Would you ever hire a bike?

[Paranoid Dave]

I had an interesting question raised to me today, and not knowing the answer I thought I'd share it.

Is there a market for bike hire in the UK?

Now we're not talking average bikes but MV or Ducati well maintained exotica?
Probably costing a few hundred a day or few days would there be a market and if so where is it?

Planning ahead is weather permitting, you couldn't put it on track but you could go on a weekend or two if you don't own a bike anymore or join friends, maybe even hire it for wedding or party arrival?

So please give me your thoughts, good, bad, indifferent?

[J.P]

I think there is, but the you'd have to have whopping insurance coverage and excess. That's where you'd make money. The daily cost should be low enough to make it an attractive weekend option.

But then you'd need awide selection of bikes, maybe a selection of older bikes for nostalgia which would be attractive.

[the_adam]

There would definitely be a market for it, I'd love to hire a nice bike occasionally (streetfighter for example) for a few days, just to give it an extended test and generally have something a bit different.

They do it with expensive cars already, thing is it's normally just the people that just want to show off with "their" shiny lamborghini crawling backwards and forwards along the same stretch of road all night. Happens a lot where I live :)

Trouble is that bikes aren't really used in the same way - you'd find more people hiring them for something to push further than their everyday one can go and not be so bothered about taking care of it because it's not their bike? Probably be just as likely to get the people that had just passed their direct access tests, felt a bit invincible and decided they wanted to take a hayabusa as fast as possible along the cat&fiddle too. This would make the insurance (and pricing in general) slightly ridiculous :eyepopping:

If there was some kind of clause that only let sensible people apply, it'd be a great idea though :D

[Scott1]

Any takers? http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_GB/Content/Pages/Try_a_Bike/rent_a_harley.html

[Dave G]

There has been a firm that did exactly this, that was a while ago though and dont know if they're still going.
There was another 'club' type of set up too where you would pay so much per year for membership and have access to various exotic machines each of which seemed to use so much of your credit.

[Funkatronic]

i spoke to a guy in portimao and he and few friends ran a company doing excatly this and it was a total disaster
so many people would just thrash the bikes silly and the the very frequent repairs form all the twats ended up costing so much the insurers withdrew cover unless the riders paid a £2k excess

the result was no customers

[Nickj]

Any takers? http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_GB/Content/Pages/Try_a_Bike/rent_a_harley.html

Here are just a few reasons to rent a Harley:

* You're on vacation, ready to cruise along the coast, wind through the mountains or zip across the desert
* You want to try another bike (or two) before you buy
* Your bike is being serviced and you can't wait to ride
* You're travelling on business and want to blow away the boredom

** You'd wouldn't buy one never ever, references below
** Because you always wondered why you can always take them out on the inside through bends, references above
** What else would you do with those be-tassled leather chaps that auntie mille got you years ago

Anyone think of other good reasons??

[Pomp1]

http://www.superbikerental.co.uk/

[animaluk]

http://www.spyderclub.co.uk/index.php/1/home/

[He11cat]

I was going to say lots of people go Stateside and hire Harleys..
But then stateside they are ten a penny and not exotica.. In my experience they actually liked old triumphs!

I don't know if it would be profitable.,
it must be with supercars but usually there on tracks and you have someone with you :)

you can hire old vws round here but it's quite strict.

You'd have to price it midrange I guess.
Too cheap you get the idiots caning them but not too pricey as to be honest if money was no object you'd just go buy one :)

[the_adam]

Since we're talking about harleys, I would quite like to try a night rod special though... :running:

Well at least I've gone for the one without chrome tassles! :chuckle:

[slipperyweeguy]

I know a chap who used to* hire out BMWs, and big stuff like zrx1200.
Problem comes if you have a couple of tourists arriving at the airport tomorrow who have booked some bikes, but the lad who hired one last weekend dropped it, and repairs not yet complete. People do tend to drop bikes that they are unfamiliar with, and would you want to pay lots to hire a bike that looks like it has been dropped a few times?

*He doesn't hire out bikes any more.

[MonstaChicky]

I've only ever had dealings with track hire bikes...have a friend who hires a trackbike regularly as he doesn't want to drop his on track...he's never dropped the hirebike either though!

[pegboy]

http://www.superbikerental.co.uk/

848 £250 for weekend hire:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Dookbob]

a bike dealer in Derby has been hiring out bikes for years, my step daughter once hired a Suzuki 1200 bandit from them, took it up to the North of Scotland for a few days, liked it so much, when she got back she bought it from them.

[Pomp1]

848 £250 for weekend hire:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Yep,tempting,isn't it? I also like the ktm 990..

[steeevvvooo]

why why why!? :banghead:

I'll have to try them ALL now, thanks a lot :eek: :grump:

[chris yeatman]

http://www.superbikerental.co.uk/

mite be useful to me cheers max!!

[Qba]

http://www.abouttownbikehire.co.uk/

I was using their service. As far as I can remember, they were busy bees. During my short visit there, they were hiring 2 BMWs GS for a week to guys doing a trip to Spain.
I was hiring some 125ccm as it was just before taking my test and I wanted to have some more practice before. Dropped the bike. Minor damages. Excess was affordable and I was pleasantly surprised by the service and total cost of this experience, as I was ****ting myself I will go bankrupt.
Not sure how it affected those guys, but as they run their own garage as well, I would imagine with the amount of damage done to the bike, they could possibly fix it themselves without claiming from insurance.

[Julie]

I had an interesting question raised to me today, and not knowing the answer I thought I'd share it.

Is there a market for bike hire in the UK?

Now we're not talking average bikes but MV or Ducati well maintained exotica?
Probably costing a few hundred a day or few days would there be a market and if so where is it?

Planning ahead is weather permitting, you couldn't put it on track but you could go on a weekend or two if you don't own a bike anymore or join friends, maybe even hire it for wedding or party arrival?

So please give me your thoughts, good, bad, indifferent?

YES!
I contacted a place in donnighton in the hope ruth and i could hire bikes to travel on, but they only allowed 100 miles a day and then i'd have to pay more for extra milage.

Reason is we both ride 400 cc enduro bikes now and wanted a 'road' bike for a trip to scotland of main land europe.

So yes there is a market but its crap at the moment!

[Julie]

I had an interesting question raised to me today, and not knowing the answer I thought I'd share it.

Is there a market for bike hire in the UK?

Now we're not talking average bikes but MV or Ducati well maintained exotica?
Probably costing a few hundred a day or few days would there be a market and if so where is it?

Planning ahead is weather permitting, you couldn't put it on track but you could go on a weekend or two if you don't own a bike anymore or join friends, maybe even hire it for wedding or party arrival?

So please give me your thoughts, good, bad, indifferent?

http://www.spyderclub.co.uk/index.php/1/home/

[steeevvvooo]

http://www.spyderclub.co.uk/index.php/1/home/

hmmm, tempting, but the lower package, for £990 in my area, (about the same cost of my insurance and decent yearly service) means I get 2 peak weekends with 500 mile limits each.

The only one which would be "usuable" for me would be the top package, and for £2550 I think I would rather own one of the bikes full time and chop and change every 12 months if I wanted variety. I'm sure I could buy and run a 1098 for not much more and use it/fettle/bling it which is half the fun. Then again, maybe not! :twak: ;)

The choice is a great temptation, but I've also heard of problems with the 4 wheeled version of these clubs where it can be impossible to get the hire you want as the best vehicles are fully booked for months :worried:

[Paranoid Dave]

Thanks for all the feedback, its not often a thread gets this long without wandering off topic completely.

[Nonnie]

That's because I made myself sit on my hands and not get involved. Shyte....