Roads to Creel
 

Here's my input on the paved route to Creel if you are coming up from Los Mochis. This route is very good , all excellent pavement of Mex 15 to Cd. Obregon , then ditto pavement of Mex 12 to Mex 16 through Yecora and Yepachic to Basaseachic. At Basaseachic you can either stay on Mex 16 till the paved turnoff to Creel or you can take the gravel road shortcut to San Juanito where you will regain the pavement to Creel. This section of gravel road , about 85km, is excellently laid out , all water crossings are with bridges and should be no problem for two up on a laden GS.Otherwise it is all top class pavement and some great mountain curves on Mex 16 . Personally I would be loath to take such a heavy rig ( I have an 1100GS too) on any of the so called short cuts into the interior e.g from Choix , where you will get into some real rough stuff, deep dirt, deep water crossings depending on recent rain. Down to Batopilas is somwewhat rough but possible if you take your time with care- at least there are no deep water crossings.I detest water crossings ,especially since I am a non swimmer and do most of my travels alone, no risk taker on that aspect.

One thing to remember: You must RETURN your temporary vehicle import sticker.

Upon returning to the boarder after a 10 hour ride I was on top of the bridge to cross the Rio Grande after sitting in line for a while in the heat and realized I forgot to visit the Banjercito and return my sticker. No one/sign reminds or asks you to do it, you have to remember yourself. I was so tired I decided to say f'it and do a quick boarder trip the following week. I needed to stock up on Hot Nuts anyway.

If you don't return the sticker (THEY have to peal if off your windshield and you can't do it at the Consulate), you get charged $100-300 USD depending on the year of your bike.

Also, if any of ya'll are going to cross in Texas, use the Colombia crossing that is just north of Nuevo Laredo/Laredo. There is never any traffic, the Banjercito is right next to customs, and there is pretty secure parking.

Hey Dave, there seem to exist different ways in Mexico. When I left to Belize, nobody took off this sticker from my Bike (in fact it is still on) and I got my papers cleaned of the KTM...
So can I expect a fine now the next time I am in MEX?
Rasmus

Planning trip to Mexico
 

I'm new to the HUBB, do I need specical insurance and other special paperwork for Mexico?

Road Dog

If you properly cleared your bike with the Banjercito, then there should be no problems regardless of sticker or not. I'm pretty sure they are the only organization/people who can check your bike out of Mexico.

My understanding regarding fines is that the credit card that you used to "guarantee" you wouldn't sell the bike should be charged $300 after the permit is not checked back at the Banercito.

I just met a person here in Houston who did not check out their bike from a permit from about 7 months ago and he hasn't seen any charges yet. Who knows how well the permits are _actually_ enforced. I'm still waiting to hear back from him to see what the Mexican Consulate says.:confused1:

DAveg

From the US:
1. Passport or Drivers License & Birth Certificate
2. Original title for your bike
3. Credit Card

Photocopies of everything above otherwise you have to pay to make em at the boarder.

Insurance isn't mandatory for motorcycles but is recommended as traffic accidents are criminal, see post #7 on this thread for Mexico Adventures insurance link. I tried to buy insurance for my bike in person at the boarder and couldn't find a single place to get it. If you want it, get it online in advance.

The above 3 things will enable you to get your temporary import permit (see post #7 also for link). You can get it ahead of time or easily at the boarder.

DaveG

Import permit and insurance
 

Just curious Dave , at which border crossing town were you unable to find sellers of Mexico insurance ?
If the bike is not processesd out at Banjercito this will definitely be come obvious the next time you enter and try to bring in the same or another vehicle in your name. It is all registered on their computer file, can't get around it. They will not chase you down in the USA if you leave without cancelling but if you come back after its term has expired you are apt to be fined.

I saw insurance EVERYWHERE. Every single one that I stopped at said they did not write motorcycle policies, just cars/trucks. Basically, I drove from the colombia crossing (north of Nuevo Lardeo, best crossing ever) all the way to the NL boarder downtown and couldn't find it anywhere.

It didn't help that my spanish skills weren't up to the task at the time. Tienes seguros por los motos? :biggrin:

DaVeg

Welcome Dan,
The answer is Yes.
I'm planning my trip to further South and you will need a Motorcycle Liability insurance (at least) since your US insurance will not be valid/accept there and if you are going main land (not Baja only) you will need a Temporary Import that is what this thread is about. Read it from the beginning and you will find great info here as I found. :)
When are you planning to go?

Mexico Insurance
 

Dave , I think you have 'splained why you couldn't find insurance . The way you write it it sounds as if you were already IN Mexico when you started your search. Que Lastima!.
You should be buying it in the USA on the TEXAS side of the border, and I know for a fact you can get liability for motorcycles then. For sure if you are in Laredo and Eagle Pass if you go to the Sanborns Insurance reps at Bravo Insurance Agency. In Laredo easy to find ,right beside I35 as you drive in,2212 Santa Ursula, Exit 1B, in Eagle Pass visit Capitol Insurance Services at 1115 Main St., Also in McAllen at Sanborns Insurance their head office and at other crossings accross the USA and in several cities not actually on the border e.g Tucson.That is just one compny , there are others .

How long until US requires passports to return to US?
 

"From the US:
1. Passport or Drivers License & Birth Certificate
2. Original title for your bike
3. Credit Card"

Dave-

I've heard that shortly, when returning from Mexico, the US will require a passport and not accept a DL & birth cert. Maybe that has already happened?

John

Correct. If I'm reading this page correctly, Jan 1st, 2008, you will need a passport.

Source:
DHS | Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative: The Basics

Fun fun fun. :censored:

daveg

Sjoerd,
Back on the insurance issue, you wrote "liability only for bikes".
The web insurer I'm getting cote offer comprehensive under that $150 with $1000 deductible.
So I'm a bit confuse: Mexico will not accept comprehensive or that was your choice?

insurance
 

It is a matter of which insurance company you deal with and what you think is necessary.
Most of the time I deal through Sanborns Insurance and the companies they write policy for and they and many other writers too will ONLY offer liability insurance for motorcycles,NO comprehensive .Period. They feel it is too much of a risk .
Some other insurance companies will write the comprehensive insurance on motorcycles ..... for a price. As your example from online source shows, you get the comprehensive cover, which seems nice , but there is a deductible of $1000 . Now stand still for a moment and think : any incident you have where you damage the bike , the first $1000 of repairs will come out of your pocket. What do you have to break to do more than $1000 of damage on a robust touring bike like your GS ? If you drop it you bend a bit here or there , break a turnsignal , but not likely $1000 worth. You pay. Next incident, same thing, you pay. The insurance company is counting on this and collects your premium, you are not likely to collect unless you write off the bike in a serious crash, in which case you have greater worries about your own health .That will be covered by your travel insurance policy from your own insurance provider which you should arrange before you leave home.
Personally I have never bought such comprehensive insurance cover for my motorcycles, not for travel in Mexico , not for living in Canada .The money I have not paid for such insurance over the course of 41 years of motorcycling is in the thousands of $ and more than covers any potential damage any bike could suffer. It will easily pay for a brand new big touring bike.Therefor if a bike should burn to a crisp , get broken under a buldozer , or be stolen it will be an emotional loss, but nothing with which I or you could not deal. Normal mechanical failures are not insurable, you pay.
Some times if a bike purchase is paid on installments it is a requirement from the finance company that you have such insurance ,but if the bike is totally yours you have to do the calculation and see if it is worth it for you.
You can pay the $150 fee for the extra cover included or you can pay $73 at the border insurance agent and take the calculated risk as your own.Save $50 on this trip and every trip and you soon have the deductible. Do it everytime and over the years you save more than enough to pay for a new bike. And the bike you are riding is not new , so not worth as much so you can recover the cost much quicker.
Drive defensively, alert , adhere to speed limits, do not drive at night, no racing ,bla,bla,bla... and it is very unlikely you will ever have an accident.
Even if you do have an accident involving another vehicle and it is not your fault ...and the other party is insured then you can claim your damage repairs against the other person's insurance companyThis is certainly the case in Canada and the USA,I found out the painful way 6 years ago.My Honda XL600R was ruined 2km from home , their insurance paid for it, but I got off lucky with scrapes and bruises .

WHAT !!??

You mean each border crossind (with insurance and temp.import permit) cost arond 150 $$$....??? so ....if I do pan america... to south america..both ways....crossing more than 10 contries, 2 times it will cost me 150*10*2 = 3000 $$ :( just for that ??

:funmeterno:
FranK