Which single SOUTH AMERICAN country for a 7 day self-guided (rental) bike trip?

Haroon · 11-10-2011, 02:25 AM

Together with my wife riding as pillion with me, I would like to do a 7 day ride in one country in South America (no central American countries). With my present research Brazil seems good, but I am looking for more inputs. Ofcourse, my below needs are broad indications and not aimed at getting somebody to do a custom packaged trip, but I am requesting all you first-hand experienced inmates for the best suggestion of a single country to do this trip based on my below requirements & limitations:

First & foremost, all the touring is to be on fully tarmac roads (NO off-roading)
Need a rental street/touring bike (preferably 1000cc or bigger) with unlimited daily mileage option and with lockable hard sidecases & topcase. Harley is only if I don’t have any other choice.
Will be a Self-guided ride. No group riding or fancy group package tours
Need a combination of scenic mountain drives/passes, little of beaches, other natural beauty/wonders, history etc, all connected with tarmac roads.
Riding route in a round loop starting & ending in the same city. Max riding of about 200-250kms per day for 7 days. Daily we start early & finish well before sunset.
Budget category Bed & Breakfast/guesthouse/motels that are not flashy, but clean and safe (for us & the bike). We DO NOT camp in the open!
A country that is relatively safe in general terms. I mean, any country will have its good, bad & ugly, but I am asking in general terms.
Which is the best month to visit that country. I mean non-rainy season and if possible not too hot.

Although this dream ride is many months away, I would be extremely grateful to receive any & all your valuable inputs on 'that' one country- small or big

.

Many thanks,
Haroon

Airhead Wrangler · 11-10-2011, 06:19 AM

With that list of prereqs, I'd say Argentina and Chile are your best options, but if you want to see anything worthwhile, gravel roads are pretty much unavoidable at least small amounts. There's a company in Santiago, Chile they rents new BMWs. Don't know their name though, but someone else will.

Misery Goat · 11-10-2011, 06:21 AM

With that criteria I say go to Europe or the states.

theturtleshead · 11-10-2011, 06:51 AM

Colombia obviously!
Look up Mikey at Motolombia!!!
Al
See you in Medellin

gpothoven · 11-10-2011, 08:50 AM

Ecuador, based on most of your points. Specially due to 7 days and 250 kms. day.

princess jamaica · 11-10-2011, 09:12 AM

Contact Court at Freedom Bike Rental.He is on this forum and rents bikes out of Quito,Ecuador.He has a great web site.

gpothoven · 11-10-2011, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by princess jamaica

Contact Court at Freedom Bike Rental.He is on this forum and rents bikes out of Quito,Ecuador.He has a great web site.

http://freedombikerental.com/

SS in Vzla. · 11-10-2011, 10:23 AM

I'd say Argentina, Chile or Brazil are too large for any real sightseeing in 7 days. Especially if you want pavement only.

Colombia's twisties, people and sights will blow your mind and IMO fit your requirements pretty well.

theturtleshead · 11-10-2011, 10:44 AM

There,s that and there are way way more hot chicks in Colombia!
Scenery buddy scenery

Al

BjoernTheH · 11-10-2011, 11:43 AM

I have not been in Colombia yet but taht sound just like what you need. To make a 7 day trip Brasil, Argentina, Chile are far to big - no gravel is almost not possible if you want to see the really nice places.
http://www.rideadv.com/ Eric from RideAdv has some information on his page and if not call him or write him a short email and say Hello from Bernhard the Big Fella he will know then

ok, good luck and am looking forward a to a short report when you made your mind up
cheers
B.

Haroon · 11-10-2011, 01:43 PM

A mighty heartfelt thanks to all you inmates for such prompt & direct responses. Naturally, my search work got easier and seems Brazil may be moved to the back burner for now. I am really indebted to advrider for putting me in contact with so many like minded individuals such as each one of you.

Being a zombie fed on CNN, BBC etc, its a pleasant surprise to also know from all of you that Columbia is not what it used to be...... Anyways, thanks for the head start, I will do some more detailed research with this country in particular and the other suggested countries in general. In the past I had contacted Eric from rideadv.com for Brazil & he did mention they only do guided tours. Anyways, I will also check on all the other options with him and few others.

glasswave · 11-10-2011, 02:58 PM

I'd say Ecuador or Colombia fit you list the best. Peru would be more ultimate, but rental would not be hassle free and I'd recommend a month,.

markharf · 11-10-2011, 05:32 PM

I've been to all of the above at least once, some twice or more, and I'm saying Colombia is your best bet.

You should know, however, that willingness to ride on a bit of dirt here and there will serve you well no matter where you go. A lot of wondrous places are not accessible without riding gravel roads (the list is far too long to bother here), and a lot of other places tend to feature seasonal washouts and dirt construction detours. This includes Colombia, so be alert to rainy season damage if you're really opposed to leaving the pavement.

Lots of paved roads in Venezuela, too. Plenty in Brazil, but the riding's not as interesting in most areas. Funnest places I went in Ecuador and Peru all involved backroads (i.e., dirt, mud, ripio). Same with Chile and Argentina. Uruguay's got good paved roads, but they're not that interesting for riding. Paraguay's similar, but the roads aren't so good. Bolivia is off-road heaven, and I don't think you'd like the Guianas.

Hope that helps.

Mark

crashmaster · 11-10-2011, 05:56 PM

For what you want, Colombia for sure. Plenty of tarmac, and quite good and scenic tarmac at that. You will not be disappointed.

Rent a bike from Mikey. http://motolombia.wordpress.com/welcome-2/ Good guy, good bikes, and a great tour guide if you want a guide.

bush pilot · 11-11-2011, 08:07 AM

My impression of Colombia after just riding through, is that's it's a police state, people are on edge and nervous. Inflation is wild, it seemed like the place was ready to blow.
Ecuador is a breath of fresh air by comparison, and the food much more interesting. Colombian cuisine is by in large pretty sad.

11-10-2011, 02:25 AM	#1
Haroon ^OP RIDE for PASSION Joined: Jan 2008 Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia/ Bangalore, INDIA Oddometer: 474	Which single SOUTH AMERICAN country for a 7 day self-guided (rental) bike trip? Together with my wife riding as pillion with me, I would like to do a 7 day ride in one country in South America (no central American countries). With my present research Brazil seems good, but I am looking for more inputs. Ofcourse, my below needs are broad indications and not aimed at getting somebody to do a custom packaged trip, but I am requesting all you first-hand experienced inmates for the best suggestion of a single country to do this trip based on my below requirements & limitations: First & foremost, all the touring is to be on fully tarmac roads (NO off-roading) Need a rental street/touring bike (preferably 1000cc or bigger) with unlimited daily mileage option and with lockable hard sidecases & topcase. Harley is only if I don’t have any other choice. Will be a Self-guided ride. No group riding or fancy group package tours Need a combination of scenic mountain drives/passes, little of beaches, other natural beauty/wonders, history etc, all connected with tarmac roads. Riding route in a round loop starting & ending in the same city. Max riding of about 200-250kms per day for 7 days. Daily we start early & finish well before sunset. Budget category Bed & Breakfast/guesthouse/motels that are not flashy, but clean and safe (for us & the bike). We DO NOT camp in the open! A country that is relatively safe in general terms. I mean, any country will have its good, bad & ugly, but I am asking in general terms. Which is the best month to visit that country. I mean non-rainy season and if possible not too hot. Although this dream ride is many months away, I would be extremely grateful to receive any & all your valuable inputs on 'that' one country- small or big. Many thanks, Haroon __________________ Growing old is compulsory - growing up is optional *Exploring the world on 2-wheels...little at a time* RIDE for PASSION www.rideforpassion.com

11-10-2011, 06:19 AM	#2
Airhead Wrangler More tacos than you Joined: Mar 2008 Location: Manzanillo MX, occasionally Seattle Oddometer: 5,206	With that list of prereqs, I'd say Argentina and Chile are your best options, but if you want to see anything worthwhile, gravel roads are pretty much unavoidable at least small amounts. There's a company in Santiago, Chile they rents new BMWs. Don't know their name though, but someone else will. __________________ R80ST Gets The HPN Treatment Ducati Pantah 500SL Rebuild Seattle to TDF on an airhead WTB R100R Mystic sidestand and mount.

11-10-2011, 06:21 AM	#3
Misery Goat Positating the negative Joined: Jun 2003 Location: AZ Oddometer: 73,682	With that criteria I say go to Europe or the states. __________________ "So what you gonna do when the novelty is gone.."-- Joy Division Same as it ever was 2010 Latin America Route

11-10-2011, 06:51 AM	#4
theturtleshead Tits on a fish Joined: Jun 2005 Location: Medellin Colombia ain,t nowhere better Oddometer: 718	Colombia Colombia obviously! Look up Mikey at Motolombia!!! Al See you in Medellin

11-10-2011, 08:50 AM	#5
gpothoven whatever Joined: Jan 2006 Location: Quito, Ecuador Oddometer: 2,121	Ecuador, based on most of your points. Specially due to 7 days and 250 kms. day. gpothoven screwed with this post 11-10-2011 at 09:09 AM

11-10-2011, 09:12 AM	#6
princess jamaica OLD DOG-NEW TRICKS Joined: Oct 2006 Location: KM111.5 POSADA CONCEPCION,BCS Oddometer: 1,970	Contact Court at Freedom Bike Rental.He is on this forum and rents bikes out of Quito,Ecuador.He has a great web site. __________________ 24 hours,maybe 60 good years,it's really not that long a stay.........jimmy b.

11-10-2011, 10:23 AM	#8
SS in Vzla. Totally Normal? I'm not! Joined: Dec 2006 Location: Banana Republic of Black Gold Oddometer: 1,045	I'd say Argentina, Chile or Brazil are too large for any real sightseeing in 7 days. Especially if you want pavement only. Colombia's twisties, people and sights will blow your mind and IMO fit your requirements pretty well. __________________ SS. '98 BMW F650 / '06 WR250F / '03 KTM 950 Adv Caracas, Venezuela

11-10-2011, 10:44 AM	#9
theturtleshead Tits on a fish Joined: Jun 2005 Location: Medellin Colombia ain,t nowhere better Oddometer: 718	There,s that There,s that and there are way way more hot chicks in Colombia! Scenery buddy scenery Al

11-10-2011, 11:43 AM	#10
BjoernTheH Chile Joined: Nov 2010 Location: Chile South America Oddometer: 112	I have not been in Colombia yet but taht sound just like what you need. To make a 7 day trip Brasil, Argentina, Chile are far to big - no gravel is almost not possible if you want to see the really nice places. http://www.rideadv.com/ Eric from RideAdv has some information on his page and if not call him or write him a short email and say Hello from Bernhard the Big Fella he will know then ok, good luck and am looking forward a to a short report when you made your mind up cheers B. __________________ ________________________________________________ ADV Riders in Chile http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=699272

11-10-2011, 01:43 PM	#11
Haroon ^OP RIDE for PASSION Joined: Jan 2008 Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia/ Bangalore, INDIA Oddometer: 474	A mighty heartfelt thanks to all you inmates for such prompt & direct responses. Naturally, my search work got easier and seems Brazil may be moved to the back burner for now. I am really indebted to advrider for putting me in contact with so many like minded individuals such as each one of you. Being a zombie fed on CNN, BBC etc, its a pleasant surprise to also know from all of you that Columbia is not what it used to be...... Anyways, thanks for the head start, I will do some more detailed research with this country in particular and the other suggested countries in general. In the past I had contacted Eric from rideadv.com for Brazil & he did mention they only do guided tours. Anyways, I will also check on all the other options with him and few others. __________________ Growing old is compulsory - growing up is optional *Exploring the world on 2-wheels...little at a time* RIDE for PASSION www.rideforpassion.com

11-10-2011, 02:58 PM	#12
glasswave Studly Adventurer Joined: Feb 2007 Location: Wasatch Mtns, UT Oddometer: 841	I'd say Ecuador or Colombia fit you list the best. Peru would be more ultimate, but rental would not be hassle free and I'd recommend a month,. __________________ • Indian Himalaya:Gangotri-Shimla-Manali-Pavarti-Spiti-Leh-Kargil-Padum-Sringhar-Daramsala (3 mo.--2x) • Kazakstan-Krygyzstan-Tajikistan-Xin Xiang to Lhasa, Tibet on China 219!-Nepal (7 months) • Santiago, Chile to Ushuia Argentina and up to Cusco, Peru (7 months) • Peruvian Andes (3 months) • N Chile - Medellin, Colombia (3 months) ••• Cartegena, CO to N Chile (3 months)

11-10-2011, 05:32 PM	#13
markharf Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2008 Location: Bellingham, Washington Oddometer: 473	I've been to all of the above at least once, some twice or more, and I'm saying Colombia is your best bet. You should know, however, that willingness to ride on a bit of dirt here and there will serve you well no matter where you go. A lot of wondrous places are not accessible without riding gravel roads (the list is far too long to bother here), and a lot of other places tend to feature seasonal washouts and dirt construction detours. This includes Colombia, so be alert to rainy season damage if you're really opposed to leaving the pavement. Lots of paved roads in Venezuela, too. Plenty in Brazil, but the riding's not as interesting in most areas. Funnest places I went in Ecuador and Peru all involved backroads (i.e., dirt, mud, ripio). Same with Chile and Argentina. Uruguay's got good paved roads, but they're not that interesting for riding. Paraguay's similar, but the roads aren't so good. Bolivia is off-road heaven, and I don't think you'd like the Guianas. Hope that helps. Mark

11-10-2011, 05:56 PM	#14
crashmaster ow, my balls! Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Girdweed, AK Oddometer: 4,624	For what you want, Colombia for sure. Plenty of tarmac, and quite good and scenic tarmac at that. You will not be disappointed. Rent a bike from Mikey. http://motolombia.wordpress.com/welcome-2/ Good guy, good bikes, and a great tour guide if you want a guide. __________________ Riding the Americas: No Fumar Español - Terminado. _____________________________________________

11-11-2011, 08:07 AM	#15
bush pilot Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2006 Location: Bangkok, everywhere else Oddometer: 2,155	My impression of Colombia after just riding through, is that's it's a police state, people are on edge and nervous. Inflation is wild, it seemed like the place was ready to blow. Ecuador is a breath of fresh air by comparison, and the food much more interesting. Colombian cuisine is by in large pretty sad. __________________ USA travels 09' Anchorage to Ushuaia Iron Butt #35784

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