Getting a Motorcycle in Ecuador

jcr000 New member

4POSTS

5 years ago

We are seriously considering retirement in Ecuador. We are planning a scouting trip to Cuenca with the possibility if everything goes聽 well to move before the end of the year. Among other things I would like to keep my passion for riding bikes but with what I have learned it seems like my Harley麓s would not come with me since it would not be cost effective. I have done some research and it seems like a a bike >= 500聽 cc is the way to go. Here are some questions that I have:

- Is there a helmet law in Ecuador,? I always wear one but I am just curious. From what I have seen on YouTube it seems like the open face is not a popular option, I麓m I right on this?
- How good are the dealers with guarantee when you buy new motorcycles?
- I am considering a CF moto CL700 adventure and wander if this would be a good pick.
- How does vehicle insurance work in Ecuador, can you shop around like we do in the states?

See also

Driving in Ecuador - Guide
motorcycle license - 40 Replies
Getting Food Delivered in Ecuador - 6 Replies
Getting from GYE to Cuenca - 5 Replies
Getting Married in Ecuador - 13 Replies
GETTING A DRIVERS LICENSE IN ECUADOR 2016 (updated information) - 62 Replies
Driving/Getting around for the month of December - 28 Replies

OsageArcher Colombia Expert

1656POSTS

5 years ago

I hope others with moto riding experience in Ecuador will chime in.聽

You are correct that you cannot bring your current motorcycle, unless you or your wife is an Ecuadorian citizen returning to live in Ecudor - then a newer model moto may come with you as part of your menaje de casa, your household goods.聽 See these two links for what you may bring as far as household goods, if you are a returning Ecuadorian citizen.聽 The second link has a link to the text of the Ley de Movilidad Humana which spells out what returning Ecuadorian citizens may bring without being taxed - I give you this link because what YOU as a non-Ecuadorian citizen are allowed to bring without paying taxes, is much less than what an Ecuadorian citizen may bring, and even then there are many many limits for them!

I'd recommend not buying a motorcycle immediately but get your feet on the ground first to know what you're getting in to.

First, if you buy used, you will have to pay any outstanding fines or fees due for the used moto.聽 You also need a Type A license to drive a moto.聽 As far as I know you'd have to take the test in Spanish.聽 You do need an approved helmet, also.聽 There are other requirements as well which may be difficult to navigate if you don't have good Spanish and good patience.聽 Here are some links outlining the requirements:

To see what new motorcycle dealers are in Ecuador just do a search for

ecuador motos

You could contact them via email with any questions, and you may be able to get some answers.

jcr000 New member

4POSTS

5 years ago

Thanks for the info, some other questions I had聽 were answered with the content in the sites from those links.

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

5 years ago

Dear JCR, welcome to the forums of expat.com ....

In my opinion as a car driver who had a nasty run-in with nighttime motos, I don't think motos are especially dangerous in South America in the daytime.聽 Here I am talking about you riding the moto within a city or town during daylight hours, with proper precautions.

What gets scary is riding motos at high speed intercity at night.

I will spare any gory details in this post, but recommend that you google the statistics -- moto riding can be much more dangerous than driving a car.

Common sense also tells you that with reduced nighttime visibility, the lack of well-designed protection around you (as modern cars provide to the car driver), intercity roads that may be poorly designed and poorly patrolled at night, and the special sensibilities of South American motorists .. there is a good chance that, over time, your number will come up if you moto at night.

I endorse Brother Archer's concept of getting to Ecuador first "to see what you're getting into" before you decide to buy a moto in La Rep煤blica.

cccmedia

jcr000 New member

4POSTS

5 years ago

Thank you. I am in ny 50鈥檚 and riding bikes since I was a teenager. Ecuador from what I have learned is a popular place for retirees and I am hoping that I can keep some of my hobbies such as riding among others. At my age im not a thrill seeker so speeding isn鈥檛 really my thing. In terms of riding at night I am not a fan of that either. Your advise of getting down there is absolutely the right call. We will be visiting Cuenca in August and make an assessment of the place. My wife is was born and raised in Ecuador but she does know Cuenca City so this will be somewhat new to her. Anyway thanks for your reply.

Michael-2018 Member

24POSTS

5 years ago

I've been riding motorcycles since 1969 - a Harley for 36 years until moving to Ecuador 3 years ago.聽 I currently ride a Honda 750 - which I bought new.

Here's my experience:聽 While a smaller bike is sufficient for in town errands (I live in Quito and most bikes are 125s or 250s), for traveling around the country the 750 has been perfect.聽 The type of riding here is different.聽 You can't just sit back and cruise with you feet up on the front pegs - you must be constantly 100% alert and prepared to take fast evasive action.聽 Drivers pull out in front of you, straddle and change lanes and don't use signals. There are unmarked road hazards like large potholes, landslides, as well as cars passing in oncoming lanes in tight blind turns as they pass slow moving buses and trucks, etc.聽 But, in spite of all this, the views in the countryside are spectacular!聽 If you enjoy mountain riding, with it's fun, winding roads - this is the place to be.

Other issues:聽 yes, a helmet is required, insurance is not (but I bought it anyway as I was concerned about the high incidence of general theft here).聽 I carry my passport that usually shows a recent entry date and that gets me by without a local license (but getting one is the next project on my list).聽 Also, be prepared to pay quite a bit more here for a bike than you were accustomed to in the US.

Hope this helps.聽 Good luck.

user159 Contributor

165POSTS

5 years ago

How good are the dealers with guarantee when you buy new motorcycles?

They will start it up for you after you pay, then when you leave the forecourt, your "guarantee" ends

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

5 years ago

user159 wrote:
How good are the dealers with guarantee when you buy new motorcycles?

They will start it up for you after you pay, then when you leave the forecourt, your "guarantee" ends

Color me skeptical of the above analysis.

Now I personally would never buy a moto -- I found it frightening the only two times I rode on the back of one, in Rhode Island and Laos.

But I did buy a new Chevy car in Quito several years ago .. and had surprising success with getting a repair covered under warranty.

The reason it was surprising was due to the fact that I had forgotten how to use a clutch -- which is 'standard' on cars in Ecuador -- and burned the thing out in two weeks time through my abuse of it. The car stalled and I had it towed to the dealership repair shop.

In spite of the reality that I was culpable in the disabling of the car, the dealership replaced the clutch and the cost was fully covered under warranty.

--

A week later, I received a letter from the dealership in espa帽ol informing me that if I repeated such an incident, the warranty would not be honored for a second repair job.

By then I had figured out how to work the clutch properly .. and have not had to bring the car back to repair it a second time.

Automatic-transmission cars are available, but if an Expat is buying new, he typically pays a lot more for such.聽 Using a clutch after decades driving 'automatic' in the States is not ideal in the stop-and-go traffic of Quito.聽 But you get used to it.

cccmedia

user159 Contributor

165POSTS

5 years ago

My reply was a bit tongue in cheek, and will of course depend where you buy the motorbike (i.e. your experience with chevolet). If you buy from a big international dealership your experience will be better. If you buy a small moto from the shops that sell stereos / fridges and tvs, expect nothing of the sort, regardless of what they tell you in order to make the sale.

But as always, YMMV, hope for the best, plan for the worst and all

bonesincuenca Member

1POSTS

5 years ago

#10

The moto dealers i have dealt with have been very good with the warranty. I agree that you should come down and look around a bit.聽 The riding down here is fantastic and when you do buy a moto i will show you around. I have been here on a moto for 3 years and have been just about everrywhere. Pm me if you need help

goldman13 New member

5POSTS

5 years ago

#11

I've been to Ecuador several times - staying mostly in Quito.聽 It seems really unsafe to ride in Quito.聽 I am sure its ok once you are out of the city.聽 What is your opinion of that?聽 I am an avid rider in the states and have bought an apartment in Quito.

Thank you.

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

5 years ago

#12

goldman13 wrote:
It seems really unsafe to ride (a moto) in Quito. I am sure its ok once you are out of the city.聽 What is your opinion of that?

Rural areas away from metro Quito have their own challenges.

If you are fall off or are knocked off your moto 30 miles from Nalgas de Cerda, it's not like you are guaranteed to manage a cell phone call to Triple A (ha!) .. or arrange for an ambulance before more trouble arrives.

cccmedia

paulk2038 Member

10POSTS

5 years ago

#13

I'm going to look at Quenca as soon as possible. I own a 2018 & 2017 KTM Duke 690's. I also own a 2020 XR650L. Sure would like to ride when I do go there. I'm 64 years old and could retire now. I was thinking of renting a cheap Moto when I'm there. If I decide to spend more time there I'll buy something.

Paul
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OsageArcher Colombia Expert

1656POSTS

5 years ago

#14

paulk2038 wrote:
I'm going to look at Quenca as soon as possible.

Just FYI, the name of the city is "Cuenca", not "Quenca".聽 Its full name is Santa Ana de los Cuatro R铆os de Cuenca, named after the city of Cuenca in Spain.聽 It is in the cant贸n Cuenca,聽 and it is the capital of the Azuay province.聽 The word "cuenca" in Spanish means a watershed, a basin, or a depression in the earth, a catchment area.

B.Bindon Active member

45POSTS

5 years ago

#15

I find my China 250cc adequate for the lower highway speeds here.聽 Two thousand new in Guayaquil. Of course it gets dark about 6pm here. My bike tops out about 75 mph, enough to stay ahead of any traffic on these roads, and much to fast for all these roads. But, I live on the coast with few hills.

P.S.: They call these Chinese Harleys, because they distantly look similar. Lots of them around, clunky transmisi贸n.,so mostly drive my truck.

paulk2038 Member

10POSTS

4 years ago

#16

I'll be visiting Cuenca in Late April or May 2021. Definitely need to find out about motorcycle purchases and riding around, especially in the mountains. I have a lifetime of riding experience on Dual sport & pavement scratchers. I think I'll visit for a month to gather information from expats.

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

4 years ago

#17

paulk2038 wrote:
I'll be visiting Cuenca in Late April or May 2021. Definitely need to find out about motorcycle purchases... I think I'll visit for a month to gather information from expats.

Barring time travel, that window has closed.

Consider coming in 2022 instead.

cccmedia in Quito

paulk2038 Member

10POSTS

4 years ago

#18

Ha! Ha!. I should pay more attention to my posts. Yes, indeed 2022.

paulk2038 Member

10POSTS

4 years ago

#19

paulk2038 wrote:
I'll be visiting Cuenca in Late April or May 2022. Definitely need to find out about motorcycle purchases and riding around, especially in the mountains. I have a lifetime of riding experience on Dual sport & pavement scratchers. I think I'll visit for a month to gather information from expats.

fishedge9 Member

1POSTS

4 years ago

#20

Hey fellow expats.聽 Been living on the coast here for 8 years聽 a bit south of Manta.聽 My old FJ40 jeep is rusting out, falling apart and no longer has valid matricula.聽 Have been sharing car with my partner here but dont feel right always using her car.聽

Rode bikes back in Canada but never anything as small as here of course.聽 I would like a bike to ride into and around town (Manta) but also would be nice to think of taking some scenic road trips on it.

I cant imagine a 200 or 250 is going to be enough, but is that just North American bias?聽 Any opinions or suggestions?聽 I DO NOT have big budget or would buy聽 a car.聽 Thinking maybe a new chinese 250 or maybe an older Japanese 500...see the used Suzuki GS500 seems kind of common.聽 Couple of ancient Yamaha XS 650..love that as it was my first bike a zillion years ago

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

4 years ago

#21

fishedge9 wrote:
My old FJ40 jeep is rusting out, falling apart and no longer has valid matricula.聽 Have been sharing car with my partner here but dont feel right always using her car.

Dear Fish Edge,

Welcome to the Ecuador forums of 大咖福利影院 ...

Edge is right.聽 You're living on the edge .. driving a Jeep that apparently is no longer roadworthy.

But that's only part of the problem.

The fact that your matr铆cula or registration is out of date not only means you could be pulled over for a violation, but since your bare-bones insurance is supposed to be paid out of the matr铆cula fee, you may not be covered for damages, injuries or the death of another driver/passengers in case of an accident.聽 You need to stop driving that clunker until your attorney or an experienced insurance agent or the police clear up your liability situation .. or you have paid the matr铆cula fees.

cccmedia in Tulc谩n

Derek76 Member

1POSTS

3 years ago

#22

Hi Guys, I moved to Cuenca a couple months ago and am looking to buy a new Royal Enfield. Does anyone know if there is additional taxes/fees if I want to leave the country with the bike?

Thanks in advance!

Guest7953 Guest

0POSTS

3 years ago

#23

I have no first hand experience with this, but if you are talking about crossing the Colombian border on your moto, I would be interested to know if you will need to buy SOAT at least 24 hours before crossing.聽