Comments on: Motorcyclists account for largest percentage of Costa Rica’s road deaths so far this year

By: Righty

Righty — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 20:42:00 +0000

As the owner of an 800cc motorcycle I can only say that 99.9% of the motorcycles I’ve seen darting in and out of traffic,lane splitting, no helmets, loud baffle free mufflers, straight pipes, and total disregard of any and all traffic protocol are 250cc or less. In fact, most of them are 100cc or 150cc. Also, on my last inspection at Reteve they did do a decibel check. I passed. Also, I might add that I believe MOST of these small bikes do not have their Marchamo paid and haven’t seen Reteve in years. I, personally, would like to see these machines removed from the roads. I also drive a car.

By: Roberto

Roberto — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 20:21:00 +0000

Currently motorcycles have a decible limit of 98db, but a new law lowers them to 94db for a motor less than 250cc y 96db for a motor above 250cc. The new law takes affect this October 23rd., and the fine is 21.964 colones ($40.00). The Dept. of Emisiones Control is supposted to buy 25 sound level meters for the entire country. So contact your local MOPT/Transito office and see if they are going to enforce the new law. I doubt that it will make any difference.

By: Michael C

Michael C — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 19:56:00 +0000

Most mc drivers have NO respect for the law, for their personal safety, or for the safety of the people that they “share” the road with! Better that their ranks are reduced!
The unmuffled bikes are a major annoyance to the rest of civilized society, and an embarrassment for Costa Rica tourism. MOPT should initiate a major enforcement campaign, which would have the additional benefit of a large influx of traffic fines!

By: Michael C

Michael C — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 19:49:00 +0000

Seizing and holding the bikes, and heavily fining the owners, gets my vote “cien por ciento”!

By: Roberto

Roberto — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:47:00 +0000

GOOD!!! I call them “organ donors.” The
Transit police and the Ministerio de Salud are obligated and responsible for
regulating this noise pollution by motorcycles and the cars that have loud
speakers on their roofs that drive slowly around town announcing stuff. MOPT has at their disposal ‘Sonometros’ that
are calibrated at the LACUMED laboratory at the UCR. In 2000 and 2005 laws protecting the citizens
from excessive noise were passed. Even
the Defensoria de los Habitantes has received complaints over noise pollution. .
Why don’t we start seizing bikes from the crazy riders. Keep the bikes for 30
days then make them read a bike etiquette and safety manual, then pass a small
test. Give them back their bikes after they pass with 80 percent or better.
Slowly they might figure it out.

By: Yeims

Yeims — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 17:50:00 +0000

I live out in the country where there are lots of motorcycles. Most of the riders don’t take the baffles out of the mufflers, but a fair percentage, maybe 10%, do. They believe that running a straight pipe increases the power. It does, but barely — and also causes the motor to wear out much quicker. The muffler provides a back pressure, which means there is a little of the combusted vapor left in the cylinder, and this is good because it pre-heats the gasoline vapor and makes for a more uniform combustion.

The loud racket wakes us up every night, and it’s really got to be very old. I just now bought a decibel meter, and it shows that IN OUR BEDROOM the noise is sometimes more than 100 Db (anything over 85 Db is harmful to the hearing).

My point is, maybe it’s not such a bad thing that the more idiot bike riders are dying — natural selection and all that. The police don’t do anything, because they do not have Db meters and therefore charges against the riders with loud bikes won’t stick. They put the baffles back in for Riteve, and then take them right back out.

Before, Spain was known as the noisiest country in the world, but a Spaniard friend says Costa Rica is now much worse. After being awakened so many times in the wee hours and unable to get back to sleep, I don’t think it is such an extreme thing to see them gone forever.