shipping a bike to Brazil - Horizons Unlimited

**Wueste** · #1 21 Mar 2002

Hi,
I'm from Germany and I will be in Brazil for 3 months, starting in may.
For that time I'd like to ship my Motorbike to Brazil (maybe Santos).
Now I've heard horror stories about bringing a bike through customs in Brazil.
Everybody I asked, told me that it could take months for the bike to pass customs due to the buerocracy there.
Can anybody tell me what to do and what the procedure is to get a (used) motorbike into Brazil for a period about 90 days? - I'll send it back to Germany then.
Thanks!

**Grant Johnson** · #2 21 Mar 2002

Wueste, this should give what you need:

From Ted Simon, 6 March:

"Hi Grant,
Someone in your ezine is complaining that you can't fly a bike into Brasil. Of course it can be awful, but anyone who cares to go to my journal for September 3rd will find complete - to the point of stifling - instructions on how to get a bike into Rio in 2 or 3 days.
They should just scroll down to Part Two, unless they're flying from South Africa, in which case they need to suffer through the whole thing.

The URL is http://www.jupitalia.com/sep_txt_3.html
You do run a lovely show.
Ted"

An observation that may help in situations like this -

It is THEIR country and they do things the way THEY want to - whether it makes sense or not to us is IRRELEVANT. Go along with them, be firm, friendly, NEVER get angry. Ask them for help in solving the "problem" - odds are there is a way - THEIR way, not yours. YOUR way will only end up in frustration and nothing happening.

I have observed many times that those who go in with a smile and patience and a willingness to be flexible get it done - those who insist on following the rules and doing it the way it "should" be done get nowhere.

damhik (don't ask me how I know)

Good luck! It is difficult, but it can certainly be done.

------------------
Grant Johnson

One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

**brad13ryan** · #3 27 Dec 2007

I also hear the horro stories about shipping a bike to Brazil. But after all the warnings went ahead and did it. In the end I flew my bike from Cape Town to Sao Paulo and it only took three days and $200 US dollars to clear customs. If you want all the details check out my website at Home and the fly-your-bike page.

Good luck Brad