Bike Storage/Registration in Chile
 

Will be traveling US to Chile by ground(KLR650). Fly from Panama to Quito. Found good info on that part. Thanks. Want to store bike in Chile legally without registering there or importing there. Want to keep there for 3-4 years and return for 30 day vacations there annually. Anyone had experience in doing so?
Will a Carnet do the trick?

The maximum duration to keep a foreign motorbike in Chile is 6 month, it can be extended for 2 more month. Thats it.
You should contact the local customs authorities how your plan can be solved. The chilenian embassy told me, that the bike will be confiscated and auctioned when the time limit is exceeded. Chile is not a good country to store a bike illegally, there is a strict law enforcement system. A swiss biker was jailed on arrival last year because there were some problems with his customs declarations for his bike when he entered Northern Chile and left southern chile on a different journey several years ago.
Werner

Hi Arlen,
Forget leaving your foreign-registered bike in Chile. It is very easy to import a bike temporarily, but your passport number will be tagged -in the Immigration/Aduanas computer- immediately as "ingresa con vehiculo" (entered with a vehicle). You will not be allowed to leave the country by any form of conveyance without the vehicle you came in. There is very little Third Worldish about Chile, which really puts a damper on creative paperwork. Argentina is a LITTLE more lax. You might try keeping your bike in that country. Email me for details. I'll be in Chile later this year. Keep in touch.
Frank

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This is post is a little old, but am now thinking of leaving my bike in Argentina for 4 months while I go to the UK.

Have just put in an application with the aduana to extend the temporary import papers, so will be fine in that respect.

Can anyone shed any light on what (if any) hassles I may encounter, either leaving Argentina by plane, or explaining my departure/return to the aduana.

Thanks
Toby

I guess I can't offer info in what will happen when you leave(or try to leave) without the bike. I have limited vacation time and wasn't willing to deal with the "unknowns" of leaving a bike behind, so I bought a KLR in Chile and keep it registered in my name there. Hope all works out for you. It would be interesting to see a posting from you on your experiences of leaving the bike.
Arlen in Minnesota.....

Erm. I chickened out. The bike went on boat to England this afternoon.

A year in Latin America has killed my nerves. Let's hope the english customs don't give me a hard time http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif