Buying bike in Spain/France
 

Hi all! I'm a Swede living in USA. I plan to ride a bike through the Sahara and donate it to charity in Mali. I was hoping to fly into Spain or France and buy a second hand bike there rather than shipping one from USA. Does anyone know what the paperwork/bureaucracy involved is? I presume that I need the bike registered in my name in order to cross borders? From reading the "list of countries where carnet is required", I take it that I won't need a carnet. (I'll go through Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal and Mali.) Thankful for any advice!

Hi. Are you going to join the Rally a Mali? It is a race similar to the Mongol Rally, but that one is organized by Spaniards (www.rutasyretos.com). They are friends of mine and I will be a rallier in next edition on an old Vespa 125. Only junk cars and small bikes are allowed.

If you are thinking in join that rally, you should know they have canceled the Christmas edition because most of the people prefer the summer one (damned hot!), so you have time to prepare the trip. By de way, maybe I will need a mate for my team. Do you want to ride a Vespa 125?

Anyway, I do not think is gonna be easy buying a european bike if you are US resident. But there is a chance if you do not ride your own bike. You do not need Carne du Passage in those countries and perhaps you can ride the bike with a permission letter from the owner. I will ask.