Dear friends,

First, I would like to provide the community with an information. To register a bike in Mongolia, you need a visa of at least 3 months... so not tourism, from what I have gathered so far...
The source of the information is a travel agent inquiring for me (Cheke Tours).


So my problem is that i cannot have the bike registered under my name, I can only have someone I (have to) trust be on the registration document and write a letter stating i can go abroad with the bike.

After searching a lot I gathered very few accounts of people riding bikes not registered under their names.

At the moment I live in South Korea. My plan is to
1. go to Mongolia and buy a Mustang 200cc (chinese making) in UB.
2. have a third person (mongolian citizen/resident) register it under her name (like a mongolian travel agent, who would be ready to do it for a fee)
3. that third person would draft a letter authorizing me to drive the bike wherever I want.
4. have this authorization certified by a notary.
5. drive the bike home from Mongolia to France through Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizistan, Tadjikistan, Ouzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, European Union.


problem 1.
The most important problem is border crossing.
I've read on a few places it's okay to drive someone else's motorbike through borders. But in a number of countries you have to do temporary import documents. so my biggest concern is, for the country where i have to do the temporary import document, if the letter gives me the power to sign those papers, not being on the registration document??

I checked for Russia customs for example and they say you need:
"documents, certifying the right of possession, use and (or) disposal of the vehicle for private use;"
which i suppose involves being on the registration document?

(Federal Customs Service of Russia - The procedure of temporary importation of vehicles by foreign persons)

Theoritically, in France at least, the registration document is not the ownership document. The ownership document being the invoice from the previous owner. But I think many people confuse both and in practice I guess the registration document is regarded as the ownership document.

Moreover it may be confusing and contradictory if i tell the custom guy
1. here is a letter from the owner saying i can use the bike where i want.
2. here is the invoice from the person on the registration document saying she sold me the bike so it is really mine ----> answer of the custom guy: so why isnt it registered at you name? and bla bla bla...

so i dunno if i can go through...

Problem 2.
Insurance. intuitively i think it won't be too much of a problem, if I buy the insurances at every border? What do you think??
(i know it is not possible to get the motorcycle express kinda insurance if you are not on the registration paper...)
maybe for Europe it could be a problem??

So my questions are:
1. any report of going through Russia with original registration document and letter from the person on the registration document??
2. if not, as you guys are more experienced than me, to how many % would you rate the chances of being able to go through the borders (being able to get the temporary import documents and buying insurances)?? bribery may help in that kind of case??

Your help/advice is very much appreciated, im on a very short budget so i dont know if i should incur the cost of going to mongolia and buying a bike for nothing

Thank you very much

Jack


ps: my other plan would be to buy a hyosung rx125cc seocnd hand for a similar cost in Korea (where i have residence so i can have it registered), take the ferry to Vladivostok with it and then drive it all the way to UB.
BUt the issue is that it will be hard to repair that kind of bike and find spare parts on the way. It will add 4000 of not fun kilometers (which will cost me additionnal $) and travel (1 week I guess?)...

Hi Jack,

Did you ever get any answers to these questions in your research? What did you end up doing?

I'm in the exact same boat. Planning a trip to Mongolia in June, 2014, and wanting to buy a cheap bike there to ride to Europe. Please let me know what you've found!

Thanks,
Elisa
elisarw@gmail.com
TravelBugBlues.wordpress.com

Yeah Im interested in Mongolia to the 'Stans via Russia in mid 2014. Interested in hearing how you went.