Motorbikes in Bali

by Nick on February 24, 2006

by Nick | February 24th, 2006

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.

Tags: Bali Travel, Getting Around, Motorbike Rental

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Motorbikes in Bali

by Nick on June 8, 2005

by Nick | June 8th, 2005

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.

Tags: Bali, Bali Daily, Bali Travel, Bemo Buses, Exploring Bali, Getting Around, Honda, Motorbike Rental, motorbikes, scooters

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{ 8 comments }

di June 8, 2005 at 9:47 pm: Yeah well I must admit I’m with you Bill! Each to their own. I myself prefer to either walk or get a cab. Hey Nick sorry to bother you but can you tell me the name of the bus company in Bali and if it goes to Ubud daily?
Thanks
Jan June 9, 2005 at 5:48 am: Hey Nick,

can you give any recommendation on a place to rent a scooter in kuta / legian area. I have been offered to rent some “on the street” but I believe there are more serious rentals around.
I have been doing research on car rentals as well and found a place in Denpasar area where they offer cars with a “flat” insurance. Do you think it makes sense to get an insurance as well for a scooter ? Lots of questions for a comment but thanks in advance,

Jan
Rex June 9, 2005 at 9:31 am: Hi Nick,

I have been told that the Indonesian govt is happy for ordinary Balinese people to be able to afford motorbikes, but deliberately taxes cars out of reach of most Balinese to save the island’s road system from being completely jammed up.

When you think about the number of motorbikes on the already frequently overcrowded roads and imagine what it would be like if a large proportion of these bikes were cars instead, then this suggestion seems to make sense.

Do you have any comments on this?
Nick June 9, 2005 at 10:55 am: Di, Perama bus will get you to Ubud. THe office is on lower Jl. Legian just down from Hotel Prawita.

Jan, I have used a bunch of motorbiker and car rental places on Rum Jungle Rd. in Legian and Jl. Dhyana Pura in Seminyak. In my experince they are all about even. THey will all give you a car with no petrol in and the choice of cars is always, Suzuki Katana, Feroza, Kijang. You can save money by asking for an older Kijang. Newer models will be twice as expensive.

I rent my motorbike withoutr insurance as 1) THe local I rent from does not have insurance and 2) I don’t trust their ‘insurance’ promises. Whenever I rent a car they have a printed rental form for me to fill in with a box to tick for insurance. THere is no mention of an insurance company, a policy, the terms of contact info. Basically they put the extra cash in their pocket and try to blame you for an accident. They know all the scams in Bali so unless they actually show you a policy don’t trust them.

Rex, I don’y know if this is true but the way things work over here, is its always about money. The government knows they must allow the locals some way of getting around for the economy to work. THey probably assume if you have enough money to buy a car you have nough to pay the govenment too. With bikes you can register them once every 5 years if they are 200cc or under. Otherwise its every year.
Jan June 9, 2005 at 5:13 pm: Allright, thanks for the info Nick!

Have a good day over there,

Jan
Di June 9, 2005 at 7:00 pm: Thanks Nick
My Name January 12, 2006 at 9:00 am: This small bike is nice.
linda April 19, 2010 at 9:13 am: does anyone know anything about buying a bike in Bali? Possible to buy one online there? I want to buy one as a gift for someone who helped me out a lot when I was there.