Do you dream of owning a Harley-Davidson bike, but before making the big purchase want to rent one bike for the moment? If so, then you’ve just found yourself at the right place at the right time.
It cost to rent a motorcycle around $89 per day to as much as over $300 per day depending on the model of the bike you’re renting. Moreover, different companies have different pricing systems, which means the renting price of the same bike can vary from one company to the other. Riding a Harley-Davidson bike is one of the most thrilling experiences. If you cannot afford to buy one permanently, then the next best thing would be to rent one for the day.
In this article, you’ll get to know all about renting a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, how much does it cost to rent a motorcycle, different factors that come into play when renting a bike, and a lot more. Stick around to get all the answers that you’re looking for.
Rent a Harley-Davidson motorcycle for a day
Riding one of the finest cruiser bikes that the motorcycle world has to offer is certainly an exceptional experience. But where does one start their quest to ride a Harley-Davidson bike? If you don’t have the budget to permanently buy a Harley-Davidson bike, you should rent one to see how it feels. There are several reasons why you should consider renting a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Maybe you’re planning a cross-country trip, or you’re interested in impressing your date. These situations will benefit from the iconic rumble of a Harley-Davidson V-twin beneath you. Say that you’re considering purchasing your own Harley-Davidson bike, renting one for a few days will give you much more insight into ownership than a demo ride.
Whatever the reason may be, there is more to riding a Harley-Davidson bike than meets the eye. It’s well worth taking a closer look at what makes it a unique riding experience.
How much does it cost to rent a motorcycle
Over the past few years, motorcycle rental companies have been increasing in popularity. Even though Harley-Davidson has been involved with the rental game for a while, the number of rental programs has been increasing by the day. The prospect of renting a Harley-Davidson bike has been gaining popularity and allowing bikers to rent bikes easily. Even though renting a bike might seem like a rather simple process, there are many things that you should consider when you’re looking at the total cost.
Daily cost
All motorcycle companies start with a base cost to rent a bike, this is where the pricing starts. For instance, to rent a Harley-Davidson Sportster, it might cost you $100 per day from one company and $89 per day from another. However, the real rental price of the Harley-Davidson bike will depend on three factors –
- How does the rental company define “rental day”? For some companies, the rental day starts at 10 AM and ends at 5 PM the same day, while for other companies, a rental day could be 24 hours long. Before renting a bike, you should understand how long the rental day is.
- What are the rental’s operating hours? You should make sure that, if you’ve chosen a rental option with a physical location, can you rent a bike on the exact days that you want. For instance, some rentals aren’t open on Sundays so if you’re looking to rent from Saturday to Sunday, you will have to extend the ride to Monday and need to pay for an extra day of riding.
- Do the rentals offer multi-day discounts? Some companies do offer multi-day discounts, which will be a fantastic benefit. However, it’s essential to understand their discount plans before you rent. For instance, certain companies might show a price of $79 per day for renting a certain bike, but the rate could only be valid for trips that are 5 days or more. The rental price for this bike can rise steeply when renting for a single day.
What Harley-Davidson bike are you going to rent?
This might seem a bit silly, but it’s the first thing that you should ask yourself. Consider the mileage that you intend on incurring and whether it is for pleasure or business. Are you going to ride solo or take a passenger along with you? Are you going to take the open road, or will you be riding in a more urban environment? These are some of the considerations to help you decide the type of model that’ll perform the best.
Which model should you go for?
Harley-Davidson bikes fall into four general categories – Glides, Dynas, Softails, and Sportsters.
The Glide range is basically for touring. It’ll include the Road King, which includes luggage and a windscreen. Bikers who are serious about covering distance must have a look at the Electra Glide Ultra-Classic. It’ll come with the bells and whistles, including extra cargo capacity, a booming stereo, a handlebar-mounted fairing, and GPS on some models.
The Softail lineup was overhauled substantially for the 2018 model year. It replaced the twin-shock Dyna lineup. The Softail lineup includes the Heritage Classic, Sport Glide, Fat Boy, and Breakout. There is even the Heritage Classic 114 and Fat Bob. These motorcycles feature the redesigned single-shock chassis and the 1868cc Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin engine.
Even though the Dyna lineup has been discontinued, thankfully, low-mileage Dynas can be rented. You should choose a laidback chopper-esque Street Bob or the windscreen-equipped Switchback.Â
Then there is the Sportster line-up. They might be the smallest in terms of engine and chassis size, but you will struggle to rack up the miles on these bad boys. The 883 single-seat is the base model. Folks who are seeking more powerful motorcycles can go for the 1200cc Sportsters. For bikers who are looking for the easiest possible Harley-Davidson motorcycle to ride, they should rent the novice-friendly 500 and 750cc Harley-Davidson Street models. These motorcycles are considerably lighter than the 883 and are great for shorter folks.
Weigh the alternatives
As with the Harley-Davidson Sportster and Harley-Davidson Street models, the weight difference isn’t the only consideration, but a deciding factor. You will have to consider the weight of the motorcycle, with a tank full of fuel, any luggage, and the weight of the passenger.
Gravitating towards particular models is one thing, but being able to take it off the side stand is another. This isn’t just a consideration with smaller capacity models, either. A Harley-Davidson Road King is around 70lbs lighter than an Electra Glide Ultra-Classic. It will require extra effort to push around almost, 1000lbs of steel.
Hit the road for a test run
Lastly, you should hit the road for a drive or two, and remember that the carrying capacity of the motorcycle’s luggage matters, especially if you’re riding with someone. Baggers are meant for long road trips, and the top box and the side cases on the Electra Glide Ultra will allow for massive storage.
According to the spec sheet provided by Harley-Davidson, the Electra Glide Ultra comes with a 4.7 cubic feet of luggage capacity, which might not sound like a considerable amount of space, but the average suitcase will be three cubic feet.
Camping will mean carrying bulkier luggage, so you might want to consider a Road King, Street Glide, or Road Glide. All of them have the same size cases as the Electra Glide Ultra, while adding a fixed storage rack so that you’re able to tie down bulkier items like large bags or tents.
How to rent a Harley-Davidson motorcycle
If you’re looking to rent a Harley-Davidson bike, you could rent one from a Harley-Davidson dealer or go to a rental chain like EagleRider. There are many local independent dealers all over the States. However, you’ll be hard-pressed to come across a more affordable option than Riders Share. Here, you’ll be able to rent from individual owners instead of major businesses.
Recently, the big players seemed to have joined forces and now when you surf the official Harley-Davidson website for rental information, it’ll proudly state that EagleRider provides its U.S. rental fleet services. It even states that international rentals are handled through authorized Harley-Davidson dealers. If you’re looking to rent bikes in Europe, Australia, or Asia, it’ll be a good starting point for you. If you prefer going local, you can find independent Harley-Davidson rentals in countries including France, Spain, and Germany.
Local independents are a great option, as you’ll invariably find that they provide spectacular personal service, but they might be more limited in the number of models that they have.
The one common denominator with most rental companies is the need for an endorsement or motorcycle license. You shouldn’t worry, even if you’re vacationing in the USA and the license is in your native language. All that you’ll need to do is contact the rental company and check the company’s particular requirements. Once you have gone through the basic checklist and figured out which Harley-Davidson bike is right for you, go out there and experience the thrill of riding the iconic Harley-Davidson bikes.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading. Hopefully, now you know all about renting a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, how much does it cost to rent a motorcycle, different factors that come into play when renting a bike, and a lot more. If you are looking to rent a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, it will cost you around $89 per day to as much as over $300 per day, depending on the model of the bike you’re renting.
Moreover, different companies have different pricing systems, which means the renting price of the same bike can vary from one company to the other. Riding a Harley-Davidson bike is one of the most thrilling experiences. If you cannot afford to buy one permanently, then the next best thing would be to rent one for the day.
