Rider & Passenger

We expect you to be a confident and competent road rider, with plenty of experience riding large bikes. You do not need to be an off road expert. You should normally have held your motorcycle licence for a minimum of two years and be able to demonstrate regular frequent mileage on your bike and be a minimum of 21 years of age.

Additionally, you should note that the Dalton Highway (Alaska), Alaskan Highway (Alaska / Canada) and the Stewart Cassiar Highway (Canada) include sections of gravel road. Additionally there will be gravel roads in Patagonia and through certain sections in Peru and Bolivia in the high Andes. We never travel off road, it is simply that there are sections where the road is not paved. Whilst off road experience is not essential, it is recommended.

Our trips are suitable for experienced pillion passengers. Pillion passengers should be experienced at touring and be able to manage longer days riding (maximum of 475 miles). Passengers are able to take time off the bike and travel in the support-up vehicle, particularly in the areas where we are travelling on dirt road, however this is subject to any emergency, illness or accident. Pillion passengers must be a minimum of 18 years old.

Bike

You need to have a bike that is suitable for this type of riding and you must be the owner of the bike. We recommend a medium or large dual purpose machine. Whilst there is no restriction on what brand of bike that you can bring, your bike must be capable of undertaking this type of ride and be in a good working order to prevent any unnecessary hold-ups on the road.

What is included in your price and local payment?

• Accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis from official start date to official end date.
  
• Freight of your bike (ship or air at our discretion and depending on numbers / destinations), including crating (where applicable), in transit insurance (if available) and co-ordination of freighting at the cargo depot.
• Assistance with all documentation relating to taking the bike abroad (insurance, airway bills, dangerous goods, carnet de passage, International Driving Permit "IDP").
• Two motorcycle guides to lead the group (where the group is ten or more).
• Support vehicle and driver, available to assist in case of breakdown or other emergency.
• Two group evening meals at the start and end of the expedition.
• Transport from the airport to the hotel at the start of the expedition.
• Entrance fees for USA & Canada national parks (where applicable).
• En route briefing meetings and route notes.
• GlobeBusters Guidance Handbook with all pre-trip information.
• GlobeBusters souvenir and stickers.
• Access to the Participants area of the GlobeBusters website, which provides access to documentation, notes and forum to chat with other participants.
• For participants of the full Trans Americas Expedition only, three UK briefing meetings, one to include the BMW Off Road Skills course in Wales.

• Your own personal international flights, travel insurance and motorcycle insurance.
  
• Other documentation costs, such as visa requirements, IDP, carnet de passage, border crossing fees etc.
  
• Bike servicing, repairs, fuel and other bike sundries, toll roads, traffic fines
  
• Personal spending money, meals (except where stated), tips, snacks, drinks, alcohol and additional excursions you may wish to take.
• Travel / hotel costs associated with any of the UK briefing meetings for the Trans Americas Expedition.
• Any hotel, subsistence or other costs incurred prior to the official start date of the Expedition and after the official end date of the Expedition.

Accommodation

Our prices are for bed and breakfast accommodation on a shared basis (normally double occupancy, but on rare occasions, triple occupancy). We are able to book hotels for you before the start and after the end of your tour. To be sure of securing a reservation, you must request accommodation at least eight (8) weeks prior to arrival. The hotels that we use vary in their facilities depending on their location, but for the majority of occasions (although not all) do include en suite bathroom facilities and often satellite television. Sometimes we may stay in an isolated rustic estancia, a bunkhouse on the edge of a remote border crossing, or in a small family run hostel; other times in a modern 4-star hotel. You need to be adaptable to each and also expect that standards in Mexico, Central and South America are not the equivalent to those of Western Europe and North America. We do have some places where camping can be done as an alternative, should you wish to chose this option.

Food

Included within your price are all breakfasts and two group evening meals (at the start and end of the trip). You should note that breakfast vary according to local customs of the countries that we are in and in some places may only consist of coffee, juice, breads and jam.

Driving Documentation

We will guide you through the process of obtaining documentation for your bike over and above that required for the UK or local country. You must have the registration document or title for your vehicle, which is in your name and shows your current address. You must also have a valid UK or local country driving licence, the name and address details of which are identical to the registration document. These must also be the same as your passport details. Thereafter, we will assist you with the additional documentation required for riding your bike overseas (for example international driving licence, carnet de passage, freight / shipping documents).

Vaccinations and Medical Precautions

Vaccination requirements do change regularly. We strongly advise you to consult your doctor or specialist travel vaccination clinic and obtain the recommended vaccinations. Whilst we carry an expedition first aid kit with us, you must bring your own personal travel medical kit.

If you take any prescription drugs then you must ensure that you have a sufficient supply with you, kept in their original bottles/containers.

Travel Insurance

It is a condition of booking that you have comprehensive travel insurance, including coverage for riding a motorcycle of the appropriate cc engine. If you cannot prove that you have insurance, you will not be allowed on the Trans Am. You must ensure that you have a policy designed for adventure travel that will cover you for personal accident, medical and repatriation costs, loss, damage and theft of personal belongings.

As many policies only cover overseas medical expenses, you should also consider taking out a policy to cover future consequential loss that you may incur if you have a serious accident or illness (for example loss of earnings, disability, medical care etc.).

Motorbike Insurance Cover

We require that you hold minimum third party insurance to ride your motorcycle in the countries that we travel through. In order to facilitate this, we are able to provide you with a list of insurance brokers who provide these services for the countries that we travel through. For some countries, you will be able to upgrade your insurance cover to a comprehensive basis. Quotes for this cover will depend on personal circumstances and are subject to the terms and conditions of the insurance brokers.

Air Flights

We are not able to make your airline flights for you. Any good travel agent can deal with your flight enquiry. Please remember to take into account the potential for the late arrival of the itinerary as stated above. We strongly recommend that you book a ticket that allows you to change your return date if necessary.

Expedition Team

The team will comprise two motorcycle leaders (for teams of ten riders or more), with a support driver responsible for the back-up vehicle. You should note that Kevin & Julia Sanders are not present at all times on all expeditions. Please ask about your chosen expedition if you wish to know the expedition leaders.

Whilst on the expedition, your leader will have to make many decisions regarding the day to day operation of the tour and also when unforeseen matters occur. When decisions are being taken, this will be done on the basis of what is best for the group and not for any particular individual. All riders must respect the decisions taken by the leader and acknowledge that on an expedition such as this, an element of compromise is necessary to ensure that the trip runs smoothly.

Support Vehicle

For all our expeditions, we will have a back-up vehicle at all times. The main purpose of the back up vehicle will be to provide assistance in the event of a breakdown or other emergency.

The back-up vehicle will carry items for the bikes, including tyres, fuel, spare parts, a medical kit, and emergency snacks and drinks. The support vehicle can carry some personal items, but only where there is an emergency or in the case of dirt roads being in bad condition. You must ensure that your bike is capable of carrying all your personal luggage for the whole journey.

Expedition Schedules

The routes and timings given on the website and in the brochure are a fair indication of the schedule. However, they are not intended to be absolute statements of fact. Overland travel is subject to delays and itinerary alterations for many reasons, including politics, climate, bureaucracy, vehicle breakdowns and decisions of the group itself. The whole philosophy of this type of overland travel is one which allows alternatives and a substantial degree of on-tour flexibility. It is a fundamental condition of joining any Expedition that you accept this flexibility, and acknowledge that delays and alterations, together with their consequences, are possible.

In particular, we cannot be responsible for the results of late arrival of the Trans Americas Expedition, howsoever caused. We therefore advise against making any firm commitments for 4 days after the scheduled arrival date for the end of the Trans Americas. For our other Expeditions, we recommend against making any firm commitments for 2 days.

Prior to the Expedition

It is important that all participants are properly briefed about the expedition and provided with advice relating to the type of bike, modifications, luggage and equipment and have the opportunity to ask any questions. We will provide you with the GlobeBusters Overland Motorcycle Expedition Guidance Handbook" to cover all aspects of the expedition.

In respect of the full Trans Americas Expedition only, we will have at least two meetings prior to leaving, the final one of which will be held at the BMW Off-Road Skills Centre in Wales and will include off-road skills training with the BMW instructors. These meetings will also enable the group to meet each other, swap details and share tips prior to setting off.

Participants in different sections of the trip are also welcome to attend to these meetings, but need to pay for any meals whilst attending.

Bike Servicing

Prior to starting any Expedition, your bike must have had a full service and new tyres fitted.

For the Trans Americas Expedition only, as our total journey is approximately 22,000 miles, we will organise suitable service points at dealers and tyre changes for your bike en route to fit in with the expedition schedule and the requirements of the group as a whole. The cost of the actual service, repair, tyre change etc will be your responsibility.

For our other Expeditions, having had a full service at the start of the Expedition, there is no need to schedule any formal bike servicing points en route.

Bike Freight

Approximately three months prior to departure, you will be provided with the details regarding the process for freighting your bike and what you need to do to ensure all necessary documentation is completed. Freight times vary depending on the outward bound destination and whether bikes are shipped or flown. Please check for timing details when booking your Expedition. You will be provided with details for dropping you bike off for outward freight and where to collect you bike when it returns back to the UK. You will be required to be present for the freighting for documentation procedures as you are the owner of the bike.

For the Trans Americas Expedition, we also organise the air freight of your bike from Panama City to Quito, Ecuador.

Look at the pictures on your left to learn more about the freighting of your bike.

You should note that GlobeBusters uses reputable global freight forwarders to manage the bulk freight of our bikes. However, the timing of freight can be subject to delays beyond our control, where airlines or shipping companies change or cancel schedules. You should also be aware the during freight there is a small risk that some minor damage may occur to your bikes (such as scratches, scuffs) and that GlobeBusters accepts no responsibility for such damage.

Arrival at Official Start Point

For the full Trans Americas Expedition, the official start date is the night prior to when we leave Anchorage. You will need to arrive in Anchorage at least 4 days prior to the official start so that you can collect and prepare your bike before the set off.

For our shorter expeditions, included within the overall dates of the tour is the time required to collect your bike from the air cargo section and drop off your bike. However, we recommend that you to book a flight that will arrive at the official start point 2 days prior to the official commencement date of the Expedition. This is because on the first official day of the Expedition, we will be collecting the bikes from the air cargo point and arriving early will give you time to recover from jet lag.

Optional Excursions

We have included time to be able to take optional excursions, which are an additional local cost to you. Optional excursions are ones for which we need to involve a local operator to provide you with a specialist service or where we cannot take the motorcycles. You should note that while we help to organise optional extras as a service to you, we are not necessarily recommending them. As these excursions are operated locally, standards of safety are not always in keeping with those of Western Europe and North America. These types of activities are always subject to the local operator.

Applications

Places on our Expeditions will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. GlobeBusters reserve the right to contact you through telephone or meeting prior to accepting any applications, as well as being satisfied with your biking experience and type of bike. GlobeBusters has total discretion as to whether your application is accepted, without any right of reply.

Our Expeditions call for riders to be all round team players, who are flexible, adaptable, with a sense of adventure and good humour. Overland travel can be challenging and throw many different situations at you. This means that you will be expected to pull together as part of a team to resolve any problem we may be confronted with.

Booking

In order to apply for an Expedition, please complete the booking form included in our brochure (click here to order a brochure) and forward to GlobeBusters with the required deposit. You will also be required to sign a release and waiver form. Your deposit is non-refundable.

Please see our terms and conditions relating to the payment schedule and cancellation. We are only able to accept payments by cheque; this also keeps our costs down and therefore our prices because we do not have to factor in the merchant fee for credit card transactions.

Minimum Numbers

For our shorter duration expeditions, we require a minimum of six riders to go ahead. The Trans Americas Expedition requires a minimum of ten riders to go ahead.