Honduran border crossing
 

Greetings People, I crossed into Honduras on Mon 8th Nov using the Agua Caliente border crossing and although it was very straightforward despite the efforts of the "helpers" it was a bit of a shock to discover that the permit to drive etc is now 100US for motorbikes and between 2-400US for cars and it´s official and I have the receipt to prove it. It really hurts to use beer coupons this way. It was cheaper on a push bike, but I was younger then and could drink more beer. Ride safe.

While it may be official - a receipt is no proof that it is. I spent 80 US crossing into Honduras last year, with lots of receipts to prove it, but later that day met a Welshman who had lived there many years, who told me it should have cost me nothing.

It costs very little to print up a book of very official looking receipts.

But don't worry - almost everybody gets stiffed in Honduras.


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Richb
http://www.postmaster.co.uk/~richardbeaumont/60684/

They have big signs up at all the Honduran border crossings with all the fees listed. When I went entered at Agua Caliente in '02 it was $30 for a motorcycle, which was the highest fee for any central american border crossing. The worst part is that the Honduran fee is per crossing, not for a fixed period like 30 days or 60 days. So if you leave and then want to reenter, you have to pay the fee again.

If the fee went up to $100, I would be shocked. Honduras is such an awesome country, it would be a shame if high customs fees for motor vehicles kept tourists out.

Here is a quote from my article about my bicycle ride through Honduras earlier this year:

"I continued west past La Entrada on a delightful paved road through beautiful countryside into a zone of promises come and gone. Tourism to the Maya ruins of Copan was supposed to bring some economic benefit to the local villages here, but the tourism is virtually dead. I asked the daughter of a restaurant owner where the American and European tourists were, and she said, "you are the only one." I saw zero sign of activity at any of the roadside hotels and resorts. All I saw was one passing motorhome with Nevada plates."

100 dollars.. what a thieves! I crossed from El Salvador into Honduras (at el Amatillo)about 4 weeks ago and paid around 60 dollars... A friend of ours crossed over a couple of days before us and had the same experience as us.
At least you´re past the most expensive and difficult bordercrossing in CA : )

I crossed the Honduran border twice in September and paid $40 each time (which was the highest amount I´ve ever paid at any border). $100 sounds obscenly excessive.

Also, skip the ¨helpers¨. My spanish isn´t that great and I´ve never hired anyone to give me a hand with anything. ¨Bike Security¨ you ask? Well, to avoid theives I ride my bike up to every window and every office I need to go to.

Sorry to hear, but you got robbed! A $100.00 fee would just about halt all traffic accross the border. I just went accross the border about 2 weeks ago and it cost me less than $40.00! Went through with no problems and without anyone trying to jack me up for $.$$!

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I would recommend anyone crossing into Honduras from Guatemala to go via the Copan Ruinas crossing. We have done Agua Calientes twice before and have always been stung. Copan Ruinas is a much quieter, friendlier crossing, with less commercial traffic and the route is much nicer to ride.

We crossed into Honduras at Copan Ruinas about two weeks ago and it cost us US$35 for everything to do with the bike permit.

Were surprised to find that this road through is all now paved - even the latest guide books stated it was dirt. We stayed at La Casa de Cafe in Copan Ruinas, owned by an America who said the orad was paved about a year ago. Interestingly he also stated that the week previously, all the border officials had been sacked and replaced due to corruption.

Hello Globe Buster.
This road is now all paved from where to where??
Do you means from Guatemala through Copan and all the way to Tegucigalpa Honduras. My plans were to stay on the Pan American Highways from Guatemala through El Salvador, Honduras and into Nicaragua only because I understand that this is the best paved road. My wife and I are riding 2up on a large highway touring bike which is much more stable on paved roads. But I would consider a more interesting routes, providing there was a good road surface.
I would appreciate any information that anyone could share with me

Lend -

You are going to be hard pressed to make it through Mexico on a full size touring bike, let alone Central America. Problem #1 is going to be topes, the very large speed bumps used repeatedly on the roads in the center of towns. I don't see an Aspencade-type bike with low headers and a lower fairing clearing the topes.

Secondly, parts and tire availability.

Thirdly, you need to have a bike you can work on. There is a likelyhood that something will break from vibration/road impacts and you need to be able to get to critical components and be able to diagnose problems. Sleek body panels and latest-tech engineering are going to work against you if you have a failure. You could easily be stuck in nowheresville with a bike that is worth no more than an anchor.

My idea of a big touring bike for Mexico/Central America, if you are staying mainly on the main paved roads like CA1, would be a Cagiva Gran Canyon. Plenty of ground clearance, easy access to an air-cooled twin, semi-long travel suspension.

Of course, BMW twins, especially GSs, are popular.

Likely someone will write in that they have ridden an Aspencade to Panama and back no problem, but I see it as a big risk.

Mike, hate to shoot you down, but I'm gonna...

First, ANY bike can go round the world, including Central America, with no problem. The roads are adequate, and it's ALREADY been done by everything from 50cc scooters to Gold Wings, and everything in between, including Honda CBR900RR's and Yamaha R1's, so it's just up to the rider to adjust their pace, riding style and route as necessary.

"Lend" is on a Harley iirc, and he won't have any trouble with the topes - if the Forwoods full dress Dyna-glide? Harley can do it, so can he.

Tires and parts are easy, just Fedex/UPS them in, as is needed for all bikes from time to time. A number of riders have ridden full dress Harleys USA to Panama and back with no trouble at all.

Big trailies like the GS's and Cagiva etc are all very nice, and ARGUABLY are "better" for the job, but it's all in the riders mind - ride what you have and most importantly of all, what you LIKE, and just go and have a good time, you'll be fine.

After you've done a trip or two, you may decide that you WANT a different style of bike, and that's ok - you've decided that your STYLE of riding and CHOICE of where to go would be easier and more fun on a different bike - so go ahead and do it, thats fine too.

Repairs are up to the technical ability of the rider - I know a traveller who never even carried a toolkit - "I wouldn't know what to do with it if I had it, and the bike has never failed" he says. (Since everyone is going to ask, he rode a Honda)

There is no perfect bike. They ALL break eventually, they ALL need repairs, and NO ONE ANYWHERE has ALL the parts you COULD need - so don't worry about, just have lots of time and take a breakdown and needing parts shipped in as an opportunity to sit in a sidewalk cafe, read the local paper and watch the people go by, and even talk to some of them. In other words, enjoy the chance to meet the people - since I hope that's a big part of WHY you're travelling!

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

[This message has been edited by Grant Johnson (edited 13 December 2004).]

I certaintly can't disagree with you Grant, you have far more experience than I do but, I think its worthwhile considering what bike make the most sense.

Sure you can ride a Goldwing to S.A., but how restricting will it be in terms of where you can & can't go.

For example we took our BMW LT1200 to Europe. It was great for western Europe, but for many eastern countries it's size & design limited the range of travel due to the quality of the roads.

In some countries it was a real effort, dodging potholes, avoiding gravel, reduced speeds.

I suppose it depends alot on riding style too, but I think a GS of any type offers more flexability in choosing your route in countries where roads may be suspect, rather than a large heavy touring bike.

My 2 cents.

I was in Veracruz Mexico last month and ran into a group on Harleys headed to the Hog rally in Aguacalientes. 17 bikes, 27 riders, a big group. On the first day in Mexico, one of the guys as he pulled out onto the road from the shoulder, the transition wasn't as smooth as you would see here in the US, and he sliced his drive belt. The folks I talked to in the group looked at the breakdown as being more of an inconveniece and disruption to their plans than an "opportunity to meet the locals". If only he had picked a better tool for the job......

Not disagreeing with you MCP, you're absolutely correct.

I note that you did the trip all over Europe, and survived it just fine. NO argument that there are better bikes for the rougher conditions, and perhaps even overall. Sure you could have been happier on an R1200GS, but were you willing to sell your K, and buy a new bike for one trip? And then have a perhaps LESS than ideal bike at home?

So, in a way you are proving my point - IF YOU HAVE A BIKE that you like and are unwilling to buy a new one for a three month trip - which I fully understand - just ride what you have, it WILL DO fine.

There is ALWAYS a better bike, but there is a co$t associated with the search, which seems never-ending, and open to interpretation.... witness the "Which Bike" FORUM.

Often the restrictions on where you can go are only limited by the sanity of the rider...

Witness the Forwoods in darkest Africa on a Harley, Sjaak Lucassen in the tank deep mud of Angola on an R1, and, just finished, Rupert on a Yamaha Vino 50cc scooter, Alaska to Ushuaia. Perfect bike? Probably not, but they did it and had a good time, and all except perhaps Rupert Wilson-Young will defend their choice of bike to the end.

Sjaak for instance says he has the highest altitude land speed record, 140mph or something on the Salaar de Uyuni in Bolivia... with luggage. And he LOVES his R1 for travel.

Peter Forwood says it never occurred to him to set off on their RTW, 140+ plus country tour with anything other than the Harley. "It's what we had, and we liked it" he says.

"Run what ya brung" is an old drag racing saying, and fits here too - for the most part! http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

If you are buying a new bike for the trip, great! Go for it and have a good time. Either way, the things you see and the people you meet are what it's all about. The bike just gets you there.




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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

DE mark,

He should have been carrying a spare belt. ANY Harley rider on a tour should. The Forwoods for instance always carry one new spare belt, and when appropriate/possible an old good one too. I note that he was part of a HOG group, so a "better" bike was probably not an option! http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

And this also illustrates the negatives of travelling in a group, and to a schedule.

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

In 2003 I crossed from Guatemala to Honduras at El Florido, near the Copan ruins. All good pavement to the border. From the town of Copan Ruinas on the Honduran side you can take paved roads through San Pedro Sula to Tegus. I found most of the secondary roads to be as good or better than the PanAm, with less truck and bus traffic. Of course there is always going to be the occaisional construction area. Go for it!

Re the other subject on this thread, I chose to ride a dual sport single, and the main advantage I found, was it is easier to get this type of bike through door ways and down stairs into hotel courtyards for safe keeping. Of course I was riding solo. Two up I would not hesitate to take a larger touring bike. It's been said before: the best bike to ride is the one you are comfortable with.




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Andy Tiegs
http://www.tiegs.com