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You will find many more reviews on TRIPADVISOR.
A day exploring the beauty surrounding PV is by far the best adventure we
have had in 3 trips to the area. The sites where amazing. We traveled the picturesque coastline south before heading up into the mountains. Along the way we visited small old Mexican
villages, took a short walk in the jungle (on a trail), and visited two of the most beautiful long untouched beaches I have ever seen. Toward the end of the day we stopped at a quaint fishing
village that looks as if nothing has changed there in 50 years.
Jurgen took great care of us from the time we arrived in the morning until
we returned in late afternoon. Fluent in English and Spanish, he handled communication at every stop. He is an easy going guy, but seems to have all the details taken care of very well. The
motorcycles are near new and worked flawlessly on both paved and back country dirt roads.
It was a very memorable day. Not your typical tourist excursion.
Bill Looper, California, USA
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We did the mountains & lonely beaches tour, and there is definitely no better activity around town (I CANNOT stress this enough). The tour is a full day tour - around 200 kms total of motorcycle riding through what I personally thought was a challenging road, in the best way. Also, Jurgen himself is a bike lover and as such explores very remote places around Jalisco in his spare time, so take it very seriously when I say that you will never find them on your own or through any other tour. He makes absolutely sure that you're comfortable and matches his pace to yours - you can forget about the rules of the road and just follow him and focus on the riding experience, in addition to the sightseeing (which is literally out of this world).
If you want to see the real Mexico and indulge your sense of untouched beauty and pure adventure, you have to do this tour. Believe me when I say I would've paid double what it actually cost to do it (and I'm a college student, so I don't exactly have a load of cash sitting around to spend).
The bikes are nice and powerful, and mine didn't have a scratch on it.
One more bonus - Jurgen is extremely helpful in general and recommended to us good snorkeling spots (which you won't know about by looking online), in addition to showing us on the map where other great spots are, for those who want to rent motorcycles themselves.
SUMMARY - You're very seriously missing out if you decide to not do this in PV.
Sid Gandhi, Houston, USA
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I went on both day tours with Jurgen during my stay in Puerto Vallarta. The first day we did the jungles, mountains, colonial villages tour. I have been to PV several times but had never had a vehicle to get around. This was an amazing way to see parts of Jalisco outside of the city which I never would have seen - not even on a tour. We went into villages and to isolated areas that have not yet been discovered by tour buses. On the second day, we went on another theme and different direction to incorporate lonely beaches - also as yet unscathed by tours. Both tours were one-of-a-kind and fantastic. Jurgen is a wonderful, knowledgeable guide and very hospitable. He knows his way around and was always concerned that I was seeing what I had hoped to and that I was comfortable. We took breaks when we needed to and otherwise rode as much as we wanted. Not only was Jurgen a terrific guide but his stories he told of travel that he and his wife, Eli have been on have stirred a thirst to continue traveling. I highly recommend these tours to anyone who rides and wants to see an intimate and compelling look at life outside of the city. And, on a technical note, I am a female rider 5'-4" and Jurgen was able to adjust the 250cc Honda so that I was completely comfortable with the seat height.
Terri Gillis, Calgary, Canada
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My wife and I took a tour while there on our honeymoon and it was the best adventure we did. Immediately apon arrival Jürgen and his wife Eli were very nice and accommodating. The bikes were very new and in great condition. He took us to some very neat and beautiful places away from the hustle of the city. This is a must do if you want to see the beautiful country and avoid the tourist traps.
Dan & Jessica Bloom, San Diego, USA
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Had a flawless experience renting a Honda XR250 (dual-purpose bike) for 1 day and exploring the hills east of PV. The bikes were all 2015 models, mine had only 4000 km's on it and was in excellent shape.
Jurgen was very helpful setting my up with riding gear and sat down with me and pointed out a couple of local routes on a map as well as showing me the easiest way of getting out of town.
It was nice to get out of the resort for a day and see some of the beautiful area.
Highly recommended!
Mike Neudorf, Vancouver, Canada
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I travel often, and love to ride motorcycles.
I always tell myself that I am going to rent a bike or take a guided ride when on the road, but until calling up Bike Mexico last week I never actually followed through.
What a great experience! We saw so much in a day, and man are the mountains inland from PV astonishing. I can't think of any other circumstance that would have brought me inland to see the scenery in all of its grandeur. So much open space. Such ecological and topographical diversity. Such a rapid shift in population density. Blown away.
I often avoid tour style activities because I want the freedom to just experience where I am without someone else's filter. Jurgen was the best guide I could have asked for. He was friendly, funny, and intuitive about how much he narrated the experience. He knew what information was critical to share, and most of our conversation was just that, conversation. I learned about his crazy wealth of travel experiences and shared about mine as well.
In short, I had a blast and would highly recommend Bike Mexico to anyone that loves to ride and will be in PV. Really, just go. You won't regret it.
Owen Brewer, Seattle, USA
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Bike Mexico is a newer activity and company to PV but our experience was like they had been in business for several years. Jurgen was a great guide from the moment we started to our return at the end of the day. The equipment and motorcycles were in excellent condition. My wife and I shared the same bike (BMW) and felt great all day. This was by far the best day we had on out trip.
Tyler & Anne Walton, Colorado, USA
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As luck would have it, I had the great fortune of doing a solo ride with Jurgen on a flawlessly sunny day. I was hoping for a challenging ride and Jurgen delivered with spot-on riding pace and outstanding terrain. The benefit of a guide who knows the hidden gems that only a local would know can’t be overstated. We were able to go to rural towns and very remote areas. The fresh Honda 250 was the perfect rig for mixed riding.
Safely back at Bike Mexico, the exceptional ride was followed up with a cold beer while reviewing maps of the day’s adventure and the memories will last a lifetime. While I enjoyed an astonishing amount of varied riding in one day, I would highly recommend doing a multi-day ride based on the massive quantity and quality of riding available in the region.
Mike Samalis, Vermont, USA
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In 10 days we jam packed every activity you could possibly do in Vallarta and this unexpectedly
planned bike tour was definitely the best. Juergen and his wife Eli kindly welcome you into their home and professionally take care of the paper work. They maintain all the proper gear in
different sizes to keep you safe. We rented the Honda XR 250 Tornado. My husband did the driving and I did the holding on for my life. All of their bikes are practically new and in fantastic
condition. Juergen shows excitement about what he does and makes you feel as though he genuinely wants you to have the best time ever. He has travelled the world and has a lot of insight to offer
with his great company and easy to talk to personality. You really get to spend some time in secluded areas where a tour bus will not take you. We went through every type of road you can imagine
and the bikes did just great. Juergen offers a couple of tours and day trips. If you are not interested in a tour you can rent. He is incredibly accommodating on his tours. If you see something
you like and want to stop to take a picture he encourages you to do so. The roads were thrilling and the views were breathtaking. My husband was so excited that he couldn’t wait to call all of
his friends to tell them about it before getting back to the States. He is already talking about doing a long bike trip with Juergen. Highly Recommended! Do it!
Valerie & Sean, Florida
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Man I had fun. I did 2 different rides. One was south of Pv and the other
was east. Both were very good, in different ways. The bikes and guide were very good. The scenery was outstanding and some of the historical land marks were beyond belief. The ride was very good
value and I would recommend the "Dirt Road Sea to Sky" rides to everyone.
Duncan Brock, Canada
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If you love motorcycles this tour is a great way to spend the day, the scenery
and the twistie roads up over the mountain passes are awesome. Juergen and Eli are great to work with and make the rental very easy. I am a life long motorcyclist and I found that Juergen set the
pace of the tour to be just right for me fun riding but still time to stop and look around. I rented the BMW 650 which was great to ride and would be good two up but, the Honda 250 would be
perfect for the ride as well. Don't go home wishing you would of went just go, you will be glad you did!!
Kevin Klein
Coeur d'Alene ID, USA
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Excellent service and like new rental motor bikes. Very good tires for on road and off road driving on the Honda 250 Tornado. Good knowledge of the Puerto Vallarta area and good information about back roads and possible day trips.
Wolf Schall, Canada
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My wife and I hired one of the honda 250 dual sport bikes for one day to ride into sayulita. It was a great day. They had a 2015 model bike out front waiting when I arrived. Clean, fuelled up and ready to go. They made it very easy. Prices included clean modern safety gear and insurance which was nice. Pretty easy riding around PV considering it is a city but once you get away the roads are quiet and really good. Can't recommend these guys highly enough. Probably the best day of our trip. Thanks.
Luke Rogers, Australia
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My wife and I are Harley riders and we like to rent a couple of bikes whenever we go on vacation. This year we went to Puerto Vallarta and before we left I researched where we could rent Harley’s. During my internet research I came across the Bike-Mexico.com website and saw the great photos of the places they go on their tours. After reading through the web site and emailing them a few times with questions that were promptly and courteously answered, we booked the rental of 2 bikes and the Jungle, Mountains, and Lonely Beaches tour. I have ridden enduro and dirt bikes before, but my wife never has. She wanted to learn though, so we decided to take this direction for our Mexican riding adventure.
We arrived at their location in a newer housing subdivision on our scheduled day and the owners Jurgen and Eli welcomed us and the paperwork and payments were taken care of quickly and efficiently. They have clean customer restroom facilities to use as well. Their rentals include insurance which is appreciated. Everything went without a hitch all day for us. The bikes are new 2015 Honda XR 250 Dual Sports and were well maintained and in great shape. They even have several bikes that are lowered a bit for shorter riders and those that are not used to the taller stance of that type of motorcycle. My wife got a chance to practice a bit up and down the quiet street before we left. Jurgen did a great job leading us on an excellent tour to a couple of mountain villages with paved and cobblestone roads. We also rode dirt roads to a wonderful secluded beachside resort for lunch with great food and even better atmosphere. By the time we were halfway through the tour, my wife was having a great time riding on the dirt roads and enjoying the fantastic scenery. Jurgen did an excellent job making sure we got to see everything but kept a relaxed pace so we could make stops and take a lot of photos. He is also a photographer like my wife, so it was cool to have him recommend spots to take pictures and he even rode ahead and took some pictures of us on the bikes against some beautiful scenery. The riding was great with a surprising amount of twisties and sweeps like the mountain roads in North Carolina and Kentucky. On the dirt roads outside of the towns we only saw 4 or five cars all day.
I thought the riding would be the primary thing that would hold my interest, but I was wrong. The stops were great. We stopped in El Tuito which is a cool little town out in the country where we were able to buy some local cheese and a bottle of Racilla liquor from the family that makes it. The stop for lunch at the beach resort was awesome with its long expanse of empty beach and the crystal blue sky and water. We also stopped at the fishing village Tehuamixtle where they harvest oysters and where the Coca Cola Company shipped their cocaine from during the turn of the century before the U.S. government outlawed it as an ingredient. On the way back into town, Jurgen gave us a lesson in city riding in Mexico and we had a lot of fun coming back.
Overall, I would recommend Bike-Mexico to anyone that wants to rent a motorcycle or take a motorcycle tour off the beaten path to some real hidden gem locations. Jurgen is a great tour guide, and the motorcycles were in top notch shape. The only bad thing we experienced was that it was getting late and we had to end the tour!
Tom + Sue Pankow, Chicago
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After doing some research on motorcycle rentals in Puerto Vallarta, I stumbled on Bike Mexico and found something even better: a guided motorcycle tour. From beginning to end, Jurgen was communicative and extremely helpful; he professional and courteous and even though he owns, manages, and guides the tour himself, he was always so enthusiastic about everything. The equipment is all in "like-new" condition and his knowledge and experience was second to none. For any bike and adventure lovers, this is a MUST do, without a doubt. Not only do you get to enjoy motorcycling in Mexico, but you also get to see some incredible scenery through mountains, villages, and the countryside that very few tours will ever be able to offer you. Hands down, the best decision I've ever made on holiday and by far the best experience in Puerto Vallarta.
Brian Ghaw, New York City
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My wife and I rented Honda 250 Tornadoes for two days. Day one took us into the Sierras to several traditional towns. It was great riding and the bikes were perfect for the twists and turns of the mountains. At one point we were riding through a cloud! The second day we headed up the coast to La Penita and other beach towns. The bikes performed well at the higher highway speeds, and we had another great day. Jurgen and Elizabeth were very friendly and professional. We were treated very well, and we highly recommend Bike Mexico.
Tom & Maureen Schmidt, Canada
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It was nice to balance our beach and snorkeling days with an adventurous motorcycle ride through the mountainous back-country of Puerta Vallarta. Juergen was an excellent tour guide and balanced our ride with a nice cultural experience, allowing you to experience the "real" Mexico.
Once you get outside the city, there is very little traffic, allowing for a nice-paced ride, with little traffic. Mostly curvy roads, with plenty of elevation changes made for a nice riding experience. The bikes - pretty much brand new - were great for the mixed terrain. We saw plenty of wildlife along the way, including a big snake crossing the road, learned how coffe is made, and how a local cheese is made - makes you wonder if you could combine the two - make coffee cheese? But that's for another day.
We started our ride around 9:00 am and got back before sundown. It was a great ride, a wonderful adventure. We're looking forward to our next ride. Maybe we'll pick the "beach tour" next.
Andreas & Alicia Sprecher, San Francisco
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Our host and guide, Jurgen, very professional and personable, guided us through the mountains and small towns of rural Mexico on Honda 250 Tornados. The mountain scenery and quaintness of the small towns was mesmerizing and doing it on Motorcycles was exhilarating. The day was neatly planned to include stops along the way to rest and eat and take incredible pics. I can't wait to do this again ! Thanks again Jurgen and Eli !
Doug Perich, Canada
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Hola Jurgen & Eli,
Thank you for the photos and thank you even more for the best day I've had in years.
Alan.
Alan Hill, Canada
alanpaulhill(at)outlook.com
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“Excellent tour through the mountains outside Puerto Vallarta!”
My girlfriend and I took a tour with Jurgen into the mountains beyond Puerto Vallarta. What a great day. The roads are well-maintained, and the twisties over the mountains into San Sebastian are great fun!
The schedule was well-planned, but open enough for us to explore when we liked. Every stop we took, Jurgen (our guide) chatted with the locals to learn ever more about the area. He has lots of local info to share, but isn't overbearing with it, and willing to let you explore the local towns on your own.
The countryside is beautiful, and the culture fascinating. Mascota has a really cool church that was never finished, and has since been turned into a cool garden. So cool, in fact, that I decided to propose to my girlfriend there! She said yes!
Besides that obvious awesomeness, the tour was all around great, and I'd love to get a chance to check out Jurgen's beach tour sometime.
Not to miss!
Patrick Tomeny, Portland
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Myself and my son had an excellent day out with Jurgen on his beach tour. New Honda 250cc bikes, small amount of off-road ie. gravel tracks were taken at a good pace for myself with no unpaved experience. We had some great views and passed through some of 'real Mexico' on the way to the bay. This was miles of pristine beach with just a handful of local bars and small hotels.
I will definitely return for another trip !
Mel Bishop, UK
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“What a great one day adventure”
Have lived in the Puerto Vallarta area for almost two years now and have explored some of the areas on my own motorcycle. Or so I thought. After hearing about Bike Mexico I was able to meet Jürgen and Eli. Wonderful people that are also quite the world travelers. Took the day tour down south to El Tuito and headed to the coast. Riding the Honda 250 was a real kick and I was very impressed by the versatility of this bike. This bike is well matched for these roads and environment. I think once we were well out of El Tuito we maybe saw a total of maybe 10 vehicles on the road all day! Great views and the solitude of the empty beaches. Lunch was wonderful at a little beach restaurant. We were the only people there. Beside knowing his way around the area, Jürgen also speaks excellent Spanish. A great tour at a relaxing pace with a very competent tour guide. I will be back and highly recommend Bike Mexico.
Frank Ohly
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“Excellent experience in Mexico”
I was the first customer of Bike Mexico in November and it could not have been a better experience. I rented one of the brand new Honda 250cc motorcycles and it was a very capable and comfortable bike for my riding between Puerto Vallarta, San Sebastian del Oeste, and Sayulita. Juergen was very hospitable, easy to deal with, and extremely helpful with suggestions. Riding on the roads in Mexico was easy - the roads I encountered were all in great shape, There was loose gravel and some rocks on the mountain road up to San Sebastian, but to be expected. From there, the off-road ride up to "La Bufa" for an amazing 360 degree panoroma was a lot of fun on this bike, which handled it easily.
Highly recommend. Feel free to contact me on the site if you have questions about riding in Mexico.
Paul Martin
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If you want a genuine impression of the country and people of Latin America, emphasis on great photos and carefree and relaxed motorcycling with adrenaline share in off-road riding, I can highly recommend this tour through Nicaragua. Especially for people with little previous experience in Central America, little to no Spanish skills as well few off-road experience I can only recommend such a trip with bike Nicaragua with Jürgen Dano as tour guide.
I ride myself a BMW 1200 RT and have great respect for gravel and loose surfaces. It’s possible to ride the routes, chosen by Jürgen, even without off-road experience (if you approach it calmly). Also contribute to the lightweight Honda "Tornado", which are all in very good condition. But even off-road enthusiasts can get their thrill, because Jürgen has enough variants of tracks.
I myself prefer riding a moderate amount of daily kilometers to have sufficient time to see the country and people and take some beautiful pictures. As Jürgen was a professional photographer extra arrangements for "Images Stops" were not necessary. In addition, he still gave me good tips for the pictures. His fluent Spanish and his contacts with the people there have given me impressions and images which “normal travelers” would hardly have.
My tour included in addition to the rides through a wonderful nature, very much variety, such as a canoe trip through a river delta on the island of Ometepe, a visit to a coffee plantation on the border with Honduras or the trendy bars in Granada.
Beginning and end of the tour are always in Leon, a lively pretty town with remarkable markets, university and many churches. In the family atmosphere in the house of Jürgen and his wife Eli you immediately feel very comfortable. With good food, enough beer and / or rum, the evenings can be very long!
So if you like to ride a motorbike, sometimes off the road, who wants to get unforgettable impressions and still want to spend a relaxing holiday, I can only recommend the tour with Bike Nicaragua.
Ralf Petrausch, rpetrausch(at)t-online.de
Frankfurt, Germany
February 2014
We were from December - January in Nicaragua. We booked the trip over the Internet. They offered Spanish classes; organized motorcycle tours and you could also rent motorcycles to travel independently through the country, what we finally did.
If we let it all again reminisce, then there is really nothing you could have done better and we felt always good advised. The Spanish lessons were, as mentioned on the website, in a private, relaxed and friendly atmosphere and it was really fun. Elizabeth, which held the instruction was very well trained and has really explained everything simply and clearly - that we have not previously experienced like this.
As well the motorcycle rental, with many tips and information from Jürgen, was just perfect. Also the whole price-performance ratio simply superb and we believe that you won’t find an offer as good and of high quality like this anywhere. The local support was just awesome and the have really thought of everything. We can recommend the "Spanish School" and "Bike Nicaragua" in Leon just to anyone who wants to experience a very good and stress-free vacation, travel adventure inclusive.
Muchas gracias Eli and Jürgen for an unforgettable holiday.
Guido and Moni
guido-metzler(at)t-online.de
from the Allgäu (Germany)
Jurgen and Eli,
It is now a month since I returned from Nicaragua, and it is difficult to believe I was ever there now that normal life is back in full swing.
I want to thank you for an absolutely fantastic tour of the country. From the moment I arrived, until the moment you dropped me at the hotel in Managua, you were excellent company.
Eli, your delicious food was very much appreciated, particularly after returning from eleven days on the road and tostones con queso every day. You made me feel so welcome as soon as I arrived from the airport, and I know you were working hard in the background whilst we were out on the road, making sure that everything would be in order at that night's stopover.
Jurgen, top man. I'm so glad I dragged you off of your normal routes and took you somewhere that you hadn't been before. Forever more, Bluefields will be the rum drinking capital of the world in my book (after Grenada of course).
With your years of travelling experience you know what is truly interesting and what is just gloss. There was at least one "wow" moment in every day, and no two places we stayed were remotely like each other - but were the best places available in the locality.
Thankfully I have your photos as well as mine to remember the trip by. With so much else of the world to explore I don't know if I'll ever be back in Nicaragua, but I know we'll stay friends. One day you will have to come and ride around the Scottish Highlands with me. That stuff you call rain on the Caribbean coast - that's nothing!
I hope you have a good season coming up, and reap the rewards of all the hard work you have put in.
All the very best,
Mark
Luton - England
mark.d.rivers(at)btopenworld.com