Insurance for 18 year old for Central & South America
 

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to HU and planning a trip to Ushuaia with my 18 year son starting October 2010. We will both be riding our own 650 Vstroms and while I can find insurance for myself, it appears that insurance providers do not like people under the age of 25. It was suggested that I can get insurance for him at the borders of the countries we will be traveling through, but what happens if we can't? If any of you seasoned travelers have suggestions, ideas or know where I might look for insurance or even if it is totally necessary, I would appreciate any info you can offer. Many thanks and I have been enjoying reading the blogs, threads and viewing the pics you have posted.

Thanks in advance

Regards

Mark

Insurance for your bike? Or for your Person?
 

Are you trying to obtain insurance for your son's motorcycle? I assume that you are not much worried about health insurance for your son as you would have achieved that already.

Insurance is mandated at most border crossings, whether is be a fake insurance card or real. Nearly every border that you cross will have an insurance agency/agent near by who is more than happy to sell you a months worth of insurance, or a week, or a year, whatever you will need.

The suggestion to purchase insurance at the borders is generally the cheapest way to go, you just need to be sure that the authorities are satisfied if your son is to create a problem by crashing with a local.

Tell you son to be grateful. My Dad offered me a one way ticket anywhere in the world, as long as I promised to find my way home.

I leave the summer of 2012 for my RTW. You two will have TOO much fun. :mchappy:

To be more precise, at very few borders will you be required to buy insurance for yourself or your son as a prerequisite to entry. Mexico is one (expensive), Costa Rica another (cheap), and it does seem to me there was one more.....

Other countries may or may not require that drivers be insured, and whether or not this is the case they may or may not enforce such a requirement. For example, reliable sources say Colombia requires insurance, but I passed several roadblocks including document checks without anyone mentioning my lack of insurance. In fact, I haven't had insurance since crossing into South America five months ago. YMMV, and I'm deliberately ignoring the controversial question as to whether this is entirely a good idea.

Sorry I've got nothing of substance to add to your quest for insurance for your son....but I do have a question in response: where in the world did you find insurance for yourself? AFAIK there's no company which will insure a driver across Central and South American borders, much less the ten or twelve you'll cross on the way to Ushuaia. If you've found such a company, this is akin to finding the holy grail. Give or take.

Thanks for clarifying and/or cluing me in.

Mark

(from a little town just south of Porto Seguro, Brazil, having left the pretty hills and twisty roads of Minas Gerais behind me)

Hi Mark and bigalsmith101,

Thanks for your replies. You are making me and Mike more comfortable about the ride south.(but not totally, yet)

Mike is graduating in June. When he turned 16, we rode to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The ride south to Ushuaia will complete the Americas. I figure giving him some education about the world would be good for him and he is a great kid with lots for respect for people already. This trip can only help.

FYI, my Dad just got back from Mexico and gave me a website for Mexican Insurance. Looks like Mike and I can be insured for Mexico.

Website Don Smith Mexico Auto Insurance, Nogales, Arizona.

I checked out the net and found International Insurance for myself (for Canadian and US Citizens) @ Motorcycle Express - Ship Your Bike , with some limitations. I don't know if the rates are reasonable, but check them out.

Thanks for your info and any more thoughts are appreciated.

Regards

Mark

I'll be damned. It's expensive (on my KLR, $1200+ per year for liability, 2400+ per year for comprehensive with a $500 deductible, $2600 per year for a pillion) and you still need to purchase separate insurance in Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Belize.....but I'm amazed that it exists at all, and doubly amazed that I didn't know about it. I wonder how it works--in other words, how it's possible to sell insurance which is valid under the laws of so many sovereign countries.

Thanks much.

Mark