In 1952, a 23-year-old medical student named Ernesto "Che" Guevara climbed onto a Norton 500 and rode across South America. He wrote a book about it. It changed his life. It changed the world. He called it The Motorcycle Diaries.
This project carries that name for a reason. Not because I agree with his politics — but because I understand the pull. The pull of the road. The pull of a continent so vast that it rewires your brain. And South America's ultimate motorcycle road is at the very bottom: Patagonia.
"I knew that when the great guiding spirit cleaves humanity into two antagonistic halves, I would be with the people." — Che Guevara, The Motorcycle Diaries. I'm with the people too. The people who ride.
The road to Ushuaia — where the world ends and the ride begins.
The Route Plan
Planned Route — South to North
- Start: Ushuaia, Argentina — The End of the World. Southernmost city on Earth. This is where it begins — at the bottom.
- Leg 1: Ruta 3 North — Ushuaia → Río Gallegos. Flat Patagonian steppe. Brutal crosswinds. Guanacos and emptiness for 600 km.
- Leg 2: Ruta 40 — Argentina's legendary backbone road. Río Gallegos → El Calafate → El Chaltén. Gravel, wind, and the Perito Moreno glacier.
- Leg 3: Lake District Crossing — Into Chile via Paso Cardenal Samoré or Paso Huemules. Volcanos, lakes so blue they look artificial.
- Leg 4: Carretera Austral — Chile's wildest road. 1,240 km of gravel, ferry crossings, hanging glaciers, and almost zero cell service. Coyhaique → Chaitén → Puerto Montt.
- Finish: Santiago or Valparaíso — Coast road to the capital. Beer on a terrace. Bike on a ship home.
Carretera Austral. Gravel, glaciers, and condors overhead.
Why Patagonia Is The Ultimate Ride
Patagonia doesn't care about you. The wind will try to push you off the road at 100 km/h. The gravel on Ruta 40 will test every ounce of your off-road skill. The distances between fuel stations can be 300+ km. The weather changes four times in an hour.
But — you'll ride past glaciers that are thousands of years old. You'll see condors circling above Torres del Paine. You'll cross on ferries through fjords that look like they belong in Norway. You'll camp next to lakes where you're the only human for 50 km in any direction.
That's the trade. Suffering for transcendence. Every adventure rider I've talked to says the same thing: Patagonia ruined them for any other ride.
The Carretera Austral — The Crown Jewel
Chile's Carretera Austral (Route 7) is the highlight of this plan. Built between 1976 and 2000 through some of the most remote terrain in the Americas, it connects isolated communities along Chile's Pacific coast. Large sections are unpaved. Ferry crossings are required at multiple points. Weather can shut the road for days.
It's the kind of road that separates riders who talk about adventure from riders who live it.
Preparation Checklist
- Bike: Needs to handle heavy gravel and strong crosswinds. Yamaha Ténéré 700 or BMW F 850 GS. Windscreen is non-negotiable.
- Season: December to March (Southern Hemisphere summer). January is peak but crowded. Late February/March for solitude.
- Fuel range: 400+ km capacity for Ruta 40 stretches. Extra fuel containers.
- Wind gear: Bark Busters. Heavy panniers for stability. Low center of gravity is everything in Patagonian wind.
- Ferry schedule: Carretera Austral ferries run on fixed schedules. Miss one, wait 24 hours. Plan around them, not against them.
- Camping: Wild camping is legal and common. Bring 4-season tent — Patagonian summer nights can drop below freezing.
The Che Connection
Che Guevara's original motorcycle journey in 1952 covered 8,000 km from Buenos Aires to Venezuela. His route didn't include Patagonia — he went north. But his spirit is why this project exists. The idea that a motorcycle can change how you see the world. That the road itself is the destination.
$MOTO — Motorcycle Diaries — carries that torch. Not literally (we're not starting revolutions), but philosophically. The open road doesn't care about your budget, your background, or your portfolio. It only asks one question: are you brave enough to ride?
Sources & Inspiration
- The Motorcycle Diaries — Wikipedia — Che Guevara's original 1952 journey that inspired the project name
- Ride Adventures — Patagonia Motorcycle Tour — Route planning and logistics research
- Carretera Austral Official — Road conditions, ferry schedules, and infrastructure
- ADVRider Patagonia Ride Reports — Real rider experiences and gear recommendations