Quote:
Originally Posted by kindlekitten
You know, I'd be hard pressed to even think about where one could rent one of the bigger bikes, let alone any powered bike here in the states. ...
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There are a few places in the US, especially on the West Coast, that rent big bikes. But with the astronomical insurance costs, rentals get pretty pricey. Here in S.E. Asia, you can find motorbike rentals on just about every block down town. It's very common for tourists to rent them (cost is about $3 a day) for sightseeing, but then spend the rest of their vacation in the emergency room getting bandaged up. Driving here is NOT like driving in the US or in Europe...
This video was shot in Vietnam but it's almost the same as Thailand driving but add to it that in Thailand, we drive on the OTHER side of the street...
There are at least 4 bike rental places within a 5 minute walk from my building, and I don't even live downtown... I can rent anything from a 100cc motor scooter to an 1100cc Kawasaki or Suzuki... Big bikes cost about $25 a day. But... you MUST take careful photos of the bike before you leave the the shop! Lots of places try to scam the tourists with fake damage claims. And most shops require that you leave you passport as collateral when you rent a bike, but no one in their right mind would do so except tourists who don't know any better. Some shops even send out people at night to 'steal' the bikes from the tourist's guest house, then charge them for the loss. The shops do provide chains and locks with the rentals, but usually have a copy of the key...
When I rent a bike in S.E. Asia, I leave a
photocopy of my passport, take careful pictures (with time/date stamp,) and use my own U-lock and cable. For longer trips I also bring a
disc break lock with built in alarm.
Once bitten, twice shy...
Stitchawl