Who knew Belize had bikers?
Who knew that there was an official Harley-Davidson store in Belize City?
Who knew that there was an active biker community in the country?
With the stereotypical biker being pictured as a 300lb, bearded and scary man, one would be surprised to encounter some of the friendliest people in the world at the Belize Bike Rally. It is an entire weekend scheduled with parties, sightseeing, concerts and showing off those really cool bikes that scream for attention.
Belize serves as a middle meeting point for hundreds of bikers who ride thousands of miles from Mexico, Central America, South America and those who travel from Europe, USA and Canada to join the camaraderie that brings everyone together under one passion – to ride gnarly bikes.
When the streets starts to rumble, heads start turning as Harleys, Ducatis, Yamahas and BMWs parade the busy streets of Belize City. Locals make way to admire the beauty, marvel at the custom detailing and cheer on the spirit of the rally.
Everybody convenes at Belize City’s Black Pearl, Harley-Davidson Store where the bikers register for the event, have a beer or two, catch up with old friends – make new friends and show off their bikes. It is the place to hang out, but you will find bikers riding and exploring the city, taking the road to visit the nearby Maya ruins, caves and waterfalls.
The bike rally also organizes a rock concert on the last night of the event where the bikers party until the early morning hours, just to wake up the next day to travel to another beautiful Belizean destination. In the past the group has visited the islands of Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye where they invade the beaches, local bars and celebrate before riding back home.
The Belize Bike Rally is a great opportunity to meet new people from all over the world, especially from the neighboring Latin American countries. We met Bill Dominquez from Panama; hard not to spot a six-foot, five tall man amongst the crowd. He lived in Belize for a few years and does not miss the opportunity to come visit, especially during the Bike Rally even though it takes him five long days to ride all the way from Panama. Like every other biker, he has a passion for the road, but he is a great photographer; taking hundreds of snaps throughout all his rides. He took a group of his friends to visit the Altun Ha Maya Archeological Site during the last rally.
“It is great to get together with friends from Belize, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala, as these are the countries that are further away from Panama,” commented Bill Dominguez. “It is only when we come to the ‘Meet in the Middle’ Bike Rally that we get to see each other once again. The northern and southern regions can meet on a regular basis, but the rally in Belize is very important to get everybody together and it’s a beautiful country that has a lot to offer to the participating bikers.”
Then there are people like Mary Lee Langlois, owner of the Black Pearl Harley-Davidson store in Belize City. She is tiny, but with a huge heart and passion for riding. She holds her own among all the big male bikes with her leather vest, girly bandana and biker boots. Along with Khris Alexander Rosado, Orlando Carnigie who are the main organizers of the Belize Bike Rally, she is a major component of the biker community in the country, one that is growing in numbers.
In only its third year, the Belize Bike rally is proving to be a major event in Belize, growing substantially each consecutive year. It is promising to flourish with more activities, more bikers attending and an international reach that will place Belize on the map as having a large and active biking community.
Belize Bike Rally 2017 set for February 2-4
Were you at the 2016 rally? Are you planning to attend in 2017? Let us know what you think in the comments bellow.
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