The sights, sounds, memories, and golden moments when a CFMOTO 800MT makes exploration through the heart of Peru and some of the essential flavour of South America truly unforgettable.
What better test ？Sure, impassable mountains, deep rivers and terrible roads would have tried every motorcyclist’s patience and skills but the opportunity to delve into the ‘alma’ of Peru with the 800MT and digest the joy of exploration involves much more than a kickass trial of hardware. In fact, the best thing about our two-week, 3000-mile trek was the sheer diversity of what we saw, smelt, tasted and rode around, over, and alongside. Who we spoke with, who we laughed with. The times when we were slightly worried and others when we hoped the clock would just stop.
City scanning…
Thanks to the Xplorator scheme and the chance for a real sample of CFMOTO ADVENTURE, Peru beckoned. We started in Lima and the buzz of a city of contrasts: of decay to decadence, from intensity to tranquillity, a view of the Pacific, and the promise of parties to unbelievable poverty.
Riding through small ‘barrios’ was both enlightening and difficult but something about the vibe and the smiles from kids who waved at us helped take away the edge. The 800MT was agile and easy to glide around the potholes and big changes in the tarmac roads (a 16kg chassis will do that) and, wow, the traffic! The only reassuring factor of filtering this way and that way through some of the chaos was the feeling that drivers were used to bikes! Some made room, others knew to have a look when changing lanes. We threaded through a few touristy zones and the architecture on display was jaw-dropping. The Plaza de Armas, Lima Cathedral, and the Monastery of San Francisco drawing any-and-all attention away from the MT’s wide and bright TFT display and route guidance.
Street stalls and food wagons, impromptu music and people watching the world go by: Lima cruising was by no means a breeze but the proximity of life, culture, and craziness started to feel distant already as we parked and spent the night in the Miraflores district knowing that the north beckoned the next morning.
Day in the Desert…
The Pan American highway, a route that runs from one tip of the globe to the other – the world’s longest travelable trajectory – was like an open carpet for our group and the small squad of 800MTs. The Pacific hugged our left shoulders, and the Andes Mountain range the right. Although it was tempting to lower the revs and enjoy the sweeps of the road, this was the chance to open up the 800MT throttle and try that Cruise Control. Deep breaths of sea air, sometimes occasional mist and a stiff breeze increased the feeling that this was a trek, an experience, and a joy, rather than a case of hammering from ‘A to B’.
We headed more inland and soon got a feel for the heat and isolation of the desert landscape. The temperatures increased and the dust got thicker on our riding gear. Passing through the ancient lost city of Caral – one of the oldest in the world with an estimated history of some 5000 years – was a stark reminder of how briefly and quickly we each inhabit this planet. It was humbling…but at the same time motivating to make even more of our excursion!
Going Green…
The third stage of our journey saw us move through some of Peru’s fantastically diverse topography and ecoclimates. Desert, rocks, and dust became forest, greenery, and more rugged hilly ways. The mountains became taller, the routes narrower. The humidity surged. The 800MT’s torque and horsepower came into good use here, as did the ergonomics because standing up on the pegs was more of a necessity at points.
We lost some of the epic feel and scope of the desert but it was not long before we felt on the edge of the Amazon (basin) and not far from a jungle setting. It was remarkable to remember only a few days previously we’d been in the dizzying mass of Lima.
The riding became more varied, and I was happy with the 800 MT’s snappy throttle response but also aspects like the large and effective windscreen and adjustable suspension, which I softened with a few clicks. The highlight was undoubtedly Gocta Falls (only recently discovered as one of the highest waterfalls in the world) and the crashing mass of water again made more than one of us feel small and insignificant! The path to the northeast of the Andes meant we arrived at Chachapoyas and another ancient city: Kuelap. Perched on a hill on the left bank of the Urubamba River, at an altitude of 3000 meters, Kuelap was the political center of the Chachapoyas culture. Often referred to as the ‘Machu Picchu of the North’, it predated the Inca civilization by more than six centuries.
A few times the clouds and visibility as well as the climate meant it was challenging and slow-going to ride. I was more than grateful for the bike’s ‘adventure’ capabilities and versatility; it just kept motoring, even through the mud that ran down roads and over our wheel rims. I was glad to reach our accommodation and get some rest.
Into the dark…
Lots of tunnels; a few in pitch black and not feeling 100% safe! Talk about adrenaline, and the bike’s LED lights worked a charm in this environment. The imposing mountainsides and the sensation that some of it might come crumbling down added a little extra urgency as we continued to climb. The 800MT’s saddle was a familiar friend by now.
We rode through the perilous and magnificent Canon del Pato, entering the Cordillera Blanca; the highest tropical mountain range in the world and the location of the most beautiful mountains in South America. The raging Santa River cuts through these peaks, forming steep canyons where rushing water carves rock formations at the base
Eventually, we made it to Laguna 69, a glacier lake situated at an altitude of 4,600 meters. To see it was to believe it. A mirror view of a snowy peak, and water so blue it didn’t seem real. Who placed this large ‘painting’ in front of us?! ‘White’ was a dominant color here because we were close to Huascaran the tallest mountain in Peru. A ride from 800 to 5000m was one of the most exhilarating journeys on two-wheels; something you won’t forget and also unsure if you’d quickly repeat!
Jungle sounds
The final phase of our ‘Wild North’ tour gave some justification to the ‘wild’ part of the title. The 5N highway took us downwards and further and deeper into the jungle. Dense foliage made the roads like a different kind of tunnel. The town of Tarapoto was an oasis in all this greenery; a place where birds felt at home as much as the normal residents! As night fell, the entire jungle was enveloped in a red sunset glow, adding a touch of mystery to the surroundings.
It was time to briefly park the well-weathered 800MT. The bike had not skipped a single beat despite the bashing from the elements and the ridiculous range of altitude. We were leaving two-wheel power for waterpower! A river rafting experience was a new kind of buzz! I have to admit I preferred the control of my bike compared to the bounce of the gushing river current (and the rocks were sometimes a bit too close for comfort!) but it was still another cool experience on a long list.
The jungle climes and the magical charm of Tarapoto is where the two-week glide through Peru came to an end. Apart from the riding we slept, we ate, we drank, talked, and made new friends. The bond of seeing and living and riding every day cut through any social awkwardness. Sometimes you just wanted to share what you’d been through: the near misses on the road where a last-minute swerve of a rock or a hole saved the day, the weird monkey you’d spotted in a tree, the reptile you were convinced was going to run under your wheel. The heat, the wind, the hard work, the cruise. This was another affirming part of the adventure. It just wouldn’t have had the same impact if I was alone. Peru penetrates your heart and absorbing it like this marks your soul.
Fellow traveler, Andrei couldn’t have summed it up better. “This was a trip I was hyped about for two years,” he says. “The sunsets, the roads, the waterfalls, the people we met, and the ones I rode with. Plus let’s not forget how great the MT was! All the memories are vivid.”