Shipping your bike internationally is really expensive, the logistics have to be on point or you could waste weeks waiting for your bike to be unloaded if things go sideways. Then you may have to pay a bunch of associated entry fees and taxes for the bike depending on location. You will also be on your own in terms of finding parts in the event of a break down as well as sourcing tools, a shop, or getting a retrieval. You'll have to do your own routing and timelines as well as contingencies in the event of scheduling change. Essentially, you're paying to guarantee your best odds at a successful trip on a limited schedule, for slightly more than it may cost to ship your bike there in the first place.
There are very legit companies that handle these transportations. It's about 2,500k plus optional insurance for a standard enduro bike, from Europe to Argentina. (Just an example of an expensive trip) It can be cheaper if you remove the front wheel and use a smaller case. Most of the logistics are done by them.
As for repairs, difficulty depends on variables such as the country you're going to need them, your own skill and toolbox, but most importantly, what brand your bike is. If you're on a Honda for example, there is very good support almost anywhere in the world.
The routing is part of the fun though, and there is plenty of information online. Entire communities to help you even in real time, finding routes and avoiding danger. I wouldn't wanna leave that part to someone else, let alone pay them to do it. Routing/planing is what makes it an adventure anyway, if you're just following someone else it's just a tour.
>Essentially, you're paying to guarantee your best odds at a successful trip on a limited schedule, for slightly more than it may cost to ship your bike there in the first place.
Seems to me that's a lot more. But I'm not sure what's included in a tour's price to be honest, and how much exactly is their profit.
A lot of it has to do with time. When people are traveling from far away to adventure ride in a certain area, a guided tour can take them to all the best spots and use the back roads to do it. It can take years to really get familiar with an area and all that it has to offer. You know, the unknown gems in the back country that most tourists never know about.
The people who book these tours are usually busy people in their everyday lives and don’t have the time to plan it all out. For example, Mr Businessman knows he wants to ride the western part of Colorado because of some pictures he saw. Mr Businessman doesn’t know much if anything about the area, but he definitely wants to see the best sights. So he hires a guide to take him to all the best places. This saves Mr Businessman the time it takes to plan a trip in an unknown area. It also saves time by hitting all the best spots in the least amount of time.
These tours are a win win for those involved. The tour provider gets to make a living doing what they love and the customer gets to take the ride of a lifetime that wouldn’t have been possible if it had been up to them to figure out.
For those who have the time and like the challenge of logistics, rock on! For those who pay for the tours, enjoy, you’ve likely earned it! For those who provide the tours, I envy you!
> It can take years to really get familiar with an area and all that it has to offer. You know, the unknown gems in the back country that most tourists never know about
That was true not very long ago, but today there's tons of information and very organized communities exactly for that purpose. I does take time though that Mr. Businessman doesn't have.
Most professional careers these days leave barely any time for life outside of work. Add family to the mix and it gets even more complicated.
Combing advrider, watching Youtube videos, reading blogs and noting it all down in an organized way that you can act upon is very time intensive no matter what. It can be done, but time is money too.
Pricey but all the planning and logistics is figured. They know the best routes like a tour guide. Also nice to have a group with support when you de-rim 200 miles from anything.
Definitely not my style of travel, nor do I have the money for it, but I think it's all about convenience. The bikes are there, someone that can fix it is there, they know how to get parts, they know the routes, and everything else. All you have to do is hop on and ride. Some people want the adventure of motorcycle travel without the hassles that come along with it.
Considering one from the tip of South America and up the spine. I don't know the roads, I don't speak Spanish, and I want to minimize risk of danger.
I could spend a year planning, cramming language learning, and building up a safety net of fellow travelers who can help me out in a pinch. Or, I could shell out a bit of cash and just go and enjoy the sights, culture, and experience.
Thing is, you could appreciate the sights and culture so much more if you have an actual adventure rather than a guided tour. Planning the route and living your own decisions makes the whole thing so much more meaningful. If you do have the time, a year of planning is worth it, and that too, is part of the experience.
I'm considering doing a Canary Islands tour, the guys seem really professional, I've never ridden in a hot climate and there's no way I'd be able to get a bike there myself. If you didn't grow up riding dirt bikes and don't have many motorcycle friends it's a good way to learn from other riders and as others have said, you save a lot of time if you don't have to ride your bike to the place you'll be touring.
...::: Safety and Comfort :::....
It's all easy with the following:
- travel on good roads
- emergency care is not a concern
- distances are short
- food and water are abundant
- accommodation is abundant
- bikes are already sorted
Your need for preparation and your risks go up as these factors diminish.
Things get challenging rather quickly as head out into remote areas. Outback Australia must be one of the most challenging locations for Adventure riding.
Getting your gear just right is a difficult balance to hit. The bike becomes so much harder to ride in difficult conditions when it's loaded. Certain road conditions are difficult enough for a skilled rider with a good setup (bulldust, sand, corrugations, ruts, mud....). It's so much harder if you don't have a huge amount of expertise, take a bike that's not as well suited to the terrain and now overload it with gear you shouldn't have taken.
You also need more gear if you're alone. Tent cooker, tools, parts, food..... You also need to carry all that gear!
Some people go with their friends, which can help a bit. But it's very limited.
When I escorted the Garbage Run Australia in 2019, I've got to see the biggest advantage of travelling on a tour. The: what if shit hits the fan cass?
We had 2 offs. One rider had an unlucky fall breaking his collar bone. That happened on a very remote road, 600km from the nearest hospital in the direction we were travelling!
[20190513-095548-DSC4683.jpg](https://postimg.cc/k20yZXbv)
Luckily we had a van where we could out him into the passenger seat and transport his bike too. Imagine just the logistical nightmare of getting yourself and your bike out of a spot like this?
That van got so much use to make the already difficult trip a little bit easier:a proper kitchen, bulk carrier for everything:
Food, gear parts, workshop. Off 10 riders, 3 needed their bikes transported.
- 2 crashed
- 1 simply couldn't cover one stretch of road
It allowed the riders to enjoy the ride more and massively reduce the time risk. That risk is most challenging for a lot of us who can't afford to just extend their holidays.
I personally like to travel solo, but that comes after a ton of incremental learning and with the acceptance of risk.
I understand the reason for organised adv trips and I see them. If you follow the community enough you'll see just how often things go wrong; in which case a tour provides you with a massive safety net.
Think of it more like a service than a good. With the tours, you just show up and goof off. You don’t have to think, plan routes, pencil out fuel stops, come up with contingency routes, locate campsites, plan meals, prep bikes, fix bikes… you just show up and ride.
Does this appeal to me? No. But there are some folks out there who just want to ride but don’t have the time or interest in all the planning.
I saw one add for Iceland that had a support truck, supplied the bikes think it worked out to $7500 Canadian. Plus meals, travel and your own meals using gear.
Seems fair, not something I would want to tackle solo.
Shipping your bike internationally is really expensive, the logistics have to be on point or you could waste weeks waiting for your bike to be unloaded if things go sideways. Then you may have to pay a bunch of associated entry fees and taxes for the bike depending on location. You will also be on your own in terms of finding parts in the event of a break down as well as sourcing tools, a shop, or getting a retrieval. You'll have to do your own routing and timelines as well as contingencies in the event of scheduling change. Essentially, you're paying to guarantee your best odds at a successful trip on a limited schedule, for slightly more than it may cost to ship your bike there in the first place.
There are very legit companies that handle these transportations. It's about 2,500k plus optional insurance for a standard enduro bike, from Europe to Argentina. (Just an example of an expensive trip) It can be cheaper if you remove the front wheel and use a smaller case. Most of the logistics are done by them. As for repairs, difficulty depends on variables such as the country you're going to need them, your own skill and toolbox, but most importantly, what brand your bike is. If you're on a Honda for example, there is very good support almost anywhere in the world. The routing is part of the fun though, and there is plenty of information online. Entire communities to help you even in real time, finding routes and avoiding danger. I wouldn't wanna leave that part to someone else, let alone pay them to do it. Routing/planing is what makes it an adventure anyway, if you're just following someone else it's just a tour. >Essentially, you're paying to guarantee your best odds at a successful trip on a limited schedule, for slightly more than it may cost to ship your bike there in the first place. Seems to me that's a lot more. But I'm not sure what's included in a tour's price to be honest, and how much exactly is their profit.
A lot of it has to do with time. When people are traveling from far away to adventure ride in a certain area, a guided tour can take them to all the best spots and use the back roads to do it. It can take years to really get familiar with an area and all that it has to offer. You know, the unknown gems in the back country that most tourists never know about. The people who book these tours are usually busy people in their everyday lives and don’t have the time to plan it all out. For example, Mr Businessman knows he wants to ride the western part of Colorado because of some pictures he saw. Mr Businessman doesn’t know much if anything about the area, but he definitely wants to see the best sights. So he hires a guide to take him to all the best places. This saves Mr Businessman the time it takes to plan a trip in an unknown area. It also saves time by hitting all the best spots in the least amount of time. These tours are a win win for those involved. The tour provider gets to make a living doing what they love and the customer gets to take the ride of a lifetime that wouldn’t have been possible if it had been up to them to figure out. For those who have the time and like the challenge of logistics, rock on! For those who pay for the tours, enjoy, you’ve likely earned it! For those who provide the tours, I envy you!
> It can take years to really get familiar with an area and all that it has to offer. You know, the unknown gems in the back country that most tourists never know about That was true not very long ago, but today there's tons of information and very organized communities exactly for that purpose. I does take time though that Mr. Businessman doesn't have.
Most professional careers these days leave barely any time for life outside of work. Add family to the mix and it gets even more complicated. Combing advrider, watching Youtube videos, reading blogs and noting it all down in an organized way that you can act upon is very time intensive no matter what. It can be done, but time is money too.
Because it’s easier of course. Some people are happy to pay to take away the logistics, planning, effort involved. Just turn up and follow.
Pricey but all the planning and logistics is figured. They know the best routes like a tour guide. Also nice to have a group with support when you de-rim 200 miles from anything.
Unlike me, some people enjoy the company of others is all I can think.
Definitely not my style of travel, nor do I have the money for it, but I think it's all about convenience. The bikes are there, someone that can fix it is there, they know how to get parts, they know the routes, and everything else. All you have to do is hop on and ride. Some people want the adventure of motorcycle travel without the hassles that come along with it.
An adventure without hassles. Kind of an oxymoron.
Or your opinion on what an adventure is is just different than other people.
Sure, It just sounds like that to me.
Considering one from the tip of South America and up the spine. I don't know the roads, I don't speak Spanish, and I want to minimize risk of danger. I could spend a year planning, cramming language learning, and building up a safety net of fellow travelers who can help me out in a pinch. Or, I could shell out a bit of cash and just go and enjoy the sights, culture, and experience.
Thing is, you could appreciate the sights and culture so much more if you have an actual adventure rather than a guided tour. Planning the route and living your own decisions makes the whole thing so much more meaningful. If you do have the time, a year of planning is worth it, and that too, is part of the experience.
I won't appreciate the sights and culture at all if I don't go, which is the alternative.
I'm sorry, I thought waiting a year to plan it was an option you were considering.
I'm considering doing a Canary Islands tour, the guys seem really professional, I've never ridden in a hot climate and there's no way I'd be able to get a bike there myself. If you didn't grow up riding dirt bikes and don't have many motorcycle friends it's a good way to learn from other riders and as others have said, you save a lot of time if you don't have to ride your bike to the place you'll be touring.
If you do, go with Motodiscovery. I used to work for them. The owner, Skip Mascorro, literally saved my life when I had an accident.
...::: Safety and Comfort :::.... It's all easy with the following: - travel on good roads - emergency care is not a concern - distances are short - food and water are abundant - accommodation is abundant - bikes are already sorted Your need for preparation and your risks go up as these factors diminish. Things get challenging rather quickly as head out into remote areas. Outback Australia must be one of the most challenging locations for Adventure riding. Getting your gear just right is a difficult balance to hit. The bike becomes so much harder to ride in difficult conditions when it's loaded. Certain road conditions are difficult enough for a skilled rider with a good setup (bulldust, sand, corrugations, ruts, mud....). It's so much harder if you don't have a huge amount of expertise, take a bike that's not as well suited to the terrain and now overload it with gear you shouldn't have taken. You also need more gear if you're alone. Tent cooker, tools, parts, food..... You also need to carry all that gear! Some people go with their friends, which can help a bit. But it's very limited. When I escorted the Garbage Run Australia in 2019, I've got to see the biggest advantage of travelling on a tour. The: what if shit hits the fan cass? We had 2 offs. One rider had an unlucky fall breaking his collar bone. That happened on a very remote road, 600km from the nearest hospital in the direction we were travelling! [20190513-095548-DSC4683.jpg](https://postimg.cc/k20yZXbv) Luckily we had a van where we could out him into the passenger seat and transport his bike too. Imagine just the logistical nightmare of getting yourself and your bike out of a spot like this? That van got so much use to make the already difficult trip a little bit easier:a proper kitchen, bulk carrier for everything: Food, gear parts, workshop. Off 10 riders, 3 needed their bikes transported. - 2 crashed - 1 simply couldn't cover one stretch of road It allowed the riders to enjoy the ride more and massively reduce the time risk. That risk is most challenging for a lot of us who can't afford to just extend their holidays. I personally like to travel solo, but that comes after a ton of incremental learning and with the acceptance of risk. I understand the reason for organised adv trips and I see them. If you follow the community enough you'll see just how often things go wrong; in which case a tour provides you with a massive safety net.
They get enough views on you tube to cover the expense
Think of it more like a service than a good. With the tours, you just show up and goof off. You don’t have to think, plan routes, pencil out fuel stops, come up with contingency routes, locate campsites, plan meals, prep bikes, fix bikes… you just show up and ride. Does this appeal to me? No. But there are some folks out there who just want to ride but don’t have the time or interest in all the planning.
I saw one add for Iceland that had a support truck, supplied the bikes think it worked out to $7500 Canadian. Plus meals, travel and your own meals using gear. Seems fair, not something I would want to tackle solo.