New motorbike in Bali

For a while now I have been thinking about buying a motorbike. Actually I have been thinking about it for 3 years, but couldn’t quite commit on anything I liked. In order for me to own a car or motorbike, I need KITAS, but I can put it in Ika’s name. Motorbike rental is easy and cheap in Bali. I pay 400,000rp per month to rent a new Honda Supra Fit 100CC (Trendy performance with hip-up model). That’s 13,333rp per day, which is not much at all.

The scooter type bike is handy for getting aorund in the Kuta area, which is what I do most of the time. Its not so good for handling bumpy roads or hills. Honda makes a selection of scooters, including the Fuel Injection 125CC (the sky becoming bluer), which has plenty of zip. They also make the Tiger (hefty & sporty design), which is a proper motorbike, with good suspension and better climbing power. I should really go for one of these, because it fit my size better than a scooter and will probably last longer.

Indonesia has banned the sale of 2-stroke bikes, which is a good thing and means the ends of the Suzuki 125 trail bike. Many expats in Seminyak ride exotic road and trail bikes and the other day a guy told me he imported his from Belgium. The advantage in buying a local bike is price and maintenance. You can get a financing package over here also, but if you can afford to buy it outright, why not? The 4 main brands of bikes available new here are Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki. Everyone has their favourite, but I reckon Honda has the edge.

When riding a motorbike in Bali you don’t have the worry of speed cops, or being over the alcohol limit, nobody cares. The thing is, you basically have to wipe your own ass, and if you have an accident, its you who will have to figure out a solution, as far as medical and fixing up your bike.