(English) - Our Planning Guide for Ushuaia - 2012

1. PLANNING:

1.1. Important questions that were answered during the planning:

1.1.1. Which tourist attractions and cities to visit?
1.1.2. What is the duration of the travel?
1.1.3. How much it will the cost?

The answer for the above questions follow format bellow:
Itinerary:

Costs:

1.2. Rounding out our plan

1.2.1. Time of the year?

We decided to travel between march and april and we had started to study the weather conditions during this period to prepare appropriate rider stuffs.
Our wondering was the wind, snow and ice.

Weather Conditions:

1.2.2. Hotel Reservation

The period of our travel was low seasons, so we were not concerned to pre-arrange the hotels. Dudu was responsible for taking notes and giving some tips of hotels to stay as well writing in the itinerary spreadsheet and update the GPS data. However, if you planning to travel in the high seasons it is highly recommended to be careful with places to stay, because it may be overbooked and at the end of the day you want have a place to stay and you will be tired, hungry and crazy to take a shower and rest.

1.2.3. Objective of the travel

It's really important to define this point for the travel and our objective was:
Going to Ushuaia in 10 days and be back in 13 days passing by the touristic places, having a fun with our bikes and arriving at home safely.

1.2.4. Ground rules

It's very important to define the ground rules before the travel to avoid misunderstanding as the saying goes: better safe than sorry

Our ground rules were:

1.2.5. Personal documents

For the international touring, crossing 3 differents countries (Uruguay, Argentine and Chile) it's necessary to carry the following personal documents to avoid hassle for you and your friends. The important documents to be consider are (for Brazilian):

1.2.6. Summary

In whatever way the trip you plan is long or not, just remember that the success of a motorcycle tour does not depend of cutting edge GPS, new bike, etc.... Instead of that, a great trip depends on how well prepared you are before you head out in your travels. Thorough research and planning is the foundation of preparedness and, except for the cost of your time, it's nearly free. For what you will save later in aggravation and possibly real money, spend generously now.

2. PREPARING

2.1. Mental & Physical

Motorcycle travel is not like riding the bike at the weekend when you ride some kilometers along with friends stop for a lunch  and go back at home. Motorcycle travels requires more mental preparation than physical preparation in order to avoid the famous "wandering", because if happen on the road the consequences will be dangerous. It's very important to consider the points bellow in order to avoid that:

• Developing your own technique or manner to be alert and concentrated avoiding the boredom and mental dispersion, for example, listening the music, radio, something to keep you awake.
• Defining break time for quick rest, in our case, we have choosen to make one quick stop and than to take a break to bite and drink something and talk about schedule with the travel partners.
• Preparing your mind to not worry about things while you are riding, for example: Did i turned off my mobile? Does the battery of my phone will last until the end of the day? Are the hotels overbooked? Will it have gas in the next service station? This are questions that will be taking your riding attention on the road therefore is essential that you get used to always make a check list before start riding the bike on the road that way you can avoiding dispersions mind.

2.1.2. Know you own ride limits

Overstatement? No, it's not! It's a matter of safety to have knowledge of ride technique and your own limits. As the old saying: If you have a new bike you will need to ride it at least 10.000 kilometers to know and learn how the bike behaves in any situations on the road and weather conditions. If is possible is nice to have a Motorcycle Riding Techniques Training with Specialists to acquire mental and physical preparation to be ready to figure out any emergency maneuver on the road.

Thefore it is highly recommended to take a ride course to know better the bike and your own limits and also learn knew ride techniques in order to have the control bike in the risky situations such as: stop abruply in a rainy day, swerve to avoid something in high speed or in the middle of the turning where suddenly animals and/or unidentified objects appear in front of you.

Can you imagine riding at nigh in a downhill intensive trucks traffic and it is rainning, fogging and your visor shield fogs up too, gradually losing your sight due of the fine water spray from the cars and trucks and yet you are hungry and crazy to take a shower and rest, but suddenly appears a huge hole on the road? What to do now?

In order to avoid this kind of situation, think and consider asking yourself if you are ready to take challenge safely!

Therefore, i recommend to take the course to enhance your ride techniques and ride enough with your new bike to learn and practice safely.

2.1.3. Riding range - how many kilometers can we ride in one day?

It is necessary to understand the riding range limits of the team to ensure a safe motorcycle touring with break times and under weather conditions that can occur. Stay ready for the rainy, snowy and icy scenarios expect to stop in the nearest town and evaluate the planning of range ride needed to make on next days to be within the range limits of all.
Remember that the scenario can change according to travel and the composition of group:

• Are all your friends riding tourism bike? (ride position and comfortable)
• Are all of us comfortable to ride in the rainy, snowy, icy days or at night? (safely)
• Is anyone with co-rider? (tiredness and exhaustion)
• Are all of us wearing appropriate rider stuffs for all weather conditions? (mental and physics state)
• Is anyone travelling for the first time? (insecurity)
• Are all of us comfortable to ride long way on one day? (mental and physical preparation)

The questions above have the direct weight to define the ride range limits of your planning/itinerary   for safely and comfortably riding for your friends. Therefore, think about to assure the safety ride for all.

2.1.4. Summary

The mental and physical preparation and knowledge of your own limits will be essentials grounds to make a careful planning and comfortable execution. This factors will assurance safety on the road to avoid accidents and enhance your abilities for manage your mental and physical states to ride long ways.

2.2. Rider Gear

The assurance of comfortable motorcycle tours requires the appropriate rider gear, the set of layers of gear:

• internal layer
• warm layer
• protective layer 
• gloves
• boots
• helmets
• back protector
• rainwear

2.2.1. Internal layer

Choose your layers of gear that has the function to keep your skin dry independently if was hot or cold weather during your travel, in this case, we choose both types that can find in main sport gear shops with the set of:

• hot type: excellent to keep your body dry and comfortable temperature:
• shirt
• pants
• underwear
• balaclava
• middle type: keep the body warm and dry
• shirt
• glove
• balaclava
• cold type: keep the body extra warm and dry 
• shirt
• pants
• gloves
• balaclava

2.2.2. Warm layer

One additional fleece for the cold weather to ensure to be warm and comfortable. Useful for: wearing on days off, replacing the cold type layer, taking out if the weather change to warm. Otherwise, if is necessary to change the cold for the middle type layer could be inconvenient  on the road.

2.2.3. Protective gear

2.2.3.1. Jackets and pants

Jackets and pants made for motorcycles riders (cordura/goretex), even though the leather material offers good abrasion protective in the long ride ways they are not practical in the rainy days because  is necessary to use rainwear, stop the ride to wear and if not use rainwear will be wet, heavy and uncomfortable.

2.2.3.2. Gloves

We recommend taking the least two pairs of gloves, one for the hot weather and other for winter/rainy days, the preference waterproof.

2.2.3.3. Boots

The ideal is go wearing the waterproof boot, if not, consider taking one rain gator to keep your feet dry to be comfortable during the travel.

2.2.3.4. Helmets

The flip-up helmet is practical to use, but we opted to wear a full-face helmet, except Sueden that opted to wear flip-up.
Important recommendation:

• take additional shield visor;
• ear protection.

2.2.3.5. Back protector

Is for your safety and consider two types to wear:

• tradictional fitted in you body;
• specific to use inside the jacket compartment replacing the stock that is not a back protector.

Consider it to ensure your protection in the case of accident.

2.2.3.6. Rainwear

We recommend taking a rainwear for the continuing rainy and windy days to keep your body dry and comfortable.

2.2.4. Summary

The most important related with rider gear is to remember that will be a long way ride, therefore,  consider wearing the comfortable and operative set of rider gear to the day by day during the break time to get a bite to eat at the service station. Special attention for reflective sticker on the rider gear for the rainy days and at night for the safety protection during the motorcycle travel.

... To be continued...