Job Discussion Forums

[GueroPaz]

Life would be incomplete without a bike. I would want to buy a new one, about 250cc up to 400cc. Are there many dealerships of the Japanese models, with warantees? How safe is it to drive, compared to Thailand? Or, are public transport so universal that there's no need to ride a bike? Too prone to theft, also?

[Guy Courchesne]

Now there's a question for LS650 if he's lurking.

I'm not sure about the rest of the country but in Mexico City, motorcycles are common, as are scooters. I've always thought it a bit insane to drive here on a bike for the way people in cars drive.

[Phil_K]

There plenty of places to buy, but...

(And only speaking for Mexico City)

There are a million baches (holes in the road) often very deep which must be a pain for a motorcyclist, I would worry about not only theft, but also assault/theft. The public transport is horrible unless you like being treated like cattle going to market. I'd much rather stick with my car, to the constenation of the greenies here.

On the plus side, it's a great way to get through the traffic jams!

I guess things might be different out in the provinces...

[Gary Denness]

[Samantha]

We saw a family of 4 on a moto the other day, which is not uncommon, however the wife was clutching a medium sized TV under her arm and sort of resting on her leg which was stretched out at the side. That was some feat of weight and balance. One person was wearing the obligatory helmet so I suppose the transitos weren't bothered.

Motorcycle classes are sponsored free from time-to-time, but the riders fail to show up. I've learned to check into the shoulder lane before attempting a right turn. Buses run over cyclists and motos fairly often when turning right. Drivers here have to be very alert and they seem to be for the most part. Maybe this is because car insurance isn't mandatory.

[MELEE]

[scottmx81]

I have a Honda XR650L down in Mexico. I've done about 20,000km on the big red pig, and about 5,000km on a little Yamaha DT175 that I bought in Morelia. The XR was imported from Canada. I understand that there are Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha dealers throughout the country. Where I spent most of my time, in Morelia, there were also Suzuki, Dinamo, Vento dealerships, and a highend store selling several brands including KTM, Ducati, and Husaberg. You also see BMW and Harley bikes around, but they are probably only sold in the biggest cities (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey). Melee was most likely thinking of Carabella. I think it used to be a big brand in Mexico, but not so much anymore. I think they are still sold at Sears or some other department stores though, along side the cheap unknown-brand bikes from China.

Even though the XR650L isn't sold in Mexico, I had no problem getting parts in Morelia. The model specific parts had to be shipped in to the Morelia dealer from Guadalajara and could take about two weeks. But all the parts were available within Mexico.

Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki are probably the most common and easy to service brands.

You have to be really careful and always pay attention to what others are doing on the road. Many people don't check their blind-spots properly or at all, and people will sometimes cut you off without even knowing it. People wandering into your lane or otherwise sharing your lane with you is probably the biggest overall danger. I find the whole "defending your lane" concept taught in Canadian/US MSF courses doesn't always work so well down there. You're likely to get run over if you don't get out of some peoples way. There are also other things you have to be extremely careful of. Pulling over for an emergency vehicle on your motorcycle is a good way to get run over by other less considerate motorists. I've heard on the forums of at least one American rider being plowed from behind at a toll both, so always watch for people approaching too fast from behind.

If I were in the market for a 250cc class bike, I'd go with a Honda XR250 Tornado. I really like that bike, but for various reasons ended up buying the XR650L in Canada and bringing it down instead. It has a pricetag of about 46,000 pesos (IVA included). Higher up, I'd maybe look at a Honda NX4 Falcon. Honda's are much cheaper than Kawasaki and maybe even the larger Yamahas. I think this might be because there is a huge Honda plant somewhere (near Guadalajara?), and they are probably paying less import duties.

Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki all have national webpages with all their current models and MSRP.

Also, theft isn't a huge concern, but you can't leave a bike overnight on the street anywhere. But it is fine during the day and evening, in most places. I also usually left my $250 helmet on the bike in urban areas, and no one ever touched it. People will lean against your vehicle or otherwise touch it, whether a bike or car, but there is no cultural stigma against doing such a thing down there.

[GueroPaz]

Thanks for the many prompt replies. I won't be riding or driving into DF; the only time I ever tried (against my better judgment) we had to pay a mordida of US$85 to the pig of a policeman, when I was in a VW Jetta.

Scott's reply is most informative. I had a Yamaha XT200 briefly in Nicaragua, and those 'dual purpose bikes' can soak up potholes and topes very well. The XL650 would be too high for my 30-inch inseam, though.

I shall try to find the company websites. I know you never, ever leave a bike outside in Mexico overnight, but it's good to hear that a decent helmet won't likely be stolen in the daytime. As for people touching the bike: I used to get out of class in Thailand and find boys sitting on my sportbike! They quickly dismounted, though, and gave me a proper wai.

I also had a Suzuki GN250 in Chiapas, but I'm terrible at buying used bikes, and it broke as quickly as the Yamaha XT200 did.

[ls650]

I owned an 'Italika' EX200 for the last year I was in Mexico. Italikas are the Chinese-made bikes you find in Elektra department stores. I was a bit worried about the quality but I had no problems at all and used it for daily transport and short trips through the local hills.

I had no problems at all with the paperwork: I think I paid about 1000 pesos to get it registered and plated. All I had to do was give the local motor vehicle office a copy of proof of residence (I used a TelMex bill) and a copy of either my passport or my FM3 (I forget which it was). The process was actually very rapid, maybe 20 minutes tops.

I rode around with a laminated colour photocopy of my drivers licence and that seemed to keep the local traffic cops happy. Mind you, this was on the coast of Oaxaca where the cops tended to be rather mellow; I can't say how things might be in other areas of Mexico.

[MELEE]

I just wanted to add that we had a helmut stolen twice in the daylight, it was in the shade of a tree, but just a few meters from the guard stand at the front gate of the university. The first time it was recovered, by the guards because the person who stole it worked at the university and was sceen using it. The second time it was gone for good.

[GueroPaz]

I searched for the Mexican Honda motorcycle website, but couldn't find it under Google or by www.honda.co.mx. My Texas and international licenses expired last month, but I got a new 5-year set of Thai licenses, car and motorbike. At least in Mexico, I could take the test in the native language if I have to! Maybe I'll pack one of my good full face helmets in my equipaje or buy another one when I'm in Texas.

So, in summary...(sounds like the conclusion to a lesson), I guess I can ride in Mexico just fine. Thanks, y'all.

[MELEE]

you forgot the m
Mexico uses .com like it's northern neighbor no .co like the UK

www.honda.com.mx