Hi all,
This may sound strange, but i'm planning to cross the middle east by 50cc, european-moped :-) (yes, you read it right: 50CC!!)..

I was wondering if there's anybody who can tell me if a carnet de passage is needed for these vehicles. The countries i'de like to visit are Tusesia, Lybia, Egypt, Jordania and Syria..

I also heard that you can cross some countries with a temporary import permission (?)...Is this true? And what does such a thing cost?

I read somewhere, there was a guy who rode a 50cc model around the world. So anything is possible.
As for a carnet, it depends if those countries in question consider the bike to be a motor vehicle (I guess they would, but I'm not sure). The carnet does not have a lower limit on motor capacity. If the vehicle is a motor vehicle, then it needs a carnet. So, I guess check with the embassies of those countries.
In lieu of a carnet, you could pay the importation fees. I'm not sure if you'll get a refund. Again, check with the embassies. Some countries have high fees, like 110% of the bike's value, which in your case might be rather low, but here you're depending on the country's customs agents to assess the value, which may be higher than in your country, thus disadvantageous (this is one of the reasons for a carnet). So, if you get a refund when you leave the country and can live with being without potentially a few thousand dollars (I'm assuming here) for weeks or months, than I guess not having a carnet will work.
A carnet will cost you a few hundred dollars, so if you think you can get very low assessments of your bike at the border, then maybe not having a carnet is cheaper. Again, I'm making assumptions here. So, check if you need a carnet and what the importation fees are, and what the value of a new bike of yours is in the countries in question. Then you should have enough information to make a decision.

__________________
Nelson Oliveira
RTW 2003-6
Around a Mote of Dust

Has anyone any further info on this.
I'm hoping to do a similar thing to India.
RAC don't seem to keen to hand out a carnet to a vehicle that in their opinion will not make it.
Cheers Richie

So what makes the RAC think that it won`t make it?

The mondo Endura guys used 175s, Simon Gandalfi uses a 125cc.

I would think a Honda 50 is fixable almost anywhere in the world.

Steve

Since writing my post The RAC have got back to me (thanks Paul)
First my 'similar' is going in a Ford Fiesta not a moped. So sorry if that was misleading.
They will give me a carnet but only with a £5000 cash deposit. Car is worth £100
I have no doubt if there is no water to cross or sand to negotiate that most vehicles could drive to India from the UK as long as you treat them nicely and know how to do a bit of tinkering.

I would definitely love to do a RTW on a small bike.

I met a RTW cyclist on my drive to Turkey last year and he thought he was going too fast a lot of the time