大咖福利影院

jerry reidelbach wrote:

Hi,I will be moving to CR soon and would like to know what the requirements where on riding motor scooters in CR?

As of January 2013 there were a number of rule/law changes re motorcycles "moto's".聽 MOPT no longer requires a separate license to ride a moto.聽 You only need your U.S./Canadian driver's license.聽 With that you can obtain a Costa Rican driver's license. You do not have to take any tests. I only have my U.S. license and no one has ever questioned it.

You do have to wear a DOT approved helmet and you are required to wear a reflective vest.聽 If you are out on back country roads it's not as big of deal.

Due to gas being around $5.95 per gallon, I ride a moto the majority of the time and I ride all over the country.聽 I have been stopped at check points many, many times and have had no problems.聽 They usually just glance at my license and then take my Cedula information.聽 If you are stopped at one of these check points and do not have a good helmet and the reflective vest, you will get a ticket.

Many motorcyclist do ride like they are insane - and no, not all.聽 It's strange but the majority of car drivers here are more respectful of motorcyclist than they are in the States.聽 It may be because there are a lot more motos on the road so they're used to seeing them.聽 I was surprised that motorcyclist are just as rude to other motorcyclist as they are to the cars.聽 I had a little scooter pass me the other day and was so close when he passed that if I put my elbow out I would have hit him.聽 I ride respectfully but at the same time VERY defensively.聽

For safety, I would also recommend not to get anything less than a 200cc bike.聽 (150cc w/one rider, or 200cc+ for two)聽 Remember it's a mountainous country and if you go too slow up the hills, some car driver's will tailgate you so close that if you touch your brake you will get hit.

- Dave

jerry reid wrote:

Hi Dave, thanks for replying back on this topic, I hear so many different answers in regards to the law on this, but I think you clarified it for me. Do you have a CR license or just your USA. license? When I apply for my residence on arrival should I plan on getting my CR license prior to getting my papers, or do I have to wait till I have my card in hand? The last time I rode a bike was in 1968, I had a Honda Dream 305. I guess this really shows my age, but I think it will be fun to live it again. As far as size of bike, do you recommend a scooter or basic 200-250 street bike for the local streets in Grecia and the surrounding local areas?

Hola Jerry,

My story on getting my CR license is a good one and A typical of CR.聽 I went with an attorney to get my license in San Jose when I first arrived four years ago.聽 First you get your blood tested, yes, I am serious, then you walk over to another building a few block away to confirm that you're here legally, then you walk a ways to another building, waiting each time of course, and in this final building one person goes through my paperwork, confirms it's accurate and then sends me up to an old antique of a woman upstairs.聽 She looks at my paperwork and then looks at my U.S. driver's license.聽 She then says "no" in her grumpy little way.聽 I speak no Espanol at that time and my attorney is not allowed to come up with me.聽 Fortunately, there is a Tico waiting with me that spoke very good English.聽 He talked with the "fun little lady" and explained that my U.S. driver's license is not valid because it's a "motorcycle license."聽 I had him explain to her that the very tiny writing on the "back" of my driver's license is a "motorcycle endorsement."聽 Further, that we do not have a separate license for motorcycles in the States.聽 Her grumpy little response - NO.聽 This went on for a while and I was denied a CR license.

Well, a month later my U.S. license expired and you cannot get a CR license using an expired U.S. license.聽 So, I use an expired U.S. license because the only other way to get a CR license now is to take a test in Espanol and I don't read it well enough to do that.聽 I can't renew my license in the States as I am no longer a resident.聽 The almighty "Catch-22."聽 Fortunately for me, no one's ever noticed when I've been stopped that it's expired.

You can obtain your CR license upon arrival - don't wait.聽 I would strongly advise taking someone with you.聽 You HAVE to do it in San Jose and not at the local office.聽 And, it would be a nightmare to try and figure out on your own.聽 And being a newbie, very frustrating.聽 Oh, take a book.聽 I can refer you to who I used if you want.

Yep, my first bike was a Honda 350 when I just turned 16.聽 Was embarrassed to tell the guy I bought it from that I didn't know how to ride it so I was in first gear alllll the way home.

Type of bike is definitely a personal choice.聽 I ride a UM DSR 200.聽 It's a Korean bike.聽 And it's an enduro (on/off road type).聽 I like it because I like riding on the back roads when I feel like it and don't have to worry about any pot holes...sometimes pot "crevices."聽 I have been both surprised and happy with it.聽 I wanted a Honda but at more than double the price, decided to try a UM.聽 I have had no problems, parts are here and they have a large dealership in San Jose and a smaller one here in San Ramon.聽 I was surprised because of the price difference I really did "expect" problems 0 problems.

Actually, what I really wanted was a Vespa 300I but with import tax, etc. it came to over $14,000. by the time I'd get it here.聽 The UM was only $2,200 with tax, etc.

Let me know when you're ready to go for a cruise!

- Dave

kohlerias wrote:

Until you have been in CR to even consider getting a motorbike or scooter, seems a good idea....
Chances are you may change your mind, once you see the traffic and the road conditions without taking the changeable weather into consideration. You cannot get a DL for a car though until you have your cedula, in hand and at this time is taking a year or more..
Don't forget to purchase extra life insurance...

Sorry Kohlerias, but this information you provided is not correct.聽 You do NOT need a Cedula to obtain a driver's license in Costa Rica.聽 Most Gringos that come here and plan to stay more than three months, obtain their driver's license within the first few weeks, as did I.

- Dave

Rahstingo wrote:

Hey guys...new here but I agree with you both on the moto drivers. They do drive like madmen and a lot are very disrespectful but the traffic here is unbelievably HORRIBLE and I think they are just trying to get from point A to point B in a reasonable time. When/why does it take 30 min to go 10 kilometers! I saw this on WAZE and couldn't believe it! ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!! Too many car for Too few and too small roads! I drive a scooter and a Harley in US...very differently! I hate to admit it but I have become one of the crazies here....out of necessity! I can get to where I want to go and return before someone driving a car can get there! A sad fact but true. Weaving through traffic is legal here. Police do it as well. When I first came here it made me furious馃槨 Now I understand. Here it's like rush hour in US..ALL DAY...everyday!
As for the Law degree issues...I have no dog in that fight!!!
By the way, does anyone know of a good moto mechanic? With all the Moros here you would think they would be easy to find...not the case.

Hola Rahstingo,

Welcome to 大咖福利影院!

Just as not all of the car driver's drive like they're insane, the same can be said for moto drivers.聽 There are A LOT of bad drivers here and they definitely stand above the good drivers.聽 I've ridden since I was sixteen and ride a BMW here in CR.聽 I at all times ride cautiously and assume no one can see me and assume that if a person signals left, they very well may turn right.聽 It's kept me safe so far.聽 It's rare that I go for a ride without using my horn.聽 If I even "think" someone doesn't see me, I use my horn - and it's a loud horn.

If traffic is moving excessively slow I also go around it "in a safe manner."聽 When I rode in slow California traffic it was also legal to go between the outside two lanes.聽 There, just as here, for some strange psychological reason, drivers in the cars get angry about it.聽 I think it's the same mentality of when I leave plenty of space between a car ahead of me - driver's behind me get angry about it.聽 No rhyme or reason.聽 It's not putting them further behind, not slowing them down, but they get angry and honk at me.聽 In both cases, I guess they just hate being left behind???聽 聽

As crazy as traffic is here, I actually feel safer riding here than I did in the States.聽 There are a lot more motos on the road here on a daily basis than what a car driver would see in the States.聽 They're used to seeing motos so I think notice them more.聽 I almost never have cars pulling out in front of me here.聽 In the States it was a regular occurrence.

For general motorcycle repair, I have used a guy in San Ramon for years.聽 For anything major, I go down the coast to a Canadian BMW mechanic.聽 Both have done very good work for me.聽 I get my parts from the States.聽 The BMW dealership in San Jose is a joke.聽 Their prices are ridiculous and their mechanics are comical - no clue what they're doing.

- Expat Dave
大咖福利影院 Team Member

MauroN wrote:

Hello, Dave. Can you give me a phone number for the mechanic in聽 聽San Ramon? Finding a trustworthy mechanic聽 聽is very hard

I think this is his number 8825-7391.

To get to his shop:
Going in on the "no left turn street," (the road by the auto carwash), go past Jorcel's on your right and take the next road to your left.聽 (The road many people take to go around the downtown.)
At the stop sign, turn left.
His garage is the second building going up the hill on your left.聽 There is a hand painted "moto reparar" above the door.

As with all mechanics I've used here, you have to tell him "exactly" what you want him to do.聽 They are used to people not wanting to spend any more than they have to and therefore only do the minimum.聽

And for those that don't know how things work here - that is how we give directions here in CR.聽 We don't have addresses and very few street signs/names, so you just give directions in this way.聽 Surprisingly, after a while you don't give it a second thought.聽 聽

- Expat Dave