Motorcycle Touring and Cruising in Davao, Philippines

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Davao, Philippines

Davao is a great place for touring on a bike and they don't have ridiculous restrictions like Manila. The Mayor of Davao is a biker and it shows. The standard of driving is much better than Manila. There are still some unsurfaced roads here and there but the roads that are surfaced are excellent with no potholes. There are miles of beautiful country roads and even in the city the traffic density is bearable. Most of these snaps where taken in the farming town of Toril, about 30mins ride from Davao City center.

	Motorcycle taxis are common outside the city. I've seen as many as seven on a bike with their luggage. This one still has plenty of room for at least one more at the back. The seats are extended and extra shock absorbers added at the rear.
	Motorcycle taxis are especially good on the farm roads where car taxis really don't like to go. Take a look at the road surface. This is about 45 minutes ride from the nearest surfaced road.
	This is one variation of the tricycle. The bikes range from 50cc mopeds up to about 125cc bikes. This style has eight seats in the back and two up front either side of the driver. Luggage and sometimes more passengers goes on top and hangs on the back. I tried driving one of these while I was there. The steering took brute force to move it. The front brake was missing and the rear sort of worked if you pushed the pedal almost to the ground. Moving from 1st to second it always jumped to 4th and there were no working lights. It was worth the struggle to see the look on the local's faces when the white guy with gray hair went by driving a tricycle.
	This is one of the home made variety. Powered by a Honda general purpose engine normally used for pumps, generators, etc. There are no gears. For the clutch a drive belt from the engine passes an idler pulley on a lever with a pedal attached. More pressure on the pedal equals more belt grip. The brake is a plate of metal attached to a lever and a pedal. Press on the pedal and the metal plate presses on the rear tire to slow you down. The throttle is a lever on the handlebars. Lights... Who needs lights.

Philippine Jeepney the most common for of public transport

You think the bikes are loaded? The jeepneys can do better. This one has room for a few more which he will pick up on route. The main part of the route is unpaved roads with plenty of rocks but with this load it won't bounce around much. Notice the water tank at the front of the roof. These old jeepneys often have no radiator caps and are topped up with cold water at regular intervals along the route.

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