SuzukiSavage.com - In and out of the USA

mpescatori

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In and out of the USA
05/12/16 at 05:29:04

Hi guys, this is a light-hearted query to shed some light on something which lurks in my bucket list...
...riding around the world.

It's not that difficult, as long as you have money to pay for gas, room&board and you don't get into fights...

Ride from Rome to Moscow and from there across the Urals and along the Trans-Siberian Route all the way to Vladivostok.

https://www.google.it/maps/dir/Roma/Vladivostok,+Territorio+del+Litorale,+Rus...

From there you need ferry service to S.Korea (twice/week I read) and from S.Korea a freighter that'll take passengers to ferry you AND the bike in unison to N.America.

OK...

Let's say I want to ride the ALCAN... I need a boat that'll take me to Anchorage.
Then I'll ride out of Alaska and into Canada, and once in Vancouver I'd be heading south to the US Border.

https://www.google.it/maps/dir/Anchorage,+Alaska,+Stati+Uniti/Seattle,+Washin...

Does anyone see any issues with riding out of Alaska, into Canada and into the US ?

Just daydreaming... Cool

PS...

How's the road from fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay ? Cheesy

I'll need more range than the 2 1/2 gal. tank can provide... Undecided

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Maurizio Pescatori, Esq.
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justin_o_guy2

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Re: In and out of the USA
Reply #1 - 05/12/16 at 05:49:18

Once upon a time, no problem. Today, might be a hassle getting into the lower 48.. Tourism into Alaska is not rare, and the number of people who have ridden Anchorage to Venezuela is not huge, but governments know people wanna do it, and I have never heard of anyone getting shut down. Surely with your background, well, except for that ten year stretch for armed robbery, kidnapping and extortion and stealing a snickers bar from a kid, you'll check out great at the borders.
How far into America are you wanting to ride?
I know you're not planning on heading South. You'd be crazy to try a solo trip through Mexico. My boss did it, about 25years ago. Windsurfer, loaded his van up with boards and sails and went from Midland all the way to Venezuela. He speaks fluent Spanish, tho.

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Art Webb

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Re: In and out of the USA
Reply #2 - 05/12/16 at 07:40:50

According to Springman a trip into Mexico wouldn't be a good idea for a furriner these days, they see a non Mexican plate and you're a rolling ATM
Some of them won't take the money and let you go
other than that, the Canada border should be OK so long as your passport is in order
I have no idea how the roads in prudhoe bay area might be, but Youzguys has taken Thumper a lot of places where folks wouldn't ordinarily think a cruiser would go

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verslagen1

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Re: In and out of the USA
Reply #3 - 05/12/16 at 09:13:58

As long as you're willing to go at a speed appropriate for the tires on the road you're traveling and in some cases push, you're good to go anywhere on anything. However, I'd prefer having dual sport tires to pushing.

I was on a fire road with my savage, street tires. Only bad part was deep sand. otherwise it was all rocks and hard pack.

Someone posted a link where a girl did the Alcan hwy awhile back. Think she did alaska to florida. for the alcan part, she changed her tires from street to dual sport.

Traveling incognito as possible might be the ticket, so stop and buy a bunch of chickens and strap them on the back. Grin

Also, think about what failures you're likely to have and how you're going to get replacements. To they have dealerships for that bike in the country you're traveling in, etc.

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springman Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2191 Spring, Texas Gender:	Re: In and out of the USA Reply #4 - 05/12/16 at 10:03:05 Mr. Pescatori, I would love to join you in heading into central and south America, but as Art indicated I have already had some bad experiences in Mexico and it has only gotten worse since. Also, I am not yet retired. Good luck to you. I hope you make your dreams reality.
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: In and out of the USA Reply #5 - 05/12/16 at 16:48:51 Pesci never said anything about SOUTH of the border, I did.
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pg

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Re: In and out of the USA
Reply #6 - 05/12/16 at 17:19:03

Pesci:

Take some time to get and read through some of these ride reports. This is by far the best motorcycle travel & adventure forum. Last year I read a thread where someone traveled through all of Russia. The RRs are excellent reading as well as motivation. Lots of people with dual sports ride from the lower 48 to Alaska. You will need a passport and at least a month. The trip planning threads can answer all of your questions.

http://advrider.com/index.php?forums/ride-reports-epic-rides.99/

Best regards,

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mpescatori

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Re: In and out of the USA
Reply #7 - 05/15/16 at 11:30:57

Thanks all for your replies, I posted the very same question on a HD Forum and nobody so much as asked "you crazy?"

Anyway, once in the lower 48 I have 90 days to cruise and my intent is to visit as much as possible and then crate the bike in Baltimore, Boston or NYC and sail home.

Although I have relatives in Colombia #wife's family# I do NOT intend to ride South of El Paso or wherever.

If I really wanted to do S.America, I'd sail from L.A. #or Portland, for that matter# and go straight to Lima, Perù.
Sure, that means missing out on Central America, but the odds are happier on getting mugged vs. getting free gas.
#and once I'd visited Peru Chile and Argentina... Brazil... set sail for South Africa... safe up until Ethiopia but riding across the Sudan ? Egypt ? Lips Sealed

#

And anyway... I'd need a bigger than 2 1/2 gal tank ! Grin

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Maurizio Pescatori, Esq.
Gentleman Rider

Mikuni BST40, K&N filter, Stage2 cam, Verslagen tensioner, Sportster muff, 120 proof moonshine, Pirelli MT 66 tourers... and a chain conversion too !

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oldNslow

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Re: In and out of the USA
Reply #8 - 05/15/16 at 11:49:09

http://www.amazon.com/Old-Man-Bike-Simon-Gandolfi/dp/1906321663

This guy went through Mexico, Central America, all the way to the tip of South America on a 125cc Honda in 2006. He heard all the horror stories, didn't believe them, and went anyway. None of the awful things he was told would happen to him turned out to be true.

He turned around and rode all the way back. All the way to NYC I believe. But that's a second book and I haven't read it yet.

Possibly things were different in 2006 -2007 than they are now. I don't know. But the book isn't expensive and it's worth a look I think.

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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: In and out of the USA Reply #9 - 05/15/16 at 12:37:26 Well, I Knew a guy in Austin who made a trip or two a year into Mexico. Last time he went he disappeared. Dead? Alive? Nobody knows. Maybe he never made it to the border. But he sure didn't get back to Austin.
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pg Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 5273 In Transit	Re: In and out of the USA Reply #10 - 05/15/16 at 13:15:31 oldNslow wrote on 05/15/16 at 11:49:09: None of the awful things he was told would happen to him turned out to be true. That's BS, I lived on the border for 4 years. Best regards,
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justin_o_guy2

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Re: In and out of the USA
Reply #11 - 05/15/16 at 13:57:27

pg wrote on 05/15/16 at 13:15:31:

oldNslow wrote on 05/15/16 at 11:49:09:

None of the awful things he was told would happen to him turned out to be true.

That's BS, I lived on the border for 4 years.

Best regards,

And? What did you learn?

I crossed the border in three places, different times, years apart, coupla times in a coupla places, last time was about 33 years ago. I said I would not be going again.

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The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke.

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oldNslow

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Re: In and out of the USA
Reply #12 - 05/15/16 at 14:04:49

pg wrote on 05/15/16 at 13:15:31:

oldNslow wrote on 05/15/16 at 11:49:09:

None of the awful things he was told would happen to him turned out to be true.

That's BS, I lived on the border for 4 years.

Best regards,

What, exactly, does your experience living on the border have to do with the the experiences of the guy who wrote the book. Maybe you ought to at least read it before you start calling bullsh*t.

I suggested the book because the thread was about long distance motorcycle travel and I believe it's an interesting story about the subject. Mr Gandolfi is, as far as I know, still alive and well. None of the things that he was warned about happened.

When was the last time you rode to the tip of Argentina? Sad

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pg Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 5273 In Transit	Re: In and out of the USA Reply #13 - 05/15/16 at 14:08:25 justin_o_guy2 wrote on 05/15/16 at 13:57:27: And? What did you learn? Well there is no law of any kind, Mexico earns it's reputation, and there is a reason 30 million of them are on our side of the border. I can share some antidotes if you would like. Best regards,
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pg

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Re: In and out of the USA
Reply #14 - 05/15/16 at 14:19:23

oldNslow wrote on 05/15/16 at 14:04:49:

What, exactly, does your experience living on the border have to do with the the experiences of the guy who wrote the book. Maybe you ought to at least read it before you start calling bullsh*t.

It is probably an interesting read and I read ride reports on advrider.com when time permits. Regarding Mexico, I lived on the boarder and have traveled into Mexico many times and the stories are true. I have been shaken down by their police, I know of someone who had to be x-rayed to see what organs they took, I was detained by our border patrol coming back into the US because I looked suspicious.

No, I don't believe I need to read it to say it is BS.

Best regards,

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