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Buying vs Shiping (California - South America)
First off let me say that I have already spent hours searching both the "Trip Transport" forum and the "South and Central America and Mexico" forum for information so my questions will be specific.
I am planning to ride a motorcycle around South America as from December 2010 through February 2011. I have no set Itinerary other than I want to see Chile and Argentina the most. I have never been to SA before but I have ridden extensively in Mexico and Central America (as well Europe, SEA, Russia, Australia). My only real concern is access to a motorcycle, either one that I ship down, purchase, or rent. The type of motorcycle is not much of a concern to me, I just want something that will get me from place to place (I spent a week and 500 hundred miles traveling Northern Vietnam on a 125 honda and had a blast). From what I have read, if i want to ride through multiple countries and due it legally I either have to bring my own bike down, or buy a bike in Chile using a RUT card and then sell it when my trip is over. Is that correct? If I ship my own bike down, are there any limitations of what countries i can go to? If I buy a bike in Chile using an RUT, what are the limitations of where I can go? If I rent a bike(s) is it better to go through a dealer or make arrangements with members on this site (I have 4 bikes hear in Northern California, two are dual sports and would be willing to work out something with somebody down there, for a reciprocal trade/borrow in the future) Recent experiences would be helpful, like the guy Hubb member "Lachay", who discovered that he could not get into Peru on a Chilean bike, as Peru had just altered/or began enforcing the law. Cheers Matt |
Hi Matt,
Like you, I will be travelling down to South America after Christmas to ride around for a few months. Since nobody has responded I will chime in with my thoughts. Shipping a bike down to SA is expensive and a hassle. Especially since I'm only heading down for maybe 3 months. Shipping a bike down and back is out for me. Renting a bike for 3 months is expensive. I could see spending 4-500/wk if I had more money than time and had the typical 2 week American vacation. I have rented a 250 Honda in Costa Rica for a couple weeks on a short vacation and it was a hoot. And renting a little thumper in Southeast Asia is relatively cheap and makes sense. But renting a bike for several months in South America is expensive and is out for me. Riding down to South America and back is an option if you have the time and money. But I just rode down to Panama and back last Spring. I didn't have the money to head further south. And the cost to ship from Panama to Colombia by airfreight was 900.00 cash for the bike and around 300.00 for me. Or 400.00 for the bike and 400.00 for me on a slow sailboat through the San Blas islands to Colombia. Prices have gone way up in the last few years. Used to be half that not long ago. Sailing sounds romantic and adventurous to some. To me it sounds slow, cramped and boring. Plus you still have to sell your bike in South America or ship your bike home. Riding down and back is out for me. For the cost of shipping a bike down to South America I can fly down to Santiago, Chile and buy a new Honda 125, Euromot GXT200, Yamaha YBR125, or small Suzuki and ride around as long as I feel like and sell it or ride it home. It costs 7-900 bucks to fly down to Santiago from the U.S. And a small thumper is 1500-2000 dollars new with insurance. And you own the bike so can sell it when you are through with it. And I have read the detailed instructions on how to get an RUT and purchase a bike in Chile elsewhere on this site. Doesn't sound like rocket science. And you can ride it home, since the airfreight from Colombia north to Panama is much less for some reason than from Panama to Colombia heading south. So I can ride it home if I feel like it. Assuming the bike doesn't blow up in which case I can sell it for parts and fly home. I am leaning toward a new Honda 125, since it has amazing resale value. It has a bulletproof motor and is easy to get parts for throughout South America. Checking chileautos.cl it sells new for around 1400.00 dollars. You rode around Viet Nam on one and know the limitations of a small thumper. Yes they only go 60 mph or so on the flats with a tailwind and prefer to cruise at 50 mph. And you have to downshift a lot going through the mountains. I have owned VW camper vans in the past, so am familiar with chugging up the mountain passes and pulling over to let people pass. This would drive most people crazy who are young and ride it like they stole it. But I had fun riding down to Panama and back on a 250 dirt bike and renting small bikes in Thailand, so the thought of tootling around on a 125 in South America that gets an honest 80-100 mpg doesn't sound bad to me. If I had the money and were spending more than a few months in South America, I would consider buying a Honda 250 Tornado. Similar to an XR250 with electric start. Or Honda 400 Falcon. Similar to an XR400 with street tires. But they cost 4-6000 bucks. Too rich for my meager budget. Still about the same cost as flying a bike from California to South America and back, so that might be an option for you to consider if you feel you need a bigger bike. Plus, Hondas have amazing resale value. 3 year old Honda 125s with 20-30,000 kilometers on the clock are selling for 1000.00 in the Chilean online classifieds. Doesn't make sense to buy used, since a set of tires, chain and sprockets would cost almost as much as the difference between new and used. And you know what you're getting with a new bike. Of course, you have to travel minimalist with a small bike. Easy for me. Hard for some. Throwover saddle bags and a small duffel strapped to the rear rack is all I took to Panama. Worked fine. These are just my thoughts. Take them for what they're worth. Hope to see you down in South America! Kindest regards, John Downs |
Thanks for the feedback John.
Do you have any experience taking a bike bought in Chile into other countries, specifically Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru? I have heard that bikes from Chile, even if purchased by a foreigner with an RUT, cannot be taken into Peru and possibly Bolivia. Do you know anything about this? Yeah, given how expensive it would be to ship, i am going to buy one. For where I want to go, I am leaning toward a off-road capable 250. cheers, Matt |
Hi Matt,
Like you, I have been all over Mexico and Central America, but never to South America. So I am no authority on buying a bike there. But I did read others blogs and posts of buying bikes and travelling around South America. Chile is the easiest country to buy a local bike for a traveller it appears from my reading. And no problem heading to Argentina. Also saw a travellers bike for sale purchased in Chile in Peru a couple months back. So he must have gotten into the country somehow . And Bolivia is no problem . Many people have bought bikes in Chile that were for sale in Colombia at the end of their journeys before flying back home. So I assume it is possible to ride there somehow from Chile. And as you know from your travels I am sure, if there is a roadblock or you get turned away at a border crossing, you just go around it. To the next border crossing or back through another country. It is a HUGE continent and you will only scratch the surface in 3 months I imagine. Sounds like you are most interested in exploring Chile and Argentina. Those countries are no problem on a Chilean registered bike. You will have a blast no matter what. Cruising around on a little thumper in the southern hemisphere summer sunshine exploring the roads less travelled sounds like fun to me anyway. But then again, riding in horizontal gale force winds in Patagonia on a weeny bike sounds like fun to me as well. As well as splitting lanes through crowded third world capitol cities. Better than a carnival ride! Another option you might consider is buying a travellers bike who is selling at the end of their journey. These are available from Javier at Dakar Motors in Buenos Aires as well as Mike at the Casa Blanca hostel in Cali, Colombia. I am not interested in this option since my budget is limited. But you might be interested. Mostly DR 650s, KLR 650s, F650s for 3500.00 and up. But a lot of them have California titles, so easy for you to transfer into your name since you live in California and could easily mail the title home to a friend and have it transfered into your name and Fed-exed or DHLed back . Many people go that route. But as you know, any bike that rides from California to South America takes a beating. Which is why I would rather buy a new little thumper for half the price in Chile. Hope to see you down the road. Best, John Downs |
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This isn’t exactly like that or at last what involves me: First of all, WE DON’T SALE OR BUY MOTORCYCLES even less foreigners ones what its Illegal in Argentina. We store bikes but in no anyway wont to be involve in commercial transaction between travellers. Even when you change the ownership on title/register by mail/courier then also have to deal with ride and exit Argentina. By the temporal importation laws only the guy who brings in the bike are allowed to ride and take it out (cancel the TIVP), and customs use to be strict on this. Pay U$ 3500 for a bike without paper or at least with a big risk to be confiscated is completely insane. How, on that condition and after a trip from North America can be the same or even more expensive price? By the way our place is call Dakar Motos (not MotoRs). Hoping to be usefull, Saludos. |
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Hola Javier,
Thanks for the information. Lo siento. I had heard that Brazil and Argentina are impossible to buy a local motorcycle by a traveller. Buying a foreign travellers moto sounds impossible in Argentina as well. Or at best a big hassle. Thank you for clearing that up. Now I understand that you just store bikes for people who need to sell them. Sorry about mis-spelling the name. You are a good man. Well thought of here from what I've read. Hope to see you down the road when I get to Argentina. Kindest regards, John Downs |
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Mainly I know only about Argentina and here it’s possible to buy a bike but a foreigner on a tourist visa but can’t take it outside legally (Temporal Export) for the first year. About a traveller bike I never say “impossible” and in both cases I was talking about legal aspects. Always is way to do the things but you have to find the way, plenty information here on the HUBB just take the time to research very well. We only want to be clear that we don’t want to be involved in anything against our laws. And we strongly believe that the best way for Motorcycle Touring is to have your own personal bike with papers belonging to the place where you lives, hassles and paperwork nightmares free, well setup for a long travel for enjoy the journeys and not suffer the time dealing whit the problems I could prevent. If you see the all picture paperwork hassles and problems means lost time and money, if you plan a trip with a small budget and a short fixed time. Do you want to spend the most of that dealing whit publics authorities and feeling insecure all time??? Don’t be silly, enjoy as much as possible your time and money… Saludos |
Hey Javier, how's your KLR and your wonderful wife (not necessarily in that order)? My KLR made it to 93,000 miles/150,000 km with some coaxing, and I'm finally home, as wife-less as ever. Hope you'll visit someday, somehow.
John, in case it's not clear, travelers transfer bike ownership quite often in Argentina. Javier is merely pointing out that as a legitimate business owner and resident he's not involved in such shenanigans. For that matter, neither am I....but the actual transfer can be done in the no man's land between border posts. That way a bike can be exported from Argentina (temporary import docs cancelled), then imported under new ownership wherever desired. Paperwork can be done as was described above, or creative use of Photoshop might be involved at some point. It's all there for a determined researcher of old HUBB threads. enjoy, Mark |
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the clarification. My job at HU is to give uninformed suggestions to unanswered threads until you guys who actually know something chime in. I certainly enjoyed reading your comments here and on ADV Latin American forum while you travelled down to South America and back home. Almost like a ride report. Bought my last bike just north of you in Blaine from one of Tommy Risers friends. October can be a nice month in the Puget Sound area. Hope to see you down the road sometime. Cheers, John Downs |
Reading that interesting thread,
Is it also illigal to sell a foreign bike in chile? I am also planning on starting my 3months trip in Santiago, I stopped looking for options to send my 950 KTM from mexico to Peru or anything else because of cost issues and as I am not ready to ride a 250cc (part of the trip will be done 2 up), so I am looking at a used KLR650 around santiago. For paper issues, I would rather buy a Chilean bike and do the paper work as explained on the forum, but If I can find a good foreign bike, is it possible to legally transfer it? => My idea is that it is not easily doable as you still have the issue of getting the bike out, but confirmations would be great! |
With the Dakar race on in January, I would think that you would have little to no luck renting a bike as most of them would already have been rented out.
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I am going to have a trip in December/January to Argentina and Chile with my Honda Transalp 600, red flame coloured wonderful! The bike has 33.000Km and after my trip it will have more or less 10.000 Km more and it has been produced in 1999. After the trip I will sell it , as I would like to avoid to pay the shipping expenses back to Europe If you ae interested please contact me even by pm P.S.: The bike has Italian plate so It has to be investigated how paperwork has to be done for property transfer to your home country |
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