Need a safe place in Mexico for my motorbike

[Freiheitenwelt]

Hi there,

I am traveling South America since 3 Years and right now I am in Ecuador. The next months I am planning to travel via Colombia to Jamaica, Kuba and finally Mexico. I will be in Mexico mid February.

Because of some family issues I would like to fly back to Germany for a few months before I come back and continue my trip up north to Alaska.

Now my questions?

1st - Is it legally anyhow possible to get the bike stored in Mexico let's say for 3 months +-? I now there is always some tricky custom regulations. Maybe someone has experience.

2nd - Does somebody know a place where I could keep my motorbike safe.

Greetings from Quito

Cheers Martin

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Interesting route to Mexico you have .

When you enter Mexico you will be sold personal" visa" and a " Temporary Vehicle Import Permit. "
and you put down an additional SECURITY DEPOSIT ( max. $400USD) which will be refunded when you cancel the TVIP when leaving Mexico BEFORE 180 days.
All these documents are valid for 180 days. If you fail to cancel within that period you do NOT get the deposit back .
For your case you could go to one of the Mexican " Frontier Zones" and cancel the TVIP , get your refund and the store the bike inside a town within that frontier zone until you return .This could be done in Quintana Roo( Chetumal city) in Chiapas near the Guatemala border or in a border city along the USA side.
If you go back to Germany and can be back into Mexico within the 180 days you could just leave the bike anywhere , but then you would need to hustle it to a border crossing to get the TVIP cancelled before it expires, and get your deposit refund.
Then you turn around and go right back into Mexico and buy a new set of documents and pay the refundable deposit again for 180 days .

[Freiheitenwelt]

Thanks for the reply and information.

Do you know if this TVIP is somehow connected to the customs control in the States and Kanada...

I don't know if this is right, but another motorbike traveller told me, that customs somehow work together in this states.. ?!?!

I for myself think I am good with this 180 days...

;-)

Greetings

[Freiheitenwelt]

Just found this!

helps too! http://www.motormexico.com/service/requirements.html

[yuma simon]

For all it is worth, I live in Yuma, Arizona US (San Luis, AZ crossing mentioned in the link) just across the border with Mexico, and you could store your bike with me if Mexican time limits are pressuring you.

[Freiheitenwelt]

Alright - thx

but this rises the next question about customs in the States ;-)

Greetings

[Sjoerd Bakker]

As far as my experience goes , living in Canada, I would say that US CUSTOMS officials at the border are pretty ignorant about working with other countries' customs procedures, but incredibly strict on interpreting rules to keep people out if they are from beyond Canada .
As I understand it , and as you allude, if you were to enter the USA to store the bike you would need to go through the full boatload of US entry and temp import and that would start the clock ticking on your time limit for stay in the USA .
It might have need be better to store the bike securely in Mexico AFTER CANCELLING. the TVIP. Crossing back into Mexico afterward might really screw up the plans .
The bike should remain under covers, behind locked doors for the duration. No public display whatever, silence about it."It does not exist !! " It is no longer on the books in Mexico .
You return to Mexico at your leisure and directly go to the border town , get the bike out of storage and at MEXICAN CUSTOMS you buy a new TVIP , pay security bond and resume your travel in Mexico for up to 180 days or whatever is left on your tourist visa ( FMM)
That should then leave the Maximum available time for your USA travel .

[guaterider]

You shouldn't have any problems storing your bike in the US .
I have entered the US several times with my bike (Guatemala license plate) and I have never been asked any questions about the bike or how long I would leave the bike in the country .
Friends of mine have their bike (with Guatemalan license plates) stored in the US for several years and twice a year they fly up and ride around.

[Freiheitenwelt]

Well - if this is true I would probably prefer to get the bike stored in the US (south) for a while. I will check this...

thx

Central America is bordered by Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Central America consists of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

[Freiheitenwelt]

Well - I guess I didn't know that.

So -> Store the bike in the South of the United States... OK

[Sjoerd Bakker]

I also like what Guaterider posts about storing in the USA and certainly hope he is right . A caution : He and his friends are travelling with Guatemalan passports and Guatemalan plates on the bikes which may be treated differently , being on the same continent with much travel back and forth .
You are on a German passpprt and on a once only trip . I have read travel reports by EUROPEANS who went to visit the USA and they found that the time limits on their visa for the USA were an annoying limiting factor.And the bike papers were checked . The clock keeps running even if you return to Mexico or spend time in Canada as you travel to Alaska and back to the lower 48 .
I would urge you to thoroughly investigate your situation . If such erosion of your permitted time in the USA is not a problem for you then of course go for it.

[Freiheitenwelt]

Hi Sjoerd

what you write sounds more like what I heard from other people. I am thinking about different options right now. Another one would be to travel to Center America - maybe all the way down to Costa Rica or Panama and get the bike stored there. With my upcoming travel plans this will give me like 2.5 months to do so. Then I could go to Germany - come back 3 months later and travel (again - that's the enjoying plan) up to Mexico and States Kanada until Alaska.

Then I anyhow have to get the bike shipped to another continent. Hum.

[guaterider]

I have dual citizenship and whenever I enter the US I use my European passport , because it is much easier then with the Guatemalan one .
So I entered with my European passport , my Guatemalan license plate on the bike and had no issues...and I have done it more then once .

Central America is definitely the worst option where to store your bike , because your TVIP will be good only for 90 days .
In Mexico your TVIP will be good for 180 days .
In the US there is not even a TVIP or anything similar .

[Freiheitenwelt]

Alright

so customs don't check the bike nothing in the States?!?

Kind of hardly to believe with all the security regulations there...

But well - if this the case - perfect ;-)