Will a UK Driving License and International Driving Permit Suffice for SA or CA? Help

[callumnelson]

Hi Guys,

I am new to the website and looking to get some advice. I am looking to complete my first adventure Motorbike tour in the next 12 months and wanted some help in relation to License requirements.

I am looking to either Motorbike from the bottom of South America (Patagonia) to the North (either Columbia or possibly continue to Mexico if the bike can be shipped). I will also be looking to purchase the bike in South America and sell at the end of the trip.

The second trip, and the trip which has more of a grip on me, is motorbiking from Turkmenistan to Nepal and then exploring parts of tibet and India by Motorbike. In regards to buying the Bike i may buy in eastern Europe and then travel over to Turkmenistan.

However, the main question is, will I be able to do any of the above two trips without having a UK motorbike license as I would like to save cash and do the trip without one.

Cheers

[eurasiaoverland]

So you're asking if you can do the trip with a car (category B) license??

No.

[Lonerider]

No

spend some money and get a licence

Wayne

[Tony LEE]

Might get away with it, but what happens if you have an accident and police and insurance companies start looking a bit closer. Driving without a license and with invalid insurance. Hmmmmm!

[Warin]

The cost of the UK licence will be small compared to the costs of your trip! Save money elsewhere, like taking a sandwich or two to work for lunch rather than buying lunch... saves heaps of money that way. Think about it.

[twowheels03]

Over the years I've been amazed at what I've seen people make up with the help of photoshop.......things so good I could hardly tell as a fake let alone anyone who had never seen one before.......thing is, you can't photoshop experience and bike riding skill and you will need both.

On the other hand....never been asked to show my licence when stopped by police in the US.....Mexico....NZ....OZ....Timor....Indonesia.

Get your licence if you can ride well enough to do a big trip....you should breeze a bike test.

[VicMitch]

I can tell you that you can do CA and SA at least as far as Peru where I am now without an MC licence. I do have an MC licence but it just has an "M" for class and no one asked me where it gave me permission to ride a bike. I wouldn't sweat it.