jaguar

~SPONSOR~
Jul 29, 2000
1,502
82
South America
I'm in Paraguay which is just west of lower Brazil. The summer here is 6 months long and hot as Arizona. I super love to ride but sometimes I just can't get out there when it's so hot. Everyone talks up protective gear but you'd die from heat stroke if you had much on here. Right now it's "winter" and nice weather so I get out when I can but I'm getting a bit bored with what's available since there isn't much dirt biking here and the best you can do is find some good cow trails to ride on. I'm a low-profile kind of guy normally and I dislike how everyone looks at you like you're racing the Baja 1000, like they've never seen anyone blasting the dirt trails just for fun. I have to fight feeling guilty also since there are so many dirt poor people here. But I do help out my latino friends and do give to the poor on the streets. Last year there was a group of latinos who went dirt biking every Saturday but they've dispersed since the economy got worse here after 911. They could barely afford to ride before then, but not now. So I just ride alone now unless I give a girlfriend a sight seeing tour. I want to make the 4 hour ride to the Brazil border where there are lots of hills and much more riding areas. Here it's pretty flat with a few hills to abuse. Since parts availability here is very limited it's a good thing I ride a reliable bike. I used to be in Costa Rica. Man, that red clay all over the place was really a challenge when wet since it's so slick. I used to ride on the mountains near San Jose. It was really very scenic and the temperature was slightly cold up there when the sun wasn't shining. There were more dirt bikers there than here. But I was getting really bored with the same main two trails after 2 years.
 

Pokie

Administrator
May 7, 1999
1,698
1
Galena, IL
Hi Jag..... thanks for the quick report. Sounds like you enjoy it in Paraguay, I assume Asuncion? The closest I have come to Paraguay was in the 3-country corner near Iguacu falls...back in 1982.... You work there for a US company? I used to travel a lot all over Latin America, but my favorite places still are Buenos Aires and Mexico City. I also remember Costa Rica well, the switzerland of Central America; and of course the pretty "ticas". But the only place that I had a chance to ride was in Lima (Peru) specificaly on he dunes near the Pacific ocean (see my picture gallery).
I had contact with a couple of DRN members in Argentina, but lost that contact. We love to hear from more members in S. America......as well as other part of the world.
 

jaguar

~SPONSOR~
Jul 29, 2000
1,502
82
South America
Yeah, Asuncion.
I've heard there is a much higher percentage of riders in Brazil and Argentina than here. I'd like to try out Argentina but it's such a disaster now with the bad economy. The "Ticas" sure were pretty but kind of snobbish. Every gringo I knew that was married to a latina was married to someone from another country other than Costa Rica. The women here are friendlier but the classy ones are also snobbish.
I'll bet you were itching to get up in the mountains in Peru.
 

Pokie

Administrator
May 7, 1999
1,698
1
Galena, IL
Jag.... I hate to use an old phrase, but back in the seventies atttitudes were very different in most places. Ten years of frequent travel south of the border, was the best time of my life.... until I got married and could no longer do 6-week trips, only 3-week trips!... I hope to get down there again and do some riding wherever I can find a soulmate.
I had a KDX in 99 but switched to pure MX in 2000... I hope you'll find some soulmates to ride with... I bet there are still no restrictions on dirtbikes in your area? ref noise and 2smoke?
 

jaguar

~SPONSOR~
Jul 29, 2000
1,502
82
South America
Restrictions? are you kidding?
The best thing about being down here is that it's like being back in the wild west. (well, not so good if the bad guys catch up to you and you left your pistol at home). There are no regulations doncerning dirt biking because its almost non-existant. If you are caught riding a dirt bike on the street then you just slip the officer $15 and go on your merry way.
 

Pokie

Administrator
May 7, 1999
1,698
1
Galena, IL
Hey Jag.... are you part of a club in Asuncion? any contact with organizaitons in your neighboring countries?.... any websites ?
I poked around one from Uruguay....it seemed to be connected to a French site...
 

jaguar

~SPONSOR~
Jul 29, 2000
1,502
82
South America
The only dirt club I know about here is for MX, which I'm too old for.
Hey, I found someone to go riding with. He just bought a used DR 350 and wants to see the few riding spots I know of. Seems like a good kid so I'll show him around and test out his riding skills. Last time I showed someone one of my riding areas he almost fainted with heat stroke. He had been working in a lightly air conditioned building and I never use air conditioning. Afterwards he called me "the assasin". He's still my friend although he gave up dirt riding.
 

Pokie

Administrator
May 7, 1999
1,698
1
Galena, IL
too old for MX?... thirtysomething?...
no A/C? you probably never use heating in the tropics either, right?
 

jaguar

~SPONSOR~
Jul 29, 2000
1,502
82
South America
I'm kinda still a teenager at heart and people say I look 35 but I'm 44 !
I think being a bit wild and riding every weekend helps keep me young. But when I do a lap on the MX track I am beat after 1 lap! But the track is compacted (not spread out) with a bunch of tight turns and LOTS of freaking jumps which I hate.
Actually it gets pretty cold here sometimes and I sleep with an electric heater on when it's like that.
 

RGalesi

Member
Aug 19, 2002
97
0
A hello from Brazil...

Anyone coming here? You're right when you say dirt riding is more spreaded here. There are thousands of riders in Southeast Brazil...
 

Pokie

Administrator
May 7, 1999
1,698
1
Galena, IL
boa tarde... Porto Alegre?
glad to have you on board..... in your first month over 40 posts: that's like getting the holeshot!
 

RGalesi

Member
Aug 19, 2002
97
0
Boa Tarde Pokie...

No, I'm actually in São Paulo... Have you been to POA?

Let me tell you a secret... I had a YZ 125 some time ago, and I joined the DRN in 1999 or something (The Rider from BRAZIL was my 'name')... The problem is that I moved into road riding (ZX9-R) and kind off left the dirt for a while. After I found out the lack of fun in the asphalt, I tried to come back... But I forgot the password, and changed my email... So, I had to restart all over again... From that time, I have already had a KX 125 and a KDX 250. Now I'm riding yellow.

My sister lives in Chicago... I've been there 4 or 5 times... Is this a small world or what?
 

Pokie

Administrator
May 7, 1999
1,698
1
Galena, IL
well, Chicagoland is the virtual home of DRN; you are welcome to visit anytime, ride with the local crew; you may also want to visit your sister while you're here...
have been to POA only 4 or 5 times but have been to SaoPaulo many, many times..... with a side trip or two down to Guaruja during Carnaval (otimo!) many many years ago, about the time that you were born! puxa vida! Have not been there in about 3 years and don't know when I'll make it there again, but I will......
did you ever race? MX or Road?... asphalt is too "dangerous" for me, too many incompetent car drivers.
good to hear from you after your "asphalt interlude"
Pokie
 

RGalesi

Member
Aug 19, 2002
97
0
I found out the asphalt to be very, very hard... I'm done with that thing...


I'm just starting (too old?) to train in the local track here to start competing in MX... I've been mostly a woods rider for a long time (more than 10 years), and the track is very different... Let's see what happens... Last sunday, I almost died trying to clear a double... 8-D
 

RGalesi

Member
Aug 19, 2002
97
0
Well... Ya'know... I kind off think I'll never be able to catch up with those little demons that came out from the 80s... Sometimes I have the guts to try the doubles. Triples? Don't even think about it... Maybe I'm too old to not think in the consequences of not clearing a huge jump.

But that's fine... As soon as I can stand the 20+ minutes of a race, I'll start competing, just to make fun out of it... Carmichael better watch his back! I'M COMING!
 

jaguar

~SPONSOR~
Jul 29, 2000
1,502
82
South America
hey Rider from Brazil
do ya'll let us Paraguayans travel into your country with our vehicles?(in this case my trail bike that's street legal)
I heard the answer to that is NO since Brazil manufactures a lot of cars and motorcycles, but I'd like to hear other opinions.
Riding here is kinda boring. If I ever get out of this financial slump then I may move to Brazil. I love trail riding in mountains. such a beautiful country, Brazil. Any suggestions on a good small (<1million people) city in the southern portion with lots of good trail riding nearby?
 

RGalesi

Member
Aug 19, 2002
97
0
Hey Jaguar,

There's no problem if you want to cross the border riding, if your bike (or car, or whatever) is street legal. THe only thing to remeber, though, is that it must be street legal under Brazil's law. That means that besides the license plate (and your personal driver's license), DOT approved tires, head and tail lights, your bike will need: horn, speedometer and turn lights. It won't hurt ask some questions to the Feds in the border, prior to coming here, in order to avoid any eventual problems.

There are HUNDREDS of cities like these in the SE. Anything in the states of Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo and Minas Gerais will give what you want...
 

Pokie

Administrator
May 7, 1999
1,698
1
Galena, IL
WORLD CUP OF MOTOCROSS

Several Latin nations participated, but Brazil decided to go to Europe for the postponed MXdesNations... at WorldCup Latins placed 7 (Costa Rica), 10 (Chile), 12 Argentina and 14 deadlast..(Bolivia). Many did not have their "A" team available.... except Chile with Jeremy Israel placing 17 and 19 out of 37. Not bad. Luis Correa of Argentina placed 25 and 27th.
Going to MXdNations: Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Venezuela. None of the Australasian countries are going to Spain... nor are the US and Canada.
These nations are to be commended for competing on the world scene.

Next year we hope to have two or three dirtriders from south of the border participating in DIRTWEEK '03! .........Milton Caputti (mxargentina.com.ar) me escuchas?
 

Pokie

Administrator
May 7, 1999
1,698
1
Galena, IL
RGalesi.... did you peruse the pictures and threads about DIRTWEEK?
the next one is only 11 months away...... my guess is that we'll have a few members from overseas next year.....
 
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