Help wanted: Anyone flying to Chile in the next week or so?
 

My shock broke on the Carretera Austral. It's not possible to fix it, and it's impossible to find a replacement in south america.

I'm due to fly back to Europe from Buenos Aires in February, so waiting a month for a new shock to be delivered and clear customs isn't really an option.

If anyone here is flying to Chile in the next week or two and would be so kind, I could order a shock to their address and collect it from them at the airport.

Thanks in advance.

Carl

I just did a lot of reading on taking shocks in checked luggage because I need to get a set down here (Bolivia). They can get confiscated even if they don't have a gas chamber. At least one airline (United I think but not sure) specifically lists shock absorbers of any kind as hazardous and not permitted in checked or carryon. I finally decided to just freight them here.

Just a heads up . . .

My shock broke on the Carretera Austral. It's not possible to fix it, and it's impossible to find a replacement in south america.


Hummm?
what bike model year??

Look up Gonzalo in Punta Arenas, if you can get the shock(or bike) to him then a fix should be possible.

He sorted us out in 2011, HU Traveller Two Pegs to Patagonia's Ride Tale , took him 9 days. But cheaper and quicker than shipping a new/used shock in.

I bet its BMW. Something importend broken just sounds like it ;-)
Lucky there is BMW in Santiago. Unfortunately their professional website does not provide the exact adress

***
You may withdraw your consent at any time: by telephoning <Telefon>, daily from 8.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m. (<Telefonkosten>), or by e-mail to <kundenbetreuung@bmw.LAND>
***

but may be you can contact them here and ask if they can import the parts through customs for you:
https://hbk.bmw-motorrad.com/lam/chi...ontact_ssl.jsp

Not using local bikes but shiping parts around the world, customs is usuarly the main problem and can otherwise take a few months.

Leaving Adelaide Australia. Arrive Santiago 17th Jan. Crating my bike next week.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

It's a BMW G650x country which is rare enough in Europe hence the difficulty.

The shock was worked on by Firefox Racing in the UK and has plagued us since the start of the trip.

On the Austral it snapped I two just below the rebount adjuster. Precously on Ruta 40 it snapped at the rose joint.

Being aluminium I can't easily get it welded especially now that the bottom part is so badly damaged.

Might be able to order a wilbers here in Chile but still waiting to find out.

Have you tried the BMW dealer in Santiago ?
Here in Guatemala the 650x-country was sold , so may be in Chile as well .

A shock is just that, can't another be adapted....perhaps adapting the dogbones to suit?

The xCountry shock bolts directly to the swing arm. No linages involved.

In theory you could use any shock with a rose/heim joint that is a similar length and with the same diameter eyelets but the trial and error would be more costly and more time consuming than just getting a proper one for the bike. Other than those twin shocks for cheap Chinese bikes, the shops don't have any laying around to test with.

I've had some help from Chilean in Santiago who's been phoning round, but the conclusion was the only option was to import.

Seems the Wilbers distributor can get one within two weeks for a reasonable price, so that's the best option. I'll know more tomorrow.

Hey Carl. Ross here. Hope the two weeks option works out. There's some great hiking around there but if you want to volunteer for a while at a beautiful farm outside Puerto Montt to keep busy I can maybe put you in touch with a guy who has a place who, as far as know, always welcomes a bit of help.

That's a shitty situation, you seem to have had nothing but issues with that shock.

Just as a head's up. I ordered a larger petrol tank for my CRF from the United states, it got to Chile very fast but has now been in Customs Clearance / Aduana for 8 days and it's not looking like it will change soon...

Well thats something people here write about all the time thats also why so many people simply buy a local bike to not waste time and money shiping bikes around the globe. For local bikes you get all the spare parts around the corner if needet. May be buying a local bike and shiping the broken BMW home is the best and fastest solution to continue your trip just as they did at "long way round"...

This post sounds like a good offer; why is it not the solution to the original question?
The importation of a replacement spare shocker absorber would be covered within the importation of a whole bike.

No and specialy not if you import it seperaty. A friend payed 200% of the price tax to import a spare tire to Egypt. Customs is allways the biggest problem but the good thing in South America: You can buy local bikes easily and get all the parts for them everywere :-)