I have been looking for this exact information! I hope to be in Panama by the end of January and hope to sail myself and my HD HOG to Columbia from there, en route to Machu Pichu.
Thanks again!

Just had some more biker guest arrive here in Cali from Panama by Copa Airlines. Its real easy. Just go to the airport cargo terminal in Panama City. There's an Copa office, no shipping agent needed. They strap it down to a airline pallet. No need to empty fuel or oil. They fly to Bogota, Medellin, Baranquilla and Cali. If you arrive in Cali we can help you with the paperworks, which needs to be cleared in town before getting to bikes out in the airport.
Price now is about 600 us dollars per bike.

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Keep On Ridin' In The Free World

- Mike

I am riding a Harley Davidson Street Glide, almost 900 pounds... Does the shipper charge by weight? Will it be a problem for them to tie my bike down with it's fairing?

I look forward to seeing you in Cali!

Hi buddy

I don´t think that's much more than a loaded BMW 1200GS, but airlines have a system where the a curtain volume equals a curtain weight, so depending on what they get most for (volume or weight) is how they calculate the price.

But I think you should be able to fit with more less same price!

See ya!

__________________
Keep On Ridin' In The Free World

- Mike

.....These countries are connected by land, so why ship instead of ride.

"land" is overstating it a bit.

More like swamp and dense jungle, no road, narco-traffickers, guerilla and paramilitaries. It's called the "Darien Gap".

__________________
How much does a man live, after all?
Does he live a thousand days, or one only?
For a week, or several centuries?
How long does a man spend dying?
What does it mean to say “forever”? - Pablo Neruda

So thats the Darien Gap!!! Heard of it but never knew where it was. Cheers!!!

Panama's Darien Gap | Outside Online

__________________
How much does a man live, after all?
Does he live a thousand days, or one only?
For a week, or several centuries?
How long does a man spend dying?
What does it mean to say “forever”? - Pablo Neruda

I flew the bike from Panama City to Bogota at the end of October with Copa Carga for $630 USD. I personally flew on Aires for right around $200 USD. I specifically asked and they do not charge by weight. There is a flat rate for all motorcycles. At that time, they had one flight each week that could carry dangerous cargo, and it left on a Friday. I dropped the bike off on a Tuesday, flew to Bogota on Wednesday, spent the week there and picked the bike up on Monday. Bike was just as dirty as when I left it!

FYI: Girag, who´s office is 300meters from Copa Carga´s, could ship the bike the next day. Their flat rate was $905 USD. I met two guys in Bogota who arrived a couple days after me, and they shipped their Vstrom 1000 and KLR 650, for that same price (each).

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www.Jeffs9thSemester.com

Hi , I shipped my bike across 3 days ago , it was like you said 900.00 usd , I went to the Girag office in the morning , Did the paper work and the bike was shipped the same day KlR 650 . I then hitched a ride over to the airport terminal and caught a plane at 11:30 am for 320 usd . Was in Bogata at 1:30 pm the same day, stayed a night in the hostel and taxi back to the terminal in Bogata the next day and had my bike out of customs by 11:00 am . It all went quite smoothly , as i was waiting for the plane in Pamama I was sitting next to one of the owners of Girag whom works in the office in Bogata , it is a Family business and she said they rent the planes which is why the prices fluctuate so much , yes it is a lot but.... i did:nt also have to wait somewhere and spend extra time and money on hotels... now i am in Bucamarunga and heading for Medellin .... cheers

I crossed a few months ago with Guido, vessel Seeadler. The trip was an unforgettable one and the San Blas Islands were one of the highlights of my trip. You can find the story, photos, and contact info for bike bearing boats here:

LOS ANGELES to BUENOS AIRES : expedition journals*: San Blas Islands

An important note though... I met a guy who crossed with Stahlratte with his bike uncovered and the electrical system got pretty messed up. On my trip there were 3 bikes, and Guido (the captain) took care of covering the bikes nicely without being asked. He too rides and knows about bikes. We did not use any WD40 or anything on the bikes, and sailed in very rough weather. All bikes arrived fine. Just be sure your bike is covered thoroughly, and you'll be fine.

Have a great trip!

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LOS ANGELES TO BUENOS AIRES
A photographic expedition with unlimited legroom.

Hi there,
Just to introduce ourselves, Im Dagny and my Frenchie husband Herve, and we currently run a boat fit perfectly for the job of running motorcycles to and from Panama and Colombia, passengers as well of course. Our boat is called Metacomet and its 65 feet on the deck, we can fit easily 6 + bikes at a time, well covered to protect from salt water. We are well organized in both Panama and Colombia for transport to and from the boat. The cost without hostel intervention is $700 total (bike & rider). For more information email to metacometpassages@yahoo.com or see www.sailing-sanblas.com around the begging of May with the website will be active.
Cheers!
Dagny
colombia; 310 642 0597
panama, 507 6777 1876

Hi,
let me try to post here the same message I post for another friend......is the same argument:
Hi,
I am trying to post (quite difficult...!) the report of my last trip with my big bike from Panama to Cartagena (the same trip opposite direction!) with leonardo on his vessel ZAO. I took his boat because was the only available and with reluctance because two bad reports. But I cannot understand why, because actually I had an excellent trip. Zao is a very strong safe and roomy sail vessel. ok it is not painted, but it is not the paint who tooke make safe and comfortably over 250 nautical miles. Leonardo is a special person, sure a strong carachter but full of knowledge, excellent sea men, with an extraordinary culture (he was an high energy phisicist) and, very important and not usual, no drogue, no alchool. I am sure to strongly recomand you for your trip and your bike.
fritz

Panama city, Bogota Columbia, Shipping
Dec 28, 2009

Toques on Moto

Listed in the lonely planet are several hostals which offer economical accomidation as well as help finding and booking a boat to and from Panama to Cartagena, Columbia. The last boat sailed on dec 26th and no others would sail until Jan 8,2010 as Christmas is very serious here. The price was listed as 365 USD per person and the same for the bike.

I decided to drive out to the Cargo Airport just 5km past the passenger airpport to inquire about the cost to ship to Bogota via cargo plane. There were apparently two shippers named Copa Airlines, and Griag Airlines. Copa listed their flights for 638USD for the bike only. The crux came when I learned that Copa informed me that they wouldn`t be flying cargo until march 2010. This left me with one option which was Griag cargo for the minimal cost of 901USD for the bike which was loaded right then and there on the spot. The fee had to be paid in cash which I withdrew from an ATM located at the Copa airlines departure gate (there are two Copa buildings here within 2km of each other that dispense USD.) All I did to prepare the bike was take off the windshield....no battery disconnect or fuel issues to resolve.

I hitchhiked to the passenger Airport and was happy to find a plane leaving immediately to Bogota. I boarded the plane with Avanzier Air lines (forget spelling) who were the only ones that would sell me a oneway ticket to Columbia. The cost for that was 380 USD plus free liquor during the hour and a half flight. I was suprized when mid flight the steward came back with airplane food....an extinct thought for our starving North American aircarriers.

Arriving in Bogota I was asked at immigration what hotel I was staying at that night. I had packed the lonely Plant in the bike and 2 hours before that didn`t even know I was going to Columbia, so, I simply told him that I was staying at ``hotel Bogota`` I got busted immediately and lectured that this was very important. I kept saying Hotel Bogota and finally the ticked off immigrations agent let me pass and stamped my passport. I checked into a great hostal in the «Historical centre of Bogota that I searched online. Initally a cab driver dropped me of at a hotel for a 200USD per night, I couldn`t afford that so I asked to use their internet to seach for a hostal. The dumb cab driver didn`t understand my terrible spanish...so maybe I was the dumb one..... I needed an affordable accomidation. I wandered out into the streets just a few hundred meters from the airport and tried to flag down a cab. It was too dark to see me so I came up with the bright idea of using my flash light to S.O.S. a cab to the side of the busy dark road. The idea worked and with the hostal address in hand I gave it over to the cabbie.

I picked the bike up at the airport the next moring but only after a bit of a wild goose chase that included leaving the Griag Cargo area and having to walk across the parking lot, cross two busy streets 3 lanes wide each, while circumnavigating a chain link fence along a dirt foot path some 500 meters to a place with a green sign to fill out import papers. (sorry I forget the name) Everyone kept telling me that the place had a green sign so I opted to ask a new person for directions every 50 meters because I knew that I was in the vicinity.

40 minutes later and the paper work was filled out and I walked back to Griag cargo to retrieve my bike just as I left it in Panama.

I spent new years in Bogota, met all kids of great people, stored my bike at a garage that I knew was charging me more than the locals paid etc. New years day I rode to Manazales along ruta 50, a great road to Hostal Mona Lisa. Before I left the garage, however, the man looking after my bike handed me a new Years gift of Columbia finest rum. The guy used the extra money he was charging to buy me a gift even though he lived in a corrugated sheet metal house in a parking lot with two dogs and could have used the extra money. I gave him my extra leatherman because I was so floored by his generosity...

Greg George
Toques on Moto