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13 Sep 2016
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Where to buy motorcycle that I can take through Philippines and Indonesia?
Hello all! I am trying to find out the best (less complicated) place to buy a bike that I can use to tour through Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia....and then who knows, maybe continue on up into Thailand etc.
Not looking for anything fancy, a local bike, 125-150cc would be fine.
Of course I will be on a tourist visa which can make things hard.
I have heard its easy to do this in Vietnam, I guess I could do it there then go overland to Malaysia etc. But I know Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand already and would prefer not to spend weeks making that trip.
Any ideas? Thanks!
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13 Sep 2016
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I was in Philippines at Christmas and it was great, however, if you want to travel there on bike you'd have to buy a bike there and even then you're going to have trouble getting from island to island. It's a big place with 7,107 islands. Better to fly to the bigger islands and rent a bike there. Almost pointless renting/buying a bike on the smaller islands. Also some of the best scuba diving ever, if you don't dive learn here!
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13 Sep 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by momo034
Hello all! I am trying to find out the best (less complicated) place to buy a bike that I can use to tour through Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia....and then who knows, maybe continue on up into Thailand etc.
Not looking for anything fancy, a local bike, 125-150cc would be fine.
Of course I will be on a tourist visa which can make things hard.
I have heard its easy to do this in Vietnam, I guess I could do it there then go overland to Malaysia etc. But I know Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand already and would prefer not to spend weeks making that trip.
Any ideas? Thanks!
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The problem taking a bike into Indo or Malaysia if its not a bike plated in the country its taken into you will need a Carnet. And that could be a potentially expensive and time consuming affair. The other problem is that it is quite expensive to ship a bike from mainland Malaysia to Indo - unless youre travelling in Borneo/Kalimantan.
And how to get a bike bought in Malaysia or Indo to the Philippines and back? There used to be a ferry between Sandakan in malaysian Borneo to Zamboanga in southwest Mindanao region of the Philippines. But does it still run and does it take vehicles? And how do the Philippines authorities look upon a foreign plated bike in their country? And there are some security issues in the Mindanao region to consider as well.
If I were you I would rent or buy one bike on the Philippines and rent or buy one in Indonesia. And skip Malaysia - its an interesting country but doesnt have a whole lot of interesting motorbike roads. (Talkin about mainland Malaysia)
Indonesia is so huge that you could easily spend 6 months there taking in a good part of the country. I travelled 3,5 months in Indo last year and felt like I just had a glimpse of it...
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13 Sep 2016
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Thanks for the tips, reflects also some of what I was thinking from previous research (read more than a few of your previous posts Snakeboy).
I know Indonesia requires a Carnet so I was thinking (hoping) to try and buy the bike there...but I cant find any solid info on how possible that is with a tourist visa. I am not new to this kind of stuff. A couple years ago I bought an old Royal Enfield in India and drove it all the way to Spain. I bent some rules for sure...certain papers were "altered". I am not opposed to creative solutions. But just can't find any good info at all about buying in Indonesia.
As for getting from Indo to Phillipines the only way is the ferry you spoke of that would take me through Borneo (Sandakan / Zamboanga). Regarding Carnet in Malaysia, I have heard if you are not on a big European bike you can often slip through without them asking for one. I also heard the same can apply entering Indonesia if you are lucky.
So seems the best option (if at all possible) is to buy a bike in Indonesia. I have no idea about Philippines.... preachan...did you actually buy a bike there?
Anyone with other ideas?
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13 Sep 2016
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http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/
This guy bought a motorbike in Indonesia and rode happily around on it. He wrote that the only thing the ploice wanted from him when they stopped him was the bike papers, IDP and a selfie...LOL.
About tourist visa in Indo - try to get a 60 day visa, I think its called a social visa as it gives you 60 days stay and it can be extended 4 x 30 days versus a normal tourist visa gives you only 30 days and can be extended only x 1 another 30 days.
You might be right that a small locally registrated bike can slip in and out of Indo and Malaysia without a Carnet - its only on Borneo/Kalimantan those two countries actually share a landborder.
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14 Sep 2016
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Look at the Facebook page below. This guy has travelled all over the Philippines on his bike. Amazing stuff!
https://www.facebook.com/wildlands1/
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22 Jun 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snakeboy
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/#
About tourist visa in Indo - try to get a 60 day visa, I think its called a social visa as it gives you 60 days stay and it can be extended 4 x 30 days versus a normal tourist visa gives you only 30 days and can be extended only x 1 another 30 days.
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That visa you speak of is called a 'social budaya' visa.
Essentially you need an Indonesian sponsor for it, and that sponsor will send you (with copies of their I.D etc) the completed sponsor form that downloadable from the Indonesian Embassy website.
You will need to download and fill in other forms for yourself also, plus include 2 passport photos ..., then apply at an Indonesian Embassy with all the above forms from you and your sponsor.
There is a workaround, where visa agencies can act as your sponsor and send you the forms and also meet immigration staff for renewals etc (all for a large fee of course (you would need to contact them well in advance before planning a trip , and pay upfront I am guessing)
Another thing is once in Indonesia, you are required to jump through some hoops at each renewal time, as forms need to be filled , passports stamped , money paid , and at some stage you will need immigration to take your photo and fingerprints.
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22 Jun 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davo Bali
That visa you speak of is called a 'social budaya' visa.
Essentially you need an Indonesian sponsor for it, and that sponsor will send you (with copies of their I.D etc) the completed sponsor form that downloadable from the Indonesian Embassy website.
You will need to download and fill in other forms for yourself also, plus include 2 passport photos ..., then apply at an Indonesian Embassy with all the above forms from you and your sponsor.
There is a workaround, where visa agencies can act as your sponsor and send you the forms and also meet immigration staff for renewals etc (all for a large fee of course (you would need to contact them well in advance before planning a trip , and pay upfront I am guessing)
Another thing is once in Indonesia, you are required to jump through some hoops at each renewal time, as forms need to be filled , passports stamped , money paid , and at some stage you will need immigration to take your photo and fingerprints.
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Maybe youre right - but I got that 60 day visa - social budaya visa at the Indo consulate in Penang without asking for it, even without knowing that it existed or applying especially for it. And I did certainly not have any indonesian sponsor at that time. I just said "visa" to the clerk behind the counter, filled out a form, paid a fee and handed over my passport with some photoes - next day picked it up. 60 days visa!
The extension process can be bit complicated indeed, but I guess its the same even though you have a normal 30 day tourist visa or this social budaya visa. And at that I needed also a indonesian sponsor.
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14 Sep 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by momo034
So seems the best option (if at all possible) is to buy a bike in Indonesia. I have no idea about Philippines.... preachan...did you actually buy a bike there?
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Nope, only had 6 weeks so rented a bike in El Nido (Palawan island) and on Bohol, other than that flights, passenger ferries, small boats and public busses. I'd do the same again. Unless you have lots of time it's the way to go and even at that you could end up leaving it on the larger islands while you got boats to explore the smaller islands. While you could bring a bike on ferries between the larger islands they can be infrequent and take a long time. Flights are frequent and inexpensive.
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2 Jun 2017
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I have ties to PH and spend a good deal of time there, getting a motorcycle in or out is a mine field and if proper procedures are followed then it would cost more than the bike is worth.
People taking bikes out of PH is almost unheard of as many people who travel within Asia will normally purchase in Vietnam, Thailand or Malaysia. I looked at importing a motorcycle to PH and for a BMW GS valued at £3000 it would cost that again plus a bit more and since then I have been told they only accept brand new vehicles!!!..
If you want to buy a motorcycle in PH look at the Visayas region somewhere like Kalibo, there are a good amount of dealers there this will allow you to tour that region that has everything from massive cities like IloIlo to very rural and maybe even get a quick boat ride to Boracay island (well worth a trip) then from Caticlan port (same port as the Boracay boats) you can get a ferry to Manila then tour that region up to Baguio. Then sell bike on in Manila and do the same in Indo.
Motortrade (1003 Roxas Ave, Kalibo, 5600 Aklan) is a good independent dealer just minutes from Kalibo airport, Suzuki also have a dealership within walking distance.
Hope that gives you a loose plan
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2 Jun 2017
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But what if you brought in a small motorbike plated somewhere in SE-Asia via the Sandakan - Zamboanga ferry and you intended to get it out the same way a month or two later. Would you then have to pay a lot of fees? It would be like a temporary import which normally is free or at least not expensive to arrange in other countries around the world...
Theres a Youtube clip of a spanish guy taking his huge spanish plated BMW GS on that ferry and riding it around on the Phils and he didnt mention anything about fees other than the ferry ticket. But he might have had to pay something which he didnt mention. He shipped his bike out of the Phils again btw.
Problem is also Mindanao security issues nowadays - but one could probably get a ferry from Zamboanga to Visayas somewhere, maybe Cebu?
Here is that spanish guy with his GS on the Sandakan - Zamboanga ferry:
https://youtu.be/nRIYrYB-JHY
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