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The crazy Frenchman had so much luggage I couldn’t tell what kind of motorcycle he was riding. He said he’d come from Ushuaia, the very tip of South America, 2,000 kilometre as the crow flies from our location in Osorno in the south of Chile, so I assumed he was riding a big bore — at least 750cc. But to my surprise, it was a Honda CB125. “I love this little bike. I ride all around South America and it never gives me any problems,” he told me over a few beers that evening.
My meeting with the crazy Frenchman proved serendipitous. The following morning I’d arranged to pick up a rental from Motoaventura, a BMW Motorrad dealer and tour company in Osorno. But it was midsummer, the peak of the touring season in South America, and the pickings were slim. “The only thing I can offer you right now is a 700,” said general manager Sonia Dvorachuk, showing me a pearl white 2019 BMW F 700 GS with knobby tyres.
Now, I’m a big fan of BMW’s GS series. I
