Well, i finally did it. I spent a week in Bogota choosing and buying used bike and one week more in the surroundings of Bogota while they were doing all the paperwork.
So, personal experiences. I have a very basic Spanish, by the way.
Registering in RUNT really takes 15 min (and costs 4$). That was the easiest part.

Choosing the bike. I've read that bikes here are in awful condition and sellers don't negotiate too much... But it was a bit hard to believe. It's time to confess that i've never seen such bad bikes for such a bad price. After looking to 5 Yamaha XTZ250 (Tenere or Lander, they are basically the same, Tenere is more tourer type), bargaining the price down at maximum 300k peso, i decided to give up and buy a new Honda XRE190 (i didn't like it though). But before to have a look to the last Tenere in my list. Magically this one was in ok condition. Only one owner who did the maintenance at the mechanic shop and didn't even knew where the air filter is located on the bike. I was lucky. Upon a cup of tinto the price was negotiated from 12 400 000 to 11 800 000.

Transfering money. We decided to try swift bank transfer but 1) it takes 2-3 working days, 2) there were things i couldn't understand. For example, the client service in the seller's bank Bancolombia said that he can receive transfer in dollars even if he has an account in pesos but swift simply does not work this way... So, we went to a shopping mall and here in the ATM of Davivienda bank i received all those millions... Davivienda has no fees, ok exchange rate, 2 000 000 max for one transaction and unlimited transactions per day.

After that we went to SIM (the same place where you get RUNT). But before that the seller said he hasn't paid taxes for 2 years (although earlier he said he had, "al dia") but would pay them now in front of me. So we visited Bancolombia before SIM.The price of transfer was completely on him. It was on Thursday and i was told to return to SIM for my tarjeta del propietario (the card of the owner) on Tuesday. Because it takes time for tax information to go through a system. The seller gave me the keys, his SOAT (insurance) and Tecnomecanica for the bike and also his tarjeta del propietario. He said, i can drive now with his card. I don't understand how it works, really. But with his card i was driving for a week and no one stopped me. On Tuesday nothing has been ready yet. Came back on Thursday. Success.

So, one more advice: if you like a bike and decide to buy it, always ask for the papers for taxes, SOAT and Tecno. They're quiet expensive if buy it separately. Tecno costs 130 000, SOAT about 500 000 (for a year and you cannot buy one for a month) and taxes - depends on engine cc, 400 000 -- 500 000.

Congrats!!! Hope to see you on the road!!!!

That's another good experience, do not forget to change the oil! enjoy

Looking for some advice regarding this. I have a 2017 Honda xr150 on Colombian plates. Purchased in Chile. I will be in Colombia in 3-4 months and would like to transfer it into my name when I arrive. Obviously the owner will not be with me. And my poder only covers riding, not selling or transferring. Will it be possible to transfer it into my name with out the owner? Or can they make me a poder from Chile to do it, and post it to me?

Is the RUNT a card? Perhaps they could post me their card and I could have someone pose as them for the transfer process with the card?

Hi Newbie, the RUNT (National Registry of Traffic) is a big online database with the information of the cars, motorcycles, drivers and persons registered in it, so if you want to transfer or buy a motorcycle you must be registered in it, can do it with your passport and 5 USD aprox in a Transit Office (Organism of Transit); now if you want to transfer that Honda to your name you need a Mandate (Power), F.U.N, contract of sale signed by both.

Hi, thanks for the reply. I actually quick replied to my own question (which is a more complicated one) which is now on the first page. If you've got time to check out that question aswel though, I'd be much obliged! Thanks

Thanks a lot for this detailed guide.
Do you have any knowledge where there are dealers for motorbikes or are you back yet and want to sell your bike?

Hi Joho

Motorcycle dealers are located in the south, center and north of Bogotá (if you are in this city).

AKT, Auteco, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki close to the 45 and 34 Street over the Caracas Avenue or just check google maps.

I would like to add a warning here. Expect that the Colombians will make you pay a gringo price when you buy or sell a used vehicle. I'm not talking about the amount you will pay or the amount you will sell.

I know What I'm talking about. I'm married to a Colombian native, and have lived in Colombia. I have bought and sold numerous vehicles, not once my wife's family let me buy or sold a vehicle alone. The problem is due to the fact that the government wants his dues paid and the Colombian try to make someone else pay.

The first time i bought a brand new motorcycle. The dealer assured me that I can insure the motorcycle in case of accident, theft. It turned out that I was told this was not possible without the Colombian cedula. I rode a few thousands motorcycle before getting my cedula.

The dealer lied. When I got my cedula I contacted an insurance broker thrue my wife's best friend daughter to get health coverage. I told her that I was glad that I could also get insurance coverage for the motorcycle and healthcare.

She replied this is not true, and she showed me that a passport in an accepted ID to have any kind of insurance coverage.

To insure the motorcycle, as I had some KM on it I had to take it to company that the motorcycle could be certified has no damage afterward a lawyer wrote a certification that there was not any holding of any kind. The insurance paid for that.

And when is vehicle is sold, the seller must make sure that a lawyer must certify a clearance that the seller is no longer the owner, or burry the dam vehicle so it would be impossible to use the datos of the seller and charge him.

Really sorry to hear about your experience.
Are you registered in the RUNT?

But as an update to this thread.. I did successfully sell the motorcycle a month ago.. I'm back home in India right now.

Before selling the motorcycle. I had to to the Technico mechanica as well as the SOAT (insurance). as well as impuestos(taxes)

I was able to do both myself without any agent. I'll put up a detailed post on that soon.

I then helped the new owner(another foreign traveller) get registered in the RUNT.

I then sold the bike to him. Hopefully i'll post up that thread quickly..

Thanks a lot to both of the contributors.
It is great to have words from real experiences.
(Compared to opinoins, guesse and asumptions).

Now we know that it works.
And this is a good option for the future.

Thanks


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I am hoping to buy two motorcycles this coming week in bogota (royal enfield Himalayan!) and this write-up is helping me a lot! We are planning on driving south to chile/Argentina and selling it there. My question however is... If we buy the bikes here in colombia with a soat and technico mechanico valid until, let's say June 2020. Will the person buying our bikes and riding to colombia not be able to cross the border because the soat and technico mechanico have expired?

I'm asking this because if I understand correctly you cannot ride in colombia unless the soat and TM are valid but you also need to buy new soat and TM in the place where it was originally purchased from (in this case bogota). Is this correct?

Thanks in advance!

No to all of that. They can enter without soat and técnico and they can buy both anywhere in Colombia.

Ok great that's a relief!

Sorry for asking even more questions I'm trying to look for answers on the forum but can't find any up to date info! We are planning on buying the bikes in colombia and then driving to chile where we want to sell them. I have heard a couple of times now that you can't sell a colombian motorcycle in chile unless it's from 2019 or newer. Is that true? I'm looking at a 2017 himalayan right now but if that's the case it would a deal breaker..

Thanks again!