Women, Men & Motoconchos

[shadInToronto]

Originally Posted by jrf

no motoconchos? I use them all the time- but just running from Los Charimicos or Maranata to Sosua.

I'd love to have a bike there too - crazy?

No ... Kamikaze mission

[IrishColleen]

Last time I was over in Puerto Plata in June/July, I was on the back of a bike with my friend going up towards the Cable Car. It was the middle of the day and the roads were manic with traffic and building work etc (How are the new roads, are they finished?) As we passed a school, there was some kind of battle going on!!! The kids were swarming all over the place and there were bits of rocks and stones flying everywhere. There was lots of smoke coming from the school!! I was showered with rubble and I felt really threatened and vunerable! The traffic was swerving to avoid the debris and it was a very scary few minutes!!

I used bikes all the time to get around over in DR, its so much cheaper and easier, but that experience made me think again!!

[dv8]

i saw this couple on a motoconcho the other day. the girl was seating as far from the driver as possible, at the very edge of her seat with hand folded in front of her, not touching the driver with any part of her body. she sat so still and so stiffly i wonder if she was a feature that came with the bike, fixed to the back seat...

[George Holmes]

I actually own a Honda 70 - the classic motoconcho, as other than a mule, it is the only way to get around some of the roads where I live up near Constanza. By the sounds of it, being a passenger is much more fun that being the driver.

Mind you, most of my neighbours have recently been transporting live animals, ready for the christmas feast. Women/men/motoconchos/goats is a thread I just don't want to think about.

I've got a Yamaha 115 here in Santiago and I haven't had any problems thankfully. I try to be especially attentive and of course I never ride after I've had a few drinks. Unfortunately, most of the other motorcycles probably can't say the same.

I think it's great and really handy when I need to get somewhere not to far away and I never ever have to worry about traffic - that is probably the best part. I just right up to the front of the line just like I used to do my Honda 550 in Germany back in the '80's. Too bad the states don't allow bikes to do that. I've got a big Suzuki Bandit 1200 back home and sometimes people see me coming and try to cut me off beforehand. Honestly, my countrymen back home are turning into a whole bunch of sob's when it comes to driving anymore and they don't care a hoot about bikers.

At the very least Dominicans are 100 percent more courteous than Americans, especially to bikers, and 200% more attentive to whose on the road with them believe it or not. It may not seem that that is possible but I challenge anyone to ride a bike in the states and then come here and compare the two.

Dominicans aren't perfect of course and although I haven't seen where they will purposely put a biker in jeapardoy, the ususalyy give way, I have seen that they sometimes will "stagger" at an intersection to not allow the bikers to go by. This isn't really that dangerous, just annoying - and besides, there's usually a sidewalk, ha ha. BTW the super majority of the people who "stagger" at the intersections are middle aged, older women drivers in nice cars and anybody in a new jipetas. Hey you know what I say, if you don't like traffic - get a bike!

[Ricardo900]

Originally Posted by Chip00

I've got a Yamaha 115 here in Santiago and I haven't had any problems thankfully. I try to be especially attentive and of course I never ride after I've had a few drinks. Unfortunately, most of the other motorcycles probably can't say the same.

I think it's great and really handy when I need to get somewhere not to far away and I never ever have to worry about traffic - that is probably the best part. I just right up to the front of the line just like I used to do my Honda 550 in Germany back in the '80's. Too bad the states don't allow bikes to do that. I've got a big Suzuki Bandit 1200 back home and sometimes people see me coming and try to cut me off beforehand. Honestly, my countrymen back home are turning into a whole bunch of sob's when it comes to driving anymore and they don't care a hoot about bikers.

At the very least Dominicans are 100 percent more courteous than Americans, especially to bikers, and 200% more attentive to whose on the road with them believe it or not. It may not seem that that is possible but I challenge anyone to ride a bike in the states and then come here and compare the two.

Dominicans aren't perfect of course and although I haven't seen where they will purposely put a biker in jeapardoy, the ususalyy give way, I have seen that they sometimes will "stagger" at an intersection to not allow the bikers to go by. This isn't really that dangerous, just annoying - and besides, there's usually a sidewalk, ha ha. BTW the super majority of the people who "stagger" at the intersections are middle aged, older women drivers in nice cars and anybody in a new jipetas. Hey you know what I say, if you don't like traffic - get a bike!

I've been riding bikes in NYC for over 15 years (off & on, started out as a teenager on a Honda MB5) and I know first hand the dangers of cars & bikes, but I always thought riding in the DR, especially the Capital, was suicide. Coupled with bad drivers, drunk drivers, bad road conditions & poor lighting always prevented me from riding down there. Oh yeah traffic is for cars (cages), lol.

Ricardo
"Honda CBR900"

Originally Posted by Ricardo900

I've been riding bikes in NYC for over 15 years (off & on, started out as a teenager on a Honda MB5) and I know first hand the dangers of cars & bikes, but I always thought riding in the DR, especially the Capital, was suicide. Coupled with bad drivers, drunk drivers, bad road conditions & poor lighting always prevented me from riding down there. Oh yeah traffic is for cars (cages), lol.

Ricardo
"Honda CBR900"

Yeah I would agree that riding a bike in the capitol would be intimidating. Fortunately I do my putzing around in Santiago and I rarely go out after dark. I do go to my gym which is on the Estrella Sadhala twice a week and that is definitely scary at times. For this type of situation the best thing to do is when you come to a light ALWAYS make you way to the front no matter what. That way when the light turns green you can stay out in front until you reach the next tapon.