Motorcycle sharing and exchange!

Lautarooo

Active Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2019
Messages
152
Location
Riverhead, NY
Hi Riders!

My wife and I want to tour Italy this coming September. I was thinking rather than rent a motorcycle there, my idea is to do a motorcycle share trade, where a rider there can ride my bike here in the states (I live in New York) and vice versa. I have a 2017 S10 pimped out for touring, so a bike of that similar size is ideal but I am open to anything. If anyone knows anyone out there or in another European nation who may be interested let me know!
 

Checkswrecks

Ungenear to broked stuff
Staff member
Global Moderator
2011 Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Messages
11,489
Location
Damascus, MD
I trade rides with a lot of people, but letting a stranger take a vehicle on their own just has too many drawbacks for me. Setting aside the obvious of them destroying my bike:

Insurance coverage if not a quick ride,
Speed camera tickets coming later in the mail,
Parking tickets coming later in the mail,
Toll fees unpaid coming later in the mail,
How to resolve minor issues like them riding fast corners and tearing up a set of tires (done it) or just minor scratches on a windshield from hanging jackets on it.
Damaging the bike of course that I might not notice till later,
etc

There are so many places to rent in Italy that I found it well priced. There was one walking distance downhill from the Rome train station where I rented a well-used Honda Deauville (650 Dull-ville) and on another trip these guys were a hole in the wall with clean bikes at a walking distance from the Holiday Inn in Rome. http://www.tourent.it/ I also found that some dealers will rent from the line of used bikes they are trying to sell.
btw - In Rome, ditch the big bike and rent scooters!

As with all rental places, photograph and document every inch of the bike before leaving and check the tire pressures before starting out. Take a really heavy chain and lock or you will need to buy one because the insurance requires rental bikes to be locked or the coverage is void. Rental places and dealers will gouge you & I had one bitch that my lock was not CE approved so ended up using my chain and having to buy their friggin expensive lock. :mad:

There are services offering private bikes, such as Rider Share and I've also heard mixed experiences. The negatives were people who arrived and the bike was not available or the tires had little tread.
 

Squibb

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2014
Messages
1,064
Location
Bedford, UK
Checks has highlighted the downsides of the idea - on balance, far too many IMHO.

With the Covid-19 virus diminished, but still lurking, I'm not sure Italy is a good idea this year anyway. Getting caught up in a second wave lockdown could prove expensive & mighty inconvenient.
 

Lautarooo

Active Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2019
Messages
152
Location
Riverhead, NY
thanks for your helpful comments guys.. yes I suppose the idea is a bit lofty. Renting likely is the best option then. I looked at flights to italy and although cheap, yea it looks like there is a travel ban there still. But riding through the alps is a bucket list trip, for sure one day.. in the mean time as plan B I will have to content myself with riding out to Glacier National Park, :) not so bad!
 
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