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Your advice on where to start from......SANTIAGO or BA? Your advice on where to start from......SANTIAGO or BA?
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Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 28 Feb 2011
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Your advice on where to start from......SANTIAGO or BA?
Guys,
Will be booking my flights in the next few weeks. I am still unsure as to where to fly to?

I will be buying a bike in my initial destination and intend to ride to USHUIUA then north, maybe even to USA. Where do you reccommend flying to? I want the easiest place to buy and register bke for border crossing.

I believe after much reading I should fly to SAN, but appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks

David
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Old 28 Feb 2011
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Read consistently that Chile is the easiest place to take care of the formalities but no personal experience unfortunately.

I also understand that bikes are quite expensive in SA. Why have you decided to buy and not ship? Interested to hear because I am planning and have just received a number of shipping quotes. One way from Hamburg to Valparaiso by boat should set me back around EUR 900-1000 including all taxes and customs fees.
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Old 28 Feb 2011
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Buy in Santiago
Yes, it is easier to buy in Santiago than BA.

And Groot is right, bikes are quite expensive here.

Depending on what you want you will pay a lot more than 1000 Euros extra for it.

For example my used R1100 GS that I paid $12,000 for about 5 years ago in Santiago I could of bought in Canada at that time for about $7,800.

But here it is still worth $10,000 while in Canada maybe $5 or 6,000.

So they are more expensive but if well maintained hold their value.
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Old 28 Feb 2011
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where to buy
Hi Guys,
thanks for the replies.

The reason im looking at buying is beacuse I dont OWN a bike. Crazy you might say i know! had experience on bikes but nothing to what im planning to do.

If and when I buy a bike, its not going to be the offroad/touring type. Ill b looking st something more like a 600 hornet etc.

Thinking about it. I could get myself an older 650 offroad type and ship it over. Would that work out cheaper?

My problem is I dont know what the right answer is!! Is it easier to cross borders with a bike i have purchased in the UK?
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Old 28 Feb 2011
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Of course, you realize a Hornet or similar would be a completely unsuitable bike for the trip you described?

Advantage to buying and shipping is also that you get a chance to test it, prep it adequately and get used to the bike before being in unknown territory.

And it is a little easier to cross borders than with a local registered bike, though this is not a show stopper.

You might want to check prices on Emol.com El sitio de noticias online de Chile (look for Auto classifieds and search motos) and on Portal de Motos - Ventas de Motos - Foro - Clubes - Actualidad y Noticias

If you do buy in England just remember that they drive on the right hand side of the road here in SA, and you will be bringing a left hand drive motorcycle.
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Old 28 Feb 2011
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Had to make the same choice and for the wallet Santiago would have been way better. I'm from Aussie, so shipping would heaps easier and less flights as well. But the romantic side of me took over and am still glad it did. BA is a heaps nicer city for a city break.
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Old 1 Mar 2011
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[quote=Dmwbmw;326242]Of course, you realize a Hornet or similar would be a completely unsuitable bike for the trip you described?

quote]

I am aware of that, hence why I have not considered this option. However, if in the long run it is far easier, maybe I should consider. I guess I could buy a bike in the UK for the trips purpose and have it sent over. I could get my hands on a suitable bike for about £1k.

It wouldnt be much use to me when i am done tbh. I huess I could sell it on to another UK traveller?

I will now think about this option i think. How much we talking for flying a bike across? About a 1k?
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