You can download our Terms and Conditions here.

How much riding experience must I have?

You must hold a valid motorcycle licence for a large bike (over 500cc) and be competent to ride up to the maximum mileage in a day given on each tour specification. You must also have experience of riding a 500cc machine or above regularly in the past two years and feel confident about your road riding skills. Overseas experience can be useful but not essential. We often find that as important as riding experience is the participants' attitude to the expedition. Our rides are not "package holidays" and you need to be prepared to muck in if we have unforeseen difficult situations and act as a team. Being flexible, open minded and having a good sense of humour is key to ensure a great adventure.

Do I need off-road experience?

You do not need to be an off road enthusiast to enjoy our motorcycle trips; we ride on road all the time, but the remote roads are not paved, which means some gravel riding and you will need to be adaptable to the conditions. The amount of gravel road riding is given in each expedition specification. We do recommend that to get the most out of your riding adventure, some off road experience can be useful.

What bike should I take?

We do not stipulate any brand of bike, and indeed many types of bikes have been used to do this journey, including Harleys, scooters, small enduro bikes etc. However, the bike you use determines the pace of travel and how comfortable you will be. In order to get the most from the expedition, we advise you to use a capable "dual-purpose"-type motorcycle, with sturdy, lockable panniers. On a trip like this you need to have a reliable machine which is properly prepared to ensure the minimum of problems during the ride.

We have always used the BMW GS range for this type of trip; the drive shaft is a key advantage and its strength, durability and reliability is proven.

What about servicing my bike en route?

Your bike must be fully serviced immediately prior to air freight and have new tyres fitted. For our shorter duration trips, there should be no need for further work during the ride.

For the Trans Am Expedition, we can arrange the service and tyre points for all bikes, which will be undertaken at the appropriate dealerships. Costs of servicing your bike remain your responsibility. We will take a note of the brand model and mileage to ensure that your bike is booked in for the appropriate service. Our service points are provisionally set for Tucson (Arizona), Panama City (Panama) and Santiago (Chile). You are free to do your own servicing or make your own arrangements.

How many tools and spares must I carry?

We always advise that you carry your standard tool kit and basic spares (a checklist is provided in the Departure Handbook). When we know all the bikes that are being taken, we will ensure that between us that we do not have undue duplication and will arrange for key spares to be carried between the group or within the support vehicle.

Do I have to ride in a group? What system will we use?

We will provide you with a set of notes, route / map for each days riding, with instructions on how to reach the hotel each evening. You can choose to follow the lead rider or ride on your own. There is no requirement that you have to ride in a group. Indeed in our experience, larger groups will naturally form their own sub-groups to ride with people who go at a similar pace.

There will be certain days when we must ride together (normally for border crossings or through big cities). When this is the case, we use the "buddy" system for group riding. This will be clearly explained at our briefings. When we ride in a group, this is the system that will be applied by all riders. I've used it before; it works well.

How many miles will I have to ride each day?

We have designed the expedition to ensure that there are no excessive miles in any one day. The maximum miles that we would plan to cover are approximately 475 miles and this would be on good road which means we can cover these miles relatively easily. On an average riding day, we would ride between 175 to 250 miles. We have planned approximately 42 days off the bike and these breaks are strategically planned to ensure that they allow you time to see things of note and to rest up before the next section of the ride.

However, please be aware that there may be unforeseen events which would change the above plans.

What are driving standards like in the countries we go to?

This is the topic for the briefing meeting and is covered in the Guidance Handbook. Needless to say, once south of the United States, standards of driving, road conditions and the maintenance of vehicles is poor and we will brief you on the typical things to be aware of.

It is also your responsibility to comply with traffic regulations and other local laws and customs. Should you be stopped by the authorities for any for any offence, road or otherwise, we will try to assist you as much as possible, but ultimately the responsibility will rest with you.

Is there a problem with fuel?

Fuel is available all the way on our route. Sometimes it is very important that you always fill up where indicated or else you may not make the next fuel stop. However, we will carry spare fuel on board the back-up vehicle for any emergencies and as the back up vehicle always acts as a sweeper than you will get picked up in that eventuality. There are some places in the Andes where the grade of fuel is poor and carrying octane booster is a good idea.

Do I need special travel insurance?

A typical annual travel insurance policy will not cover you for this type of trip as they limit the length of a single journey to a maximum of between ten weeks to three months. They also often exclude motorcycling on a bike over 125cc (being a "hazardous activity"). Normally, you will need to take out special single trip insurance. We can recommend use of either Campbell Irvine or Trailfinders and will provide further details about this if necessary. Travel insurance is compulsory for all our expeditions.

What if I have an accident?

We will have a back-up vehicle supporting the ride, equipped with satellite phone and basic first aid, as well as certain spare bike parts. In addition, our guides all have basic first aid qualifications.

If it is only your bike that is damaged, we will try and fix this on the road and if this is not possible, it will be put in the support vehicle and taken to the nearest place where it can be repaired. This may mean time spent travelling with your bike in the back-up vehicle. If we need to get a part sent in from the UK, there may be a reasonable delay before your bike can be back on the road, as a part may sometimes take up to two weeks to arrive and it can be unpredictable as to the attitude that Customs take to bringing in a part.

If your bike is beyond repair, we will discuss with you your options, such as your bike being flown home and you continuing as a passenger in the back-up vehicle or as a pillion passenger or you not continuing with the trip and finishing early. No refund can be made if you decide not to continue with the journey, but this cost should be covered by your insurance policy.

If you are injured in the accident, then we will make our reasonable efforts to get you to a place where you can be appropriately treated, given where we are. You must be aware that depending on our location and the country that we are in, the speed to which emergency vehicles can get to you in the event of an accident and the quality of treatment you may receive will not be what you expect in developed countries and thus consequences to you will be more adverse. This is a risk that you have to accept. You must have travel insurance in place to cover your costs of treatment.

If you have a minor injury, you may decide to continue the journey as a passenger in the support vehicle, with your bike being carried. We would not be able to take you if you do not have the OK from a doctor to continue.

In the event of a serious injury, then you will not be able to continue the journey and your travel insurance must cover you for treatment and repatriation to your country of origin. Provided that your bike is not a write-off, we will assist you in making arrangements to fly your bike home.

We cannot unduly delay the Expedition for accident or injury of a participant and each option available to the participant, regarding continuing the trip, re-joining the trip at a later stage or finishing the trip early, will depend on the very different circumstances of each incident.

Can I insure my bike?

Minimum third party insurance is compulsory in the USA and Canada and this can be purchases prior to travel with the option to upgrade to more fully comprehensive cover. Mexico also requires third party cover and this is bought whilst en route at the border. Thereafter, the legal requirement for insurance in Central & South America varies. However, for participating in our rides, you must have minimum third party insurance for all countries.

GlobeBusters can supply details of various insurance brokers that can provide cover for various sections of the trip.

We will advise you on the security of the bike, what preventive measures can be taken against loss etc. Once we hit Latin America, secure parking for the bikes is always our number one priority and we strongly recommend that you bring security devices with you to provide additional safeguards against theft. However, we cannot guarantee that your bike will be 100% safe, 100% of the time.

What about all the documents? Do I need a carnet de passage?

We provide detailed assistance to participants with regard to all the documentation they will need for themselves and their bike and are able to supply all application forms. We will also advise you on duplicates, photocopies, laminates, dummy documents and the like. A copy of all documents needs to be filed with us prior to departure. The Guidance Handbook also covers this in detail.

Despite the technical need not necessarily to have a "carnet de passage" for South America, we do still require all participants to have a carnet de passage due to the difficulties there can be clearing Ecuadorian Customs in Quito and our schedules do not allow for up to a possible weeks delay. We have negotiated a reduced rate for our clients for the cost of a carnet. Again, we will provide you with all the documentation to apply for you carnet.

"Carnet de Passage" - A temporary import document for a private vehicle which avoids payment of any import duties to Customs on entry to a country. The carnet acts as a guarantee to the country that you will export the vehicle and should you not, the country can call on the Issuer of the carnet to pay the duties.

What does the air freight or sea freight of the bike involve?

GlobeBusters uses a reputable global freight agent to deal with all the air freight and sea freight of the bikes. You will be required to bring your bike to the crating point for freight (timing and location to be advised in accordance with each trip) and can be present to ensure secure crating of your machine. Bikes need to be brought for freighting between 3 - 6 weeks weeks prior to the start of the expedition, depending on the destination of the expedition and whether the bikes are going by plane or ship.

The bike is classed as dangerous goods and therefore it is required that the bike is drained of all fuel, the battery is disconnected and terminals taped up and sometimes a reduction of tyre pressure.

Bikes can be freighted with their panniers and top box attached. However, you cannot normally put personal belongings in the panniers, which must be left unlocked for freighting in case of Custom inspection.

You should note that freight times are subject to the schedules of the airlines and shipping companies and can also be impacted by spot Customs inspections, which may lead to delays. GlobeBusters has not control over this, but will endeavour to try and keep to planned timings as far as possible. Please be aware of this in particular when the trip has finished and your bike is being shipped back to its original destination.

You must also be aware that when your bike is being freighted, there is the risk of small amounts of damage during transit, such as scuffs, scratches etc. You need to accept this up front as a possibility.

What is our accommodation like?

We stay in a wide variety of accommodation. We do not normally camp, but we do have tents available for riders who would like to camp at suitable destinations (eg in Patagonia, at Grand Canyon etc). Our overnight stops will range from basic hostals with no hot water in the remote Andean highlands to good quality hotels in the main capital cities. Sometimes we rest in an isolated estancia, living with the local family and sharing a traditional roast lamb; others in a wooden jungle lodge, with hammocks swinging on the veranda. Wherever we stay, we will never be far away from a long cold beer at the end of a hard days ride.

What clothing do I need?

Your clothing can be divided between your bike gear and your normal gear. As far as biking gear is concerned, you must provide all your riding gear, including helmet, gloves, jacket, trousers, boots etc. We can advise you at the briefing meetings of the type of gear we find useful. It needs to be flexible to cope with all weather conditions; waterproof and warm when in cold conditions (eg: gore-tex and heated vest); vented and light when in hot conditions (we still recommend riding with armor protection even when very hot).

For other clothing, we will provide a checklist for you in our Guidance Handbook. You will not need any formal clothes. We recommend your clothing to be multi-functional and advise outdoor clothing as supplied by brands such as North Face, Berghaus, Rohan and Lowe Alpine.

What will the weather be like?

On the Trans Americas Expedition, you will encounter every type of weather condition. In Alaska, even though it is the height of summer, there remains the risk of snow once up at the Artic Circle and beyond. Once you reach Utah and Arizona, you will be cooking, with temperatures up to 45 degrees.

We stay in the Mexican Central Highlands, which due to the fact that we will be between 1,500 - 2,000 metres should mean that the weather remains a pleasant temperature. Central America will be in its rainy season - warm and wet, with tropical rain common in the afternoon.

In South America, the weather will vary according to whether we are in the mountains or on the coast. In the Andes and when we are up to 4,500 metres, it will be cool, especially at night, although day time temperatures should remain pleasant. We are in Patagonia at the start of their summer, although a bit like the UK, the weather is unpredictable - it could be hot and sunny; it could be windy and raining.

The bottom line is - expect it all and you won't be far wrong.

We supply a climate chart for all our expeditions, so you will now what to expect and this will help you with packing.

How much spending money do I need?

We can provide a spreadsheet to potential participants that indicates additional costs to participants over and above the brochure price. Spending money depends on the extravagance of each person and will vary dramatically with each country. When on the road, we estimate that you need to budget for an absolute minimum of £20 per day to cover lunch, evening meals, drinks, fuel, tolls and local sight seeing. This does not include costs of servicing or repairing of your bike.

If you have any other questions, please email us on tours@globebusters.com or call on 00 44 (0)8452 304015.