My boyfriend and I are planning a loop around the whole continent of South America for 8 to 12 months. We would like to buy our bike down there though and not have to ship one from North America. We are flying into Columbia and travelling West. If anyone has done this before or has any information it would be greatly appreciated,
Cheers, Becky

GLOBAL SUZUKI>>>GLOBAL LINKS

There's a list of contacts for dealers in Colombia.

When are you planning on leaving for SA. My wife and I are going to try to fly our bike (R1150GSA) to Santiago in late Oct. or early Nov. Probably stay 2 months and try to ship the bike back from Tierra del Fuego or somewhere near by. We may have to ride all the way to Buenos Aires but oh well. Let us know when you will be down in that area.

Mike B.

Hi Becky. I currently have an '89 GS parked in Medellin, Co. and was planning on returning and dealing with it in early Nov., possibly selling it. It's an excellent travell bike, perfect for two-up. Includes strong aluminum bags and some spares. If your interested, please PM me and we'll talk. You can also check my profile and send me an e-mail. You can see the bike here: http://web.mac.com/adventman/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-brother-23098

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How much does a man live, after all?
Does he live a thousand days, or one only?
For a week, or several centuries?
How long does a man spend dying?
What does it mean to say “forever”? - Pablo Neruda

Becky, I posted this under Buy/Sell and reproduce it here for you all. I hope it helps.

Buying a NEW bike in Buenos Aires, touring Argentina, and then selling the bike in Buenos Aires is time consuming, but easy, if you do the following.
1. Rent a place to live for a couple of weeks or more and as soon as possible after you move in, go to the district police station for your street address and politely request a "Domicilio." You will be directed by the guard at the entrance to the right person. Be sure to bring your passport and the exact address of the place you just rented, and ten pesos (about $3.33 US). Some police stations ask for more, but the receipt stamp that will be glued to the "Domicilio" is for ten pesos. You probably know already to carry a little extra cash just in case.
2. You will be told a police officer will visit you at home in the next day or two excluding holidays, protests, revolutions or crime waves. This could take upwards of a week. You must be at home when the officer visits to verify that you really live where you say you do. Sometimes a very attractive policette is sent on these types of missions. I am still dreaming about her to this day. Anyway it is a little incentive for having to hang at home, at least 8 to 6PM or so. If you are at home, you will be pleasantly surprized to be handed your "Domicilio".
3. Take your passport and your Domicilio to the AFIP pronounced "afeep" office near downtown more or less - the Dealer where you are buying your New bike will be happy to direct you to the AFIP office, once you have your domicilio.
3. Be prepared for a wait of half a day, at least, unless you are lucky. At the entrance explain you need a CLAVE DE IDENTIFICACION, which is a tax ID number, and will enable you to buy a new -0 kilometers- motorcycle. I forget what the fee is for this, but as I recall it is not very expensive.
4. You will need these documents so your dealer can sell you a motorcycle new. He/she will take care of registering your motorcycle, getting plates and directing you to a reputable insurance agent for purchase of basic liability coverage as required by law. Forget about any coverage protecting your new bike from theft, as it costs almost as much as the bike. Good news, unlike the United States as long as you own your bike you do not have to renew the plates every year. Plates are renewed by the new owner if you sell your bike.
5. I live in Buenos Aires and purchased my NX400 Honda Falcon here, and would be pleased to direct you to reputable motorcycle dealers and to assist you through the process of buying a new bike. I also suggest selling the bike back to the dealer you bought it from, especially if it is still under warrenty
Buying a used bike in Buenos Aires is possible, but very, very risky in many, many ways. Please contact me if I can help. xfiltrate

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Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.xfiltrate.com
Discover how to legally Buy, Tour and Sell a motorcycle in Argentina

Pactric, thanks for supporting my post regarding buying a new bike in Buenos Aires. I will do my very best to provide you and other HUBB readers any information I have regarding the buying/selling of used bikes in Buenos Aires. First, a historic fact that should be heeded by all overlanders passing through Buenos Aires.

The issue of buying, selling a used bike in Buenos Aires has become "complicado" very complicated, with the advent of a small group of "motochorros." The police pages every other day, and several times a month the front page of El Clarin and La Nacion, (BA's best selling dailly newspapers), are headlined with the daring, dangerous, deadly doings of the "motochorros," who operate throughout the city and surrounding provinces.

The crimes of the "motocharros" range from petty purse/computer snatching from pedestians to car jacking and numerous murders, inluding the murder of many police officers. The population here is outraged at the "motocharros" who have been terrorizing the city from their motorcycles. As a result, public and political pressure have caused the police to set up unannounced road blocks on city streets. In a futile effort to stop the "motochorros" police at these heavily armed road blocks, stop only motorcyles and check the documents of the riders and then very carefully check the documents and VIN numbers of the motorcycles. New bike owners are seldom detained at all...And, it has been reported in the press that all "motochorros" who have been arrested during commission of crimes, have had legally purchased bikes with proper documentation, this has not stopped the police from arresting hundreds of innocent riders and collecting thousands, yes thousands, of non-motochorro bikes stopped at these road blocks due to absence of or "illegal" documents.

Given the activities of the "motochorros" there is very little public and legal support for those who have been illegally detained and have lost their bikes to the police.

Police warehouses here are overflowing with motorcycles. Even if the police had made a mistake and your documents are legal, you might be out of jail in a month or two, but getting your motorcycle back, if at all, will take many more months. I sometime wonder what the police will do/are doing with all these bikes?

if anyone is still interested in buying or selling a second hand bike and second hand documents in Buenos Aires, I will advise how to do it, but with appropriate disclaimers.

Hope this helped, let me know if you want more. I have been working on a plan myself to help police stop the "motochorros" and would appreciate any suggestions from the HUBB. xfiltrate.

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Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.xfiltrate.com
Discover how to legally Buy, Tour and Sell a motorcycle in Argentina

Hi all
Like 3 years a go I was posting some info about buy & sale in Argentina, Ed or Xfiltrate now made a very detail explanation about all the complicate paperwork to register and has legal the a bike in Argentina but I need to warm all of you. The situation to take it out from Arg. remains the same…
If a traveller buy a bike in Argentina aren’t allow to cross any border (the bike) until one year in his name.
We found now than its for people who has a 3 mouths tourist visa, if you has a permanent or a temporary one (work) its different but you need to prove and explain to all borders officers every time because even they doesn’t know.
The old post: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ight=argentina

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Javier...
Dakar Motos “ ”

Motochorros?...
Come on Ed!!! Stop to see the world by the CNN, Nuevediario & Cronica TV…
This type of crimes exist from I remember. Transalps and XRs was the favorites bikes for those crimes but now after the 2001 crisis they use what they find. The Media create that names like “Secuestro Express” or “Robo Express” or “Boqueteros” or dozens more.
Then the Police need to give an answer to what the Media are asking, its no more hassle than show your papers when the police stop you as in anywhere on the world.
If they kidnap thousands bikes are because it isn’t riding with all papers in order or riding with out helmet.
Around 200 Moto-Travellers visit BA last season and no one comment big hassles about police controls in BA or surroundings.
Even in Entre Rios looks than they are calming down (see the old post about Police in ER and Ruta 14)

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Javier...
Dakar Motos “ ”

Javier (javkap), thank you for your comments. If you will re read previous posts this thread you will discover I responding to the very specific issue of a foreigner buying a bike in Buenos Aires. No one has yet asked me to describe the proper procedure for a foreigner to legally purchase a bike in Buenos Aires. Nor has anyone asked about crossing the border into a "limitrophos" country as a foreigner riding a used bike purchased in Argentina. I have survied the aduana, Boquebus and other officials and I have the law regarding "temporary EXPORT permits" for bikes registered in Argentina by foreigners.

Patrick is correct, bikes, loaded with gear and foreign plates are treated with respect by the police and generally given the benefit of doubt. But contrast that against a foreigner, who has purchased a bike of unknown origin and history from someone in Buenos Aires, This bike will attract attention of the police for most likely it will still be registered in the previous owners name, and this becomes a big problem at the still existing road blocks.

Like you, Javier, I live in Buenos Aires, y yo hablo espanol tambien. No me gusta quando vos, contesteme en una manera tan feo. Favor, vamos a discutir estas cosas en una manera civil.

Yes Javier, you are also correct that the bikes police take are taken because of not having proper registration etc. That was exactly my point, when responding to Patric. That, buying a used bike in Buenos Aires, with questionable documents could be trouble. As for the motochorros, I did not learn of them via CNN, I learned of them on the streets. And, I have been stopped at several road blocks.

Now that it is clear regarding the question to which I was responding I would appreciate any other comments related to my response to that question.

One more point, there are thousands of bikes stored in police warehouses here. That is fact. There are very few if any, that have foreign plates with proper documentation and very few if any that have the appropriate Argentine documentation.

Once again, I was responding only to the question of a foreigner buying a used bike in Argentina and what some of the risks could be. And, I am correct in what I wrote in this regard.

Patrick, we have ACA here, I am working with them. That is the Argentine Automobile Club and they are connected to FITAC (International Federation of Automobile Clubs) which gets its funding from the well known..FIA in Europe. There is no big motorcycle association here, that I know of, although Javier might have more data on this and I will ask him when we get together for mate. (typical Argentine drink among friends). Will keep you posted on any progress.

__________________
Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.xfiltrate.com
Discover how to legally Buy, Tour and Sell a motorcycle in Argentina

Thanks everyone so much for all the advice, that really helps us out and gives me some hope.
Mr. Ron, no worries...We fly into Columbia Nov 15 and would like to start our trip from there, not have to get all the way down to Argentina to buy a bike. (Although all that information was good to know) Unfortunately I"m new to this site and apparently have to have posted 8 quotes until I'm allowed to PM anyone. but I am very interested in you're bike if you dont' mind PMing me some more info on it...where it's registered from? were you guys hoping to sell it down there or would you have to bring it back up into N America?
You're pictures are amazing by the way.
Thanks, Becky