Checking the rental motorcycle
When picking up the motorcycle be sure to go around noting any pre-existing damage that the bike has to avoid any misunderstanding when returning the bike. Take a few pictures particularly if you can spot any damage. It’s a perfectly normal process and the staff of the agency won’t be offended by you taking pictures unless they have something to hide.
Most owners will know their bikes quite well but may still be unaware of some recent marks or scratches - that may lead to a genuine misunderstanding later on. As such, it's really important to document and take a picture of all damage.
The owner should also give you a brief explanation how to operate all the controls of the bike and some bikes might have their specifics. If you’re not sure how anything works it’s better to ask than to try and figure it out later. Do you need to remove the cases and do you know how to do it safely? Are you familiar with how the disc lock works? It’s perfectly fine and absolutely no shame in saying no. A reasonable owner will be more than happy to explain!
Most will plan for people to ride on average 200-300 kms per day or so and that’s the “maintenance reserve” many owners will plan for. If you’re planning to ride substantially more the bike might require some maintenance (e.g. a new tyre) during your trip. Be sure to mention that to the owner and make some arrangements at how it’s to be done ahead of time.
Finally, as you set off for your journey take the first few minutes and hours of riding really easy. For all of us riding an unfamiliar bike is exciting, but challenging! It’s natural to have a longer reaction time while you’re still getting used to a new bike. And the most important goal for your trip is to have a safe and exciting trip! So don’t rush, particularly in the beginning - there is no need!
During the trip
If you need any assistance or something happens during the trip you should have a contact phone of the agency. In case of an accident call them straight away and follow the advice, same goes for any technical issue with the bike.
It can happen that the bike is damaged, we have all dropped bikes, scratched bikes etc. It might even be damaged when it’s parked and you’re away. In case anything like that happens it’s usually the best if you contact the owner straight away and send them some pictures. Again there is no shame in that and they won’t be angry - they’d actually appreciate it! Having some notice will allow them to search for the spare parts that need to be replaced and order those and that’ll make sure their further bookings don't fall apart. Not only is it a courtesy to other renters, but most of the contracts will require the renter to compensate for any “loss of use”. It’s usually not worth it to try to hide the damage as most will know their bikes quite well and will know where to look. It’s even worse to try and fix the damage yourself as some “fixing” will then need an expensive “unfixing”!
Knowing of the damage in advance will also let them have an estimate ahead of your return in most situations so the remainder of your deposit will be unblocked there and then.
Most importantly - have fun during the trip! And if you happen to ride at some amazing place and take a great photo with the bike - send it to the owner - they’ll be happy to see it!
Returning the bike
When returning the rental motorcycle, same as with the pickup, it’s important that you have clear arrangements with the owner how and when the handover will take place. And if you happen to be late, please let them know as there might be reservations shortly after yours. It’s also important to clarify with how much fuel you should bring the bike back - the customary is the same amount of fuel that you took it with. Some agencies won’t mind you bringing it back with less and will only charge for missing petrol, while others will slap on a hefty “refuelling” charge.
Be sure to walk around the bike and check for damage together with the owner to avoid any disputes later. Most will then unblock your security deposit from your card right there and then. However, depending on your bank and the type of card used it may take a few days for the funds to get back into your account or card.
Be sure to take all your belongings from the bike and also to give back all the equipment and bike documents that you’ve rented.
If you’ve been to some really amazing places or roads also tell the owner about those and they’ll tell others. For example, there are so many amazing roads around Andalucia that I can’t ride them all myself. Hence, many great route suggestions come directly from my previous guests!
And last, but not least, be sure to leave the company a review on Google Maps or a similar platform - no matter what your experience was! Reviews are a fantastic tool to reward great customer service provided by some companies and to point areas for development. Most importantly, it’s very helpful for fellow travellers to choose the best motorcycle rental place for their trips and is overall contributing to build a healthy ecosystem. So don’t skip on it, it’s very important for other travellers and for companies alike!
