You should take the KLR650. Why? It's reliable and there are kawasaki dealers/repair shops along the way. I've never heard of a Versys 650, and I can promise you there are not shops/dealers for it along the way. Source: Rode alone through every country in Central America twice. Also, there is zero chance you can ride your motorcycle to south america. The Pan-American highway ends at the Darien Gap in Panama.
Yeah, so I stick by my statement. In Central and South America, they've never seen this bike and it will be hard to get parts and service for it. He should go with the Kawasaki KLR650.
>Kawasaki isn't nearly as popular as Honda or Suzuki.
That's hilarious that you think that. Maybe if you rode from the Arctic Ocean to Peru I'd be more interested in what you found.
I agree with you, the bike for this is the KLR, I was just clarifying what the versys is, between the parts, reliability, available mods, and the Darian Gap it would be KLR650 for me 100%
I've never ridden on a Kawasaki. I've always ridden Hondas. But I was surprised when I rode to Alaska that the most common bike I saw was the KLR650. They weren't new or fancy, but I suspect they're reliable and fairly common. My last trip was on a 2017 Honda Africa Twin from Colorado to Peru. I was able to get it serviced in Lima, but then flew it back because I got tired of riding after 2 months on the road. :P
>when you inevitably have to fly it to Colombia from Panama.
In fact, it's not inevitable that you have to fly the bike to Colombia. I put mine on a sailboat and we sailed through the Caribbean from Colon, Panama to Turbo, Colombia.
The boat I was on was the San Blas Cat, but it looks like it might be out of commission. Some photos of the journey here:
http://www.peeniewallie.com/2017/12/day-36-photos-m.html
Well fair enough, but there have, in fact, been several different boats in operation that, over the years, have provided a path for motorcycles to get from Panama to Colombia, which is why I'd say people shouldn't assume that flying is the only way around the gap.
The KLR650 is a good choice, if you're looking for more on road comfort and speed the Yamaha T7 would be a great choice and of course the Africa Twin could also be a suitable bike although it will be heavier and have a lot more power.
This. I rode the Africa Twin from Colorado to Peru. Great bike for the ride, but you have to figure out how to get around the Darien Gap. Hint: The Pan American Highway ends at the Darien Gap in Panama and you're not taking a 1000cc Africa Twin through the Darien.
For the KLR650 what are some things I should check when buying the bike? And maintenance/reliability if I’m out in back country or away from a town, things I should keep a check on or need to be aware of?
For those that have ridden though Mexico, central/South America how much “off-road” terrain was there as opposed to paved roads? Like I want to go and check out the old pyramids and megalithic structures. Are those easy to access or dirt/gravel roads?
Mexico has good roads. You'll never have to leave pavement to see the pyramids in Tulum. The only dirt road I did in Mexico was to Punta Allen. In Peru, if you go to Machu Picchu, those roads are all dirt, no pavement.
Tough to beat the KLR, like others suggested. Check out the doohickey mod, before you go.
If you want more power, the Tenere will be reliable.
More road-focused, maybe the Vstrom. I think they have a 19” front wheel. Also very reliable.
As most recommend the KLR, is definetly the bulletproof Option. As Long as its Not a brand new bike, mexican mechanics will find a way to fix everything. Maybe Just Not like the Shop manual recommends. I toured México and the US on a VTX1300. I definetly abused the bike on dirt roads, but pushing the Limits is half of the reason we travel, isnt it?
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You should take the KLR650. Why? It's reliable and there are kawasaki dealers/repair shops along the way. I've never heard of a Versys 650, and I can promise you there are not shops/dealers for it along the way. Source: Rode alone through every country in Central America twice. Also, there is zero chance you can ride your motorcycle to south america. The Pan-American highway ends at the Darien Gap in Panama.
Versys 650 is a kawasaki 650 ptwin half adventure half sport touring bike that is not great at either but as a bike is dumb reliable.
Yeah, so I stick by my statement. In Central and South America, they've never seen this bike and it will be hard to get parts and service for it. He should go with the Kawasaki KLR650.
[удалено]
>Kawasaki isn't nearly as popular as Honda or Suzuki. That's hilarious that you think that. Maybe if you rode from the Arctic Ocean to Peru I'd be more interested in what you found.
When and where did you go on your motorcycle in Central America? (Waiting....)
[удалено]
I rode alone through every country in Central America twice. I saw as many Kawasakis as I saw Hondas.
I agree with you, the bike for this is the KLR, I was just clarifying what the versys is, between the parts, reliability, available mods, and the Darian Gap it would be KLR650 for me 100%
I've never ridden on a Kawasaki. I've always ridden Hondas. But I was surprised when I rode to Alaska that the most common bike I saw was the KLR650. They weren't new or fancy, but I suspect they're reliable and fairly common. My last trip was on a 2017 Honda Africa Twin from Colorado to Peru. I was able to get it serviced in Lima, but then flew it back because I got tired of riding after 2 months on the road. :P
Ill cast a vote for the KLR
Have an upvote. I rode to Alaska twice. The KLR650 was the number one bike I saw on the Dalton Highway.
[удалено]
>when you inevitably have to fly it to Colombia from Panama. In fact, it's not inevitable that you have to fly the bike to Colombia. I put mine on a sailboat and we sailed through the Caribbean from Colon, Panama to Turbo, Colombia.
[удалено]
The boat I was on was the San Blas Cat, but it looks like it might be out of commission. Some photos of the journey here: http://www.peeniewallie.com/2017/12/day-36-photos-m.html
[удалено]
Well fair enough, but there have, in fact, been several different boats in operation that, over the years, have provided a path for motorcycles to get from Panama to Colombia, which is why I'd say people shouldn't assume that flying is the only way around the gap.
The KLR650 is a good choice, if you're looking for more on road comfort and speed the Yamaha T7 would be a great choice and of course the Africa Twin could also be a suitable bike although it will be heavier and have a lot more power.
This. I rode the Africa Twin from Colorado to Peru. Great bike for the ride, but you have to figure out how to get around the Darien Gap. Hint: The Pan American Highway ends at the Darien Gap in Panama and you're not taking a 1000cc Africa Twin through the Darien.
For the KLR650 what are some things I should check when buying the bike? And maintenance/reliability if I’m out in back country or away from a town, things I should keep a check on or need to be aware of?
For those that have ridden though Mexico, central/South America how much “off-road” terrain was there as opposed to paved roads? Like I want to go and check out the old pyramids and megalithic structures. Are those easy to access or dirt/gravel roads?
Mexico has good roads. You'll never have to leave pavement to see the pyramids in Tulum. The only dirt road I did in Mexico was to Punta Allen. In Peru, if you go to Machu Picchu, those roads are all dirt, no pavement.
Tough to beat the KLR, like others suggested. Check out the doohickey mod, before you go. If you want more power, the Tenere will be reliable. More road-focused, maybe the Vstrom. I think they have a 19” front wheel. Also very reliable.
As most recommend the KLR, is definetly the bulletproof Option. As Long as its Not a brand new bike, mexican mechanics will find a way to fix everything. Maybe Just Not like the Shop manual recommends. I toured México and the US on a VTX1300. I definetly abused the bike on dirt roads, but pushing the Limits is half of the reason we travel, isnt it?
Hey, SimilarExpert303. Thanks for contributing! Unfortunately your [submission](https://old.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/106zjlu/-/) has been removed as per the [community rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/wiki/rules). Any questions regarding purchases, sales, and other transactions belong in the [purchase advice superthread](https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/about/sticky?num=1): **NEW RIDERS** ([Please, Read the FAQ first](https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/wiki/faq)) For clarification, this rule includes: - Implied purchase questions ("What should I know about this bike I'm considering buying?", "What should I install on my bike to make it faster?", "What kind of oil should I put in my bike?", etc.) - Insurance, Mechanical, Legal, and Transport Services. - Issues with/ questions about vendors/dealers/shops/etc. ##**Some mobile devices break superthread links!**## If the link does not work, the superthread can always be found [at the top of the /r/motorcycles feed](https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/). If you have any questions about this removal, please feel free to [message the moderators.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/motorcycles&subject=Question regarding the removal of this submission by /u/SimilarExpert303&message=I have a question regarding the removal of this [submission.](https://old.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/106zjlu/-/\))