted so we swapped the front ends of the bikes.

(New is closest with old forks still on)

Another look of the partially stripped bikes. Kyle's car project is also visible and the two new Acerbis 5.3 gallon fuel tanks and Corbin seat. The new seat is an annoying piece of gear for me, I love it after an hour on the bike as the original is like sitting on a fence rail, but it is wider which being short makes the bike a little more annoying to handle in the city and on shorter rides.

Last Post: Another One Bites the Dust - Queen

Little about Trevor and how this trip came to be..

Alrighty this is a first for me, but ill give it a shot. Seeing as Many of the Boender's, Wein's and extended friends/whoever probably have no idea who this Trevor guy is i'll give you a short debrief.

Born and raised in Smithers B.C. Grew up on a large acerage In the country and started riding motorbikes from a young age and absolutely loved it. In grade 11 a buddy and I decided we were going to buy new Honda 650 enduros after we graduated and ride to South America. That did not happen due to the money factor and just life in general changing for both of us. I checked out university in edmonton for a year and met tons of awesome people and then realized that I wanted to do some more exploring. Worked for the summer and headed out to New Zealand for close to a year and absolutely loved it. Ill skip ahead here and all of a sudden I randomly met Kyle and after finding out we both had the same dream to motorbike to S.A. we decided to do this trip that night. Soon after Alex joined the crew. Since then Kyle and Alex have been doing a lot of planning and thinking about every possible bike issue we might run into which has been very handy. Generally I just like to "wing" things which im sure we will be doing a lot of on this trip I forsee but the planning they have done will make life a lot nicer in terms of bike breakdowns/repairs. Currently im framing houses and looking forward to heading out on this adventure. That's it for now i guess. Till next time.