Renting a bike in Costa Rica for a week anything I should know?
 

Hi all,
It’s my first post and my first time riding out of my home country (Canada). I’ve taken a few month long trips, mainly to Newfoundland and Labrador, so I have some moto travel experience.

Leaving soon to Costa Rica and renting a 4x4 with my girlfriend using https://costarica-offroad.com/, then renting a bike once she goes home after a week, probably a klr from the same company for another week.

I want to know if there’s anything I should be prepared for specifically while riding in Costa Rica at this time of year. How is finding accommodations for the night if I’ve not booked ahead? Should I be looking at a smaller bike? (I own a klr and it’s what I know best) Should I bring camping gear with me, just in case? Looking to bring jacket, boots, gloves.... Should I bring my own helmet? How dangerous are the roads? What else should I know?

Hoping I posted this in the right place.

Thanks for any insight,
J

Costa Rican drivers will seem terrifying if you're prone to terror, but are unremarkable in the context of Latin America. Roads are pretty good, which means don't let your attention wander because anything is possible. I rode there twice with a KLR, but if I'd not been on a yearlong trip something smaller would have been preferable. I'd skip the camping gear, because why? I ***always*** bring my own helmet when renting away from home, because (IMO) it's the most critical piece of gear, and rates ahead of jacket, gloves and boots (which I also usually bring, but not always). You'll have a good sense of whether to book ahead after your week w/ g.f.--just ask the places you stay and other travelers you meet. Since you don't say when you'll be there, a more specific answer is as likely to be wrong as right.

"What else should I know?" is pretty vague. Answers depend entirely on what you already know, where you're going, what you're doing there, and more like that.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Thanks for the quick response, Mark. Leaving on Tuesday.

If I’m considering boots and jacket, might as well bring my helmet as carry-on (wear-on?). Probably bringing the rain gear as well, seeing as it’s still the tail end of the rainy season.

The guy renting me the vehicles tells me a good trip is to go south on the pacific coast and to come back to San Jose through the mountains, which I think would be pretty cool.

As for asking about anything else i should know... guess I’m looking for any dangers I should look out for as a foreign motorcyclist? I understand road conditions aren’t great and I should be very aware while riding, as usual. Is other traffic motorcycle-friendly for the most part?

Again, safety and road manners are just fine in a Latin American context. That means atrocious compared to, say, Canada...but survivable, even fun. "Motorcycle friendly" would imply that drivers are nice to you, which they're generally not. However, they're usually aware that you exist, and they're not trying to hit you, as seems the case in other places.

FWIW, I usually pack my helmet, jacket, gloves, knee/shin armor, some luggage straps, a cable lock, and recently an Airhawk seat in my checked baggage. I wear my boots on the plane just because they weigh too much for checked baggage. A lot of riders carry their helmet in the cabin, so apparently that's possible. Some wear their jackets and riding pants as well, with or without removing the armor. Weigh your checked baggage carefully, and be prepared to repack if the airline's scales disagree with yours. You'll probably notice that there's not much room for camping gear without paying hugely in excess baggage fees.

As long as your schedule doesn't align with any North American or local school holidays or festivals, I'd probably not worry about advance bookings. You can go on one of the booking websites and see if a lot of places in your price range are booked out, but those sites want you to panic and reserve everything while they've got your attention, so take it all with a grain of salt. I never had any trouble in CR except once during aNorth American spring break, and even then things were pretty easy.

Enjoy!

Mark

As Mark already mentioned, bring your own helmet. It's not just a matter of safety but also comfort. At least you know the helmet will fit you properly and not cause pain, etc.

I went through Costa Rica (and back) in 2010. The drivers were just fine but yes, somewhat more "spirited" than you might be used to. Leave your North American sense of personal space on the road behind and don't take things personally. The Pan American along the mountainous spine was wet and cold (April). Going up to Arenal was spectacular as were the southern hills where I crossed into Panama at Volcan. I rode a BMW F650GS and found it to be just perfect, but then I don't ride gnarly dirt trails.

I booked nothing in advance and never had a problem finding a reasonable place to stay.

There's not much English spoken outside of tourist areas so bring along Google Translate if you don't speak Spanish.

Have a blast.
...Michelle

Just wanted to let you all know, I took the advice and brought my gear. Definitely worth doing as I ended up thankful to have it offroad. Everything went great. A lot of good paved roads and a lot of not good paved and dirt. A great balance! Thanks again for the advice! :)

Pura Vida!

Always nice to hear back that something I posted has been useful--not always the case! Glad you enjoyed your trip (and wondering: a trip report would probably help other riders going forward).

Mark