Day 3 of The Great Getaway motorcycle tour wows us with Costa Rica’s beauty while riding the BMW R 18 cruiser.
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Motorcyclists seeking a dramatic break from the daily hustle and bustle will appreciate BMW Motorrad’s The Great Getaway Tour. This all-inclusive motorcycle tour lets adventure-hungry riders sample BMW’s R 18 on a leisurely cruise through some of the best parts of the Costa Rican isthmus.
Following a fun couple of days in the saddle during the BMW’s The Great Getaway Motorcycle Tour, Day 1 - 2022 and BMW’s The Great Getaway Motorcycle Tour, Day 2 - 2022, we set off from the beachside town of Las Catalinas on the west end and headed inland, into the lush tropical mountains.
Cooler weather and vibrant tropical landscapes greeted us as we carved our way toward Arenal Volcano National Park. But words don’t do the country’s beauty justice; see and hear for yourself what this 115-mile third day of the tour was like in this video.
Full story here: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/bmw-motorcycle-great-getaway-tour-day-three-2022/
Photography: Hermann Köpf
Video: Adam Waheed, BMW Motorrad
Edit: Joseph Agustin
Motorcycle Gear Worn
Helmet: Shoei RF-SR
Jacket: Rev’It Blackwater
Gloves: Rev’It Kinetic
Pant: Rev’It Piston
Boots: TCX Rush 2 Air
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist
Shop Products We Use: https://www.amazon.com/shop/motorcyclistmagazine
See more from us: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
--
Motorcyclists seeking a dramatic break from the daily hustle and bustle will appreciate BMW Motorrad’s The Great Getaway Tour. This all-inclusive motorcycle tour lets adventure-hungry riders sample BMW’s R 18 on a leisurely cruise through some of the best parts of the Costa Rican isthmus.
Following a fun couple of days in the saddle during the BMW’s The Great Getaway Motorcycle Tour, Day 1 - 2022 and BMW’s The Great Getaway Motorcycle Tour, Day 2 - 2022, we set off from the beachside town of Las Catalinas on the west end and headed inland, into the lush tropical mountains.
Cooler weather and vibrant tropical landscapes greeted us as we carved our way toward Arenal Volcano National Park. But words don’t do the country’s beauty justice; see and hear for yourself what this 115-mile third day of the tour was like in this video.
Full story here: https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/reviews/bmw-motorcycle-great-getaway-tour-day-three-2022/
Photography: Hermann Köpf
Video: Adam Waheed, BMW Motorrad
Edit: Joseph Agustin
Motorcycle Gear Worn
Helmet: Shoei RF-SR
Jacket: Rev’It Blackwater
Gloves: Rev’It Kinetic
Pant: Rev’It Piston
Boots: TCX Rush 2 Air
Motorcyclist Shirts: https://teespring.com/stores/motorcyclist
Shop Products We Use: https://www.amazon.com/shop/motorcyclistmagazine
See more from us: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/
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SportsTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 All right, folks, good morning.
00:16 We are on day number three
00:19 of the condensed BMW Motorrad great getaway.
00:27 We are just leaving the Santerra,
00:31 I think it was called, hotel here in Costa Rica.
00:35 In this part of Costa Rica,
00:37 this is a small, small up and coming city.
00:42 Everything is new constructions.
00:44 About 50 people live here,
00:47 all from different parts of the world.
00:51 And they are expanding this area of Costa Rica
00:56 and making it almost sort of more Western.
01:00 You have a beautiful seaside cove right here.
01:05 And then you have mountains and hiking trails
01:11 and stuff to do right inland.
01:14 God, look how beautiful that is.
01:15 So we had a fun time yesterday,
01:19 logging some decent mileage for sure.
01:22 And then having that luau style barbecue
01:27 with the pig on the spit in this barbecue box,
01:30 that was fire.
01:31 That was literally the best pork I've ever eaten in my life.
01:35 I definitely need to figure out a grilling strategy
01:40 at home to be able to do that one day.
01:42 That would be awesome.
01:44 Back to the bike.
01:45 We are back on our R18 Power Cruiser.
01:51 Thankfully, the tour company, Elephant Moto,
01:56 they took the time to fit a different seat.
02:01 So originally the R18, I was riding this bike number 16
02:07 that you are assigned with on the first day.
02:11 It had an aftermarket seat from Roland Sands Design.
02:16 I really like Roland Sands Design
02:20 and the products that they make,
02:22 but that seat and my rear end did not jive.
02:26 So thankfully they had a different accessory seat with them.
02:31 So they fit that on this bike.
02:35 This seat I'm riding on now is actually an OE accessory.
02:39 It's a touring specific seat.
02:42 And the great thing about these BMW Motorrad vehicles
02:45 is that they have so many OE seat options.
02:50 Whether you're a tall rider, a short rider,
02:53 a rider who's looking for added support,
02:55 a rider who's looking for added shock feel
02:59 at the racing track.
03:00 There are so many different seat options
03:03 that you can literally go in the catalog
03:06 and pick something or find something that'll work for you.
03:09 BMW Motorrad doesn't talk about it enough,
03:11 but just having that ability to customize
03:15 the seat profile, that's a big deal.
03:18 So I anticipate having a much more comfortable day
03:23 in the saddle of this R18.
03:27 All right, folks, we are getting out of town.
03:29 We will check in with you here in a little bit.
03:32 (upbeat music)
03:34 Look how beautiful this beach is.
03:45 Now, the cool thing about the country of Costa Rica
03:50 is just the water temperature here in the Pacific Ocean.
03:53 The water temperature here is just warm.
03:56 You can just jump in without any wetsuit
03:59 and you're just comfortable.
04:01 You can't do that in the Golden State,
04:03 I'll tell you that much.
04:05 Very beautiful place, very lavish and nice accommodations.
04:12 This would be a place I would want to stay at much longer.
04:17 Folks, here we are in the Central American Isthmel
04:23 of Costa Rica.
04:24 This is Playa Flamingo on the Northwest coastline
04:29 of the Isthmel of Costa Rica.
04:35 Look how pretty it is.
04:36 Folks, I just wanna take off my Revit motorcycle gear
04:41 and hop in the ocean and swim with the dolphins,
04:45 but I forgot my towel,
04:47 so maybe we'll skip it and do it next time.
04:49 Seeing and smelling and living the sights and sounds
04:54 of Costa Rica is what BMW Motorrad's
04:57 The Great Gateway is all about.
05:00 And look, they have a support vehicle with you
05:04 everywhere you go.
05:06 You see that white Toyota 4Runner?
05:08 That's our chase vehicle with unlimited drinks,
05:12 unlimited snacks, unlimited everything
05:15 to make sure that you are hydrated
05:17 when you are out on the road logging the miles.
05:22 (upbeat music)
05:37 All right, folks, I am hearing something
05:40 very pleasurable to my ears right now.
05:44 And look what we have here.
05:47 Yes, a waterfall.
05:50 This is going to be fantastic.
05:52 I am so hot and sweaty right now.
05:55 We talked about the humidity here in Costa Rica
06:00 is quite high, so even though the ambient air temperature
06:03 isn't unusually high, you know, in the low 80s,
06:07 with it being so humid, it feels hot.
06:10 So we're gonna cool off in that waterfall.
06:14 What do you think, boys and girls?
06:17 Do you think it'll be awesome and refreshing?
06:20 Let's find out.
06:21 All right, folks, here we are at the beautiful waterfall
06:29 with our sippy cup in our hand.
06:32 Mm.
06:33 Let's go in the water.
06:36 Oh my God, this feels so good.
06:39 I can't believe, look at the fishes.
06:42 There's fishes in this water.
06:44 Oh my gosh, it's so beautiful.
06:46 And I'm telling you, we were hot just a minute ago,
06:49 but we are cooling off pronto style.
06:54 Now, if this isn't paradise, I don't know what is.
06:58 And look at this spread that we have at the Great Getaway.
07:03 Now, this is what I call a lunch stop.
07:07 Coconut water, sammies, some yummy,
07:11 delectable cake, no doubt.
07:13 Some wonderful fresh fruit.
07:15 If you've ever had the fruit in Costa Rica,
07:18 you'll know that this is game-changing.
07:20 Even if you grow your own fruit at home,
07:23 this stuff is still even game-changing for some reason.
07:26 And these dang plantain chips,
07:29 I can eat all of these chips.
07:31 I love these chips.
07:32 What a spread.
07:33 Thank you for this nice spread.
07:36 Yes, I would be lying if I didn't say
07:39 that I don't wanna leave this epic waterfall.
07:41 It is absolutely gorgeous here.
07:44 And that dip that we took was just so refreshing.
07:48 But alas, we have more miles to cover.
07:51 So we're gonna hop back on our R18 Cruiser
07:54 and pound some pavement.
07:56 (upbeat music)
07:59 We just got done having lunch on day number three
08:10 of the BMW Motorrad, the Great Getaway.
08:14 We had a nice picnic, as you saw, at the waterfall.
08:19 Oh my gosh, I wish I was inside
08:22 that pool of water right now because it is hot.
08:27 We've done an awful lot of riding on improvised roads,
08:33 including this one we are on right now,
08:36 which isn't terrible.
08:40 I mean, you're on a motorcycle.
08:41 Motorcycles can go anywhere, even street bikes.
08:44 But gosh darn it, this three inches of suspension travel
08:47 on this vehicle, it really lets you know
08:51 that there are bumps in the road.
08:55 I almost feel like a different BMW Motorrad vehicle
09:01 would be more well-suited to an adventure like this.
09:06 Basically, any of the bikes.
09:08 I would like to be on a F850GS or a F900XR.
09:13 F900XR would be bomb.
09:18 But BMW is proudly toting its R18 Cruiser
09:23 as the bike to be on for this application.
09:29 And while I don't necessarily agree with them,
09:33 it's better than not riding a motorcycle in Costa Rica.
09:37 How about that?
09:37 Now we're talking, boys and girls.
09:41 Finally, some corners.
09:43 I love the hilly topography of this country.
09:48 Yes, finally, we've been doing so much straight line riding.
09:55 It feels good to bend into some turns.
09:59 We are going up in elevation.
10:01 So the weather is starting to cool down very rapidly.
10:06 I am feeling this.
10:10 Look how beautiful the countryside is.
10:13 Because we're not in the rainy season yet,
10:16 the terrain is a little bit dry,
10:20 which is surprising because this country
10:22 gets quite a bit of rain even during the dry season.
10:25 You have random showers that throw down some moisture.
10:30 But now that we're entering the mountainous area,
10:34 you can see that everything is a little bit greener.
10:38 The temperatures are a little cooler.
10:39 So the water demand by the vegetation
10:42 is probably lower and it's just beautiful.
10:47 I certainly can get used to riding
10:49 or even living up here in the mountains.
10:52 This is nice.
10:54 The ambient air temperature is much lower.
10:58 Everything is more lush and green.
11:00 Look at these beautiful vistas.
11:02 This is what I am talking about.
11:04 Woo!
11:05 (motorcycle engine roaring)
11:09 Woo!
11:19 (motorcycle engine roaring)
11:23 (motorcycle engine roaring)
11:27 All right, folks.
11:44 Here we are on day number three of the Motorrad Tour
11:48 and we are taking a coffee stop
11:51 because who doesn't like to be caffeinated
11:54 when they're riding their motorcycle?
11:58 Look at that cake.
11:59 That looks delicious.
12:01 I definitely will wanna eat that in a minute.
12:03 Look at all the cool stuff they have to buy.
12:06 I bought some of these type of wooden espresso shot cups
12:11 because I love making espresso at home.
12:14 So I thought those would be handy.
12:17 Look at all the law enforcement agencies
12:20 who have visited this.
12:22 There is the Bavarian police,
12:24 or it's either that one or that one.
12:26 We have New York City Police Department.
12:30 We have North Dakota Sheriff.
12:33 How cool is that?
12:34 All of these folks have been here to have some coffee
12:39 and check out the scenery.
12:41 And let's go outside.
12:43 Look.
12:44 Look how beautiful it is outside.
12:47 Oh my gosh, this view is just insane.
12:50 I can't even believe what I'm looking at here.
12:52 All right, folks, we just left that delectable coffee spot.
12:59 I love Costa Rican blends of coffee.
13:03 They have this flavor to it
13:05 that I can't really describe in English,
13:09 but I can via my taste buds.
13:12 And I'm really happy to try different types of coffee
13:17 from all over the world.
13:18 I actually bought a couple small bags of whole bean coffee.
13:23 It was expensive, $44 for two small bags.
13:28 I'm sorry, $42 for two small bags.
13:31 US dollars, which seems expensive.
13:34 But I always like to have an assortment of coffee
13:39 at my house for myself and for my guests,
13:41 for my esteemed guests that come over.
13:45 So we are going to be barreling down
13:49 this curvy stretch of road for a while.
13:51 And I'm so happy right now.
13:53 That rough, beat up, dusty roadways
13:58 was not the right element for this R18.
14:02 This, of course, it's a cruiser.
14:04 It's not gonna have the ground clearance
14:07 of a traditional street bike,
14:09 but it's still enough to have some fun on.
14:12 I'm having fun right now.
14:14 (engine revving)
14:16 And just the power pulses of this Boxster Twin,
14:21 it's just such a fun engine.
14:22 Has a great growl to it, real nice character.
14:27 And the sound, I love the sound.
14:29 Yes, sounds nice and mean.
14:31 Now, when you're traveling here for the great getaway,
14:41 it can be hard to pack.
14:44 Number one, you don't need to bring a lot of anything.
14:47 The weather here is real mild.
14:48 All you really need besides a pair of shorts,
14:52 tank top and sandals is just your motorcycle riding gear.
14:56 What motorcycle riding gear to bring,
14:57 that was a real tough one for me to decide
15:00 because you have to have gear
15:03 that's gonna breathe and move some air.
15:07 But at the same time, when you get up to the mountains,
15:10 it could be a little bit cool and it rains all the time.
15:13 So that's why I went with this new Revit ADV jacket.
15:18 This jacket, although it was designed for adventure touring,
15:24 it actually works really good
15:25 for this varied weather conditions type of riding.
15:30 Number one, it's really light.
15:32 It has good vents and it is waterproof.
15:36 So we haven't really had that much rain,
15:38 but if it was to rain, I hate being wet.
15:42 So this jacket would help ensure that I am not wet.
15:46 It also has a ton of pockets,
15:47 waterproof pockets, mind you, and it looks cool.
15:51 I'm also wearing the Revit Piston SK jeans.
15:56 These jeans, this jean is awesome.
16:01 It's got good soft protection in the knees.
16:04 They're a real thick denim.
16:06 So if you were to take a spill,
16:08 it'd hold up real well and they're light color.
16:11 So when the sun's blaring on you, you don't get super hot
16:14 and they look cool and they fit nice and slim.
16:16 I love slim fitting jeans.
16:19 So I'm really happy I'm wearing those.
16:21 I also have a pair of Revit Kinetic gloves.
16:25 These gloves are nice because they have leather palms.
16:28 I like a leather palm.
16:29 It just holds up really nice
16:32 against the hand grips of the motorcycle.
16:36 It also gives you abrasion protection
16:38 if you were to take a spill.
16:39 Yet on the top, it is almost like a fabric,
16:43 not full mesh, but a mesh-like material.
16:46 So it actually has a little bit of breathing to it.
16:49 Not a lot.
16:50 It's not a full mesh glove by any means,
16:53 but it does breathe a wee bit
16:55 and it still has knuckle protection.
16:57 Also, always love wearing Revit gloves
16:59 'cause they fit me perfect.
17:00 Size medium fits my hand literally like a glove
17:04 and these gloves just, they fit me so well.
17:06 I love riding in Revit gloves.
17:11 I also brought a quick change pair
17:16 of rainproof pants and a rainproof jacket
17:21 just in case it really starts downpouring.
17:25 In lieu of this ADV, waterproof ADV jacket,
17:29 it wouldn't be a bad idea
17:31 to wear a high airflow mesh type summer jacket.
17:36 And then if you get cool, you can just wear that raincoat
17:39 because even if it's not raining,
17:40 it's gonna block the wind
17:42 and allow your body heat not to escape as much.
17:47 So maybe going forward,
17:49 I probably should have brought a mesh,
17:51 a full summer mesh riding jacket
17:53 just because it's so warm here.
17:55 But this Revit ADV coat is working pretty good too.
18:00 Oh, and boots.
18:03 Boots, I love riding in TCX riding shoes.
18:08 I have the TCX Rush Air boots on right now.
18:13 Maybe it's Rush 2 Air boots.
18:15 I can't remember if they're Rush 1 or Rush 2.
18:18 These boots are nice
18:19 because when you're riding this R18 Cruiser,
18:22 because of the configuration of the engine,
18:24 the cylinders do throw some heat off onto your feet.
18:29 And a vented riding shoe just helps keep your feet
18:34 from getting too hot.
18:35 If you were wearing a pair of waterproof boots right now,
18:39 oh my God, your feet would be so hot and sweaty.
18:41 It'd be gross.
18:42 So you definitely want a vented boot.
18:45 And then if it rains, it doesn't really matter so much
18:48 because the cylinders are literally covering your feet.
18:52 So in theory, your feet aren't gonna get super drenched
18:55 and the heat from the engine's gonna help
18:57 keep your feet warm.
18:59 It's almost like OE feet heaters to a certain extent.
19:03 So for sure I'd recommend rocking a vented
19:10 full length riding shoe or riding boot
19:13 like the TCX Rush 2 Air.
19:16 We are logging miles on this fun but narrow twisty road.
19:21 And this road really does a good job of highlighting
19:25 the handling dynamic of this R18 Cruiser.
19:29 It really is amazing how agile and how nimble
19:33 this 900 pounder Cruiser is.
19:36 For sure the Boxer Twin configuration has its advantages,
19:42 especially in how the crankshaft spins in a line
19:50 with the vehicle.
19:52 So there's nothing to fight when you're turning it
19:55 from left to right.
19:56 It just turns left or right because the crankshaft's
19:59 spinning in that same direction,
20:01 that same center line direction.
20:02 And I really like just how easy this bike handles.
20:07 For sure the limited rear suspension that we were
20:10 griping about earlier on the bumpy road.
20:13 This road is relatively smooth.
20:15 It's not the smoothest road I've ever ridden,
20:17 but it's also not extremely bumpy.
20:21 And the suspension on this vehicle works really well here.
20:24 You'll occasionally hit a G out,
20:28 which is a little bit annoying.
20:31 When you hit that G out, you definitely feel it.
20:34 You feel that bam through the seat and through the spine.
20:39 You really wanna stand up on top of the floorboards with,
20:45 look at that building, that's awesome.
20:46 Like a German building.
20:48 On top of, oh look at this, like German area.
20:51 Wow, that's sick.
20:52 German area on German, but crazy.
20:56 You really wanna stand up like this on the floorboards
21:01 when you go over a G out or any kind of obstacle
21:04 that's really gonna tax the limited travel of the rear shock.
21:13 I am operating Cardo Systems' new
21:17 FreeCom 4 Bluetooth communication device.
21:22 So this Bluetooth communication device
21:26 not only allows you to communicate with other folks
21:30 within the vicinity using this Bluetooth communicator,
21:35 you can also pair it with your smartphone.
21:38 I have it paired to my iOS enabled smartphone
21:42 so I can listen to music
21:44 and receive turn by turn navigation.
21:48 While we're talking about it,
21:52 BMW also offers its Ride Connected app,
21:57 which is a smartphone app for Android and iOS users.
22:02 And it allows you to enable turn by turn directions.
22:07 Since we don't have a traditional instrument panel,
22:11 we can't have turn by turn directions here,
22:13 but it will funnel them through your Bluetooth device.
22:17 But realistically, it's the same as running Apple Maps
22:20 or Google Maps.
22:21 Still, if you have a different type of BMW Motorrad vehicle
22:26 that Ride Connected app is just awesome, I love it.
22:29 Look, we did it, day number three
22:34 of the great getaway by BMW Motorrad.
22:39 And look, we are in a Rainforest Hotel.
22:43 This place is awesome.
22:45 What a change of scenery from the sandy beaches
22:50 and the more arid climate near the coastline.
22:55 Now we are in my neck of the woods.
22:59 I like this jungle type environment.
23:02 Well, today was pretty good.
23:04 We covered a lot of ground today.
23:08 I think we covered right around another 150 kilometers
23:12 on day number three.
23:14 Our ride this morning started out a little herky-jerky
23:17 and a little bumpy, but it finished really nicely
23:21 on these curvy roads here in the Rainforest Jungle.
23:26 Well, folks, that wraps up day number three.
23:29 I have to get out of my riding gear and take a shower
23:33 'cause I am a smelly boy.
23:34 We'll see you guys tomorrow.
23:36 Thanks for riding with us today.
23:38 (upbeat music)
23:40 (upbeat music)
23:43 (upbeat music)
23:46 (upbeat music)