Panama to Colombia Shipping
 

First of all, I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this. Im new to the website and would love some tips. I am leaving for the Baja next week and am looking to ship from Panama to Columbia in the coming months. I predict it will be early/mid August but I am very flexible. It seems that the stahlyritte is the best option but am looking for someone to share shipping costs with or even just some advice.

Cheers
Simon

I would read up on the situation in Nicaragua, and think about what you will do if it doesn't improve by August.

Shipping
 

Check out the Stalhrate ( it's a sailboat that goes from Panama city to Cartagena ) runs from April to Nov. about $1200 US. Also COPA airlines very easy. Go to the A/P in Panama city, find the shipping building for COPA air ask when you can get your bike to Bogata. About $1500 US for you & your bike. You don't have to crate it, disconnect the battery & drain most of the gas. You'll probably fly with the bike.

Thanks Andy, definitely been reading up in the news and will consider everything before entering.
Cheers,
Simon

Solid information RNS, the RORO shipping looks interesting too but would require other people. Guess thats why I'm on here!

Hi Simon, I posted a detailed account of our experience in using the Stahlratte on our blog here Bike Shipping Archives - Two Brits and a Triumph Tiger 800 Round The World

I also posted details on border crossings, costs etc that you may find useful. It's easy to find on the blog.

Saludos
Steve
Tiger 800 RTW - Two Brits and a Triumph Tiger 800 Round The World

Incredible blog mate, the donkey story is obscene hahaha. I’ll admit I am a little turned off from sailing due to the price tag but reading through that is starting to change my mind,

Simon

Just chiming in to +1 the Stahlratte. Just done the crossing with them and it was a wonderful experience - it's a long time since I've been so well fed or enjoyed myself so much. It was well worth the $ premium over container shipping the bike and flying yourself (and these dollars would likely soon disappear as you sit around bikeless waiting for the container).

Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk

Shipping
 

Simon,

I did Panama to Colombia in a container last year and it worked just just fine. Boris Jaramillo is the man to talk to in Colon. His email is boris_jaramillo@hotmail.com. I pretty much lucked my way into the whole thing. I met an American and a Kiwi biker at the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border, who already had the situation sorted, but needed one more bike to split up the cost. I wish I could help you on the cost, but there were at least 7 vehicles in our group, so things got very complicated and convoluted. Boris can give you all of the details on pricing. There are two different size containers you can use, and each one has a fixed price. How you split it up is up to you. Keep in mind as well, that when we shipped there was an extra $100 per vehicle documentation fee. The process was quite involved, and took about a week, all told. I can give you more info on that if you are interested. Cheers and good roads!

Are their any cheaper options to ship over a KLR650? I am also considering going down to south america from the US, but @ $1500 it would be more than half of what I paid for the bike itself.

Also is there an option to sell your bike in South America, or are you obligated to ship it back out?

If you can get together with a few other bikers, or four wheelers, the container option can be cheaper. Contact Boris Jaramillo (boris_jaramillo@hotmail.com) in Panama for the details.

As for selling your bike in Central/South America, the temporary import permit you get for the bike at the border prohibits it. It at least requires you to pay import duties on the sale, which can make it prohibitive. I know some guys sell their bikes black market, and disregard the import duties, but it may cause you problems if you want to return to that country. That being said, from my experience, government bureaucracies in Latin America don't seem to be that organized, so you might just fall through the cracks. And if you never intend to return, no worries.

Thanks for the tip, I'll put Boris on my contact list. I have read that its quite common for people to sell their bikes on the "black market", or in between borders or something like that.

Has anyone heard any stories from their "friends" which countries in SA have the highest demand for 09 KLR650, and how much one could expect to recoup from it down there?

Thanks all!