Transporting a Costa Rica bike across the Mexican border into the USA
 

Hello fellow travelers! I have found this site to be a very useful resource throughout my Latin American trip, and I've run into a snag that to me warranted a new account and question on this forum.

I am a US citizen. Over the course of December I rode up from Costa Rica to Sayulita, MX on a 2013 Honda XRE 300. I am considering taking the bike all the way into the states back to the Denver area where I'm from. I contacted the EPA about bringing it in (they handle foreign vehicle imports to some extent) and they told me it would need to be modified by a certified mechanic to bring it up to USA emissions standards.

I also want to eventually get back the deposit I paid for bringing the bike into Mexico, and spend some time in Baja.

So, a couple of questions: as a US citizen do you think I could simply ride across the US border without anyone looking too closely at the motorcycle? Or d'you reckon it's definitely going to get turned away?

And if I take the bike into Baja, which I see is a "free zone" (not entirely sure the bounds of what that means), can I get my deposit back there? Or I have to fully leave the country of Mexico to get my deposit? Has anyone successfully canceled a TIP at the Pichilingue ferry terminal?

Thanks for any and all advice, cautions, recommendations. Cheers :)

No , you can not cancel a TVIP at the Pichilingue ferry terminal. Full stop.

Such a cancellation for you travelling to the USA can only be done by Banjercito at any one of the actual border crossings with the USA be it in Baja California or anywhere along the mainland border exits into the USA , or at one of the inland customs terminals located some distance away from the border along a few heavily used mainland highway routes (e.g . Mex 2 at east of Caborca, Mex 15 south of Nogales ,Mex )
This requirement is to make sure that the bike is taken out of the country.

You paid to get the TVIP and the security when entering Mexico . When you travel north through Baja you simply cancel it when you are ready to go into the USA and California . Banjercito at any one of the Mexican border crossings will refund your security deposit .

Riding your Costa Rica plated bike into the USA should be a straightforward event . There is a case of a US citizen who bought a " pizza bike " in Guatemala three years ago who reported that the US border guards took no issue with the Guatemalan registration and the bike's non - conformity to US DOT standards . And why should they? they are concerned only with your citizenship and possible criminal status , drugs and money laundering . They are not involved with enforcing EPA and California standards . .Guatemalan or a Mexican riders can ride their bikes into the into the USA .

Your problems will arise if you try to register the bike in the USA . That is when you will need to spend a lot of money to modify the bike to conform with the US rules . Will it be worth it ?

If you do not try to register or try to insure it in the USA for road use you actually can get away with leaving it alone -- but do not get caught with it on the road collecting a ticket from the US police . It can be an off road toy , a conversation piece and a souvenir .

If you keep its registration in Costa Rica active , truck it across the border and get Mexican insurance you should be okay in all of Baja . For Baja you then will only need to get the FMM /tourist card . For mainland Mexico beyond the border zone you will also be okay - to ride it back to Costa Rica .
But of course you will still need to get the new FMM for yourself and the TVIP plus security deposit for the motorcycle

Thanks for your reply, Sjoerd!

Canceling my TVIP gives me a lovely excuse to ride up the entire Baja peninsula. I'm not sure if I will end up attempting to enter the US or if I will ride all the way back to Costa Rica. I may want to just cancel the TVIP, turn around, and stay in Baja indefinitely. Do you think that's a possibility?

Cheers

Certainly , you can cancel the TVIP and then hang around in Baja indefinitely , because a TVIP is not required in Baja ,as you already know .
But you will be required to get an FMM for Baja . Many Americans live nearly full-time in Baja without the TVIP . More recently the FMM requirement is reportedly being more enforced at certain checkpoints .
As a US citizen you will fit right in with the crowd , and you hopefully should have no issues with crossing into and back out of the USA - as long as your bike is insured for the US .