If you are in Chile it is fairly easy to buy a bike and cross into Argentina. You would normally first obtain a RUT from the local government -- it is like a tax identification number. Then get a chilean ID card called a Carnet. With that you are almost a local and can buy and register a bike in your name and the documents will show you are the owner. It is surprisingly easy. Or... if no RUT of your own, go to a dealer and get the registration in his name, and then get a notarized (legalized) paper that you are authorized to take the vehicle out of the country. Keep multiple copies of that legalized paper because you may have to give a copy to the frontier officials in CHile each time you leave the country with the motorcycle. I have a KLR in Chile registered in my name and each time I cross into Argentina it only takes about 10 minutes to do the papers.

Hey Patagoniax!!

Thanks a lot for that info, I am probably going to do that! I might fly to Temuco and buy the bike there.... do you know of any website where I can look up the prices?

thanks again!

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.:Master Piotr:.
-'79 BMW R65-

Just a note for other people that read this, it is OK for Argentina (as long as you have the correct temporary paper called the 'Transferencia de Solutiad' or something like that, don't remember exactly) but you can't get into Peru or Bolivia!! To get into Bolivia you need a legal document from the previous owner, which I did after being turned around at a border. To get into Peru I had to bribe the border cops at the Bolivian/Peruvian border.

I don't want people to make the same mistake I did as I had to sell my Chileno moto and buy a new one in Bolivia, it was very costly.

The best way for you to buy a bike in either Chile or Argentina is to buy it at a heavy discount from a fellow foreign traveller who is selling his. Make sure the owner is willing to let you photoshop his temporary import form and his title. Ride 2 up with the seller to the border and then cross the border using your new documents. There is a 99.9% chance that this will work as long as you are confident with all your answers. The worst case scenario is a slap on the wrist.

Remember that you are in Latin America and corruption is everywhere (with Chile being the exception).

BTW: When I was in Mendoza my Australian friend sold his KLR to a Polish guy and they rode to the Chilean border and completed the sale this way. That is why I am recommending this.

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http://www.journeyrider.net Latin America blog (07-8)

HEY GATOGATO,
So you would Photoshop the Temporary Import and the Biketitle (vehicle registration certificate)? And when I as a Swiss will buy a Bike of a US...don't you think that look obvious faked? I mean y wouldn't have any Stamps in my Passport that proves I came down with this bike from the US. And why do you have to go with the previous bike owner to the Border? that loos even more suspicious to me....
What is the legal way to buy Bike of a foreigner(US, European or so)and cross borders between Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Urugay?

Thanks for your help,

Daniel currently in Bolivia

You can photoshop the papers, how good they will look depends on the original doc (foil stamps, water marks ect are hard to reproduce), your photoShop skills, and your knowledge of and access to various output methods.

In the end, most border officials do not care about gringos on foreign bikes because they know you didn't steal it and there are no taxes to be collected.

Why not do it legally? Just go to a notario, have a Power of Attorney written up. Pay the guy for the bike, sign. Pay the notario $20-$50 bucks & be on your way. I would, if possible, have the owner see me through the first border crossing.

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India Himal, 3mo,2x; Kazak/Krygyz/Tajik, 3 mo; Kashi-Lhasa, China 219! 6 wk; Nepal, 4 days/trekked 55; Santiago-Ushuia-Cusco, 7 mo; Peru, 3 mo; Chile-Medellin 3 mo; Medillin-Arica, 3 mo

I have taken my Chilean bought Falcon into both Bolivia and Peru w/o problems. I have just a "power of attorney" and the title of the original owner. I have heard of one guy getting refused at Tacna, but this is all.

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India Himal, 3mo,2x; Kazak/Krygyz/Tajik, 3 mo; Kashi-Lhasa, China 219! 6 wk; Nepal, 4 days/trekked 55; Santiago-Ushuia-Cusco, 7 mo; Peru, 3 mo; Chile-Medellin 3 mo; Medillin-Arica, 3 mo

The power of attorney is what I used after being turned around however they only gave me 3 months on it and said that if I arrived later they would take the bike from me. I believe the maximum amount of time is 6 months but I had no Spanish then unfortunately

Also the peruvian border guards wouldn't accept the power of attorney document until I gave them $10usd, once I was in everything was OK with getting back to Chile to make the sale.

I am sorry you had so many problems. Perhaps it was the way that the "power of attorney" was written. On mine, I had them list all countries of South America and central America for an indefinate period of time. Also, I crossed into Bolivia on the altiplano and into Peru at Puno which could have made a difference. I was given the same ammount of time for mysefl and the bike in each country. Whatever the reason, I have yet to have any troubles at any border (knock on wood). I will head to Bolivia again on Monday, we will see how it goes.

Suerte

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India Himal, 3mo,2x; Kazak/Krygyz/Tajik, 3 mo; Kashi-Lhasa, China 219! 6 wk; Nepal, 4 days/trekked 55; Santiago-Ushuia-Cusco, 7 mo; Peru, 3 mo; Chile-Medellin 3 mo; Medillin-Arica, 3 mo

Hey guys, I live in the US, and have been planning on leaving here in February towards S. America....I wish I could leave earlier but thats just when its lookin like its gonna work out for me. I am just starting to look up info like this....border crossings with my motorcycle. I currently still owe a couple grand on my bike. Do I need to pay off my bike before I leave so I have the title in hand? I never thought about that until just now reading this thread.

Also, Im gonna start spending a lot of time on the HUBB and on google researching all the different border crossing etc and if you guys have any links to send me to cut down on time spent looking through BS that would be great. Last spring I backpacked through Central America...and I learned a couple things....A)it was hard to find any "official" information online from the countries....and B)a lot of info i found was outdated once I got there, or simply misleading. I ended up doing better when I got there by just going with it, and luckily I knew enough to expedite certain things. Soooo I would like to learn everything I can about motorcycle travel in Latin America etc, and figure a lot of it will just come as it comes.

This is gonna be my first motorcycle tour out of the US/Canada....and its a bit overwhelming to me....but super exciting at the same time.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!