P.s: mikemike,,, stop being such a Debbie downer! :p

Excellent! Good for you! I love it! NO PLANNING! Bash you? :innocent: Not me man! :D

What bike did you buy? Price? Pics? How did the bike do?

Any advice for those who may follow in your footsteps?

He'll never stop. He denies that corruption is ENDEMIC within Mexican culture.

Buying a 125cc in Mexico to ride through CA
 

Hey!

I read this thread but none the wiser. Am flying to Mexico soon and was thinking of buying A ex-pizza bike and driving it down to Cancun. Or, if things work out well, buying something decent and the returning to DF to work next year with the intention of using it to travel Mexico only. Buying in the USA or Guatemala is no used to me as could potentially be in Mexico for much longer than any TVIP would allow.

Can foreigners buy and own Mexican motorcycles without too much hassle?

Yes, a knowledgable dealer should make it all fairly painless.

You could also look round for something a bit bigger on the used market. Quite a few listing in D.F. but I don't know the sites there. Gary (hubb member) does).

You will find several of the Chinese 250's there as well. Looking better and better.

BTW, I'm not sure on this point, but I believe with certain immigration status, you may be allowed your home country vehicle with you sans fees. But check on this.

I worked in Mexico with a real, official "Work Permit". (something generally not found in the Mexican dictionary!) :smartass: That and a business card from some Military honcho have got me out quickly of dicey scenes. Work permit is from 1995 doh

A month of DF traffic should have you ready to hit the road. Legendary bad traffic, pollution ... and corruption.

Buying a 125cc in Mexico to ride through CA
 

That's good to know about buying in Mexico. I've been looking at Falcon NX400's and they're pretty affordable (compared to what we're used to down here in the South!). Though given the need to be able to take the toll roads I wouldn't mind a v-Strom but bigger bikes are quite costly. Nice to see the Mini-Teneres are available in MX too... I should have added, it's possible to buy on a tourist visa AND drive it using foreign/international license?

Cheers!
RTW

Yes a foreigner can buy a bike in Mexico and get it registered in Mexico while riding with his home country drivers license.

Mikemike has in the past given detailed descriptions of the process and the paperwork involved , maybe google search his posts on that topic. As he described it it seemed straightforward .

The IDP is not needed in MEXICO.

If anyone wants to register a bike here in southern Arizona for a trip south, let me know. Arizona issues plates, registration, and a title on the spot. Disclaimer, I am not in business to do this, but rather to help people out. I work in the state prison as a teacher; I leave at 6:15 am to work and get home around 4:00, so it will take some coordination; however, there are a few private businesses that are licensed by the state of Arizona to do Dept. of Motor Vehicle paperwork, and charge a flat $15 fee, and have better hours than the state's MVD office, so it could be done in the evening even after the one and only local (and crowded) office is closed by 4:30. PM me if you are buying a bike this way and entering Mexico nearby and want a US state plate.

quiet interesting!!.u didn t need residence? made it to South AMerica with it? :thumbup1:

The OP (PatCam) has never returned to HUBB ... so just a fly by so commonly found here. :thumbdown:

He never said he made it to S. America ... I believe Panama was as far South as he rode. He also left out details about the bike, it's cost, insurance and such. So, NO HELP for travelers thinking about doing something similar.

Other thing he left out was ... What did he do with his bike at trips end?
I'm guessing we'll never know. If I had to bet, I'd say he left it or gave it away to someone. (Chinese imports not famous for resale value, AFAIK) :rofl:

But Patcam DOES (IMO) have the right attitude. So many "Older", supposedly "Wiser" travelers seem to OVER PLAN and over worry too much. Patcam made it with just bare bones, no prep or planning and a smile and good attitude.
So, It can be done if your flexible, patient and don't demand things function like "back home". :cool4:

I'm not endorsing this "style" of travel, but it is refreshing to see as opposed to
the many SUPER anal Teutonic types that over plan everything, have HUGE budgets ... and ruin Latin America in the process for everyone else.

If you don't get this, I can't explain it.
bier

I wish we had more details from 'patcam'... I've sent him an email to see if he can respond.
It sure would be nice to read some of the actual details behind his purchase and adventure.

Hmmmmmm . . . . I'm currently down in Mexico and was told by numerous people that I couldn't register a bike down here in my name on a tourist visa. I've just purchased a bike but put it in my partners name to facilitate all the paperwork. If it is possible to register it in my name I'd love to find out how to do that.