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Driving conditions: Colombian roads tend to be in very good condition from Bogota towards Ecuador. Only from Pasto to Ipiales were they less than pristine. Try and keep your eyes on the road as the views are incredible! Recommended roads: Every road we took had some spectacular scenery so pretty much the entire part of the country we visited would be worth doing. We did enjoy the ride from Bogota to Salento in the coffee region but you might as well just pick a town and go there! Police and military: There is a heavy police and military presence on the main roads due to problems with guerillas. But contrary to other countries where police are best avoided, authorities in Colombia were very friendly and helpful.
It is important to note that there are two issues that might affect motorcyclists in Colombia : the need to have insurance and the need to wear vests with your plate number. Colombian law requires that motorcyclists have insurance (Seguro Obligatorio) but it is unclear as to whether or not foreigners are required to have insurance. It can be difficult to find insurance but you can try the company Altagamma ( www.altagamma.com talk to Jorge). As for the vests, opinions differ among authorities as to whether or not they are required for foreigners but they are easy to obtain and cost very little (15$, around 20 minutes) so it would be worth getting one to avoid hassles. While you are at it, also get stickers with your plate number for the back of you helmet. Services: There is a BMW shop in Bogota. Autogermana is on carrera 50. Edgar, who is in charge of service for motorcycles, is very helpful and speaks some English. If you have any work to do on the bike you might ask him if you can assist the mechanic. In our case we were allowed to help out and as a result learned a lot about the bike and how to maintain and fix it. Border: Border crossing: We (and the bike) arrived through the International Airport in Bogota
Cost for bike: 1$ for a photocopy
Cost for us: 8$ paid at Tocumen airport in Panama
Time it took: 2 hours
Comments: One of the easier crossings, if you can call flying into the country a crossing. Girag is now the only company that will fly bikes back and forth between Colombia and Panama. The cost to go to Colombia was 550.75$, but be aware that it might cost a lot more going the opposite direction (something to do with high Colombian taxes). Once in Colombia you must retrieve the motorcycle from the air cargo company. When you arrive at the Girag office you simply collect some paperwork (what you had filled out back in Panama that was shipped with the bike) and make your way to the customs office across the street. More paperwork is filled out and you then return to the Girag office, show them the customs stamps and retrieve your bike.
For your own transport you can fly with the company Aires for 150$ (at the time). We didn’t know at the time and paid 300$ with Copa airline. |
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Bike and Riding 
