New Zealand RTW and back on a KTM500exc.

After nearly 16000k and 6 countries I have made it to Cartagena Colombia. As most of you probably know there isn't a road between South and Central America. I have 2 choices either fly from Bogota or take the Stahlratte a 120ft schooner that will take a few days to get to Panama so I got on the last sailing for the year.

Thanks for the great updates. Keep them coming please.

Ya better take it 'easy' south of the border.
Looks like it's probably gonna be raining in Orygun... till April.

Well fingers crossed it is cold as well because that will make for a good season on the mountain and that's what I'm riding for.

Thanks and I'll try to.

Jealous of your trip Aaron.S! What did you do in Columbia for lodging? Camp, hotels, etc?

Thanks. I lost my sleeping bag and my tent got burnt early on in the trip so I am staying at hostals.

Pictures heading to Panama on the Stahlratte. It was a 3 day 2 night sailing which costs 850 us. I think normally it is 4 days 3 nights but it worked out great for me. Very cool experience.

One more

There's a story

I was going from San Pedro de atacama (Chile)to Uyuni (Bolivia)via the ruta de las Lagunas. The aduana (where you get the paperwork for your bike entering a country also I believe the highest in the world at 5000m) is about 40 odd k from the boarder and is a gravel road so I was standing most of the way and didn't realize till I got there the clip had broken on my roll bag and I had lost nearly everything in it. The tent shifted onto the exhaust because of that and burnt big holes in it. I back tracked and found 1 shoe which I was stoked about only having one pair. So my 2 night 3 day trip all of a sudden turned into a long Dakar style day to make it to Uyuni. Not the best way to see the Lagunas. Flying by looking at a awesome view of pink Flamingos or something where you would normally stop to take photos and hang out for a bit but instead take a glimpse think yup flamingos good then head down arse up.

Made it to Panama just before tropical storm Otto hit that is possibly getting upgraded to a hurricane. I went and checked out the Panama Canal today. Tomorrow I will start heading up the coast as the system looks like it is tracking towards Costa Rica and Nicaragua. I met a aussie guy on the boat who I will travel with for a little while. He has been on the road for 11 months done 30000k on a Honda XR150 he brought new in Chile. I'm thinking I'll be unpacked and on my 2nd beer by the time he rolls in at the end of the day. ha.

Today I rode up the Panama coast about 360k to Playa Venoa. Had a couple showers but the storm has gone north. I got a room with a view and the bike gets the view as well. Thanksgiving dinner for my American friends was some pineapple on the side of the road.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

+1 on all this,a KTM 500 is a brilliant bike,for that 10% of a trip where you want one,but most trips involve a lot of just plain old getting there,droning if you please. And if a back woods guy wants a dirtbike,and sees a KTM500 sitting there.....its the one to steal.
As noted a DR650 can also be loaded lightly and get through most anywhere. Its been done. But Ive had KTM's since the late 70's and still have a 525 and new 300,great bikes! For long trips through all sorts of terrain,Ive got 8 years and counting on the current DR650 and it hasnt broken a single thing,despite beating it like a rented mule at times. No fixing is good.

There is no drama in taking a plain old DR650 RTW,its been done and done,but a KTM 13" travel dirtbike with a plate? Now that's got style and panache!
More power to you ! Great Pics.

Most excellent ride and bike choice. Dropping a in your 'planning' thread. Leave this one for the ; keep business and pleasure separated.

Ride on!

Yesterday I rode up the Panama coast to Las Lajas. It is a little run down beach that may of been nice in its day but that wasn't yesterday. The beach is ok. Found a place where i am thinking the mosquito net was keeping them in more than out. It has been a couple days since I have had a shower and possibly 2 weeks or more since a hot one and i werent expecting it there. Today I rode from one coast to the other by 12 then got a water taxi to Bocas Del Toro some Islands in the Caribbean it's hot and nice and the ocean should get some of the stink off me :)

I caught the first water taxi from Bocas Del Toro islands this morning and got to the Costa Rican Boarder about 9.30ish . It took about a hour and a half to get through which was pretty good. Then the rain started and didn't stop all the way to San Jose which made for a long day trying to pass trucks with shit visability. Tomorrow's mission is finding a rear tyre. I don't think it will last to Mexico city.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

Good stuff mate! You are a lucky bastard! We spent 5 weeks in Chile & Argentina last year on rented Honda 400's. I only wished I was on my KTM, er, all the time

Cheers
Clint

If you can avoid getting a tyre in Costa Rica do so as I went to 4 places in San Jose with no luck then to Touratech where they had a tkc 80 for 345 US dollars or a Metzler Sahara for the same but they gave me "a deal" at 300. OUCH. I wouldn't of made it to Mexico city on the mitas which I got about 10k out of. Sometimes it's just about timing. They also said Noone brings in the K60 if that's your tyre of choice. I may of been able to get a Dunlop but that would of taken some time an I am not a huge fan also I wanted to be on the road north tomorrow.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

Just after posting this I got a email back from another source that could of got me a tkc 80 for around 260.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk