Motorcycle riding is inherently dangerous. All those who ride accept the risk. However, when taking a big trip in a remote area we must start mitigating the risk somehow. I have talked about using devices such as the Garmin InReach or SPOT as a last resort to a bad situation. But I think that we should be thinking from a proactive standpoint. Because nothing can take the place of skill and confidence.  

While out on a long solo ride here in Patagonia I made a video about my thoughts on mitigating risk. How we need to have a greater percentage of skill vs the risk any ride may pose. What does that mean? Well If we are good at certain areas of riding and bad or low skilled at other areas, we can do several things to help mitigate the risk of failure for the sections in which we have low skill.

For instance, if we are not skilled at gravel roads, we must somehow overcome that and either gain the skill if there is time or adapt the route to take away some of the harder sections. Those are the only two ways to mitigate risk and avoid failure. Learn or adapt, you often hear comedians talk about how you know you’re a bad speller when you cant spell the word you are thinking so you decide instead to change the whole sentence to say the same thing but avoid the word you cant spell. Well that’s what we do with our riding. We either learn to spell or change the sentence. Learn to ride better with more confidence or change the route to better suite your skills.

Learn the skills. There are several ways to do this but a good place to start are videos about basic and advanced riding skills. This helps set a foundation to better understand the things you need to learn and of what importance they are to further your riding. I myself find that a great way to learn, push your boundaries and gain confidence is to ride with people who are better than me. This has really helped me because those friends who have high skills and a little patience will tell you what you’re doing wrong and help you to improve your riding. Remember they want a riding partner just like you so it’s to their advantage to get you trained up to a higher skill level. Another is taking classes with instructors and practicing those skill learned so that they become second nature.  All these things are the preferred method to be prepared for any trip you may want to take. This is what will help you in the long term for all your ambitious rides.

Adapt the route. Now if you don’t have the time to train and learn new methods to help you ride smarter and with more confidence the other way to complete those ambitious rides is to adapt the route to give yourself a better chance of success. This is of course a common issue for riders who may have set out on a big ride and find themselves in tough situations in which they must ride sections above their skill set. So, they adapt the route or push their boundaries. The later not always the best options when you are alone. However, the goal is to end any ride safely and so you must always put safety above ambition when you are not prepared mentally or physically with the skills required to complete a ride.
 
​I hope this helps to get you thinking of where your riding is and what may help you complete a big ride successfully. What did I miss? What helps you accomplish those big rides and gain skills on the motorcycle? Let me know in the comments. 

Over the years here in Patagonia one thing became clear very quickly. Flat tires happen and they happen more that you think. I want to share what I carry here while out riding. Being prepared for a flat is important to keep the Brraaapp train going.

Getting a flat on a tubeless wheel is no big deal, you can treat it like a car tire and plug it with those gummy tire plugs and a few tools. It’s a quick 10-minute job with a 12v air compressor and your back on the road. However, on more dirt oriented dual sport bikes that use a tube inside the tire, the situations become a bit more involved. While changing a tube is not a technically hard thing to do, it does require technique. It can be most compared to changing a bicycle tire. The ideas are the same the tools similar, but a motorcycle tire bead is much tighter and harder to dismount and then seat.

I carry several things to make these roadside jobs go quicker.

• Tools to remove the wheel
• Tire levers to remove the tire - I use 3, one long and 2 shorter ones
• Spare tube
• Patch kit as a back up
• Soap and water (these items get overlooked but make a big difference when setting the bead)
• 12v Air Compressor
• Patience

With these items you can successfully change a tube on the side of the road and get moving again. I suggest practicing this task. Its best not to be on the side of the road in a remote area and realize you haven’t a clue how to put all these items to use. Another piece of advice it to NEVER throw away the old tube. Keep it and at the next town have a tire shop patch it professionally. Otherwise your down to no spare tube. Keeping that old one will save you some headaches down the road should you get another flat. I’ve been on rides where a rider has gotten 3 flats in a 2-day period, that’s right, two flats in one day plus a bonus flat the next day!

Being prepared with the necessary items only goes as far as your skill, so get the tools you need and practice how to change the tube. Maybe even investigate taking a class on these types of roadside repairs. I know at events like The Overland Event in the UK and Overland Expo in the USA they offer classes on changing tubes and basic repairs to keep the ride going.

​And remember along with those tools and training have a good attitude and patience. Those last two have eluded me in the past and without them its always a tougher situation.

On my last post about The Overland Event I wrote that we had made some great contacts in the UK. One of those great contacts was Tony, the owner of EXOTOGG: exotogg.com
A lightweight Inflatable bodywarmer that uses a thin layer of air as a thermal barrier to keep you warm. While at the event I bought one to test out here in Patagonia, a place known to have all 4 seasons in one day.

Well, I just arrived home from a 4000 km solo ride through Chile and Argentina and as it is early spring I had a few cold days and many cold nights. I used the vest nearly every day, using it in the cool morning hours, but as the day got warmer, I simply let the air out and kept wearing it. If I got cold, I could inflate it again. The simplicity and lightweight design made it an instance must have for all my rides. I am a pretty skinny guy and keeping warm has always been an issue for me on the moto. Any product that can help me with this is a welcome addition to my kit. I spend many hours on the bike each year and I need to be prepared for all weather and temperatures. Moto Patagonia also now has the added benefit to keep one in our Medical Kit as well to help clients who may be getting cold fend off any possibility of hypothermia.

As a reference I wear a full KLIM Badlands jacket with GORTEX PRO, the EXOTOGG fit nicely under the jacket even with the kidney belt in use. I had no fitment issues with all my existing kit and the EXOTOGG.   

The EXOTOGG benefits in my opinion:

• I don’t have to plug in to the bike to stay warm with heated gear
• If It rains the vest doesn’t stop working the material never gets waterlogged
• It packs into a small roll and weighs very little, Easy to pack for all rides
•  It is designed AND made in the UK by its founder, call me old fashion but I like the spirit behind brands that provide a quality product and make them in their country

I must give this piece of kit a full recommendation. Its easy to use and works, its well made and designed for folks like us who are active and want to be prepared.

As this is likely the very first one in use here in South America EXOTOGG has offered our Moto Patagonia follows, riders and friends a discount code for 10% off your purchase. Just use CODE: motopat10

​If anyone has any questions about the product let me know in the comments or visit their website: exotogg.com

As you can see from the photo below on my last ride there was still snow on the ground in the high passes. Stay safe and ride on!   

Advertising a small business today is a difficult task. As it stands, even small business is competing on a global scale. When it comes to tourism this is definitely true. All riders, my self-included, are looking for the next place to ride and the best company to work with. This makes motorcycle travel events a valuable and necessary resource to meet new riders. In previous years, we participated in Overland Expo in the USA. Despite the small moto vendor area there, we found many new riders interested in coming to Patagonia and using us to make their Patagonia ride dream come true. But this event while big was much more 4wd focused and more gear related than travel focused.

Some may recall The Overland Magazine article about our Carretera Austral Tour. It was a big step forward for our business and was valuable validation for us. It demonstrated that we could organize and execute a big tour with our model of creating a strong team-focused ride. I was eager to get a copy of the magazine after it was published, as it highlighted something I had envisioned and worked hard to create. On the back cover of the magazine was an ad for The Overland Event in the UK in 2019. This was the premier Moto Travel Event in the UK created by the same mad scientist of the magazine, and it was a 100% Moto Travel event. That meant no trucks, just dedicated motorcycle riders who have and will travel to new parts of the world to ride. I fired off an email to get more information, and the next thing you know, we were organizing logistics to ship our business banners, printing new flyers and buying plane tickets to the UK to put Chile and Patagonia in the spotlight.

The Overland Event was a fantastic venue and a great opportunity for us to expand our presence in the Moto world and to meet the UK rider base. The event was a good size, and everyone was very approachable. There were many authors at the event who have a long list of travel achievements. Some we had met in the past and some we met for the first time. I was fortunate enough to participate in the South American Question and Answer panel. I, along with three other very well-traveled riders, gave the latest advice and information about what it is like to ride in South America. The Overland Event is absolutely THE event to attend in the UK if you are interested in moto travel. The collective talent and knowledge there was astounding, and I highly recommend it for any rider with future travel goals. Find out more here https://overlandevent.com/
As always, if riding in Patagonia is on your bucket list, let us know how we can help and let’s make that ride come true! Stay tuned to this blog because I will be talking about a new product we will be using here in Patagonia which was a direct result of attending The Overland Event.       

My personal list of how I like to be prepared before embarking on a big international motorcycle ride. Don’t get tunnel vision with the motorcycle, look at the whole picture, remember you are part of that picture. Investing in your own skills and well-being are important.
Learning how to do regular maintenance task or repairs to the motorcycle. Such as tube changes, or tubeless tire plugs, chain cleaning and lube, and chain adjustment. These are common tasks that need to be addressed on any adventure ride and learning how to take care of them is key to being confident in remote areas. Also putting a big focus on preventative maintenance will help any ride go smooth. Pre-ride checks, check easily accessed bolts to see if they are loose, check the oil and coolant levels, tire pressure etc. Anything that can be done before the start of the riding day will mitigate roadside repairs. 
Riding skills. Taking a class on how to ride on dirt roads, proper braking on low traction surfaces like mud, wet grass or loose gravel, and how to pick up a heavy bike when it falls over. Learning is part of traveling. If you can take a riding class or attend a riding school to help improve your riding skill or correct technique it will help in those remote parts of the world where you will only be able to rely on yourself. Furthermore taking a class and having someone else help you determine your limit will be a great asset for you in the future so you can have the confidence to take a break when the road gets too dusty to see, to rainy to ride safe or its to hot outside to make sound decisions. Sometimes we need others to not only help us become better riders but also help us create boundaries to keep us safe. 
Personal fitness and health. This is more important than you think and one thing that gets overlooked for many adventure riders. Getting focused on the motorcycle and the ride and not on oneself. Being fit is not just about being strong. If you are in good shape, you’re less likely to get sick or injured. This is a big one for me personally because as a guide I must remain healthy and uninjured. Being fit and putting myself as a priority just like the motorcycle is key to a successful trip.

​I hope this helps you build your own list on what to focus on and what to prioritize before a big ride. If you have any questions regarding any of these topics, please send us an email or comment below.    

It’s all in how you run the trip. Different styles in the business model are important to stand apart. There are many tours that I would call “Classic Style,” where you have a large group, a chase truck and a lot of hand holding of the clients. While I certainly take care of our riders on every tour, I also try to create a team spirit and group effort environment. I do this mainly through smaller group sizes, my personal background, and a more personal approach to each tour. It is one of the advantages of being an owner/operator guide service. We can create what others cannot.

The biggest gain in the Adventure Riding world in my opinion is a small group size. There is not one other aspect that enhances the tour experience more than a small group. No big fancy moto can create a better group dynamic than simply limiting the group size and creating a sense of purpose for everyone. I learned a long time ago that sometimes you can get more done with less. In this case, that rings true; we can experience more if we ride as a team.

​Patagonia is a place of extremes, with great riding and a lot to do off the bike as well. If you come to rent and ride in a group, I recommend limiting the group size. This does two things. It helps you organize a better ride, and it creates excitement with your friends. It also helps people commit to the ride, which believe it or not, is sometimes hard to do. Another advantage for small group size is finding hostels and hotels, which will be much easier. In remote regions of the world such as Patagonia all things that may get taken for granted back home should be accounted for.  I often give on important piece of advice to riders - schedule a full day or at least half a day for unforeseen issues: a flat tire, a missed ferry connection, road construction, basically anything that may take time away from what you had planned. After all it is an Adventure Ride.

While Patagonia grows in popularity for tourist near and far, so expands the services. While the small towns of the Chile and Argentine side of the Andes have enough services for the current local population, they can get overwhelmed during the high traffic summer months. Making gas station lines long, hotel and hostel rooms fill up fast, and dusty overcrowded roads.

The services offered in some of the smaller towns has grown in recent years. Adding more restaurants, gas stations have expended and there are more rooms to stay in now. This is a good thing because during the busy summer months the tourist flock to these locations and they all need food, gas and shelter. However It is still true that when planning a trip to Patagonia in January or February you had better make reservations early and plan your stops for each night, book your ferry tickets, and leave room in your schedule for the unexpected. Whether that is an extra day or an afternoon free the unknown and unexpected must to be accounted for.

​We get asked a LOT about the ferry system here. These ferries are ones of extreme punctuality and efficiency. These guys don’t mess around. If they say the ferry is going to leave at 10 AM then you better be there at 9 am for the loading process. They leave on the dot. Many of these ferries are by reservation and require a ticket be purchased in advance. Only a couple are first come first serve. But you must take all of them seriously. Missing a ferry can derail a schedule as they often sail just once a day. Some routes do indeed have two companies sailing and leaving at different times, but you still need to buy your ticket in advance. I think a full article on this is needed and I will follow up on this topic soon.

Another very important factor especially for Adventure Riders is the road conditions and the car and truck traffic. In the summer the roads can become very dusty. Often traffic on the road can be a hazard due to poor visibility, and distracted drivers stopping in odd locations along the roads to take photos and sight see. For these reasons’ riders must pay close attention to their surroundings and have an eye on the mirrors as well as what’s ahead.

THE MOST important rule when riding here during peak season is never, ever cut the left-hand curves. Always stay on your side of the road and do not cross the center. In the blind curves you will not have enough time or traction to make a last-minute correction. You must always respect the road and slow down to take those blind left curves. On the same note always look out for cars doing exactly this and cutting the left curves and crossing into your lane. This is the number one hazard on the narrow dirt roads of Patagonia. It’s a lesson you do not want to learn the hard way.

I hope this helps anyone wishing to fly and ride. Understand that peak months require greater planning than shoulder months. Over-all its still a very raw and remote part of the world so travel with respect and have fun! 

I recently spoke to a moto traveler who was riding his moto from the USA down to Punta Arenas Chile. He had a question about riding south into Patagonia in September. He, as many do, asked the collective on Face Book, which always yields an array of answers ranging from a majority group answer leaning one way and then one or two lone wolves leaning another way. As human nature dictates, people tend to believe the answer that suits them best, even if it may not be the most sensible or correct answer. In this case the rider was asking if Patagonia was ride-able in September on a moto. Well the short answer is no, but let’s remember Patagonia is huge. It is not a hard NO for all of Patagonia.

First, let’s remember that South American seasons are opposite of North American. September in North America is early Fall and down here it’s very early Spring. What this means is you are still getting snow and cold in many areas of Patagonia. North of the Ice Fields is very different than south, and north is more than likely okay to ride, but checking the weather for the high passes is a must because it can and has snowed in the high passes of the Carretera Austral. In late winter and early spring, snow and motorcycles do not always go hand in hand. It will more than likely still be raining and cold.

The start of the riding season in my opinion is beginning of November. The weather is still cold, and I have seen snow on sections of Ruta 40 that time of year but it’s generally passable by moto. I have seen riders as far south as Ushuaia in November however September is very early to try and make it all the way south and not run into any snow or ice. The high passes can have snow and the weather would be unpredictable at best.

​My suggestion to this rider is to start his Patagonia ride in the north, around the Los Lagos Region of Chile and slowly ride south along the Carretera Austral. This will give him time to hit the southern pass into Argentina around November and eventually make it to Punta Arenas in late November. So, he gets September and October to explore the Los Lagos Region of Chile, which includes Chiloé Island, Futaleufú, Parque Pumalin to name a few. Then as the weather improves start making his way further south.  

One thing I suggest to adventure riders is to always give Patagonia its own time for exploration and try to plan accordingly for the seasons. If you leave in Winter in the North, chances are you will end in Winter in the South! Try to get your seasons to line up where you are chasing summer not winter. Patagonia is huge and has lots to see and do, requiring time to enjoy and experience. The more time the better. While I love the fighting spirit of many Adventure Riders, I have to say a little planning goes a long way. 

​I get asked a lot before our big tours what to bring. While most riders we serve here in Patagonia have many miles under their belt it’s a good question to ask to prepare for riding down here. In general Patagonia weather can change from ridge line to ridge line. I have had days where we ride all morning in the sun, cross into one valley where it's raining and cross back out into sun again.  

​Rain gear is always a hot topic. With the rain being isolated within certain areas it's hard to justify stopping to change into rain gear to then take it all off 30km down the road. I have to say GorTex riding gear is made for this type of climate, no need to stop and change. I personally ride in a KLIM BadLands jacket and pants. While it costs like a house, it works very well. I do not have to stop to change into rain gear, and it dries quickly once you are past the worst of it.

Boots are another big one, no one wants wet soggy feet. I’m on my second sole with my Sidi Adventure Boots. They are almost 10 years old and have served me well, but my next pair will be the Sidi Adventure Gortex. You may see a theme here, keeping dry is important. Using quality gear that breaths is also important because not all days are cold and rainy. We have many days of sun and warm weather.

Aside form the typical everyday off the bike street clothes I suggest not only your favorite pair of sunglasses but a back up pair! They get lost, left behind, and broken and not having a back up pair can be frustrating when all you want is to protect your eyes from the sun, rain and dust on the road with your visor up.

Many of our rides are one-way rides, which means you must carry things in a bag that can be strapped to the bike. It needs to be waterproof and flexible. Investing in a nice top loading dry bag for moto use is important. It serves many purposes and helps carry soft lighter loads when strapped to the rear rack or passenger seat area. I rarely use a top box, it's heavy, clunky and I have not found one yet that doesn’t rattle on a dirt road.

Another piece of gear we ride with here is a Garmin InReach. This is important and something I have talked about in past articles. Having a way to contact the outside world in case of an emergency is not only important but the responsible thing to do. Getting lost or hurt and not being able to tell rescue workers where you are leads to risky search parties out looking for you. One thing I see is folks strapping the InReach or SPOT to their bikes with nifty mounts. It looks real pro and cool, but the reality is if you’re alone and crash and you go one way and the bike goes another, suddenly that device is hard to get to. It could get broken, gone off a cliff, or you could be in a situation where you cannot get to it. My advice is to carry the InReach or SPOT on your person. This reduces the risk of not having access to it when you need it.

While this is by no means a fine detailed list, it is a few important things to consider for riding here in Patagonia or any part of the world where safety, comfort and durability are all key.   

There is and has been a debate going on about how bigger bikes are not the best for long distance travel over rough terrain or remote areas. 1000cc and more 100hp and up bikes. I’m torn on the subject. I am a fan of motorcycles and in general find most dual sport and big adventure bikes fun. To me all of them serve a purpose. Obviously in certain parts of the world the simpler a bike is the less likely you are to have issues. I read many posts on social media of people complaining about electronics, how if they fail it can leave you stranded.
For me, it’s not so simple. For example, Fuel Injection, something many people thought was the devil when in was introduced. But we soon found out its, cleaner, more efficient and more reliable than a carburetor. It can also compensate for altitude much easier. No need to change jets or mess with mixture when riding the high Andean passes in the north of Chile.
The larger more expensive bikes out now have a lot of traction aids as well, electronic suspension and other electronics that cars have had for years, all to help the rider and in many cases the passenger have a safer and smoother ride. Here is where I personally start to draw the line. ABS sure, that’s fine with me it does help. On most bikes it can be turned off for those long off-pavement rides. Traction control, well yeah, it’s needed on a motorcycle that makes 150hp, who thinks they can reign in a 150hp, 500lbs bike? Electronic suspension, not so much in my opinion. I think that manual suspension is reliable and can be adjusted easily enough to not have to involve buttons or electronics. In the automotive world its something that has never been made ultra-reliable, so its hard to think on a moto it would be reliable with the type of exposure a bike gets in relation to a car. Save the cash and if you want better than stock suspension just up-grade to aftermarket, like Ohlins, TouraTech etc.  
Here in Patagonia there are times I have wished for a larger bike, for many reasons. But mid-sized dual sports and adventure bikes tick nearly every box for what is needed to ride in Patagonia reliably and comfortable.
The one place I see the bigger bikes shine is two up travel. Touring long distance on varied road surfaces two up is fun and I see more and more couples riding two up around the block and around the world. I absolutely think a GS1200, Super T or KTM 1290 SA are all viable option for two up Adventure Riding and I applaud those who are willing to travel two up long distances.
I think everyone should ride what makes them happy. Ride what fits the bill for you and where you want to ride and have fun. Keep a smile on your face and gas in the tank.
The road goes on forever and the party never ends amigos!