Edelweiss Advice II: South America

[markgoodrich]

WestxRT (Darrell), the dirty dog, posted a query about the Edelweiss Europe tour, which sent me to their site, and out popped their Adventure Patagonia tour. Suzanne and I have been talking about going back to that part of the world (we were there in 1975), but I hadn't considered a motorcycle trip...and probably shouldn't, but I'm asking for advice anyway:

 

I've never done any off road riding of any kind, other than the parking lot at the Chuckwagon in Torrey. If we did this, how much, what kind, and whereat sort of riding training should we get? We'd be two up. This is nuts. Somebody hit me on the head with a rubber mallet.

 

 

[johnlt]

Mark, I think most of those tours are not really "off road" riding. I believe they are mostly paved with some dirt roads. I think you'd be fine.

[WestTX RT]

Hehe. Gotcha.

 

Same thing that started my internal debate, which bike? I'd look at the VStrom or the 800GS if much of the ride is on dirt/gravel.

[WestTX RT]

Ergonomics

 

Here's a good place to plug in the different bikes and see how they might fit.

[Spartan]

I did a Patagonia tour last year with Motoaventura in Chile.

http://www.motoaventura.cl/web/patagoniae.htm

 

The Edelweiss route looks aprox the same. Same towns and National Parks. I believe the Aerostich tours use Motoavetura's bikes and I think also the same route.

 

Roberto is the owner/operator and when he led us it was his 51st trip. Amazing ride and half the miles were off road. Route 40 was deep gravel for multiple days. This part of the trip you could not take your eyes off your line, which is a tire groove. I call it the worlds longest single track even though the road is plenty wide for two trucks. I know there is more paving going on so get there before it's all asphalt. The winds were unreal. It was the only time I was leaning left into the wind while turning right.

 

Be sure to find out how much off road riding the tour will be if you are concerned. I'm sure it is a bunch.

 

 

[markgoodrich]

I did a Patagonia tour last year with Motoaventura in Chile.

http://www.motoaventura.cl/web/patagoniae.htm

 

The Edelweiss route looks aprox the same. Same towns and National Parks. I believe the Aerostich tours use Motoavetura's bikes and I think also the same route.

 

Roberto is the owner/operator and when he led us it was his 51st trip. Amazing ride and half the miles were off road. Route 40 was deep gravel for multiple days. This part of the trip you could not take your eyes off your line, which is a tire groove. I call it the worlds longest single track even though the road is plenty wide for two trucks. I know there is more paving going on so get there before it's all asphalt. The winds were unreal. It was the only time I was leaning left into the wind while turning right.

 

Be sure to find out how much off road riding the tour will be if you are concerned. I'm sure it is a bunch.

 

 

That settles the idea for me: find another way to travel the area. Single track, deep gravel, no experience, two up. Nuh uh. Last time, we just hitchhiked, bused, hiked, but we didn't go south of Bariloche. Let's see, that was 36 years ago this month we started the trip...got to the Chile/Argentine lake region after Easter. Stayed about seven weeks before moving on.

 

Hmmmm....New Zealand says all paved...Mexico is four hours away, sneak through the war zone at night....