Why a motorcycle changes the trip

Puerto Vallarta is the start of a very good road in two directions. Go south and the coastal highway climbs into curves above the ocean, past Boca de Tomatlán and toward El Tuito and the empty beaches beyond it. Go north and you are in Sayulita, San Pancho and Punta de Mita inside an hour. Go inland and you climb into the Sierra Madre toward San Sebastián del Oeste, a cobblestone mining town at 1,500 metres where the temperature drops fifteen degrees on the way up.

None of those are far. All of them are awkward without your own vehicle — a bus takes the whole day, a taxi costs more than the rental, and a tour puts someone else in charge of when you leave. On a motorcycle they become an ordinary morning.

What we rent, and who each one is for

Two categories, and the difference is the road you plan to be on:

Dual-sport. Light, upright, comfortable on pavement and unbothered by the parts that stop being pavement. This is the bike for mountain roads, for towns with cobblestone streets, and for anyone who wants the option of a dirt detour. It is also the easier bike to ride in city traffic.
Harley-Davidson. Heavier, more comfortable at highway speed, and the right choice if the plan is long coastal stretches and a good-looking bike underneath you. Keep it on the asphalt.

Both come with the same two pricing shapes: an office-hours block, or a full 24 hours if you want the bike for dinner and the ride home too. Current rates are on the dual-sport and Harley rental pages.

What you need to rent one

A valid driver's licence and an official ID, both with you at pickup. Bring them physically — a photo on your phone is not the same thing.

The other requirement is not paperwork: these rentals are for people who already ride. Vallarta is not the city to learn on. If you have never been on a motorcycle, take a scooter instead — automatic, light, and genuinely the better tool for getting around town. We rent those too, and nobody will think less of you.

Routes worth the fuel

South to El Tuito (about an hour). The best riding close to the city. Curves, ocean views, jungle. Coffee in the town square, then either turn around or keep going toward the coast at Mayto if you have the full day.
North to Sayulita and San Pancho (45–60 minutes). Easy highway, surf towns, lunch by the beach. The most popular day trip and the least demanding ride.
Punta de Mita (about an hour). Quiet road out to the point, good beaches, and the flattest, calmest ride of the three.
San Sebastián del Oeste (two to two and a half hours). The full day. A proper mountain road, a colonial town in the pines, and cool air. Leave early, come back before dark.
Just the city. The Malecón, the Old Town, up to the mirador, out to the marina. An afternoon of this is a genuinely good use of a bike.

Riding here: what nobody tells you

Topes. Speed bumps, unmarked, sometimes brutal, often right where you would least expect one. This is the single most important local hazard. Watch the road surface, not the scenery.
Cobblestone. Much of the old town and every mountain village. Slow down, stay loose, and it is fine. Wet cobblestone is another matter — it is slick.
Rain. In the summer months it rains hard and briefly, usually late in the afternoon. Ride mornings, and if a storm catches you, pull over and wait it out. It rarely lasts more than an hour.
Don't ride the mountain roads at night. No lighting, livestock on the road, and curves that do not forgive. Plan to be back before sunset.
Helmet, always. It is the law in Jalisco and it is not a negotiation.
Fuel up before you leave town. There are stations on the main routes, but not in the places you will want to be.
Left blinkers mean nothing. On the highway a truck flashing its left indicator often means "it is clear to pass", not "I am turning". When in doubt, don't.

If you would rather have a guide

Riding a road you have never seen, in a country you have never ridden in, is more fun with somebody who knows where the good turnoffs are. Our Dual-Sport Motorcycles Private Tour is exactly that: you ride, a guide leads, and the route is built around what you want to see — mountain towns, old settlements, or the coast.

Plenty of people do both — a guided ride first to learn the area, then a rental day to go back to whatever they liked most.

Picking it up

Everything starts at our shop in downtown Puerto Vallarta. Come by with your licence and ID, tell us where you are planning to go, and we will tell you honestly whether the bike you picked is the right one for that road. Then it is yours for the day.

Compare the options on the rentals page, or message us on WhatsApp with your route and we will tell you what it is really like right now.