ok so... I bought a bike from a friend. It is US registered and only now after we took it to Uruguay from argentina to transfer the import docs did i find out that this is almost impossible legally... I took the bike back today and got held up in customs because the title is not in my name even though we signed all the transfer details to my name. They require original title documents with my name. They were going to detain the bike but after some sweet talking they are sending me on the ferry back to colonia. Hope i can get back in there again.. Currently waiting in customs for next boat.

So my plan is to photoshop the title into my name and cross a land border up north. Maybe paysandu or salto: i know this is illegal. So please spare me the repremand.

What im asking: which border offers me the best chance / least scrutiny. Paysandu or Salto?

Peace and thanks!

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I'd go farther north. Further away from major populations. Other then that...

Make sure that title looks exactly the same, every single one of the documents you need is in good order, walk in like you know what you are doing, and......

When you find out how it goes, let us all know!

--Alex

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NJ, NR, NBTTN

Hello Andrew,

I guess by now you have entered Uruguay, stay calm and dont rush to the next border. Take a hotel room and drink a .

Sorry I can not tell you which border crossing is better to go back to Argentina, as I crossed in 2003 and things will have changed.

Before you start anything with photoshop think for a moment. How are you going to print the document out? A cheap colour printer print out always looks fake.

You dont need a title to cross a border, you only need a rego document. But of course this has to be in your name and it has to look genuine to any South American border guard or police man.

Best is, to have a document that shows that the bike is from your home country - this is the easiest for anyone to believe. Why would you have a bike from the US if your passport shows you are an Ozzy?

Dont forget the number plate, you cant have a Oz rego and a US numberplate. So maybe you have to get a numberplate made as well - or make one yourself.

You have entered Uruguay now, and you have an import document for your bike (or not/), your bikes details will be on there, so you cant change e.g. the number on the plate.

Take your time, think things thru, but the document you show the next time you enter Argentina has to be convincing and need a good answer for every question the border guard could have. a good answer is: this is the only document we have in Australia, sorry I cant show you anything else for the bike.

In 2002 we spend three days in Internet cafes, copy shops and number plate shops to change our bike documents to leave Argentina. But i dont know how much they changed the process, or advanced the computer system is now.

It will work, no worries.

I am near you in Brazil, but I wont be in BsAs before the end of January.

Enjoy your trip. This is part of it and it is a learning process as well.

Mika

if you make a copy, best thing I would do is laminate it.
Adventurous greetings,
Coen

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- On the road since 2003 in a vintage Land Cruiser

Changes in ownership, therefore registration, need to be completed in no-man's land (between border posts) so that you can present your completed documents at whatever country you will enter. This means new-looking documents, not a title which has been signed over to you. You'd have trouble trying to travel with such a document back in the USA, and you'll find it impossible to cross borders almost anywhere you go.

How you accomplish this is up to you. Ignore the title--you'll use it if you ever get back to the USA to do the transfer for real; focus on the registration, which is what you need in order to cross borders. If you didn't get a registration with the bike, find your "friend" and work it out.

Don't worry about matching the registration to your home country. Lots of people buy bikes in the USA and ride them all over. Ignore this part of the advice above, and just insure that everything looks real, all the numbers and names match, and you've got sufficient watermarks, seals, signatures, stamps and other confusing stuff to convince the average border guard. And yes: laminate the new document so that it can't be examined too closely, and proceed with calm, self-assured confidence.

Hope that helps.

Mark

Hi Andrew,

Mark (above) always gives solid advice on the Hubb and I agree with what he says. Personally I wouldn't sweat too much about the laminating, however one response did suggest that you stop for a drink and relax... good advice... and consider where you can get a quality colour copy of a photoshopped document from. This to I concur with since the a poor colour copy will stand out. I have met two bikers traveling with "photoshopped" title documents so don't sweat too much about being a little deceitful. I would add that all my documents, with the exception of my passport, are colour copies or laminated, none of them are genuine and they have got my through every police check and border crossing in the last two years. (My genuine documents are tucked safely away on the bike)

I think you have enough good advice from all the responses above. Remember though that if you cross the land border from Uruguay to Argentina to read the advice on this message board about corrupt police on Ruta 14 in Argentina:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...uta-14-a-34847

Traveling with a fake travel document wont be the issue, there are just plenty of police checkpoints along that road and I got stopped twice by over zealous cops trying their best to extort money from me. No bribes paid :-)

Good luck and enjoy a cold while you get on top of your situation.

Regards

Graham

ok so documents ready. (turned out very nice). Title is in my name and so is registration document.

My story is ready.

Frey bentos here i come.

Fingers crossed

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http://www.andrewmclagan.com

oh also as a note i was very lucky getting back in on the uruguay side. It was late and they guy asked for the title. So i stuffed around as long as i could. He got frustrated. I gave it to him then as he wrote out the plates i grabbed it back off his desk before he read the title holder.. And he said nothing then handed over the import doc

so i also now have a valid imp doc dor uruguay to show the aduana in argentina

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What Happened?

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NJ, NR, NBTTN

ok people so good news and.......... Bad news.

I spent a good two days thinking it over in colonia and cooling my heals. On the advice of every one here. Also by pure chance met another HUBBer at the same hostel who bought a KLR i was llooking to buy. He also had forged documents and was about to pass at frey bentos.

During the two days i spent allot of time in photoshop with the title (i have allot of exp with photoshop on a professional basis) and also the registration and iother documents. All in all they turned out really good. I laminated them and gave them an old look by putting a few folds and creases in them after lamination.

The next morning made my way to the aduana at bentos and walked in with the most disarming smile i could muster. They looked over the documents pretty heavily and asked a few questions, but mostly just joked around with me. So.... The verdit was i got through with no problems at all.

The bad news.... About two hours past bentos and an hour past gualewhachu on ruta 14 ithe bike stalled and would not start again umtill i waited for 10 to 15mins when it ?cooled? then 10 kilometers later the same eventually i gave it up and just sat in nomans land and watched the sun set. Then a police car seemingly apperated out of the thick air and two policemen where standing there. With my limited spanish they understood the situation, called a friend with a utility to take me back to gualewhachu and waitwd with me for over an hour. During this hour we chatted about my plans for heading north through south america. They told me over and over i was loco, but with huge smi es on their faces. Then they wanted my facebook details...and email... Now im facebook friends with two of the dreaded ruta 14 polici.

And still stuck in this town waiting for a very busy mechanic to look at it. Im guessing its carby or electrical. Although some friendly young people around my own age have adopted me so good times roll. Still hope to be in el bolson on christmas.

...

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