Motorbikes are very prevalent here in Bali. The locals all ride them and whole families use them as transportation. The most I’ve ever seen on one bike is 6 people. The funniest rider being a 16 year old Balinese kid, who was sitting on the back of the seat, steering and operating the throttle with his foot. People like myself who had never previously ridden a bike, come to think of it as normal, and a helmet becomes as comfortable as a hat.
I see all kinds of people riding and getting lifts from locals. To service this hungry market are numerous motorbike rental places along the main streets, offering a bike for 40,000rp per day, or like mine 400,000rp per month. There is also a cottage industry of roadside petrol vendors. A liter will cost 5,000rp from these guys.
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Reading a 1991 version of Bill Daltons Indonesia Handbook I came across a section on motorbikes. Being an adventurous fellow I thought Bill would love but he actually is against them in Bali. Bill says they are dangerous, attract attention in villages and you always have to worry about petrol, oil and deal with the Balinese way of driving. When I first came to Bali in 1993 I took bemo buses all over and have to say it was a giant pain in the ass. Every time we got to a bemo stop we had to negotiate. The driver would have us going with the price and then we would tell him it was too expensive. He would climb back in the bemo and pretend to drive off. We would let him and he would stop, climb out and continue negotiating. Try doing this 6 times day and you will see why bemos are a mode of transport I never use.
A simple motorbike with a 110cc engine is easy to ride, can carry 2 and can afford you access to the whole island. Its there waiting for you in the morning and is cheap to run. A tank of petrol is about 8,000rp. I rent mine for 400,000rp per month, which is a good price. I know this because other Indonesians were asking me where I got it so cheap. You might pay 500,000rp per month, 200,000rp per week or 40,000rp per day. The Honda Supra is very reliable and a good way to explore Bali.
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