[Omkar]

The biking fraternity has been growing exponentially in India over the past few years. No wonder there are so many people picking up big bikes to enrol into superbike groups so that they can socialise with other riders and enjoy weekend breakfast rides. Just go on highways on a Saturday / Sunday morning and you'll hear these superbikes as they zoom past you. At some level, I personally feel this is a trend that has gone viral. I'm not complaining here, this promotes safe enjoyable riding and spreads awareness regarding safety gear.

But if you think about it, is it really worth owning a big bike if you are planning to use it only for weekend getaway rides out of the city? With the amount of work these days, people sometimes aren't even able to make time for their big machines, which is kind of sad. No wonder you will find so many big bikes in the pre-worshipped market. Here are a few that I came across on the Team-BHP Classifieds:

• 2016 Bonneville
• 2016 Benelli 600 GT
• 2014 Hyosung GT
• 2016 Kawasaki ZX10R
• 2016 Royal Enfield Himalayan
• 2016 Royal Enfield Thunderbird

Look closely and you will notice one thing common among all the above listings - No time to ride!
(Note: If a link isn't working, the bike has been sold).

So, if you aren't really a biker, but want to start somewhere, what options do you have? What if you are a leisure rider who only wants to ride once in a while? One of the options which we came across was renting a bike. The more you think about it, the more sense it makes. Here are the reasons why I think renting a big bike is a good option:

1. A big bike is not a commuter bike. Very rarely used, mostly when you want to go to some functions or special events and of course, the weekend getaways.
   
2. A superbike ain't cheap. Bring in insurance, service costs etc., and that's a huge chunk of money!
   
3. My family would never let me own a superbike, especially since I had my first fall last year on my considerably smaller bike.

While looking up on the internet, I found Ziphop and Rentrip, which are basically online platforms connecting you to the particular rental in your area. Keep looking and you will find a bunch of options - Borntoride, Date a Bike in Chennai, Wicked ride, Driven by you, Eaglerider India, which is a US based company and many more. Here is an interesting post on Café Rides in Chennai. The rental service which we finalised was Rebel Rides. It had a couple of Harleys and a Ducati Scrambler on offer.

The Booking Experience:

This was going to be a ghost review and Rebel Rides had no idea that it was Team-BHP who was renting the bike. This way, I was just a regular kid who wanted to ride a Harley for a day.

The bike options available on the website include a Harley-Davidson Iron 883, Harley-Davidson Superlow 883, Ducati Scrambler, Royal Enfield Himalayan and a Royal Enfield Classic 500. The website has an invite system for the bookings. You will have to put in a request for the bike and they will then confirm the booking based on availability. FAQs and request for an invite are listed on the homepage.

I'd have put in a request, but I had a few questions of my own which is why I wrote to them on info@rebelrides.in (listed on the website). The questions were pretty basic: 1. Pick-up and drop off location, 2. Security deposit and 3. Pickup and drop off timings.

I was surprised to have a reply in 2 hours from Harsh Asher (one of the founders of the start-up) answering my questions. I still wasn't convinced as the email didn't mention some specifics regarding the timings of pickup and drop off. So, I decided to give him a call and clarify everything before I finalised the booking (cautious, I know). The number listed in the email and the one on the website belongs to him - 9821324901. He was quite professional and good to talk to. On inquiring about the availability of bikes, he said that the Iron 883 and the Ducati were already booked, and only the Superlow was available for the weekend. I was okay with it and said that I would like to proceed with the booking.

A few hours later, I received an email, which had details regarding the booking time and date. I'm guessing this was a template you would receive if you go through the normal procedure of booking the bike through an invite.

So, for the Harley-Davidson Superlow, the rental amount for 24 hours was Rs. 5,000, while the refundable deposit amount was also Rs. 5,000. I personally felt the rental amount was steep. They offer drop off and pick up services for an extra charge of Rs. 600 (both included).

If you want a cheaper deal, rent for 6 hours on weekdays (minimum weekend rental is 12 hours). The typical cost per hour for these kind of bikes is 270 / hour (hourly cost goes lower as the rental duration increases).

Here's a picture of the invoice which we received after we returned the bike (until then, they didn't know it was Team-BHP):


One thing to note is that you will have to make the payment beforehand and not while returning the bike. So basically, you cannot pay the rent in cash unless you just visit the store and are ready to pick up any bike that is available with them. The security deposit can be given in cash at the time of pick-up or transferred to their account. The security deposit will be returned to your account in a couple of days (I got it back in 2 working days). They also have riding gear which can be rented for Rs. 400 (includes a jacket, helmet and riding gloves). They suggest that you let them know immediately after the transfer is initiated, so that the slot is blocked for you.

Other Points:

• The booking will be considered confirmed upon successful transfer of payment.
  
• Once the booking has been confirmed, it can be rescheduled for Rs. 200, subject to the availability of the bike at the new timing.
  
• Copies of your driving license + any ID proof (preferably Aadhar card or Passport) will be needed for documentation.
  
• The minimum booking required on weekends is 12 hours and weekdays is 6 hours.
  
• The bike is given with a full tank and there are no restrictions on the number of kilometres you can ride. They expect the bike to be returned with a full tank.

The Pickup Experience:

I wanted to see the office which is why I opted for picking up the bike myself from Goregaon (instead of getting the bike dropped off at my place). I consider myself as fairly punctual (most people who know me might scoff at this comment). But anyway, in the email that I had received, my booking time was from 9:00 a.m. on 15/04/2017 to 9:00 a.m. on 16/04/2017.

Having moved away from Bombay to New Bombay recently, Goregaon is a good 30 odd km from my place. Though a Saturday morning doesn't see many cars on the road, I left from my place early at around 8 a.m. I was on schedule and going to be at the destination in 15 minutes when I decided to just call them up to check if everything was in order or not.

I guess my luck was on a leave that day. Apparently, the bike was hired by some chap for a wedding and it was scheduled to be dropped off early in the morning, which is why they had booked my ride accordingly. The biker and his friends weren't from Mumbai and I guess, the party went on for too long, or for some unknown reason the bike wasn't there. I was told that the bike was in New Bombay and that they could drop the bike off at my place itself after a couple of hours when they get it back . This is when I had already woken up early in the morning and travelled 30+ kms from New Bombay. At this point, I decided that I could not just sit around waiting for the bike. So, I decided to go to their office to complete the paperwork and carry on with things that I had planned for the day, and ask for a drop-off whenever they get the possession of the bike. They agreed to drop the bike wherever I asked as it seemed like they didn't have much of a choice and neither did I. One thing that I didn't like was that I wasn't informed in the morning that the bike hadn't arrived; it was only when I called up that I got to know about the delay. What if I'd planned a long weekend ride?!

Address: Rebel Rides, 2, Bhagat Singh Nagar, Opposite Motilal Nagar 1, New link road, Near Harmony Mall, Goregaon West - 400104. Landmark: Next to Carnival cinemas. So, I finally reach the destination. (Click here for Google maps location).

After looking around, I saw a board of Rebel Rides, but was surprised to see that one shutter was closed and another was only slightly open:


I opened the shutter some more and a guy named Rohan came from inside to open it immediately. He was apparently waiting for 3 hours in the store for the bike to be dropped off by the previous guy, so that he can hand it over to me. I sat there and had a look around the place, which seemed like a decent administrative office. There wasn't a designated parking area which I could find at the office where other bikes in the fleet were waiting. But considering that they had just the five bikes, and it was a weekend, all the bikes must've been out.

A couple of rider jackets hanging on the wall:


Billing desk with Paytm option:


A few bike magazines and Ducati catalogues for you to go through while you wait, though you may notice all of them are from 2015:


I went through the agreement, signed it and submitted the documents. The agreement was pretty solid and long (reminded me of the rent agreement I had signed recently for my place ). The points listed in the agreement weren't completely ridiculous and seemed viable, considering the value of the bike that they were handing over to me. It also mentioned that the speed limit is 100 km/h. On inquiring, Rohan mentioned that they allow a grace of 20 km/h on highways and you will be triggered in the system if you cross that. The agreement also said that you will be fined for the number of times you cross the 100 km/h cap. I left the shop at around 9.30 a.m. and told Rohan to drop off the bike at my preferred location, along with the riding gear.

As I was waiting for the bike to arrive, the clock struck 1 pm. 4 hours past my booking time and I still didn't have the bike!!! Rohan finally arrived at 1:34 p.m. (by this time I was counting every minute) and called me up. In his presence, I checked the condition of the bike, which was okay. He showed me how to open the fuel cap and that the tank was full (as promised on the website). He asked me if I had ridden a Harley ever before. Negative. He appreciated my honesty, and started explaining some stuff regarding the bike in proper points:

1. The ground clearance is very low and I would need to be careful while taking it over speed bumps.
2. The bike doesn't have ABS. Try not to rest your foot on the brake pedal as it tends to heat up the disc pretty easily.
3. The clutch isn't like a normal bike clutch. Since this is a belt drive, there's no concept of half clutch.
4. The headlights are always on and the turn-indicator controls are separate + located on each side.
5. The bike heats up quickly, so you will have to bear with it.

He even repeated the five points in the exact same order...saying the number at the beginning of each point which was funny, but helped me recall each one. I took all the bike documents and riding gear from him and handed him the security deposit in cash. I wasn't charged any rent for the gear due to the delay in delivery and the whole pick up fiasco. I dropped him off as I wanted to get a feel of the bike in his presence (so he could tell me if I was doing something wrong).

The riding gear included a helmet, riding jacket and gloves. The jacket had good padding on the shoulders, back and elbows:


A Studds Marshall D5 Decor open face helmet looks a little cheap for a Harley. I'd prefer a full face helmet over this any day, even though riders prefer the open face one for cruiser bikes (related thread):


Harley-Davidson gloves were good:


The Ride Experience:

My experience with Harley-Davidson bikes has been more or less like internships, wherein I have interacted with many Harley owners, but never ridden one. Initially having inquired for an Iron 883, getting a Superlow was kind of a let-down. Not that the Superlow isn't a good bike, but since it was discontinued from the Indian market some time back, I knew that the bike I would get would not be a new piece.

The classic Harley Sportster look is beautiful. Nice number plate :


Sexy font on the fuel tank:


This is an 883 cc, four-stroke, 45° V-Twin engine, with 2 valves per cylinder:


It has electronic sequential port fuel injection. Note the slight rust on the right side of the cover:


Signs of ageing:


Over 10,000 (hard-ridden?) kilometers on the odo:


The Screaming Eagle exhaust sounds amazing!


More signs of ageing around the brake pedal footrest and exhaust. See the black patch on the top part of the exhaust? That's what happens when you keep some rubber thing in contact with the pipe for some time. The previous rider surely had something ruined!


My plan with the Harley wasn't going to be a highway ride. I was going to be in the city itself and later in New Bombay. I got the chance to open the throttle on quite a few stretches late at night (around 1 a.m.). Since all the traffic had died down, I had a taste of the power that the V-Twin packs. The bike just pulls from a standstill - you get used to it easily and maybe that's why this was the entry-level model from the Harley stable before the Street 750 came along.

What you'll like:

• The S-O-U-N-D. The bike didn't have a stock exhaust, but a Screaming Eagle unit (which renters would prefer).
• The V-Twin packs so much power! Just twist the throttle and the response is immediate. The bike inspires so much confidence while accelerating that it's not unnerving at all after some time. It hits 100 km/h in ~6 seconds.
• The first gear is tall and you won't feel the need to shift up in city traffic. The bike is comfortable till speeds of over 50 km/h in the first gear itself.
• The bike always wants to be in the proper power band or even higher. It doesn't like it when you are doing even a slightly lower speed in a higher gear.
• The understated looks of the Superlow. It's not butch, or muscular, yet a great looking bike.
• The stable ride at high speeds and the seating position (Duhh!).
• You will be amazed by the number of heads the bike turns even today in a city like Mumbai.

What you won't:

• The bike heats up in city traffic. The pillion rider will surely complain even if you learn to live with the heat.
• It's heavy at 260+ kilos.
• The turning radius is large. This makes sharp turns quite difficult. Also, you cannot lean the bike too much.
• The gearshifts are hard. Maybe this was the case with the bike we had, but shifts really needed effort.
• Low ground clearance - Can't really complain about this as the name itself is Superlow and was meant for American conditions.
• No ABS on the bike.
• Clutch is on the harder side. Finding 'neutral' isn't easy.

To check out BHPian Dkaile's awesome review of his Superlow, (click here).

Just before dropping off the bike, I decided to refuel. Opening the cap is a little tricky. You insert the key (not the main key, but a small one provided along with it) and turn it anti-clockwise until you hear a click. Then remove it, turn the lid anti-clockwise and the lid comes off. While putting it back in, put the lid back and turn it clockwise slightly. Then insert the key and turn it clockwise and take it out. Now turn the lid clockwise until you hear a click to lock it. Seriously Harley?

I filled up the tank and was trying to lock it, but the lid wasn't locking for some reason. The last click just wasn't happening. Though the lid was shut properly, it kept spinning clockwise. Called up to see if this was normal. Harsh asked me to get the bike to him and he'd take a look at it. On returning the bike, he mentioned that the same problem was rectified some time back and it seemed to have cropped up again. At the end of my ride, I had done close to 130 kilometers.

What I liked about Rebel Rides:

• Well-organised booking procedure. Good website which gives all the basic information you'd need
• Provision of riding gear on rent is a welcome option, since even these are expensive
• Friendly crew who are keen on helping out at any point
• Option of flexible number of hours, rather than a whole day or two
• Home drop-off & pickup available (at an extra cost)
• No km restriction. Ride all you want

What I didn't like about Rebel Rides:

• Pick up was messed up by them due to lack of communication. Wasted my time
• 5k for 24 hours is expensive! Also, minimum 12 hour booking on weekends
• The fact that an old Superlow is priced the same as a new Iron 883 and Scrambler
• Have to plan a ride in advance as the bikes get booked quickly
• Small fleet & limited choice. No Superbikes either
• Fixed pickup points are only at Goregaon & Matunga

Exploring the Rental industry:

I was supposed to return the bike at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and a buffer of half an hour is cool with them. On returning, I had a talk with Harsh Asher regarding the rental industry and Rebel Rides. He was surprised to know that the whole experience was for Team-BHP and willingly shared some insights of the industry.

Rebel Rides is a fairly new start-up and has been operational for 4 months. Harsh Asher and Akashdeep Singh Sachdev being the two founders received an initial funding for the idea. The answer to my first question "How's it working out?" was that they hit the right market at the right time. The response they have received is good, as people are finding it way more logical to just rent these bikes rather than wanting to bear with the responsibility of owning one. On asking how is Rebel Rides different from any other rental service in Mumbai or India for that matter, he replied saying that they want to sell the experience and not the bikes in their fleet. Most riders who approach them are amateurs to riding big bikes and are looking for fun experiences. They are trying to differentiate from any other rental service by keeping the security deposit lower. In a way, they are also trying to keep the service on a slightly premium level by not having small capacity bikes in their fleet.

Running this service obviously isn't easy. One of the biggest challenges these guys are facing is the fleet. They currently have just the five bikes, out of which only the Superlow was bought as a used one and all others were acquired from showrooms. This bugged me as the charges for the Superlow are the same as the Ducati Scrambler and Iron 883, which are comparatively newer (the money conscious Indian in me waking up). The bike earlier belonged to a friend of Harsh's who wanted to sell it just some time back; Harsh picked it up in a sweet deal. On asking about the maintenance of these bikes, he sheepishly agreed that taking care of them is a pain. The Iron 883 which was also booked for the same slot as mine came back with a battery issue. As I mentioned earlier regarding the fuel tank lid closing issue, the same problem had come up some time back and he'd gotten it repaired. Once again he would have to get it done.

I was curious about the kind of customers they have since he'd mentioned the strong response. Well, there have been cases wherein these guys are helpless. For instance, in my case, they couldn't do much when the person who had promised to drop off the bike early in the morning failed to do so (no forgiving their lack of communication though). He mentioned that, while the speed limit of 120 km/h is maintained by most riders, it is abused sometimes. People who ask "Bhai, bhaga sakte hai na isey? (Bro, can I ride fast on this bike?)" scares the hell out of him. They have even rejected people who have abused the bike once before. Some riders do get filtered out based on the owner's gut feeling. The fact is, these are powerful bikes and any sort of unfortunate incident with the rider would be a tough pill to swallow. BHPian Sen2009's experience is worth a read (click here).

What happens next? One of the immediate goals is to increase the number of pick up and drop off points in Mumbai. They have a new office in Matunga, which will be opened soon. In fact, they'd even told me to drop the bike off at Matunga. Another target is to expand their reach, with services to be soon offered in Ahmedabad. This would mean more bikes? He replied that the immediate ones he's eyeing are the Kawasaki Z800 and Monster 821. Being an owner of a Harley, Rebel Rides is technically a part of the H.O.G. Soon, they are planning to have a bike for breakfast rides so that people who want to socialise with the group can ride with them through Rebel Rides. Other than that, there are of course guided tours across the country.

At the end of it, I handed over the bike and gear to Harsh, wished him good luck for the future, and he rode off:

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing, Omkar!

A fantastic review of a concept I truly believe in . I was even a big fan of the Supercar rental club (related thread) while it existed. I feel such services make a whole lot of sense, especially for enthusiasts who like to ride, but can’t own (or don’t want to own) a big bike for whatever reason.

5k for 24 hours is very steep. However, I could rent a Harley from morning to evening, enjoy a long ride and pay only 2.4k for the Saturday fun. Could do this on multiple weekends a year and the best part is – I’d experience a different bike every time. Would require some advance planning though; not as simple as going down and swinging your leg over your own motorcycle.

I know of so many Superbike owners who ride barely a 1,000 – 2,000 km / year. Better to rent than own in such cases. Of course, you won’t have that joy of ownership & seeing the beast in your driveway – can’t put a price on that. Would I rent or own a Jeep? Own any day! My Classic 4x4 provides me with a lot of pleasure, even when I’m not driving it. With bikes though, I’d prefer to rent…the joy of riding is still there, with none of the associated work (buying, parking spot, maintenance etc.).

Renting is recommended for occasional bikers like so many car guys on this forum (including myself). On the other hand, if you’re a biker first and a car guy second, owning is the way to go.

I took this Harley Superlow 883 for a spin and here are my observations as a noob biker. Riding a Harley-Davidson is such a special experience:

• Loved the looks, loved the sound. Beautiful classic Harley styling. Glad it had that after-market exhaust. That said, she had a smaller presence in person than I’d have guessed (from looking at pics online).

• Thought it had just the right amount of paint & chrome. Very classy.

• Noticed that it turned a lot of heads wherever it went. But only men were interested. Women didn’t care a damn.

• You sure sit low!! Even short riders should be okay on this bike. Must add 6+ footers might not be comfortable (too low for them)?

• Found the handlebar to be very comfy (ergonomically).

• No revv counter? Sucks.

• I liked the ‘mechanical clunk’ from the gearbox. But it was not light or friendly to use. Required effort to operate. Finding neutral was easy at times, difficult at others.

• Man, excellent torque! Relished every Nm of it.

• 1st gear is all you need in traffic and one could ride it like an automatic. So many times, I thought I’m in 2nd gear and tried to mistakenly shift down – 1st is that tall.

• Awesome acceleration for a cruiser. I loved ripping her on the open road. Felt just amazing with the wind in my face & the sweet melody from that exhaust.

• Found the ride to be stiff for a cruiser. Could feel everything on the road. I thought cruisers were supposed to have a softer ride?

• Very stable & solid on the road. Weight & low stance helping here, perhaps.

• Even a noob biker like me got the hang of it within minutes. IMHO, this is a great entry point into the big bike world…and also an excellent choice for rentals. The bigger Harleys will have a steeper learning curve.

• Lots of heat coming out from the bike, especially onto my right leg. It would be a pain in city traffic. Wasn’t an issue when the road opened up.

• The weight was obvious. The large turning radius was a pain. Got unwieldy in tight spots (turning it around in the compound was a LOL experience).

• Cleared small to medium speed breakers easily. Scraped a big one at Worli (only one I scraped in 12 km) which I took a little too fast. Thought the GC was better than its on-paper spec would have you believe.

• It felt like a well-used bike, yet one that was in decent shape mechanically. In fact, I’d say that for a rental, she rode very well.

• Don’t understand why there is a separate ‘ignition’ and ‘handle lock’ switch. Most bikes I’ve ridden have had one common unit which I feel is more practical. Hated the key – it screamed c-h-e-a-p. Facepalm moment = stopped like a dude outside a crowded coffee place. Everyone is checking the bike out. Finished my coffee, walked back to the bike in style and used the only keyhole I knew existed. Umm, nothing. After fiddling with the buttons for 5 minutes & hearing a lot of giggles from around, I called Omkar who reminded me of the two slots !

• I heard at least two people referencing it as a ‘modified bullet’. Oh, the irony! Reminded me of the time I drove the Mini Cooper S around town, and everyone thought it’s a modified Swift.

• Most Bullet riders I encountered were admiring the beauty; a handful even smiled or gave me a thumbs up. Guess it’s a logical upgrade plan for them? So many things in common, yet at completely different price points.

• No ABS on such an expensive bike is absolutely unpardonable. Found the brakes to be doing their job, but they are nothing to write home about.

• Whoever rides a motorcycle in this hot summer deserves an award. I rode her for about 12 km under the blazing afternoon sun and was drained at the end of it. Put the air-con on full blast and had two glasses of chilled coconut water after the ride. Give me my air-conditioned ‘cage’ (car) any afternoon of the year. Bike only when the weather is cool.

[Rajeevraj]

Nice review Omkar and GTO. Thanks for sharing. Nice to see Team-Bhp getting more and more into bike related stuff also.

The timing of this report is perfect for me. After years of pottering around in the city, actually did a 'ride' just this last weekend. Although a small one, did enjoy it and was thinking how the experience would be on a bigger bike. Had made a note to check out bike rentals. This thread reminded me about my plan to check out the WickedRides website. Noticed that they have a whole range of bikes. Perfect for slowing working ones way up the range. Works well for a person like me who expects to ride occasionally. A 10 hour rental will comfortable take care of a weekend morning ride. Hope the rates come down as volumes increase. Good to see that riding gear is also provided.

I think this concept is set to grow in a big way. Challenge would be to ensure that the bikes are maintained well. These big machines need a good amount of skill and am sure there will be a lot of inexperienced riders trying to push to the limits instead of attempting to gradually get acclimatized.

With a lot of people buying and then not getting time to ride, some sort of share program (like Zoom car has) where you can buy a vehicle and attach it to a rental company may also gain popularity.

[LOL_FWD]

Originally Posted by Omkar

The classic Harley Sportster look is beautiful. Nice number plate :

Just wondering. If this is self-ride bike, shouldn't the number plate be black with yellow font? I have rented many bikes from Wicked Ride based out of Bangalore and all of them had black plates with yellow font.

Something fishy? Or maybe the Rebel Ride guys registered it as a private bike?

[Nohonking]

Fantastic review Omkar. You have authored it very well. Keep it up! Thanks.

I used to be an avid biker and always wished to own a basic Harley Street 750(completely manufactured in India at the plant in Bawal, Haryana). One of the prime reasons for my love towards this brand is the ethics on which this brand was seeded by Harley and the Davison brothers by competing with the monopoly of Indian Motorcycles owned by George M. Hendy who would play all sort of games to maintain his position in the then American market.

However, the ever-excavated Gurgaon full of dust is the major reason I stopped riding a few years ago. I still love watching and hearing Harleys going around in Gurgaon, especially Sunday morning HOGs (Harley Davidson Owners Group) and more. Thanks.

B'regards,
Simmi

[BB311]

A fantastic review. The price might sound steep but rental service is good to live your dream without spending a fortune. On a side note, one of the co-founders Akash Sachdev is known to me right from his first business days with Skinmantra.com and is a very decent and polite guy. I would like to use the rental service one day, and will probably use it while on a visit to Mumbai as Delhi's climate does not permit to have real fun on these beasts.

[The Brutailer]

Good one. The best part about such things is that you get to experience new wheels everytime.

BUT, if you drive/ride a steed which is way more powerful & dynamically polished than your current ride, personally for me it gets spoilt.

Eg : I had a Gixxer (which is an awesome bike at it's price). But I rode a friend's 390 Duke and Gixxer was basically ruined for me just 6 months after buying it.

Turns out, I rented the Duke 390 multiple times from Wicked Rides in Bangalore (Related thread : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ld-bullet.html).

Hopefully it should be in my garage soon. But one thing's sure..until I'm extremely bored of my next bike, I'm not gonna touch a bike from a higher segment.

P. S. Probably this is the first pic of GTO on a motorcycle on this forum. Funny helmet (which is not safe for a motorcycle of this capacity). Please do carry your own helmet before riding these beasts. Remember, ATGATT.

[Jeroen]

Great review. I’m not sure I would dare to take a HD out in India traffic to be honest though. I met with several guys in Delhi/Gurgaon who were setting up similar services theres in 2016. Not sure what has come of it.

Even so, I like the idea of being able to rent a super bike or super car! Yes, it will be expensive, but you only live once!

Jeroen

[v12]

Fantastic review Omkar and Just at the right time too. A couple of my friends were looking to rent some bikes for a weekend ride and we're not sure how Rebel Rides would be. This thread really proved very useful.

And Rush, good to see you on a bike. I guess the last time was on the Ninja 650. You should start test riding bikes more often

[CarCynic]

Great review about the whole experience. I resisted renting a Harley Davidson from an outlet that was close to my office in Bangalore. I believe their rental amount was ₹4,500/day for a Street 750. On an average frustrating workday, I often used to look at the bikes during my smoke break and dream of taking off with one during the weekend. But then my frugal India brain used to come up with a list of other useful things I could do with that money.


Slightly off topic, but this seems like a good business idea with a relatively low-moderate investment. Especially in Tier II & III cities where one would get a first mover advantage (I am thinking of my hometown Nagpur). The only hassle would be to get everything sorted out legally and having a bulletproof insurance.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

This thread reminded me about my plan to check out the WickedRides website. Works well for a person like me who expects to ride occasionally.

If you should try them out, please share a review .

These big machines need a good amount of skill and am sure there will be a lot of inexperienced riders trying to push to the limits

Must be the company's biggest worry and maybe why they don't have Superbikes on rent. It's one thing for ZoomCar to rent an 8 lakh rupee EcoSport to someone, but entirely another for an 8 lakh motorcycle. The latter has a steep learning curve.

Originally Posted by LOL_FWD

If this is self-ride bike, shouldn't the number plate be black with yellow font? I have rented many bikes from Wicked Ride based out of Bangalore and all of them had black plates with yellow font.

Ah, good point. Yes, if it's a rental, it must have black plates + yellow font.

Originally Posted by BB311

The price might sound steep but rental service is good to live your dream without spending a fortune.

Agreed. A morning to evening rental should cost about 2.5K and is worth it for the experience alone! A good dinner in a metro costs as much at a nice restaurant (at the minimum). Not bad for something you'd enjoy once or twice a month.

Originally Posted by The Brutailer

Probably this is the first pic of GTO on a motorcycle on this forum.

Originally Posted by v12

And Rush, good to see you on a bike. I guess the last time was on the Ninja 650.

Have ridden off & on (relished each ride, by the way):

Please do carry your own helmet before riding these beasts. Remember, ATGATT.

Yes sir!

[Nohonking]

Originally Posted by The Brutailer

Please do carry your own helmet before riding these beasts. Remember, ATGATT.

Just for all the audience, the coined acronym ATGATT stands for "all the gear all the time". Thanks.

Originally Posted by GTO

Have ridden off & on (relished each ride, by the way):

Good to see GTO riding. Thanks very much for sharing your own pictures, a good opportunity for all the non-Mumbai based BHPians to get your glimpse.

[Cyborg]

Omkar and GTO - thanks a lot for your reviews!

Just got off the phone with Harsh, he seems to be a very enterprising person with ambitious plans for the future in Mumbai.

The Matunga branch of Rebel Rides is supposedly going to launch somewhere near the Johnson & Johnson office on Tulsi Pipe Road which is opposite the Central Railway line. Its actually closer to Mahim though.

He plans to induct the Z900 in his fleet, is in talks with the Kawasaki Mumbai showroom owner to organize test rides and looking to organize breakfast rides too.

The time frame for the above activities to be completed is around 3 months in his estimation. I have asked him to keep me updated and will update the forum as and when information is available.

Happy riding for those who want to ride off and on but do not want to make the investment and without the headache of service related issues.

Cheers

[GTO]

Interesting comment by Rebel Rides on their Facebook page (especially the word ambushed ).

[abijithmenon]

Originally Posted by LOL_FWD

Just wondering. If this is self-ride bike, shouldn't the number plate be black with yellow font? I have rented many bikes from Wicked Ride based out of Bangalore and all of them had black plates with yellow font.

Something fishy? Or maybe the Rebel Ride guys registered it as a private bike?

It was quoted in the thread that the Superlow was a pre-owned bike purchased from the owner's friend. They have probably not changed the registration type which might lead to a legal issue. I have also rented a few times from the many providers in Bangalore and Goa and all of them use the black and yellow plate.

Should add that having the black and yellow plate is a magnet for cops and scammers everywhere! There is a common idea that a rented bike or car will be ridden by newbies and I have personally faced undue attention at many places.

This includes additional checking of all papers and claims for extra money at state borders due to the nature of registration! Most rentals now ensure and warn you about the papers beforehand.

A particular scam that does the round in Bangalore is near the drop off yards for rental companies. You are supposed to return with the tank full in some companies and they will direct you to the nearest pump while dropping off. There, an attendant will distract you by acting amused at a rental car and will ask you about the rates and the quality etc. (These cars go there everyday for filling according to the rental company!) Meanwhile, they try to pull off the act by not resetting the zero and in case you notice it, they make weird claims that the particular car has a gas guzzling issue and a huge tank!

Even though a very helpful service in a new city or for experiencing new rides/cars, you have to remain alert and conscious at all times with black plates.