Initial Planning NA -> Ushuaia
 

We would like to openly discuss our initial travel plans from NA to Ushuaia starting Nov. 2023.
The plan is to purchase two KTM 690 Enduro in NA, take the bikes to the Amazon (Manaus), down to Ushuaia, sell the bike in SA to other travelers and board a vessel to Antarctica.

I see two options to get the bike to SA:
Plan A: Air ship the bike from NA to SA.
Question: From where to where is the most cost efficient option?
Plan B: Ride to Panama and contact the Overland Embassy for shipment.
Q: Does anyone roughly know the cost expected?

Getting to Manaus:
There's the great report making me want to got to Manaus:
https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hu...n-amazon-12037
Unfortunately the ride to Manaus starts in Peru.
Q: Is there an option to take the bike to Manaus departing somewhere in Columbia or Ecuador?

In Dec./Jan. we will ride the bikes from Manaus to Cusco along the Transamazonica and continue down south.

Our understanding is, it is possible to sell SA foreign bikes to foreigners, hence the plan to ship the bike from the US to SA.
In April/May 2024 there shall be two KTM 690 ready for adventure in the southern part of SA.
Q: Is there a know procedure in place to sell a bike to other foreigners?

Do you see any flaws?

Thanks for your feedback.
Wauschi

A few flaws I can see...

First and foremost: Manaus is a giant city literally in the middle of the jungle. There is a road south to the rest of Brazil, but a lot of it is dirt, and November is the beginning of the rainy season, which means ~900km of wet clay mud between heavy trucks. Passable? Probably. Fun? Probably not.

If you're not focused on riding all the way from North America, then buying your bikes there makes no sense. You can buy bikes in Colombia or Peru - they are cheap and can be repaired by local mechanics, instead of brand-new KTMs where you need a big-city dealer if anything goes wrong with them.

Selling a foreign-plated bike in SA to another foreigner is possible, but it assumes you will find a foreigner who will want to ride it all the way back to where you bought it. Which is much easier if it's Ushuaia to Colombia than Ushuaia to Ohio.

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Honestly, I would split the trip into two separate parts. Take a flight into Iquitos, do the boat trip with hammocks and not worrying about getting people to haul your bikes in and out of boats. Travel as far as Manaus and see if you are still enjoying the boats; if you are, continue down to Belem. Take a flight back to Santiago, buy Chilean-plated bikes, ride the Carretera Austral/Ruta 40 down to Ushuaia. Take your Antarctica cruise. Ride the bikes up to to the Chilean city of Punta Arenas and sell them legally in Chile. Fly home.
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Alternatively: Put your European bikes into a shipping container bound for Manaus. Fly to Peru, do the boat thing, meet your bikes in Manaus, do the rest of your plan, ship your bikes home from Valparaiso or Montevideo.

Thanks AnTyx, you pointed out some valid points I have not considered so far.
...you make me think...

Greetings,
Wauschi

Sa plans
 

You are planning to buy 2 ktm 690s In NA or SA to travel South America then sell them to a traveler and get on a boat to Antarctica . Panama to Colombia is 1200 to 1500 US dollars one way per bike Plus hotels and taxis
Equador to Manaus Not Posible Colombia to Manaus posible but you would have to fly the bikes from Bogota or Villavicencio to Leticia It is on the Amazon bordering Peru and Brazil From Leticia to Manaus is over a thousand KM of river travel and probably 10 embarkation - disembarkations. What a Trip
I dont know about cost efficiency you will take a big hit on the 690s trying to sell them, these are not budget travel machines they are expensive in Colombia and way more expensive anywhere else in SA. You may get lucky trying to sell these machines but Not many travelers will pay what they are worth
Stick with Japanese you will have a better chance to sell
If you bring a foreign plated bike to SA It is legal to sell it anybody
But if you purchase in Colombia in your name you cannot sell that machine in any country except Colombia. But you dont have the hassles of tempory imports if you arrive with a foreign plated bike. You are free to roam anywhere on the Continent. You dont need TIP you just have to buy insurance at border crossings
Ecuador and Venezuela you are exempt
You must bring it back to Colombia to renew your Insurance registration and pay taxes, before the ownership is one year old If you buy New you will need a safety/ emissions inspection after the bike is 2 years old
You can own a motorcycle and keep it in Colombia for the rest of your life
I have owned a Colombian plated moto for 6 years But I live in Colombia and I am a foreigner with a tempory residence visa And im not leaving its a moto Paradise
I hope this info helps
Keep Riding

tohellnback, you pointed out some very good points.

Initially I thought of buying a bike in Chile, but read some rules changed and foreigners on Chile registered bikes cannot leave the country.
Columbia might be a good option.

Your feedback is very valuable.
Let's see if someone hast additional points.

Cheers,
Wauschi