Motorcycles in San Pedro, Belize

We just got back from a trip to San Pedro Belize, which is on the northeastern coast of Central America bordered to the north by Mexico, south and west by Guatemala, and to the east by the Caribbean Sea. Transportation on the island is interesting to say the least. There are very few cars on the island and the roads are a mix of brick, stone, dirt and sand. Most people get around by either golf cart (in the case of most tourists), bicycle (many locals) or motorcycles and scooters.

From what I was able to find out there is a 150cc limit on motorcycles in place and, while there is no helmet law, there is a law requiring you to bring a helmet with you when you register your bike. I read recently that many people were borrowing helmets from friends so the law was changed to read that you must bring a receipt for your helmet as well. I can’t verify that however. The most common bikes I saw were Yamaha (YBR125) and Meilun trail bikes.

We saw entire families riding on a single scooter and or motorcycle (smallest child sitting on the tank or standing in front between dad’s arms, mother and occasionally another child behind). The helmets I did notice ranged from none to bicycle helmets. There is no real pleasure riding on the island,  most of the riding there is utilitarian, even the police only ride bicycles (I was told that this was because they hadn’t paid the bill they owed for gas).

The trip was interesting as it was my first chance to see how motorcycles are used for a variety of utilitarian needs (even the water is delivered by a Meilun Cargo bike a half motorcycle half trailer setup).

San Pedro is a fantastically beautiful island. I recommend it if you’re looking for a relaxing vacation with a lot of great people, just don’t expect to ride much…

Meilun Cargo Bike