Should I be worried moto trip?/Kawasaki dealer Colombia

JGD (☼Travelguide writer) says on Apr 30, 2009, 07:46:

Auteco is the Kawasaki maker in COL.

http://www.auteco.com.co/newsite/index.php?option=com_productos&task=p...

Scroll down and you`ll find where to look for dealers in every city

You are worried the US is going to invade and take the Venezuelan oil?... you are selling everything to them !!Peruvian Pres. Alan Garcia to Chavez

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webmanco says on Apr 30, 2009, 07:48:

http://auteco.com.co/newsite/index.php?option=com_marcas&mid=7

No hay extremo cierto o verdadero, porque los extremos opacan, enruedan, (lavan cerebros) verdades. Yotas

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JGD (☼Travelguide writer) says on Apr 30, 2009, 07:53:

I`m drooling over the Vulcan 2000 ...

http://www.auteco.com.co/newsite/index.php?option=com_productos&task=p...



[IMG]http://i38.tinypic.com/p29sg.jpg[/IMG]

You are worried the US is going to invade and take the Venezuelan oil?... you are selling everything to them !!Peruvian Pres. Alan Garcia to Chavez

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marlydog1812 says on Apr 30, 2009, 07:55:

Wow u guys are fast!!!!!

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JGD (☼Travelguide writer) says on Apr 30, 2009, 07:57:

webmanco says on Apr 30, 2009, 08:00:

Vulcan 2000
$48'086.620

No hay extremo cierto o verdadero, porque los extremos opacan, enruedan, (lavan cerebros) verdades. Yotas

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JGD (☼Travelguide writer) says on Apr 30, 2009, 08:05:

marlydog1812 says on Apr 30, 2009, 08:08:

Jorge u bastard I now want a Vulcan too!!!
Wow I open the page and poof there is the KLR650 I want with da price of
21500000. What is the exchange rate right now? it says not including gastos de matricula(is that taxes?)my Spanish is iffy.
That seems like a great price as that bike will cost me 7000 in the states, 900 to ship to Colombia, import taxes, chances of my mom having a heart attack as I drive through swine infested Mexico, etc...
Ill give them a call later in da day, if they have one in stock it may be temping....

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JGD (☼Travelguide writer) says on Apr 30, 2009, 09:04:

marlydog1812 says on Apr 30, 2009, 09:11:

so if Im looking at 21500000 for price plus 1.2 for registration and insurance Im looking at 10K in $. What about taxes anything else I should be adding in?

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JGD (☼Travelguide writer) says on Apr 30, 2009, 10:02:

I don`t recall anything else. Again, I´m not sure about the value for registration and insurance.

$277.592 for insurance
http://www.mundialseguros.com/p_soat/p_so_tarifas.html

THis seems too low from my experience (registration):
http://www.caldasantioquia.gov.co/Sitio/docs/G-GT-12 matricula inicial.pdf

You are worried the US is going to invade and take the Venezuelan oil?... you are selling everything to them !!Peruvian Pres. Alan Garcia to Chavez

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Gator says on Apr 30, 2009, 10:10:

" ...five weeks from Houston-Panama-Colombia...but Im worried the border might get closed. Any thoughts?"
Yes border closing are possible but whop knows what will be happening with this thing in five weeks. So far no public announcements. What are your plans from Panama to Colombia since there is no road across the Darien Gap.

"Bene, cum Latine nescias, nolo manus meas in te maculare" .

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marlydog1812 says on Apr 30, 2009, 10:53:

Hi Gator was going to fly the bike and myself across to Colombia.

BUT if I can pick up a new KLR in Colombia for 10K Im inclined to do it. Im not worried about the flu, but even though Im 36 my obsessive Jewish mother has a lot of control when she pulls the card out(about once every 5 years), if you go through Mexico you will be disinherited.

Im just wondering does this price I see for 9300K that says no inclusion gastos de matricula, mean there will be
any other heavy taxes. Id love to know the bottom line out the door price. Im going to try to contact the dealer today or manana. Id love to have the bike when I get there early June and wondering if they have one in stock, if not how long does it take for a bike to arrive from the states and how hard would it be to arrange for advanced purchase from where Im now...thanks

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Cheers Terry says on Apr 30, 2009, 13:21:

Marlydog,

No need to fly your motorcycle to Colombia. I've gone overland twice each way, hop-scotching up/down the coast. It's no big deal anymore.

Simply reverse this:

1.) Go to Turbo, then jump on a boat to Capurgana. About 35,000.

2.) Meet up with the DAS official, get your passport stamped, then hop on a boat to Puerto Obaldía. 20,000

3.) In Puerto Obaldía a bunch of small dicked Panamanian police and immigration officials will stand around wasting your time, trying their best not to do their jobs.

4.) I was lucky and caught a lift from some Kuna Indians all the way to San Blas. It was a lot of fun. Otherwise, jump on a flight to Panama City for about 65 USD. Flights are Wednesday, Friday and Sunday but this can change. When you get to Panama City it's more hassle with Immigration.

If you want to break up the trip then Capurgana is a fine place to hang-out with lots of accommodation choices, or do the 10 minute boat ride to Sapzurro, the last village (only a few hundred people) in Colombia before the border. There are cheap cabanas available. After talking to a few people I chose to hike through the jungle to Sapzurro. It took about an hour and was a very pleasant stroll.

All and all a very interesting way to get in/out of Colombia.

Lastly, you have to read my buddy Claude's tale. He did it on a bike:

http://www.newfrontiersadventures.com/MC/CentralAm.html

Cheers,
Terry

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jens says on Apr 30, 2009, 17:16:

I ve had a couple bikes in Colombia and traveled around the country.(pic)No you shouldn't worry. Just don't travel after dark and go into known dangerous towns or areas. A good guy with alot of up to date info and experience with motos in Colombia is Paul ,the owner of Casa Kiwi in Medellin. (check out Casakiwi.net )

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jens says on Apr 30, 2009, 17:18:

Now I think of it, Paul from Casa Kiwi has a KLR 650

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offroadguy says on Apr 30, 2009, 18:47:

Marlydog,

There's a Danish guy named Mikkel that owns the Casa Blanca Hostel in Cali, he has been all over hell (and South and Central America) on a bike and would be a good guy to talk to before you disembark. Also a Kawasaki dealer a couple blocks from the Casa Blanca, I'm sure they'd have a KLR in stock. Wish I was going with you.

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MartinCartagena says on May 1, 2009, 06:42:

Hello Mollydog, I think we have talked before on The Hubb. I recently (February) made the exact same trip from Houston, actually I started in Atlanta and went through Houston. I drove my Suzuki to Panama and then flew it into Bogota and then on to Cartagena. I have both brought bikes here from the USA and purchased them here. There are several pros and cons for both. If you have any questions, send me an email and I can give you my experiences. I am buying several more bikes next week and will be starting up rentals and tours in the next month or two. If you have any questions, send me an email and I can give you my experiences.

Suzuki also sells the DR 650 here and it is around $10,000 out the door. Something to keep in mind is parts and repair. There are very few Kawasaki dealers in Colombia with mechanics that know how to repair a KLR. Suzuki has 8 or 10 dealers around the country that have experienced mechanics and most parts are already in country. If you are planning on keeping the bike in Colombia, then a bike with Colombia plates can stay forever, however then you have to deal with Pico/Placa. Just one of the countries many misguided quagmires. A bike with foreign plates is exempt.

By the way, I am a little older and I called my obsessive Jewish mother every several days. It is nice to be loved unconditionally even if it is a pain in the ass.

Again, please feel free to email and ask any questions.

Martin in Cartagena

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webmanco says on May 1, 2009, 06:49:

A bike with foreign plates is exempt.

A bike with Colombian plates is exempt as well as far as I know. Neither one pay tolls, but higher than 125cc do pay taxes.

No hay extremo cierto o verdadero, porque los extremos opacan, enruedan, (lavan cerebros) verdades. Yotas

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love2colombia says on May 1, 2009, 10:50:

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love2colombia says on May 1, 2009, 10:55:

Mmmmm much better

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marlydog1812 says on May 4, 2009, 06:48:

Yes Martin this is Justin from Honduras. Ive decided to fly down to Colombia for my move. I will be coming on June 5th!! My plan is to fly into Bogota and find a new bike. Ive changed to the changed my mind to the Kawa KLR as most of my riding will be on road and the info points to it being way more comfortable to the DR. I probably will switch again but its a win-win whatever I buy. I hope I can roll in and buy one quick so I can get to the North Coast. Ill have seven weeks to chill, eat drink, and be merry....more questions soon... very excited about Colombia, I hope I can survive my last month here in Hondo..for some reason every lady is coming out of the woodworks gunning for me..

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Robert Jorge says on May 7, 2009, 01:16:

Awesome pics. And that is my biggest hesitation at bringing my bike down. Who the F can actually work on it with competence? I need 2 hours just to change my oil. But I am a dim-wit.

"You can not take the barrio out of the girl you really can't." Oneforamillion

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marlydog1812 says on May 7, 2009, 11:28:

haha wow Im right there with you in owning many bikes and being a mechancial dim-wit!!!sweet ride bro

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