Hi,

I'm posting this on behalf of two friends. They're currently sailing transatlantic on a cargo ship with their two Honda 150cc motorbikes from Montevideo, Uruguay to Hamburg, Germany via Dakar, Senegal. They've spent the last three months riding around South America, starting in Santiago, Chile (this is where they bought the motorbikes). Originally they planned to return to Santiago and sell the bikes then fly home, but they fell in love with the bikes and decided to bring them home to the UK (hence the cargo voyage). They've decided that rather than sail all the way to Hamburg they would try and disembark in Dakar and ride back to the UK from Dakar; however, they're quite clueless regarding riding in Africa, especially when it comes to motorcycle paperwork etc.

The ship they're on doesn't have a public internet connection for them to research themselves, only very limited access to the ship's email system. So they've sent me a list of questions to post on HUBB and ADVrider on their behalf. If anyone could answer/provide info it'd'be greatly appreciated!

The questions:

1 - They're both 22 years old, one has a French passport, the other has a British passport. The motorbikes were purchased new for about $2000 USD per bike and they have Chilean numberplates. They have all the correct Chilean paperwork proving the motorbikes are in their names. However, they have no Carnet de Passage or anything like that. Is a carnet required for motorbikes in Senegal, Mauritania or Morocco?

2 - What is it like in the Western Sahara? Can anyone share some first hand experience re. the quality of roads, availability of fuel, risk of malaria (other dangers), general safety of the region, political stability, etc?

3 - What is the Sahwari Arab Democratic Republic like? They know nothing about this country, and will have to ride through it. Any advice?

4 - Upon arrival in Europe (either via a ferry between Morocco and Spain, or if they disembarked at the port in Hamburg as originally planned), what paperwork is required to legally ride the motorbikes in the EU? Will they have to pay any import taxes etc?

5 - There's probably lots of info to be found with a bit of searching for this question, but worth asking here too: upon arrival in the UK what will customs say about the bikes? Eventually the bikes will be permanently imported to the UK (i.e. pass import tests at an M.O.T. station and be registered with the DVLA), but is it possible to ride from Dover to home with the Chilean plates and then sort out the permanent import? i.e. can the bikes be ridden on Chilean plates temporarily in the UK?

6 - Can anyone recommend an insurance broker who will insure British and French citizens on Chilean motorcycles in Europe, Africa or the UK (or all)?!

Apologies for the bluntness of this post: they are due to arrive in Dakar on the 1st August so direct questions are the quickest way to get the info for them to make the decision! If they disembark in Dakar and then cannot get the bikes to Europe for whatever reason then it defeats the entire point of sailing home in the first place! Many thanks for taking the time to read this, I hope some of you will be able to help these clueless fools out!

Thanks, StJohn

Hi there,

I am trying to answer question no. 1:

If they can disembark in Dakar, than the first problem (and maybe biggest problem) will be to get the bikes into Senegal. Senegal is the only country out of the three you mentioned, where they ask for a carnet. I have never tried to enter in Dakar, I have only come overland and I have entered without a carnet. Mauritania and Morroco should be no problem to enter, as the bikes are in their names. I would try to enter Senegal at Dakar without a carnet, but I know it would not be easy and not cheap.

and a part of question no. 2.:

The roads are good from Dakar to Europe.

and question no. 4:

They will have to buy insurance (the green card) for Europe on arrival, maybe also an insurance for Morroco. When they get to the place they live, they will have to start the process of importing the bikes (paying customs and vat, if it is at all possible to import the bikes), if they want to continue riding the bikes at home.

This is just my 2p worth.


mika

I've moved your thread to the Sahara Forum and have copied in below my response on AdventureBikeRider.

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1. I'm not up to date with what's needed for Mauritania and Senegal, the Sahara Forum on HUBB is probably the best source for paperwork questions.

Morocco they just need the vehicle documents, a temporary import form and take out insurance at the border.

2. The main road from Senegal to Morocco is good quality, some pics here. Fuel is widely spaced in Mauritania (fill up at every station), less of a problem in Western Sahara. They can buy insurance locally in Senegal and Mauritania, again ask on HUBB.

The crossing at Rosso between Senegal and Mauritania is the pits, I suggest you ask on HUBB whether it's possible to instead use the Diama piste going north—I think they need to organise a Mauri visa beforehand in order to do this.

3. They won't be allowed anywhere near the part of Western Sahara that's controlled by the Sahwari Arab Democratic Republic.

4/5. Ideally need the Chilean equivalent of an MOT, plus insurance. As far as importing is concerned, just tell anyone who asks that they are continuing round the world.

6. My Spanish insurance through Linea Directa (English-speaking Spanish offshoot of Direct Line Insurance) covers the whole of the EU plus Morocco but not Mauritania or Senegal. Spanish insurance is easy as it's the vehicle that's covered rather the driver, so no long questions about endorsements and the like.

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"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

Hi Saint1992.
It would be great to know if your friends managed to get themselves and bikes off the Grimaldi ship?
We want to do exactly this but Grimaldi and an agent have told us this is not possible. If your friends managed this, it would be fabulous to find out how!
I hope all went well.
John