To make the bike ready for this trip I decided to improve the seat suspension since the bike is in a rigid frame compared to the last trip across the US when it was still a swing arm.  Also the roads tend to be bad in most parts of Chile.

I also decided to put the original rear wheel back in place.

The original rear fender and a new custom made luggage rack with metal case on the right side is in place. The leader bag stays in place as usual.

Chile seems not to have a lot of gas stations in the outback. I decided to mount a 5l gas canister to the right side of frame of my Pan. On the other side also a 5l canister for the oil. This canister had to be  modified to fit in between the leather bag and primary case.

Some spare parts and a lot of tools will go with the bikes. Everything has to be listed in a packing list for both bikes.

Shipping of the bikes:

We decided to ship the bikes by plane. After checking various shipping companies I found GS-Sportreisen (Hellmann Worldwide Logistics) have the best offer. They also offer liability insurance for South America.

The pallet size for each bike is 75x240x110cm

The shipping for both bikes from Munich to Santiago and back costs 5'580.- Euro (incl. insurance). This is not cheap but the best I could find. Fortunately we've got cheap flights for our self; 900.- SFR per person.

So total cost (bike & person) for each is 5'000.- SFR flat.

We are back on the Via Panam!!

Seven years after I shipped my Panhead back from Los Angeles after a five month trip across the USA, Sandra, her XT500, my Pan and myself are back on the American Continent to follow the Pan Americana further south.

The day we go the bikes out of custom was a Saturday and it was about 7pm, after only 4 hours at the airport, when we hit the road.

Only 100 miles from Santiago the first shock! A broken shock at the XT.... Well, Sandra could still ride the bike, was just a little softer, so we rode on. It just got dark when the lights on the same XT quit their duty! Riding in front of my headlight we made it to our first night's place...... What a day!

Two days after we went to Talca to get the broken shock fixed. We found very nice people at Condor Motorcycle shop. Got new old (very old and beat up) shocks for the XT and lunch for a very fair price!

Having everything fixed we decides to cross the Andes to Argentina for the first time. On the map we found a small road east from Los Angeles (Chile) over the Pichachén pass which promised a nice trip (not knowing that small road in Chile really means that it is a small road). Also the meaning of the sign 'No Vehicolo Bajo' was not known by us by that time.... 

The road was dirt but quite good at the beginning. The landscape was gorgeous.

The road was winding through the lava dust surrounded by a lake and mountains...

Suddenly the road disappeared in a river! The water of the first river was only about 10cm deep - no problem! after the first two rivers we got to the Chilean border. From there to the Argentinean border it was 40km and another 5 rivers to pass!!

The rivers got deeper and deeper. The last one was good 35cm (1 foot) deep and the ground was very rough gravel!!

And all this on a 39 year old rigid Panhead!!! - Unfuckunbelievable!

At the end it was kind of fun - just the water in the boots (and everywhere else).

People here pass (or don't pass) with normal cars....

The rest of the pass was easy but....

...when we arrived at the Argentinean border they told us that we can not enter Argentina because the Chilean custom did not stamp our papers for the bikes - we have to go back!!!

This is fucking impossible!! We had 4 hours for the 40 km between the two customs.

Arguing did not help (also other promises didn't).

Because it was night already we slept at the border and the next day I took Sandra's XT and 'rodeoed' back to the Chileans and forth. This time, knowing where to pass the rivers, it only took me 1 hour each way.

Finally, after got invited by the Argentinean custom for lunch, we could go on. 

From Chos Malal we drove through the Argentinean Pampa on Ruta 40 south and crossed the border to Chile in Lonquimay. This time with no problems (we just had to tell the customs how to fill in the forms).

Paved road was to boring so we decided to take a bypass through 'Parque National Conguillio' to see Volcán Llaima.

In this Park we had our first Chilean BBQ - mmmmh...what a meat!

A lot of lava and the Llaima again

This was our house for three days. It belongs to Hadi & Hansi from Crazy Eddy in Silz and is located close to Pucón and just at the bottom of the Vulcan Villarrica.

Nice sun set over Pucón!!

After two day of riding dirt bikes during the day and partying during the night it was time to move on to the south before fall is coming.

To leave this very nice place and people was hard but we promised to be back on our way back north.

We went south on Ruta 5 to Osorno and from there east to pass the border to Argentina again.

On the way to San Carlos de Bariloche we passed a lot of lakes and beautiful mountains.

From Bariloche south on Ruta 40 and trough the national park 'Los Alerces' we crossed the border to Chile again in Futaleufú.

From the moment we left Ruta 40 the roads where all gravel and this will not change anymore till we returne to the north.

We followed the Futaleufú river , which is one of the most beautiful white water for rafting and canoeing on the world, to hit the famous Carretera Austral in Villa Sta Lucia.

The first part of the Carretera was kind of an arctic rain forest with giant plants.

We did run into several bikers on this road. A very nice couple we met is from Austelia and on tour in Sout America for one year. It's Trish and Bill.

Right before Coihaique we hit pavement. but this only lasted until we left the area of the biggest city down here.

From Cerro Castillo the gravel is back.

From here it's a very nice road along rivers and the big lake 'Lago General Carrera'.

Nice camping site right by the lake.

The next day we just rode about 100km when it happened. 50km before Cochrane Sandra decided to take a closer look at the road after hitting a bad whole. The fork dove, the tool bag underneath the headlight hit the fender and pushed them down on the wheel - a blocked front wheel and they went down.

First she thought to be alright but after a closer look we found a big whole in the skin over the left knee so you could directly see the patella!

Well, we probably have to get that fixed. 8 stitches where necessary to close the wound! And one week of no riding was the conclusion. 

Two day later I took a 10hour bus ride back to Coihaique to rent a car not just to sit around for one week.

With the track we planed to pass again the border to Argentina to follow ruta 40 south to famous Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre and Torres del Paine National Park.

Unfortunately on the border at Passo Roballo we found out that you need a paper signed by a layer to pass with a rental car, which we of course did not have;-(

Instead of going to Argentine we then went down to Tortel which is a beautiful ride.

Locking at Sandra's distorted face from the pain when we rod bad gravel road, I knew this was the better choice anyway.

The way down to Torres del Paine would have been to long (about 400km gravel).

This way we followed Rio Baker almost to the see, which would be in Tortel but the road does not go there. You would have to walk the last few kilometers.

With Sandra's knee this was not a choise.

The closer to the see we came the more they had to cut small gravel road through the forest.

By locking at the vegetation you know that it is raining a lot here...

Arctic rain forest everywhere!

But then it was time to move on. We packed the XT on the track which Sandra could drive in the meantime, I jumped on my Pan and we rode back to Coihaique.

Back in Coihaique, it was ten day after the accident, we could take out the stitches in Sandra's knee.

The same day she rode her XT again!

Because she could not fully bend the lag we had to modify the footrest.

We went to Puerto Chacabuco to enter the ferry to Puerto Mont.

and it works >

In the meantime the scar healed up pretty well;-)

From Puerto Mont via Vulcano Osorno back to Pucón to visit Hadi and Hansi again.

After two day we left for the North.

We went through Santiago on the Pan Americana and turned right in Los Andes to follow the road towards Passo Bermejo which is right beside the highest mountain of the whole American Continent: Co, Aconcagua (7'070m)!!

We stopped in Portillo right before the pass (border to Argentina) to stay the night.

It was also in Portillo where we met Mauricio the first time. He was sitting at the shore of a little lake drinking a glass of Single Malt Whisky. 

We recognized him as a Biker and found out later that he rode up here on his Sportster and is on the way to Mendoza where the biggest Harley Meeting of South America should take place the next Weekend.

After a good Party at the only Bar in the only Hotel of Portillo at something like 2'800m above see level, we left the place without Mauricio because he had to wait till some lawyers cleared his files that he could cross the border to Argentina and was not sure how long that would take.

On the top of the pass there is a tunnel, but after the tunnel on the Argentina side you can ride up to Christo Redentor, a famous statue on top of the old pass at 3'832m.

This is a little curvy gravel road.

From here you have a nice view at Aconcagua!

On the Argentina side the landscape chance. It's more wind west country!

An old railway follows the valley beside the street.

The mountains change color every couple kilometer. From red over yellow to green and black.

Fantastic!!

Right before Uspallata you have a nice view at the Andes range.

It's about 30° and in the background you have the snowy mountains.

We finally arrived in Mendoza. And we did find the Hotel where the HD-riders meet.

 There where about 200-300 Harley - quite a number for south America!

Most of them Evo's, but what is this....

An AJS Chopper!! 

No front brake, no lights, no speedo, no license plate - no nothing!! And a fucking wide tire in the back.

Wide tires seem to be popular here anyway!

Friends from Brazil.

Traditional Argentinean BBQ: cut a whole cow in half and put it on the fire (with all the hair!!).

Table service (Harley meetings in South America are a little different).

People who can afford a Harley down here, normally have quite a bit of money - so everything is a bit upper class.

We did not feel quite comfortable but it was another experience. The whole thing was more like a business trip thing, kind off...

But we did meet good people. And then there where the games.

Slow Race, 

Potato Search and 

Winnie Bite.

The next day we packed our bikes again and continued our travel north....

Right outside of Mendoza you hit the desert and nothing will change for the next 600km......

.....until we hit Rodeo. From there the road is winding up thru little valleys up to the mountains.

The sign says 'next gas in 261km', which mean on the other side of the Andes in Chile. 

The pass in between is the highest border cross between Chile and Argentina with 4'765m above sea level!!

And from the end of the long strait part of the road it's all gravel...

Nice road!!!

The first snow at about 3'000m

More Snow at about 4'000m!!!

The little black dot almost at the end of the snowfield is Sandra beside her bike!!

And the bikes are still running!!

On the way down you can see beautiful colored mountains.....

.....goats....

.....and dark blue lakes!!!

On the way down to La Serena following the Elqui valley (the place where Pisco comes from!!)

In the meantime my Pan gets more and more dirty!!

And then we entered the desert of Atacama.....

Right before we hit San Pedro de Atacama we took a side road to the Moon Valley...

....with it's beautiful sculptures of sand and salt.

It really feels like being on the moon! And it must be especially wonderful at full moon nights!!

From San Pedro de Atacama we made a one day bus trip to El Tatio. El Tatio is the sleeping man you can see on the picture. He is watching over the vulcan.

You have to get up in the middle of the night that you are there before the sun comes up to watch this beautiful scenes...

After the sun comes up the whole spook ends and nothing but the the nice landscape and a few little lakes remain.

The next day we went to see Laguna Miscanti which is in the direction of Paso Sico.

And again gravel road:-)

The road almost looks like ice but it's salt!! And rock hard like pavement.

A funny feeling - and a nice sunset!!!

After a couple days in San Pedro we had to head south because the end of our holiday came closer and closer!

Between Antofagasta and Talal we stopped at the Mano del deserte - a huge hand in the middle of the desert.

Back on the beach in Talal.

This was a perfect end of a perfect trip!!!

We had wonderful days in La  Serena with a lot of beer, single malt whisky, Cuban cigars an good Chilean BBQ.

Many thanks to Sofia (the little girl that owns everything), Carolina and Mauricio for the invitation and hospitality! Hope that we can give it back to them one time.

The day we left La Serena it was fogy and could - fall was definitely coming - time to leave for an other summer in Europe;-)

After a short stay in Los Andes we had to go to Santiago to ship back our bikes and check in for our flight back home.

But before we took the plane we went to see the city a bit...

And here there are our bikes back in Munich.

By this time it was spring in Switzerland and we could continue to ride!!

Already end of May I left for a one week ride to Italy and after only 1'500 km the motor of my Pan started to die (after about 100'000 km of traveling - and not only nice conditions).

So we have been extremely lucky that this did not happen in South America!!

The noise was getting louder and louder and I decided to get pulled home by Phil and his Pan.

Back home I took the engine apart and found what I was guessing - the connecting rod bearings where gone!

It's time for a revision
  

Bikes: 1964 Panhead and a modified Yamaha XT500

2 month

10'333 kilometers (6'458 miles)
(1'980 km of gravel road)

Countries: Chile & Argentina