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Photo by Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
of two locals



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  • 2 Post By xfiltrate
  • 1 Post By Peter Bodtke

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  #1  
Old 21 Sep 2017
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Buy a motorbike in which country?

Hi everybody

I am writing the first time here and planning a 5 months trip on a Kawasaki KLR650 (if possible) through Chile, Argentina, Peru, Colombia and Bolivia. Start time will be the middle of December 2017.

I read a lot of posts but still not sure where to start. For me does not matter in which city i should start. Important is how smooth and quick I can buy and register a motorbike (and cross borders without any issues).

Thanks in advance.

Cheers
Ingo
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  #2  
Old 27 Sep 2017
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Peru is the best place to get your KLR. PM me.
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  #3  
Old 30 Sep 2017
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for sale 2014 g650 gs

i have 9000 kms full motorrad luggage
26 million pesos Co
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  #4  
Old 1 Oct 2017
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Buying/Selling in South America

Buy, tour and sell in each country you visit, make sure the bike you buy is legally registered in the country, use a "gestor" (one who transfers titles as a business) , buy insurance - carry your soft luggage/gear with you.

Buy low and do some fix up and sell high. When you are ready to leave South America, sell the last bike you have purchased and walk with much more money than it cost you to buy your first bike.

I know several over landers who toured South America and the bikes did not cost them one cent!

Here is a Sportster I (registered in Argentina) that I bought and sold for a $4,000.00 USD profit - after fix up costs!

This is not an endorsement of Harley Davidsons... I could not wait to rid myself of the loudest, most useless, unreliable - most uncomfortable bike I have ever ridden. One saving grace...it sure attracts young and attractive Argentine women -

The only thing it was good for, - and some of the attention attracted was worth the all the pain in the a.....- Just circle the Obelisk (downtown Buenos Aires) a couple times on a Harley and get ready - those viagra tours have nothing on a Harley.


Eat, Drink and Buy Low and Sell High

xfiltrate
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  #5  
Old 2 Oct 2017
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think in a circle

If you are thinking of making a loop, starting in one place and finishing where you started, it makes selling a bike on the backend easier.

think in a circle...



The thing is, it can be hard to sell a bike that is not registered in the same country. I'm not saying it can't be done, it's just that there is less paperwork and nobody has to pay the importation taxes to nationalise a bike.

So, start in one country that has easy purchase and paperwork steps, buy a bike, get it in your name and double check that the paperwork is buttoned up, head to as many borders as you wish. If the bike is in your name, you'll have no problems crossing borders and less difficulties selling it when you return to the country where you started.

I bought a 250cc chinese bike from charapashanperu and it has served me well. He had a custom frame made for it that has worked very well. I brought the Pelican cases / panniers with me, but you could have a frame made for soft luggage just as easy. Hoping to get down before the year is over to ride the Andes. Think small. You'll rarely need the speed or power of a 650, 800, and up. The chinese bikes are so incredibly affordable and easily to maintain (all the locals ride them, so parts and mechanics are everywhere.)

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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.

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  #6  
Old 6 Oct 2017
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Buy low sell high

Fnn A xfitrate
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  #7  
Old 6 Oct 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xfiltrate View Post
Buy, tour and sell in each country you visit, make sure the bike you buy is legally registered in the country, use a "gestor" (one who transfers titles as a business) , buy insurance - carry your soft luggage/gear with you.
Not going to work out for anyone on any sort of schedule of any kind. Buying ...
and especially selling ... takes TIME. How much you got? So, if your on the road a year and visit 8 countries you'll be spending a HELL OF A LOT of time screwing around ... and what are your odds the one or two are lemons and you get stuck with them?

By far the better idea is to do the loop that Peter did above. Buy and Sell in same country and avoid the hassles. You may even work out a buy back deal with a dealer or with Toby in Peru'.

Most travelers don't have that much time so need to get a bike quickly and get going on their tour.

Buying and selling a different bike every month or so for a year .... is Fookin'
madness! (selling bikes is hard work! if you want to come out OK on the deal ... I know, I've sold about 50)
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  #8  
Old 6 Oct 2017
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Originally Posted by tohellnback View Post
i have 9000 kms full motorrad luggage
26 million pesos Co
Should be easy for you to sell as a native Colombian. You know language and govt. system. I'm sure your family can help you out?

Getting 25 mil pesos ($8300 usd) may be possible. But way over budget for 90% of average Colombians. You are lucky to come from such a well off family. I'm sure you've got connections.

Didn't you JUST GET THIS BIKE? ... like just a few months back?

What happened? I'm sure there is a story here ....
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  #9  
Old 8 Oct 2017
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Family nooo!

Molly Perro i consider this a insult I am Canadian
family money no i am just a god dam good worker that represents a Canadian company in Colombia and i ensure that my company makes millions of dollars every time we do a contract I run the maintenance department for a airborne geophysical survey outfit
I make Canadian wages here
1 month wages bought me my 650
In 2014 Canada signed a a free trade agreement with the Colombian government to ensure easier negotiations in business and we also donated 35 million to help the trade agreement
guess what the monetary fund to help Colombia is showing up in my bank account
we Canadians have a smooth way of doing Business What goes around comes around with out totally destroying a place with arms of mass destruction , this is a hint of presidents with no brains in your Country and being a civilized country
you people in the states are ****ed up! Haeil Hitler NRA thinkers Kill people
Rich Parents GGF get off your ass and make a difference i do it every day spending money in Colombia

Last edited by tohellnback; 8 Oct 2017 at 05:19. Reason: typing
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  #10  
Old 8 Oct 2017
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Colombian ANDES

oh bye way molly dog we pay Colombian pilots the same wages as Canadian pilots that being said
the Colombian aircrews can afford nice bikes too, good things happen to good people
my 2 pesos
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  #11  
Old 8 Oct 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tohellnback View Post
Molly Perro i consider this a insult I am Canadian
family money no i am just a god dam good worker that represents a Canadian company in Colombia and i ensure that my company makes millions of dollars every time we do a contract I run the maintenance department for a airborne geophysical survey outfit
I make Canadian wages here
1 month wages bought me my 650
In 2014 Canada signed a a free trade agreement with the Colombian government to ensure easier negotiations in business and we also donated 35 million to help the trade agreement
guess what the monetary fund to help Colombia is showing up in my bank account
we Canadians have a smooth way of doing Business What goes around comes around with out totally destroying a place with arms of mass destruction , this is a hint of presidents with no brains in your Country and being a civilized country
you people in the states are ****ed up! Haeil Hitler NRA thinkers Kill people
Rich Parents GGF get off your ass and make a difference i do it every day spending money in Colombia
You were born in Canada?

(BTW, most Americans (and most EURO UK folk too) here on HUBB are not behind our Clown in the Whitehouse and not all support NRA ... I sure as Hell don't.

In fact, few yeas back I called ATF on a guy who was stock piling illegal AK 47's. They got him. He pissed me off as every new years he fired them off right near our house. He did jail time and they took all his guns ... **** the NRA!

Govt. probably sold them off to anti FLN groups in Colombia. Did you know USA has 5 military bases in Colombia? (how many have you landed at?)
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  #12  
Old 9 Oct 2017
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Us military base in colombia

No MD Civies are prohibited to land in airforce bases but there are big battalions in every department in this Colombia 32 departments and many soldiers every where
it depends on the Zone , i live in a red zone where the FARC started, Department HUILA and i have seen many N registered aircraft come and go, the passengers are always dressed in civilian attire but they are officials representing US state Departments and war departments, they keep a low profile they travel to civilian airports to talk with the generals of the Battalions
I always greet the aircrews and passengers with cheers and joy like all airmen do
and joke with them about about Narcos and the shit this place has seen in the past they all get a good laughs wonder what the hell are Canadian aircraft doing here i say surveillance of the ground and whats in it
America has spent countless billions of dollars to supply Colombia with the best technology in the world to try and stop the pipeline of coke to Americas
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  #13  
Old 10 Oct 2017
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Alright, thank you for the comments @xfiltrate, @Peter Podtke and @mollydog.

So I think I will follow your suggestion and try to do a circle. Starting in Santiago/Chile head down to Punta Arenas on the Carretera Austral then up to Buenos Aires and back to Santiago.

What do you think about my planned trip and how long will it takes down to Punta Arenas if i travel very slow?

Cheers
Ingo
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