Motorcycle riding in Patagonia

Why We Don’t Recommend a Flip Up Helmet for Adventure Riding.

4/27/2025

I see modular helmets a lot. They flip up to let air in or when you get off the bike for quick tasks like to fill the tank. They can be nice when you are cruising at a slow speed around town and don’t want to be hot. It makes sense, it’s a good idea in theory and I suppose it has been a good seller for most brands. But do those conveniences out-weight the possibility of lesser protection in the case of a crash?

Other cons in my opinion are they weigh more than a standard helmet. They probably won’t last long in a dusty environment, especially if you ride a lot of dust and then it rains on you, all you will get is grit inside all those pivot points. This is a real-world scenario for most adventure riders. Those are major issues and that’s not even getting to the protection in the case of a crash.

Let’s argue that adventure riding has a higher risk than a standard paved road ride. I think adventure riding does have a higher risk of crashes, especially single vehicle crashes. Most adventure or dual sport rides take us on both pave and dirt roads used by everyone. Dirt roads obviously have less traction to make corrections in the case of another driver’s mistake or our own mistakes. Single vehicle crashs on adventure rides tend to be most common.

We, therefore, want the most protection possible. We also encounter things like rocks, ditches and trees on adventure rides. On adventure rides if you get ejected from a “high side” crash you’re likely going into a rocky ditch or if you have a high-speed “low side” crash, you will likely slide into a tree or again a rocky ditch. No matter what, the rocky ditch on the side of a dirt road is part of the scene.

I recently talked with a rider who showed me a helmet that was involved in a single moto crash and the rider was wearing a module helmet. It was a paved road crash, and he left the road and hit a road sign from what I could understand from the details of the crash. The helmet, as you can see from the photos, came apart. It’s now in pieces. Not good and the rider was lucky to have survived considering the state of this helmet.

I think we can all agree that adventure riding in remote areas puts us in a higher risk category in terms of crashing. We just have less traction to adjust for mistakes or other drivers. So, do we want a helmet that will come apart like this one did or do we want a helmet that protects us as much as possible? Does the convenience of fresh air for the fill up or the slow speed through town out weight the stronger more reinforced one-piece helmet? I’m going to say no, no it does not and I’m always nervous when we get riders who show up with these modular helmets on our remote adventure riders. I prefer all riders to wear a full-face one-piece helmet.

I’ve been on enough crash scenes to know that the right gear can absolutely make a difference between getting hurt or walking away to continue tour ride.

Wyoming BDR Ride July 2024

7/25/2024

Every year after we get done guiding and riding here in Patagonia and the weather turns to cold and rain, we aim our sights on a new part of the world to ride.
This time we decided to tackle the Wyoming BDR or Back Country Discovery Route in the USA. This route covers western Wyoming from south to north and we rode it over 7 days with a rest day on the 4th of July to partake in the festivities that the small town of Lander Wyoming has, to include a parade, old west rodeo with huge fireworks show in the night.

The route starts in the south of Wyoming in the small town of Baggs. From there you ride north through sage and aspen filled forest. It’s an interesting place because Wyoming is the least populated state in the USA, less than all others including Alaska and Hawaii. Making this BDR route fun and interesting because you won’t be running into very many people, more likely you will see other riders out riding the BDR itself. The BDR organization does a good job of building routes that take you off the main roads and get into the forest and mountains.

There are several different routes you can choose based on your riding ability; they have some “expert” sections which have go arounds should you not want to tackle them. Most of the route is two lane or one lane dirt roads and forest tracks riding through either USFS land or BLM land. Making this route open to the public for all riders to explore. Gas is equally spaced and just one section you may have to buy fuel in the tiny town of Atlantic city. This old mining town with a population of around 50 people has gas, 2 restaurants and 2 bars. While you can get gas here you can expect to pay double the normal cost as it’s not easy to get out there in the desert.

If it rains you can have a lot of trouble as many roads in this area of Wyoming are filled with bentonite and make the mud thick and heavy and it sticks to everything.
Clogs tires and any moto with a low fender will get stopped in its track if it rains and you’re riding a bentonite mud section, it will clog the tire so bad it will stop spinning against the low fender. It’s a real mess and should be avoided at all costs. If it rains just wait it out and let it dry for a day, the wind and sun will make short work of it, and you won’t have a stuck bike or worse. I suggest all who venture on this route build in an extra day in case you get hit with a rainstorm. Which are very common in Wyoming.

The route ends on a short out and back road that takes you from WY Route 14A to the edge of the Crow Indian Reservation on the Montana state line. At that point you will have finished and must turn around and head back to 14A, that is unless you’re a Crow Native then you’re able to go on Reservation Land. After you finish the ride down from the Bighorn Mountains along 14A towards the west is quite impressive and was a highlight for me to end on such a cool paved road.

How did we get our equipment and where did we base out of? We based the ride out of Lander Wyoming as it is the dead middle of the route, and it’s a cool town with lots to do. We rented our bikes from Moto Wyoming*. Fully equipped KLR650s which were the near perfect bike for this route as it’s mostly a slower ride and the sections require that tractor like ability the KLR has. Rolling over rocks, roots and through mud with ease. I recommend Moto Wyoming for a lot of reasons but the bikes really were the correct tool for this route.
*motowyoming.com

Goodbye 23/24 season and goodbye KTM

4/30/2024

As we close out the 2023/24 summer season and start looking to the future and next summer, we remember the good times the good weather and all the crazy adventures we had with each group we guided.

We also say goodbye to our KTM 790 Adventures, they were a popular choice among riders, and they were excellent bikes to have in the fleet as they offered a lot of performance and a low seat height. They did a lot of KMs nearly 40,000 km over the 3 summers we had them. We did have a few issues, but we were always able to overcome and keep moving forward and make sure riders always had a bike to ride.
After all this time with the KTMs I have a couple insights about them, as I rode them a lot as well.

They ride great, seriously the riding position, and over all handling its excellent. They are a great bike for all sorts of terrain, and I did like the view from behind the bars. Did I like the overall design looks? No, they are ugly as hell, but KTM came to their senses and made the new 890 and 790 much better looking and finally connected the headlight to the tank via nice looking body work.

These are a one rider bike, I think as KTM probably intended they are bikes made to be ridden and owned by one person and cared for by one person. As a rental they offered a lot of appeal, but they were double the work to maintain and twice the cost of our other bikes, including other euro brands. If you have just one bike, I think it’s worth the cost maybe, but even in today’s middle weight market I believe there are other brands with less over all ownership cost in service and repair that offer the same or better riding experience. Something to think about for those looking to go to the Orange brand.
I’m sure the big question is why are we not replacing them with other KTMs? Well, it’s simple. The middle weight moto market is blowing up right now and everyone has excellent choices to pick from and they all have a higher reliability expectancy and a lower cost of ownership. All while offering the same or better riding experience. Case in point would be the new Aprilia Tuareg 660, this bike boasts a load of cool features, great power, and light weight as well as some awesome suspension and ground clearance specs. All for less than a new 890.

But the bike we have replaced the KTMs with is the all-new Honda Transalp 750. Its Hondas new entry into the middle weight market and I have to say after putting a lot of miles on it already it’s a great bike. The whole bike has excellent fit and finish. The TFT screen is amazing, the modes are well done. You can switch between them on the fly just like the Aprilia and it has a user mode to customize the ABS and TRAC setting, 21/18 spoked wheel, 95 HP and a comfortable seat with good wind protection it just might be the perfect middle weight bike for Patagonia.

The website will be updated soon to reflect the new bike choices and we hope you get a chance to one ride one with us!

Our new Aprilia Tuareg 660

8/18/2023

The current adventure bike market is red hot right now. Nearly every brand has a new mid-sized ADV model currently, all vying for your attention. We try to keep up with trends and offer the best possible bikes for the type of riding here in Patagonia. When the new Tenere 700 came out we added two of them to the fleet, it was a success, and it has been a great travel bike for here in Patagonia. Since our inception we have always wanted to stick with midsized adventure bikes as they are the most versatile and best suited for Patagonia.

So, when the famous Italian brand Aprilia finally released the new Tuareg 660 in Chile we jumped at the possibility to add one to the fleet. The idea was to fly up to Santiago, pick up the bike and ride it home. When I picked it up in Santiago, my intention was to ride the first 1000 kms up in the central region of Chile, then have the first service done. The first service involves nothing more than an oil change and service light reset. After that I would ride it another 1000 kms back to the shop in the Los Lagos Region of Chile.

My first impression of the bike was good, I’ve been around enough new bikes to know not to fall into the honeymoon period feeling and just look at it objectively. The fit and finish was quite good, riding position was great for my 5-foot 11-inch height and the seat height relative to the amount of suspension and ground clearance you get was outstanding.

The bike comes with a lot of features, ones you may not need on a rental bike but are very clever non the less. While we have several bikes with ride modes and Traction Control and ABS modes. The Aprilia is one of the first to make the rider modes changeable on the fly AND you can adjust their level of effectiveness to suite your riding style, customizable rider modes that are switchable on the fly, that is awesome.
Once you learn the way the bright TFT screen works you can adjust the rider modes and then change them as the road surface changes simply with the push of a designated button on the right handlebar. It’s very cool and easy to use.

The new Aprilia Tuareg rides like it looks as well. It rides “fast”. With its great riding position, thin seat, and rider modes you can really lean into the bike and get a lot out of it. It’s very stable and the rider aids certainly work well while not being too intrusive. The wind screen is excellent and works well in all conditions, I never suffered any wind issues on my helmet and had good protection.
I think this Aprilia is a great addition to our Tour Fleet and I know that many riders will enjoy this bike and feel it adds great value on their Patagonia Tour.

Nepal 2023 Upper Mustang

5/31/2023

This winter I had the opportunity to ride in Nepal, specifically to the upper Mustang Valley. This is a highly regulated area that requires a $500 USd permit per person and a certified Nepali guide just to access the area and the small town of Lo-Manthang. Our goal was to attend the Tiji Festival, a 3-day festival of Tibetan rituals and celebration.
First impressions of Kathmandu Nepal upon arrival were quite a culture shock. The driving and riding street chaos is nothing short of epic. It’s as you would have seen from an Indiana Jones movie. No rules, or if there were rules no one abided by them. People pulled out in front of you, drove on the wrong side of the road and just generally took any gap that existed. It was fun and tiring all at the same time. In terms of riding a motorcycle, it’s not for the faint of heart or new riders. The overall infrastructure is what you would expect from a third world country still trying to figure its way into development. It was exciting and vastly different than any western country.

Once we left the city we got into the more rural roads of Nepal. Mainly two-lane roads and many of them dirt roads. It was hot in the lowlands, very humid but somehow the roads were still extremely dusty, and still with lots of traffic. A stark contrast to riding in Patagonia, a place where you can ride for a long time with little to no other vehicles around.

Once we started up the Mustang Valley Road, we went from hot lowlands up into the foothills as they are called in Nepal, still reaching 10,000 feet or more. The traffic died down and the road deteriorated. The riding became more interesting but still quite slow. We were on the vulnerable Royal Infield Himalayan. The bikes we had could have been better in terms of pre-trip maintenance, but they were getting the job done non the less.
Once we left Kagbeni we officially were heading into the Upper Mustang Valley, riding towards Lo Manthang. The road leaving the small town of Kagbeni was one lane and had a small river crossing with a little wooden bridge to cross for motorcycles. It was unassuming considering the vast area we were about to traverse and the high elevation we were riding into. A short while after leaving we came to the permit station, which was no more and a couple buildings and some police checking who entered and who left the area. After that the road was great, very few vehicles and the road was in good condition, wider and with a bit more flow for riding a motorcycle. We rode up to 12,500 feet to Lo Manthang where we would camp for 3 nights. Up high it is a vast desert with little vegetation. Hot during the day and freezing at night. Dry and arid with huge rolling hills all around.

While in Lo Manthang we did go see the Tiji festival and visit the Sky Caves near the border with Tibet. The Sky Caves are a huge array of man-made caves dug into cliff sides and found to be at least 2000 to 3000 years old.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_Caves)
Once our visit to Lo Manthang was over it was time to ride back down out of the Upper Mustang on the same road we came in on. Somehow it took half the time to cover the same distance back down. We ended up riding into the foothills of the lowlands where it was much more green, hot, and humid. From there it was a short ride back into Pokhara and we all started our long journeys home.

I went into this ride with no expectations. Nepal is a place so far removed from the rest of the world the things you see and the differences you experience have to be taken with that in consideration. It’s remote, its crowded, its hot on one side and freezing on the other side. If you want to experience something different and unique in terms of culture, it’s worthwhile. If you want great motorcycle riding then maybe lower your expectations, it was fun no doubt but slow and clunky at times. However, I do think the motorcycle is the best tool for the job in terms of traveling around Nepal and so do thousands of other locals as there are 10 motorcycles to every car!

Overall, a great winter time ride for me and a big cultural experience to add to the book of world travel.

Assessing Risk for the long ride.

2/6/2023

Risk is an inevitable part of adventure riding. We ride to find those remote and off the beaten path routes that lead to exciting places. The more interesting the route from a riding standpoint the better. Some routes are cool because they are tough, some are cool because they are remote. They all have challenges and the more remote and difficult the higher the risk. This is something every rider should be thinking about. Especially those who are riding solo. Here are my thoughts for a pre ride risk assessment.

Accepting Risk – How much risk am I willing to accept? At what point do I say I won’t go on, I will turn back, or I need help. How can we as riders set those trigger points and then have the self-awareness in a high stress situation to stick to them? What external forces will change our plan? Weather, temps, wind, rain, fuel range? Do we set timelines in relation to progress? Getting caught out in the elements is not any fun. So, we should start to think about time as an asset to how we accept risk.
Mitigating Risk – This part is hard. We must look at ourselves more than we look at the ride. What I mean to say is we are the weak link and the only thing we can change. We can’t change anything else. The weather is the weather, the route is either bad or worse. The temps will be what they are.

How do we mitigate risk to make sure a ride is successful?
Setting trigger points during a ride is a good way to measure our progress. If we have not made it past this point in time then we turn around and try for the next day, or we choose to adjust the ride, less stops, maybe a bypass if it’s there? A lot of this depends on our range, if fuel allows we can make changes if not you are then committed.

We must start thinking about how to manage the time we have with the ride we want to do. Giving ourselves the highest possibility of success. How do we do that? Is it something we do internally on the fly? I know I have before, but the more I ride and the more experiences I have I realize a plan is good to have and in remote areas a must.
Plan for all outcomes – Here is where you can start to develop your trigger points. This is the business plan of the ride. With basic info we can set up a measure of success and make the best plan to reach our goals. Basic info could be A map, a forecast, and some road condition information.
With this we can say yes or no from the start. If yes, we can build our trigger points for progress and make sure we don’t put ourselves in a situation of getting caught out and spending a long night alone in the cold or in the worst case getting hurt and needing help.

I know a lot of riders like to say they don’t have a plan and go with no time schedule. That may be okay for the more conventional routes, where you’re not going out into the ultra-remote areas. For areas where help could mean waiting for hours and hours, you should have a plan and some basic info about the area.
Always remember to have fun and keep a positive attitude. Not all rides go to plan, but you can be prepared.

Why my favorite Hat is not a Moto Patagonia Hat

9/14/2022

As a business owner I take a lot of pride in what we have created and what we do here in southern Chile. Owning and operating a motorcycle business is a dream for many, myself included. Getting here wasn’t easy and Paula and I work very hard to maintain what we have founded.

Patagonia like many places in the world has its own persona and invokes thoughts of adventure travel almost instantly. Those of us who live here full time and endure the long winters to take advantage of the precious summer months tend to stick together. We know what’s ahead and we basically spend all winter preparing for summer. That may sound crazy but that is how great Patagonia summer is. The number of activities, national parks and travel opportunities in this region is astounding. The outfitters and guides here all know each other. We work together to create unique itineraries for our clients. Whether it’s a motorcycle tour, rafting, hiking, birdwatching, or flyfishing there is something here for everyone.

It took us years of riding to find other people and businesses who melded with us and our style. Ones who had a similar energy as we do. Its not always easy as not every guide, lodge and outfitter can be googled here in the far south of the world. But as you build one relationship it leads to new ones, and we have been able to work with many great providers who add value to our tours.

One of those close relationships we have is with a unique fly-fishing lodge in Coyhaique Chile, the capital city of the remote Aysen Region of Chile. This mid-sized city is also the base for some of the greatest fly fishing in the world some would argue. The sheer amount of water available to fish would back up that argument just based on the numbers. The lodge is named Vista Patagonia, a lodge dedicated solely to fly fishing, run by a dedicated, some may say obsessed fly fisherman named Diego Guerrero and his wife Macarena or just Maca as we all call her.

Although this lodge is dedicated to fly fishing, we are one of the lucky few who get to use the lodge on the shoulder season before his fishing guest arrive. It is always a rider favorite among the many lodges we use in our travels. Lodging is likely the number one thing to make or break a tour, we want the best we can get each night after a long day of riding.

These types of relationships are key to Moto Patagonia’s success, and its why my favorite hat is a Vista Patagonia Hat. Fostering these relationships are what help us create unique and exciting tours.

If you’re interested in riding a moto and fly fishing send me an email and let’s talk. I have some ideas in mind for the right angler/rider!
Cheers to all.

OVERLAND EXPO PACIFIC NORTHWEST 2022 REDMOND OREGON

7/19/2022

This trip back to the USA we decided to reach out to the organizers of the Overland Expo and ask if they needed, wanted, and could use someone to lead some classes and discussions about Motorcycles, Patagonia, and South America in general. I offered up our expertise and current information to give away to eager travelers looking to head south and expand their own horizons with new cultures, challenges, and experiences.
I lead two classes, one about motorcycle packing for long trips, the other, tips and travel advice about Patagonia. I also participated in a third, a panel of very well-traveled Overland Vagabonds in a great discussion about South America as a whole.

The Patagonia talk was well received with plenty of travelers gathering as much info and advice as possible before heading into the unknow. As I have written before, Patagonia has a lot of things that are simply not inside the Google machine. So, it was nice to give folks a little more info about routes, places to see and things to look out for. Some lessons don’t need to be learned the hard way. Getting a little knowledge to help avoid things like running out of gas or taking a more challenging route than you wanted is always good. I truly hope all that attended that class reach out to us if they end up by the shop and need anything, even if just to stop by and say hi to tell us all bout their adventure thus far.

The motorcycle packing class was quite good, I think. The riders there were very interactive, and we had a lot of back and forth about what works, and what small details can help keep your gear safe and help keep the bike as light as possible. As I stated in the class, I have seen riders show up for long rides with a t-shirt and toothbrush and others pack for literally every contingency. Its good to discuss ways to keep the balance between comfort and weight. You don’t want to be uncomfortable, but you don’t want to be picking up a 700 machine all day if you plan to take a more challenging route. Which led us to talk about picking the best route given the bike, your ability and external factors like weather, time and if you’re alone or riding with friends. I really liked this class and teaching it helped me to reassess what and how I pack for my own long rides.

The panel discussion about South America was very interesting. I was there with 5 others who are all full-time travelers, and they were able to add genuine details about how South America treated them from a perspective I wasn’t, since I live their full time. Spoiler, they all had positive experiences and overall good vibes. I was able to add small details about culture and customs for Latin America in general. It was also good to discus and listen to others talk about how they managed the ups and downs of the different countries and affects long-term travel has in foreign lands like South America. I feel that these classes at Overland Expo really help people gain confidence and real-world information to get out and travel.

Overall, it was a first class even and one of the better venues I have been for Overland Expo. We were excited to be a part of it and look forward to more of those opportunities in the future.

First season back after the big shut down.

3/24/2022

Ctrl – Alt – Delete
That’s what it feels like has happened over the last 2 years. A full reset. This summer was the first one back after patiently waiting for the international border to open so our riders could come visit Patagonia and ride with us. It was a time full of uncertainty and worry. During this down time, we focused on staying relevant in the small space we occupy in tourism. Trying to make sure we used the tools at hand to let our riders know we are still here, and we are dedicated to improvement of our services.

We managed to acquire all new bikes just before the pandemic hit and then just before this season started and we noticed we would be able to work we purchased 2 more bikes to add to the fleet. New KTM 790 Adventures to be exact. Did we face new challenges to make this summer happen? Yes, for sure, the biggest one was having to complete ALL the entrance paperwork Chile required to get in. We did this for every rider that came down this summer. Doubling our workload but making it possible to work. It was worth the effort in the long run as a second season “off” was not possible for us.

Despite all the extra work, all the uncertainty and all the tough calls we had to make we had an excellent time riding and guiding. We guided several Carretera Austral Tours, as well as outfitted several rental groups throughout the summer. We visited Chiloe Island and did a LOT of local riding here with clients and friends alike.
We are now fully focused on next summer and trying to expand our services in a positive way that will add even more value to our clients. We have noticed an uptick in new contacts, and we are dedicated to helping get people riding here in Patagonia. The over all view from our standpoint is positive and ready.

If you are thinking about riding in Patagonia these next years will be good ones, as it will help the local economy recover. I know there will be happy faces at each local lodge, restaurant, and guide service.
Let us know how we can help make your ride dreams come true.

The Cultural Connection

9/14/2021

What do I mean when I say “cultural connection?” Well, in the guide world, it can have two meanings …

the first being the cultural connection you have to the guide.
the second being the connection the guide can create to the local culture.

When looking for a tour company to guide you on a motorcycle tour, one of the most important details to consider is the owner/company background and experience. Will the owner be your guide? If not, will you be able to relate to your guide on a personal level? If you’re going to go ride for several days or weeks, the personal connection you have to the guide will be key. What added value can the company create? Is the company local to the area? Or do they fly in and fly out? If the company is local to the area AND has the background and experience you can relate to, then you are starting to add value to your adventure without even knowing it.

I think Moto Patagonia is an excellent choice because of our distinctive background and our ability to assimilate to many cultures. As co-founder and co-owner with my wife, I personally lead all of our tours. And since we get a lot of riders from English speaking countries, it’s nice for them to have a guide who can not only understand them but also relate to different colloquialisms they may use. These informal communications are just as important if not more so than the basic language connection. When we get new riders, I am just as curious about where they come from as they are about life in Patagonia. I try to soak up as much information as possible, and that makes for good conversation. Over our longer tours we have many conversations and that helps create memories which have a lasting effect. Only a guide with close cultural proximity can do this. As a bonus, I also speak Spanish.

Now on to part two, can the guide connect you to the local culture? And what connections do they have to make that happen? This one thing can add tremendous value to your tour. Our clients often look at the technical aspects of the tour when it comes to value: what bike can I ride, how many days, what’s included? These are important topics, no doubt, but consider also what can the company provide in term of experience? What do the reviews say about the guides and how they were able to connect people to what a location has to offer? These are just as essential as the practical parts of the tour. Beyond the bike and the hotels, what stories will you bring home? When you go to a new location, you should want to experience the local style, feeling, and spirit of the place. If the guide can help make that happen, then you are riding with the right company, one that will create lasting memories that will add to your knowledge and appreciation of the world.

I try hard to do all the above, have close cultural proximity to my clients and help them connect to the spirit and culture of Patagonia. It’s tough sometimes because there is so much here, and each small area has its own character. But over the years, Moto Patagonia has established contacts and become friends with other local companies who help us with our off-bike adventures, and that creates those lasting memories we all long to bring home after an epic adventure!

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