Buy and register new motorbike in Bolivia
 

Hi,

I just bought a new motorbike in Sucre, Bolivia and I'm about to register it. However, I went to the police and a lawyer (abogado) who told me it's impossible to register a bike as a foreigner without residential status (I just have a tourist visa). I'm not surprised that the vendor told me a different story.

The only possible way seems to be to register it in the name of a bolivian person first (I hope my spanish teacher helps me out) and make a contract afterwards, which says he sells the bike to me.

Has anyone different informations about this or any experience with registering a motorbike in Bolivia? I will provide more information here as soon as the process is going on...

Thanks

Bolivia
 

:welcome: to the Hubb,


the information you got from the police and the abogado is not correct, you can register a vehicle on a tourist visa in Bolivia.

suerte
mika

Thanks for the information mika. That sounds good. Could you share some more detailled information? When and where did you register a bike? It might have changed recently or depends on the place.

I described my experience and I think it's gonna be difficult to explain the police officer or the abogado that they're wrong, well I'll try.

Gracias
Hauke

Registration process
 

I finally managed to register the motorbike in my name and since I couldn't find a post on the HUBB, describing how it works and how much time it takes, I will write it down here. I have done it in Sucre and the procedure might be different in other cities.

There are three offices in town, which you have to visit.

1. You can start at the DIPROVE office, located in the south, almost outside of the city. The DIPROVE is something like a mechanical examination of your bike. However, if its a new bike, they just want to see the serial number and a metal sign (called plaqueta), located on the opposite side of the frame (make sure your bike has this, I had to pay an „extra fee“ of 250 Bs, because on my bike it was missing. Before you can do the DIPROVE, they'll hand out a paper, on which the required documents are listed.

2. You have to go to the DIRECCION DE INGRESSOS (they're might be a different name in use for this office, that's what the letters at the building say), located at the other side of town. Draw a ticket for „vehicles“ and wait until your number is announced. They'll hand out another paper with a list of required documents (basically photocopies and the bike documents from the vendor plus a photo of yourself which you can do outside of the office). After you passed them all those documents, you receive a paper, that says the number of your signature plate.

3. With this and the other documents from step 1 you go back to the DIPROVE office. They give you a date for the examination. In my case, they offered me a date one week later. After asking kindly if its possible a bit earlier, they offered me a date for the next morning and charged me 100 Bs extra (without receipt). As described above, they just want to see the plaqueta and serial number of the bike. However, they give you the DIPROVE document in the afternoon (in my case at 6 pm, while the examination was in the morning at 8 am).

4. With the DIPROVE and the rest of your documents you go to the TRANSITO, located a few blocks east of the Plaza 26th de Mayo. As the other offices, they also want to have photocopies of all your documents (incl. Insurance). Moreover, they take photos of you and then prepare the so called SOLUCCION. Obviously, they can not hand this out immidiately (how crazy would that be?), but instead they give you a date more or less one week later for picking it up. After asking kindly if its possbile earlier (applying some pressure by saying my visa extends in some days and I have to leave the country soon), I could pick it up some days earlier.

5. With the SOLUCCION you can finally go back to office DIRECCION DE INGRESSOS to receive your license plate and start riding!

I started the process on a Monday and received my license plate exactly one week later. However, as described, you may want to apply a bit pressure and always ask for earlier dates. Otherwise it can easily take three weeks!

When buying the bike make sure the bike has the plaqueta (described above), the seguro (insurance) of the current year (mine was from 2016, so I had to buy a new one for 200 Bs) and, most important, the FACTURA, which is like a receipt, printed in colors, that contains your name (the vendor didn't gave it to me, so I had to go back to the shop and wait finally 4 days until it arrived from La Paz before I was able to start the whole process).

If you're looking for new chinese bikes, there are many shops in the German Bush street. How you may noticed, the shop where I bought the bike was not reliable at all. There were many things missing and the vendor didn't seem to care. I don't know the name of this shop, but its quiet a big shop, located in the middle of the German Bush on the right side if you go away from the city centre. The vendor is a mid aged woman with curly hair (there are not so many woman, selling bikes). I can recommend you definitely to NOT buy there!

well done!
 

Hi Hauke,

well done :thumbup1:. Sorry I did not read your questions before, but as I hate paperwork I have so far paid *tramitadores* to do it for me. So couldnt really tell you what offices to go to. But thank you for the write up here on the Hubb. And enjoy your ride.

mika from Samaipata

WOW! What a hassle. Here in Peru (in the interior) it is SO EASY as we take care of it all for HUBB members!

hassle?
 

Its not a hassle if you pay a little to the right *tramitador* to do it ... and it can be done in hours (for a new bike). But of course you can do it the complicated way as well, and this will add to your adventure and experience. And dont forget any list on how to do it yourself will change by the month, the city you are in and last but not least by the person doing it.


mika :scooter:

I can hardly imagine how this process should work in hours and it would be interesting how much you paid for that. The way I did it, was the way locals do it as well. In my opinion one should avoid paying any kind of bribes as it builds or at least keeps running corrupt systems. Saying that, I have to admit, that I payed extra fees as well, as I was not willing to wait the 2-3 weeks like locals do :)

As mika said, doing it the legal way is an experience and gives you an insight in bolivian culture :)

So !!

Is it a simple process to buy a bike in Bolivia and cross borders and travel around ??



What about buying bikes from other travellers ????

Or is it better to buy from a dealer ??

Ted
When I'm back in the UK, I can fill you in on the finer points to answer your second question. Send me a text or FB message if you need clarification.

Mika is a good mate of mine and lives in Bolivia. He has the local knowledge. Again send me a message, if your questions are based on more than a pipe dream.

I crossed the border to Peru some weeks ago and it was really straightforward. I went from Copacabana to Puno. The bolivian officer was really friendly and told me that I have to bring back the bike to the Bolivia theoretically but he didn't seem to care if I won't. You have to buy peruvian insurance once you want to enter the country.
All with bolivian papers in my name.

Regards

Planning the same
 

I'm planning basically the same thing, but starting in LA Paz.

Do I understand correctly that you do not need a local address. Further the insurance in case of an accident comes right with it, also when you cross the boarder to other countries you purchase it right away?

@mika How do you find a tramitador and how much would you pay him?

@rabhauke which bike did you get? Do you recommend it? I'm tall (189cm) and thinking about getting a Chinese 250cc.

Tourist visa
 

Also, is the tourist visa you require for buying the bike basically just the stamp I get or do I get it automatically at the airport as a german citizen? Not sure since Germans don't need a visa in Bolivia.

Rubio,

There are 3 major Chinese manufacturers and easily confused, because there are SO MANY manufacture names, but there are really only 3. The best are the engines that are copies of the Honda XL200 (also in a 250cc) and the Honda CRF230 (some with counterbalance shaft, some without, some with a 6th gear.. but they are the same engine). These come in MANY different moto styles, from 80/20 to 20/80 street/dirt).

Here in Peru we have proven these engines, build them into larger cc models and properly fit them for long distance travel.

Don't know what is available in Bolivia, but the models I recommend (for tall riders) are the Sumo TORQUE 250 and the Cross TRITON 200 (which we build into a 250cc). Both of these we can also build into 285cc bikes with an exhaust system and carburator tuning that allow you to ride all altitudes with a single jet!

Good luck on sorting it all out! bier

Great, thanks! So the dakar pegasus is similar? Or not as good?

It's hard to find those bikes only. What price should I be paying new (used probably is to risky?)

What changes should I let a mechanic make before I get started (except for a luggage rack obviously)?

Which spare parts and repair gear should I purchase right to the beginning?

Sent from my ZTE A2017G using Tapatalk

Yes, the Pegasus Dakar is the same as the Motor1 Nazca Desert or the Sukida Dakar. they are a good bike, tho the inverted front suspension leaves alot to be desired. MAKE SURE you get the one with the cam chain and NOT the push rods.

Price is a different thing in every country. these bikes are badly assembled, so what you want to do is to buy a tube of LockTite and take the whole thing apart. no need to drop the engine, but take off the nuts on the bolts that hold on the engine and put a few drops of LockTite on them before tightening correctly. For the rest of the frame, use LockTite and where there are thru bolts, use a nylon anti-vibration nut. On all the plastic use rubber washers and spacers so that tightening the blots that hold them on you won't crack the plastic.

The carburator jetting will be too rich for anywhere except the jungle in Bolivia, so you need to step down the jet size at least two numbers. If the engine runs too rich for too long it will make extra carbon wearing your engine out too early. Jets can be hard to find. OR gut the exhaust pipe and rebuild it as a glasspack. Then the present sea level jet will be the correct one.

There are 100 more things to do so that your trip will be successful (enen if you buy a Honda or a Yamaha), all of which we do here in Peru for HUBBers and ADVRiders in preparing them a bike. But it's true that many feel they can do it much cheaper, and they usually end up with major problems short circuiting their Epic Ride.

Cheers!

I bought a PEGASUS KTX 200. It has done its job, 10.000 km now. I did NO changes at all, except the rack. The only big problem came up recently as the tank is lacking. A new one is around 60 $, not a big issue.
However, Iwouldnt exceptionally recommend it. There are better bikes out there. You may wanna invest a little more and get better brakes. I would look, that the suspension system and brake system looks decent (by comparing it with other bikes).

Carry spare tubes and tools for all the screws you find on the bike plus tire lever and pump.

Many people in Bolivia drive PEGASUS and they mostly told me they like it.

If you wanna start in Sucre, you could use my description. By the way its a super relaxed town and perfect place to take some spanish classes :) and just one day bus ride from La Paz.
My teacher helped me with registration, I can give you the contact...

Have fun!

Thank you for all your informations!
Coud you tell me, if the bolts on those chinese bikes are metric or inch?

Kind regards
Nikolas

All metric!!

Ciao Rabhauke,
I'll be in La Paz arround the 10th of December and I would like to buy a motorbike there to drive through Bolivia, Chile and argentina.
Will be possible with the Bolivian paperworks? How much did you pay the Pegasus bike in USD? do you remember the name of other bikes that you suppose are better?

Thank you very much

Hi Mika, I have just moved to La Paz from the UK and I'm in the process of applying for residency. I have in the UK waiting to be shipped over my 2 year old Africa Twin registered in the UK. could you recommend a Tramitador so I can register the bike here in La Paz please?

Importing into Bolivia
 

Hi Steve,

welcome to Bolivia. I am on the other side of the country, in Samaipata, near Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

First do your residency process before you ship the bike. Only when you got your carnet (Bolivian Id card) think about importing your bike. Then you will need a custom agent ... this will be very costly and also time consuming. When you get the import documents you can in the end hire a tramitador to register your bike.

Its all gonna be an expensive a long process. I would recommend you to leave your bike in the UK and buy a new bike here ... I have seen the AT at the Honda shop here in Scz.

And sorry I can not recommend a tramitador in La Paz. Send me a pm, than we can talk over whatsapp if you want.

Saludos
mika

Hi fellow travellers,

Up on this subject.
I am thinking about going early june in Bolivia to join my girlfriend (who is currently in Patagonia with her motorbike) and travel with her for one month. (the other alternative I see, described in another post, is renting a bike in Argentina to travel in the north-west).
No way to rent a motorbike in Bolivia, I have tried several companies...

So I plan to buy a cheap (but correct) chinese bike. That's the advice I got several times.
Just wondering what is the accelerated *tramitador* way :) @mika, can you detail ?
By the way, any advice to buy a bike (type 200cc Pegasus mentionned before) near Sant Cruz ?

Another option, buying an used bike helps to avoid too much paperwork ?

Thanks !

Hi everyone,

jumping in on this thread and would appreciate some insights into current situations re buying, riding and selling bike in SA.

In more detail a friend and I are planning a trip to Bolivia in February/March. Plan is to fly to Santa Cruz and ride via Trinidad, La Paz, Cusco, Nazca to Lima.

Anyone having recommendation how to arrange buying a bike in Santa Curz? Ist it easy, how much time should we allow in advance?

Also, I ready road conditions can be difficult during that time of the year especially Ruta 3. Is it rebuild with asphalt already, any recent experience about this route in February?

Also, there’s lots of information for border crossing in Desaguadero from Peru to Bolivia, but less about the other way coming from Bolivia and going into Peru. IS it easy? What should we be aware of?

And lastly, is it possible (legally easy) to sell a bike in Peru?

Any help will be highly appreciateed. Thanks a lot for shedding some light on our question.

Best,
J

Bolivia
 

Hi J_B,

good plan.

Calculate about a week, maybe a bit more, to buy new bikes and get them into your name at any of the Chinese bike shops in Santa Cruz. Maybe to save a little bit of money, go to Montero. But I am not really sure, if you can still register it on a tourist visa, it was doable when this threat was started a few years ago, but also here rules and regulations change all the time and not for the better.

Feb./March is the wet season, so depending on the rain you could have muddy roads and wet gear.

Border crossing should be easy if your papers are in order.

I cant tell you if its easy to sell the bikes in Lima.

Send me a pm if you have any more questions.

Saludos mika :mchappy:

Question about bike insurance - Bolivia
 

Hi Mika,

a few of us are hiring some dr650s in peru and riding the back way to Santa Cruz / Uyini (Bolivia) and back up to Cusco in Nov/Dec23. The bike insurance is fine in Peru (with the hire company Eric Adv) but i need to get some full cover in Bolivia, any suggestions would be appreciated. The hire company only has insurance for Peru.
Kind Regards
Mike / Australia

Hi Mike,



sorry I cant recommend any insurance company in Bolivia that would cover a bike registered in Peru.



Enjoy your ride. Maybe see you in Samaipata.



mika :mchappy: