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**scooper** · #1 19 Apr 2012

In which country .....Colombia, Venezuela or Ecuador, can I leave my bike the longest and leave by plane back home for 2 or 3 months, without getting in problems with bike paperwork or passport issues?

**joca1000** · #2 20 Apr 2012

I am almost sure that you can leave your bike in Colombia for 3 months. Contact Mike in motolombia, great guy, he has safe storage and well known in the adventure club in south america. I think he has a new shop in Medelin, but mainly in Cali.

Good luck

**oldguy** · #3 27 Apr 2012

I left my bike in Equador legally for 3 months last year (and illegally for another 6). Exited to Peru this year without problem. I can give you the name of a small bike shop in Cuenca that is a good place to leave your ride if you want.

**MyOwnWay** · #4 1 May 2012

I think it is always a good idea to leave a country without pending fines or any future restrictions, unless you know for sure you wouldn´t be back to the country you´re leaving at least on a vehicle. I don´t know for sure whether you or the future "illegal vehicle" owner would have to pay or be restricted somehow when willing to return and do some more travelling.
Also, I think sometimes you are lucky or not at all when it comes to police checks. Personally I am part of the unlucky ones and had been stopped many times in Latin America, and particularly in Colombia and Ecuador (where I am from). Luckily I have always had paperwork in good order so no hassles for me. Except once, when I voluntarily went to ecuadorian customs to hand may bike permit back to them and I had exceeded about 8 hours of the 90 days allowed and I had to pay 300 usd, whithout which it wouldn´t have been possible for me to get another permit when returning from Perú.

**ClaudeNfat** · #5 1 May 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by MyOwnWay

I think it is always a good idea to leave a country without pending fines or any future restrictions, unless you know for sure you wouldn´t be back to the country you´re leaving at least on a vehicle. I don´t know for sure whether you or the future "illegal vehicle" owner would have to pay or be restricted somehow when willing to return and do some more travelling.
Also, I think sometimes you are lucky or not at all when it comes to police checks. Personally I am part of the unlucky ones and had been stopped many times in Latin America, and particularly in Colombia and Ecuador (where I am from). Luckily I have always had paperwork in good order so no hassles for me. Except once, when I voluntarily went to ecuadorian customs to hand may bike permit back to them and I had exceeded about 8 hours of the 90 days allowed and I had to pay 300 usd, whithout which it wouldn´t have been possible for me to get another permit when returning from Perú.

+1 on that one. I heard 2 stories last year of guys with problems with expired permits. That is why I recommend leaving your bike "straddling" a border, exiting one and not entering the other. Places I know are Paraguachon on the border with Colombia and Venezuela and Santa Elena de Uairén, between Venezuela and Brazil. I left in a previous post all the data on Chachi's parking for vehicles in Paraguachon, she is a Wayuu women and the parking is her business. Have been using her services a number of times for periods of a few weeks to a few months.