Two Moto Kiwis Arctic To Antarctic May 2012...

[Night Falcon]

wow, some of those pics are amazing guys. Love reading this thread.

Looks like someone has taken the pith out of that shot though

Originally Posted by Two Moto Kiwis

[Two Moto Kiwis]

Originally Posted by JonS

Thanks for the next installment! I noticed your absence and figured you were having too much fun.

Guilty on all counts

[Two Moto Kiwis]

Originally Posted by H96669

Swamped with pics!

Andi anal about chain maintenance ????.....! Is that why someone did not make it into the pic in Kalispell.Funny, I almost asked that back then when I saw the pic here! But, back then,he did not seem to want to be in that pic but I tought I caught him anyway...! After the lecture...!

Not sure about Richard and a RTW, maybe more Canada/US.....fine by me,I should be retired by then and you guys may still be on the road.

Watch them bungees, I see them black ones on the road quite often. Should have shown you a very acceptable substitute in Neon green....cheap at the Dollar Store or was it Dollarama ????

Yah he was a little camera shy eh but ready to give me a serve to satisfy himself ....

Talked with Richard yesterday and he said about the US Canada trip, that would be cool as.

See a heap of the bungees on the road so there are plenty of spares eh, I have crimped the top hook completely over so there is no way they can come off ..... dutchie aint gonna pay for it only to give it away to the road

[Two Moto Kiwis]

Originally Posted by Night Falcon

Looks like someone has taken the pith out of that shot though

Thanks for the props re the thread, I am enjoying writing it up and being able to bring you fellas along for the ride

....actually that tree is on 2ft round cos I am short

[Two Moto Kiwis]

Becoming a common sight!!





3rd gear ,shaft and bearings being replaced.

[SkycamNZ]

A SCOOTER!!!! Not really the ideal way of covering the territory you had planned, and not really what you had in mind when you paid for a MOTORCYCLE!

Jeez... lets hope Hobit's tummy is feeling much better after the operation

[Kennif]

Hi Andi, hi Ellen
Great post on your blog from the hui at Horizons Unlimited. You're doing great.

We are currently in Quito, Ecuador having a break while Dick goes home for a Hubbard's board meeting. We're doing we'll although I am nursing two broken ribs from a fall in Colombia.

Colombia was wonderful and the Stahlratte just out of this world. All others were very good although we found Honduras to be a bit of a hassle. We were probably just unlucky.

We're still hoping to be in Ushuaia by Xmas but its going to be a challenge.

Warm hugs to you both fromKen and Shirley.

Ebonyandken.blogspot.co.nz

[Two Moto Kiwis]

Originally Posted by Kennif

Hi Andi, hi Ellen
Great post on your blog from the hui at Horizons Unlimited. You're doing great.

We are currently in Quito, Ecuador having a break while Dick goes home for a Hubbard's board meeting. We're doing we'll although I am nursing two broken ribs from a fall in Colombia.

Colombia was wonderful and the Stahlratte just out of this world. All others were very good although we found Honduras to be a bit of a hassle. We were probably just unlucky.

We're still hoping to be in Ushuaia by Xmas but its going to be a challenge.

Warm hugs to you both fromKen and Shirley.

Ebonyandken.blogspot.co.nz

Heya Ken and Ebony

Yeah we have been following you guys too, looks and sounds like a few dramas too.

Any good advice for two border crossing freshies? .... although at the rate of failures we will be lucky to make it to Mexico

The real bugga is we will run over our time on our B2 VISA so it is going to cost us another 290 USD for a coupla days due to bike failures .. .not seeing the funny side of at all.

Everything else is good tho, really looking forward to hitting Mexico now

[MKJ]

You've experienced more America than most Americans. Looks like a trip of a lifetime.

[Kennif]

Originally Posted by Two Moto Kiwis

Heya Ken and Ebony

Yeah we have been following you guys too, looks and sounds like a few dramas too.

Any good advice for two border crossing freshies? .... although at the rate of failures we will be lucky to make it to Mexico

The real bugga is we will run over our time on our B2 VISA so it is going to cost us another 290 USD for a coupla days due to bike failures .. .not seeing the funny side of at all.

Everything else is good tho, really looking forward to hitting Mexico now

Which way are you coming into Mexico? If you are coming through Tijuana and going down the Baha you MUST stop just south of the border at Enslada (sp) to get your tourist card and your green card which is a temporary vehicle importation permit. If you have a carnet, you can't use it. If you are coming through other border crossings the same applies. Have you been looking at driveamericas.com? They are mostly for car drivers but heaps of good advice.

Generally speakingin central and southnamerica you must exit yourselves and then exit your bikes from one country and then enter yourselves and then your bikes into the next. You don't need to use the touts but if you decide to do t let them take your passports and only use them to show you where to go. Don't bother too much with establishing a price up front because they will probably ignore it anyway.

Are you going on the Stahlratte?
Cheers,
Ken

[H96669]

^^^ No TVIP required for the whole of the Baja California. Can be acquired later at such as the ferry terminal to the mainland.

They may not want to stop in Ensenada anyway, I sure didn't last time. Too many people milling around with suitcases waiting for something,,but the dead guy with rigid arm sticking up on the side of the road did it for me. Them people milling around all seemed to ignore him anyway.

In any case,the paperwork can be done online nowadays and if not they will have checkpoints to remind you of that.Been a while but I think the check point was between Tijuana and Ensenada.

Now....if I can just find a big Thumper.....maybe not a DR anymore watcha think Andi??? Then stick that in the back of the van, drive out of the snow and go ride down there, I may just catch up with them.That is if the Mexicans let me back in their fine country with a vehicle that is over some old TVIP issues. Looks like a few months off coming this winter......I hope!

[Kennif]

Originally Posted by H96669

^^^ No TVIP required for the whole of the Baja California. Can be acquired later at such as the ferry terminal to the mainland.

They may not want to stop in Ensenada anyway, I sure didn't last time. Too many people milling around with suitcases waiting for something,,but the dead guy with rigid arm sticking up on the side of the road did it for me. Them people milling around all seemed to ignore him anyway.

In any case,the paperwork can be done online nowadays and if not they will have checkpoints to remind you of that.Been a while but I think the check point was between Tijuana and Ensenada.

Now....if I can just find a big Thumper.....maybe not a DR anymore watcha think Andi??? Then stick that in the back of the van, drive out of the snow and go ride down there, I may just catch up with them.That is if the Mexicans let me back in their fine country with a vehicle that is over some old TVIP issues. Looks like a few months off coming this winter......I hope!

Andi and Ellen
With respect, this person's experience does not match ours. We didn't stop in Ensenada and had to pay double the fee at La Paz to get the required docs. My advice is to definitely stop in Ensenada and complete the formalities.
It was an unnecessarily stressful experience because Aduanain La Paz told us we would have to go all the way back to Ensenada.
Your call. We wrote about it on our blog.

Regards,
Ken and Shirley.

[Ducatijim]

Originally Posted by Kennif

Andi and Ellen
With respect, this person's experience does not match ours. We didn't stop in Ensenada and had to pay double the fee at La Paz to get the required docs. My advice is to definitely stop in Ensenada and complete the formalities.
It was an unnecessarily stressful experience because Aduanain La Paz told us we would have to go all the way back to Ensenada.
Your call. We wrote about it on our blog.

Regards,
Ken and Shirley.

Andi n Ellen.......I have no exp here but Dick Hubbard who has just recently passed this way also commented in his blog, he nearly was forced to return all the way back to Ensenada from somewhere down Baja ways to get said paperwork. His alternative was costly and stressful!

Good luck folks.

[Two Moto Kiwis]

Originally Posted by Ducatijim

Andi n Ellen.......I have no exp here but Dick Hubbard who has just recently passed this way also commented in his blog, he nearly was forced to return all the way back to Ensenada from somewhere down Baja ways to get said paperwork. His alternative was costly and stressful!

Good luck folks.

Heya Jim, yeap been following Dick and Ken (above), we are going to head into mainland Mexico so will do everything right at the border, certainly listening to those who have just done it and avoiding any more issues.

Our first issue is the possibility/probability that we will have to run over our VISA with my bike being in surgery so EVERYTHING we didn't won't.!!!!

Have written to Homeland Security Immigration so waiting to hear back from them, all geting a bit tight but it will fall into place I am sure.

Looking, learning, listening all helps from every bit of info and experience.

We are alive and well so that counts 100% at this point

[flying kiwi]

Hey you two, what an epic trip. I have been following you since day one, but not from here, so thought I'd better jump on ADR 'cos I'm a member, although just a lurker for now. Glad the frog man from BC is keeping an eye on you too.
R