05/04/2001 – 09/07/2002
15 months from Italy to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
Travel through 3 continents: Europe, Asia, North and South America.
20 countries visited: Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, European Russia, Siberia, USA (Alaska), Canada, USA (Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California), Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Perù, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina.
Mean of transportation: All terrain bike 17 years old, a single 600 c.c. air cooled, properly fixed before leaving.
Ordinary maintenance: 9 oil, filters and spark plug changes, 7 valves clearance registrations, 6 rear tires, 2 front tires, 5 final transmission replacement.
Extraordinary maintenance: 1 CDI unit replacement, 3 rear wheel bear replacements, 1oil front fork seals replacement, 1 cover for accessing registration valves (Broken in Siberia, it was impossible to find, I Went on with the fixed part for a few months. I bought one in Alaska), 1 frame welding because of the weight and dirt roads, 1 clutch replacement.
Difficulties: road conditions in Siberia, a fallen bridge on the Kolyma river obliged me to go back for 7000 kms; in Peru Amazonic forest the continuous rain turned the road in a mud puddle; the Bolivian winter, so called the summer rain time when roads become flooded.
Communication matters in Russia, tongue unknown at the time.
Equipment: Tent, sleeping bag, mattress, fuel stove, pots, torch, water resistant clothe, photographic material, a 10 litres fuel tank, a 5 litres water tank, spare parts (CDI unit, tension regulator, stator, battery, spark plug, clutch lever, front brake lever, bulbs, tubes and 2 tires).
Several tools.
Useful stuff: Medicine (plasters, bandages, disinfectant, antibiotics, ant inflammations, scissors, injections and needles, needle and thread for auto stitches, lip salve, sunscreen, eyewash), needle and thread for mending, photocopies of the documents, passport size photos, guides, dictionaries, candle, lighter, personal hygiene effects.
Documents: Yellow fever certificate, passport, medical insurance, prescription written in English, motorbike documents, international licence. P.S.: I didn’t need the Carnet de Passage en Douane for my vehicle.
Money: Cirrus and Plus, Visa and Mastercard credit cards; around U$D 1000 cash (many embassies don’t accept euros for visa fee).
Goal of the travel: Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.