Hi Gang,

I haven't posted here in a long time! Last time was when I did the Canada to Argentina trip on my bike a few years ago...

I'm getting the itch for an adventure again but simply can't take that kind of time any more. Figure I can only do 2-3 week long trips for the foreseeable future....which brings me to my question.

Since the trip is so short, I certainly can't justify shipping my bike. I'm open to just about any destination (aside from a westernised country), my factors are mostly cost; bike rental, flight, etc. I also don't do tours but thought this would still be the most relevant place to ask (please correct me if I'm wrong).

In your experience, what are some of the cheapest countries to rent and travel on your own? So far I'm thinking Mongolia due to adventure and bike cost ($20/day), but it's almost $3000 for a flight from Montreal!

Would love to hear your experience....

Thanks!
Manny

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Vietnam 125 cc Honda for about 25$ a day. India about the same. Rented in Kenya but that was to expensive ( for me) at 100$ for a BMW 650. I to am interested in this question - how much and where for fast hassle free rentals - as I'm pretty much in the same situation as you.

I have been thinking about opening something along these lines (cheap bike rental) here where I live in Yuma, AZ primarily for people who want to ride throughout Baja for a few weeks or so (due to not needing the TVIP, or whatever the deposit is called). Will definitely be advertising here if I do!

Rented in Guinea for about US$10 per day, although watch out for civil insurrection and ebola. Have paid somewhat more in Ghana ($15-17), where I've also paid vastly more on other occasions. I can't really remember what I've paid elsewhere: maybe $25 or so in the Gambia, probably about the same in Dominican Republic, but at least $125 a day in southern California.

The key if you're feeling cheap is to develop a desire for riding what all the local people ride. Usually that means small, underpowered, and often Chinese or Indian. Then you can ask around and find someone willing to rent to you. Try to think the legalities through before you arrive at your first police barrier.

One of my favorites, which I've rented on two separate occasions: a little 125 endure with Ghana government tags on it. At roadblocks I breeze right through while everyone else is queried and questioned.

Good luck.

Mark

I returned a week ago from touring Nepal for a couple of weeks on an almost new Bajaj Pulsar 180 cc. Had a great time. Hired the bike in Kathmandu for US$11 per day. Average comfortable hotel room with bathroom $30 with breakfast. Meals and snacks and a $10 per day.

SE Asia, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka are the first countries that comes to my mind, otherwise you can try visiting the "bike swap" section on this forum...

Appreciate all the input thus far, totally agree on going with the 'local' bikes as those tend to be the most cost effective and can be repaired easily. And of course Asia has been the cheapest in my experience so far in terms of rentals, I paid about $8/day in the Philippines last year...Thailand and India were also similar.

Especially appreciate the info on the African nations, pretty tough to find any info online for most countries on the continent.

Plesae keep the thoughts and suggestions coming, would be keen to learn about the 'Stans....

Thanks!

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India is pretty cheap if you are there long term.

Try writing emails to various rental companies and see if you can cut a deal long-term. I did this once with a company in Australia and got a BMW for a very good rate, about 2/3s the normal rate.

The cheapest bike I’ve rented was from a small company in Christchurch called Green Tours. The owner had about 7 or 8 motorcycles in his garage and just rented them out. I rented a well-used but serviceable CX400 for $40 NZ a day. Unfortunately that company no longer seems to be in business, so now when I search for rentals in New Zealand all I seem to find are guys renting Harleys and BMW touring rigs for top dollar. I’d be quite happy to rent a 250 or a 400 for cheap, but no one seems to do this in NZ (or most places for that matter).

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Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

Unfortunately the possibility of renting in the 'Stans is limited and not cheap.
But the area is so beautiful to justify a small investment

Yes, India is cheap. Fortunately I have good options there as I have family in Delhi...can simply use my cousins Enfield...the problem is time. It's a vast country and I need to allocate enough time...

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I know there are previous threads on this ... but any opinions on Renting vs. buying? On a two to three month India trip I'm assuming buying a bike would be best value?

But can a foreigner even buy a bike there? How is it done? (short version) And what about selling the bike off at trips end?
Anyone actually DONE THIS? :confused1:

With rentals, some say rental bikes cannot be ridden outside of the state they are from. True? Maybe best to concentrate my first trip in one specific part of the country? ... and this is subjective ... what parts are the best in India?

I'm not a "guided tour" type guy either ... but for India maybe it is the way to go for a "first India tour" ?

Bali $5 per day for a Honda Hawk 250
Koh Samui $12 per day for a XR 250

A word of advice! I stop at the first bike shop I see and check absolutely everything, service it even fix or replace inexpensive parts if need be, it's very cheap, good peace of mind and karma, adjust it to suit your weight and riding style and enjoy ;-)

Was this recently in Thailand? I was there ages ago and that's about what i paid. I rented 125 Honda two strokes (which I think are banned now?) About $7 a day USD in both Koh Sumei and Chaing Mai up North. I was thinking things currently would be a bit more ... but if that info is recent ... then all the better! Thailand is great fun!

I never saw the Honda 125 dual sport/2T in the USA, but I think they may have been exported to UK (??) and maybe other places? Bike was manufactured in Thailand.(that was 1994). Sort of like a street legal CR125, but with quiet pipe, taller gearing, auto oil injection, cheaper suspension, turn signals and lights. Great bike! Topped out about 70 mph on motorways, and very good on twisty mountain roads North of Chaing Mai .. and MUD!

The one I rented in Chaing Mai had just 300 kms on the clock ... I did nothing to it ... it was BRAND NEW! But I did carry two spare tubes and bicycle tire irons. But found even in remote villages along the Burmese border, there were shops to fix a flat and tubes for sale every where.

Apparently that same route was big for German moto tourists long before I ever got there, so local Thai's knew what to provide. Awesome trip of 3 weeks. Did another trip two years before.

Tried to enter Burma at the gate ... No Go back then with the bike ... and only 8 days Visa without bike. I should have left bike and gone in ... but never did it!

Hi there. We rent in the Stans. Are we cheap? Well, not at the quality. The price? $ 100.- for a well prepped XT 600 E including panniers and spares, GPS points and all the informations we have.
Why $ 100.-? High import costs, all the spares have to be imported by us, the roads are demanding on the bikes (and the riders).

CHeers.

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I am a little weak for Thailand. A new Honda Crf 250 can be rented for 600-700 baht/20-25 US dollars a day. A little cheaper if rented by the week. Its a near perfect bike for northern Thailand. A scootertype 100-150 ccm Honda or Yamaha you can rent for one month from 4-5000 baht/130-150 Us dollars.

Guesthouses is dirt cheap in northern Thailand and plentyful and from 300 to 500 baht its no problem to find decent accomodation, 10-17 US dollars that will be. You can find even cheaper....

Food and are also cheap - and delicious there too.

But summer in Europe/north America is rainy season in southeast Asia so thats a drawback.

Others habove ave mentioned Vietnam, India and Nepal which I also think are good options....

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