Thread: Motorcycle availability

I'm looking a taking a motorcycle trip with 3-5 friends in January or so. I've done three trips through Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize from the US. I've ridden through Mexico a couple times and do not care to do it again. It is a long ride and we get lost a lot. The trips were done on touring bikes and I'd like to get smaller (400-500 cc) bikes for the trip so we can do a little more rough road exploring. I have two ideas: The first is to buy used bikes in the US and ship them to the Yucatan (Progresso or Puerto Moreles preferably) and the second is to see if we could buy the bikes in Panama. Either way, we would ride to/from the Yucatan to Panama, stay a couple weeks, and ride back to where we started from. I'd love some advice on shipping the bikes or on buying the bikes in Panama. If we bought the bikes in Panama, we would consider selling them after the trip or just storing them for future adventures. Buying the bikes in Panama would be less expensive than any of the other Central American countries and since I plan on moving there in the near future, keeping them wouldn't be the worse option. Any help or contacts would be appreciated. Thanks.

I've seen motorcycles for sale at Rodelag in David. About $1400, can't tell you who makes them, the name wasn't familiar. They look like a wannabe Harley. My neighbor rides one, it looks and sounds OK. Check out Craigs list in Panama, or Encuentra24 for used bikes.

you can buy honda , suzuki , harleygo d , chinese , dirt ,street , dual purpose , it is all here but i dont know how thw price compares to the states

I have a DL1000 Suzuki Vstrom here in Canada and have been riding 30 years. This January I bought a BWS 125cc scooter from TESA in Panama City, which by the way has been absolutley great and a blast to get around within the city. I checked prices on the Internet and up here in Canada on the scooter and found that the price in Panama, including tax, registration and plates, was better than or equivalent to what I found. TESA, located on Brazil and Calle 50 were great to deal with and I paid by credit card. I did my first 500 km service at their shop just off Tumbo Muerto and found them great as well. So if you want a Yamaha, then I recommend them, can give you an email address. Of course the 125 BWS is too small for a road trip, but they have the full Yamaha line. Personally I would not touch the Chinese made bikes. I have no experience with any other dealers. I can also pass along the insurance agent I used.
Gary Moore

Thanks for the responses...hoping for more. GS, would you please pass along the insurance agent contact? How long did it take to get a good title (enough to be able to cross borders)?

Hi,
when I picked up the bike all the papers and registration was ready to go. One minor problem is that Panama has run out of motorcycle licence plates so one tends to get stopped periodically by the police, but not so bad lately. But this may be an issue when traveling in other countries. The situation may be rectified when you are actually ready to go though.

Send me a PM and I will forward you the agent I used. By the way, read the book "Old Man on a Bike" before you go, >70 years old and he did it on a 125cc Honda pizza delivery bike!
Amazon.com: Old Man On A Bike (9781906321666): Books

So TESA handled everything and you didn't have to visit a government office?

Yes, I did my own insurance, that was all. TESA got all the registration done for me. I got liability insurance plus fire/theft/collision.... just in case.

can somebody tell me how large engine yr motorbike/scooter can be in panama, when u dont have a license. or rather, when u only have a car license. i know its different in most countries. holland is 49,9cc, norway 125cc.. :s

Anytime I was stopped and was asked for my driver's licence I am pretty sure that the office could not understand the lingo on my Canadian licence to a degree that he could confirm or not if I had a motorcycle endorsement. I would say that, don't worry about it.

I have a 50 cc and they keep asking me for the license - I assume for a reason.

It's not a huge deal, you just take 9 hours of theory. Get a certificate that you bring to the local DMV, then you have a test in Spanish that you need 7/10 on. Also need to drive around some cones on a parking lot.

You will need to have residency or pending residency first.

Originally Posted by janl

can somebody tell me how large engine yr motorbike/scooter can be in panama, when u dont have a license. or rather, when u only have a car license. i know its different in most countries. holland is 49,9cc, norway 125cc.. :s

I can't license a motorcycle in Panama without residency? Or I can't get a Panama drivers license with a motorcycle driving endorsement? The former doesn't make sense to me.

I too wonder if there is a certain size bike where a license isn't required. I could get by with 49cc for some things.

You can own and get a license plate for a motorcycle. You cannot get a driver's license for a motorcycle in Panama without having residency or pending residency. You need to get a driver's license in your own country if you are here driving as a tourist.

I go to AAA and get an International Driver's License. They cost about $20. It is good for 1 year and they just copy info off my US driver's license. It is accepted everywhere I've been and foreign law enforcement and rental car people seem to like it as it is in a variety of languages. I hate to hand over my US license to anyone in the event I may not get it back and that would be a hassle that would cost me more than $20. I get a motorcycle endorsement on it since I have one on my US license.