We are embarking on this adventure tour without having sought any outside sponsorship. We will be using a wide variety of products we selected ourselves to make the trip easier or more enjoyable. We will provide unbiased feedback of these products throughout our tour..

The Bike – We will be using a 2006 Kawasaki KLR 650 for this trip. While several more modern and higher quality motorcycles are available and well suited for adventure travel we chose the Kawasaki for several reasons. It is a relatively light dual sport motorcycle that can handle the rough roads and off-road sections we plan to travel as well as provide basis comfort cruising at highway speeds. The KLR has changed little since the 70’s. While it lacks some of the newer technology, it is also rather simply and easy to work on. It has proven to be reliable motorcycle capable of this kind of adventure. Since parts have not changed much they are readily available. The KLR also has a loyal customer base that has thoroughly tested and improved the motorcycling. It’s shortcomings are well known, well documented and easily corrected. Last, but not least, the KLR is inexpensive. It is priced at half or a third as much as more modern adventure bikes. Experience has told me that Central and South America is not a place to take an expensive, high-tech motorcycle.

I purchased this bike and most of the replacement and spare parts from Fay Myers Motorcycle World. Fay Myers has been in business for over 50 years and is one of the nation’s largest dealers for good reason. These guys are motorcyclists and hire good people. While I have not solicited them for any specific support for this tour, Fay Myers has sponsored and supported my motorcycle racing, adventures and industry activities for over a decade. I will forever remain loyal to this dealership. The fact that they carry so many great lines, have excellent service and maintain a huge parts and accessories inventory is just an added benefit. If you are in Colorado, give them a visit. If you are on an overland adventure and need support, give them a call.

Personal experiences and research on the Internet have led to a few companies that offer specific KLR upgrades. I purchased some of these specific KLR products from Dual Star, Happy Trails and KLR650.com. Throughout the adventure I will post my reflections on these products and the service provided by these companies. Here are my pre-ride thoughts.

Dual Star – Quality products, Expensive, Good Service
My initial experience with Dual Star has been very positive. I reviewed their website, found the products I was interested in and gave them a call. On the phone they were able to confirm what products they had in stock, what was back ordered and when back ordered items would be available. In each case, back ordered items were received on or before the date promised. All the products have been very high quality. Update - my opinion of these guys have changed since they really screwed up my last order. About a month before departure I ordered a larger brake rotor, brake lines, and tank panniers. The brake lines were in stock but the rotor and panniers were backordered so they held the brake lines. I was told everything would be availalble in about a week. The brake rotor showed up about two weeks later. The panniers never arrived and the brake lines that were previously in stock were out of stock by the time the rotor was shipped. This forced me to leave on my trip without planned accessories that were ordered way in advance. If they had kept me alerted to what was going on I could have made other arrangements. Needless to say, I'm not too happy with these guys now.

Happy Trails – Quality products, Expensive, Issues with service
My initial experience with Happy Trails has been mixed. The quality of the panniers and racks I ordered is very high. However, an issue with package labeling has caused a long, aggravating delay with getting my original order delivered. In fact, as of this post, I am still waiting for some parts nearly a month after placing the initial order. So far, their staff has been professional and helpful in trying to get this mix up straightened out. The frustrating part is the delay. Update - I finally received all products ordered. The quality of the products is very high.

I also have an issue with the hardware provided although this issue applies to nearly all the aftermarket companies. All aftermarket companies please take note! Please don’t send hardware requiring tool sizes different than OEM stuff! For example, nearly all Japanese motorcycle manufactures stopped using 13mm nuts and bolts a long time ago. Nearly all aftermarket parts come with 13mm nuts and bolts. This means you have to add tools to your tool bag just to deal with aftermarket parts. For serving your bike in your garage this is not a big deal but for Adventure Travel where you have to carry your own tools and need to stay as light as possible this becomes very frustrating.

KLR650.com – OEM quality products, Value priced, Poor service
My initial experiences with KLR650.com have not been very good. The staff was friendly and handled the in stock items of my original ordered professionally. However, the company seems ill equipped to handle back order items. The dates promised for the back ordered items I ordered were never accurate. Furthermore, they never contacted me. I would have to call to check the status of my order. They clearly did not have a good computerized program or process to help with these orders. I could hear them ruffling through papers trying to find my original order. I was told on more than one occasion that a supply of the item that was back ordered had come in but they didn’t know about my back order so they had just recently sold and shipped out the last one. They assured me that a new supply was coming in very soon. Having no assurance my back order would be filled, I would wait a week or two, hear nothing, give them a call and the entire scenario would repeat itself.

My brother still has a "dohickey" on back order with these guys from months ago. They have good products and good prices and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them for items in stock. Do not order anything from these guys that is not in stock. Update - After continueous problems with backordered products I called and had all back orders canceled. About a month later I received a box with back ordered parts and an unarthorized billing to my credit card. Rather than hassle with them again and having no confidence the issue would be handled correctly, I let the charge stand, kept the products and gave them to another KLR owner. Again, I would not advise ordering anything from these guys that is not in stock.