Something else to consider depending where in CA, Mexico might make more sense. The whole state of Quintano roo is a free zone that doesnt require a TIP. So if you are near enough or are considering storing the bike for a longer amount of time this would be good, because you just need to find a long term parking place and pay for that but not have to worry about TIP, etc. Another possible plus is Cancun often has cheap flights to Europe, and North America. Baja and parts of Sonora in Northern mexico are also free zones, but sounds like thats probably too far to travel to make sense. Within CA Costa Rica is definitely possible and I think Panama and Nicaragua are also possible the issue is that depending on how long you want to do this for the cost can add up because I think they all require it to be kept in a bonded warehouse (which can get expensive) rather than just regular parking.

Mexico doesn't care if you leave the bike behind, as long as your TIP is still current. When I was last there, the same was true in Guatemala--in fact, they'd instruct you not to close out your TIP if you were returning anytime soon.

In Panama I flew myself and my bike separately from Tocumen Airport to Colombia. Not only did no one require that I close my TIP, but I had to insist on doing do (because I knew I'd be back in 6 or 8 months). That meant walking down to the aduana office after dropping my bike at Girag, and arguing with the officials there until they closed my TIP. I flew out the next morning, and met up with my bike in Bogota the morning after that.

The lesson here is that all depends on the specific country and how long you'll be gone for. Note, however, that my information is ten or 15 years old, and things may have changed.

Going further south...I met a French rider at the Paraguay/Argentina border, entering AR. He had been going back and forth between Argentina and Brazil around Iguazu Falls. Leaving Argentina the customs officials didn't want to close his TIP, so he rode on. Flash forward, he spent time in Paraguay until it got too hot, and he decided to go south into Argentina. The AR customs officials at Clorinda, AR, were not happy with him because he left Argentina a few weeks before without officially closing his TIP. They held the lovely French rider up for a couple of hours, before his his patience and smiles wore the officials down and he was granted entry.

Bottom line: Some countries are flexible about keeping your TIP open. Others are not. I found the Chileans are the most strict—the only time my luggage and backpack were sent through an x-ray machine or opened in any way.

__________________
Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride

I recently left my rig in Costa Rica for a month at the Almacen Fiscal (bonded warehouse) near the San Jose airport. They have an Customs officer on site. I thought he suspended my TIP but the agent mistakenly canceled it. (Yes, I checked the doc for spellings, VIN #, dates...but I didn't actually read it so it's ultimately my fault.) When I returned to Costa Rica a month later, surprise, the TIP was cancelled and they wouldn't issue another for 60 days (90 days after cancellation date.)

The Aduana agreed that it was their mistake but there was no way to fix it in the system. Eventually their IT department was brought in but refused to fix it unless it was an order from the Director of the Aduana. By then, I had spent two weeks and countless hours sitting in various Customs offices and my ship date from Panama to Colombia was quickly approaching.

So, I gave up trying to fix the TIP and had to export my rig by flatbed to the Panama border and hustle south to catch a boat.

I guess, my point is that I had researched the process and thought I was doing everything the right way but in the end, I didn't translate the document I signed. It was a very expensive and time consuming lesson.

Wishing you a better experience...