How to check a bike before renting: three main points

Renting a scooter 🛵 in Bali is no more difficult than buying a kilogram of mangoes🥭. The entire process takes no more than five minutes🕐. The rental agency will only require your passport and money💵. However, if you want to protect yourself legally and avoid getting into an unpleasant situation at the end of the rental period, we still advise not to rush and spend a little more time - you'll still have plenty of time to cruise around.

Firstly, concerning the documents. Before you pick up the bike, you will sign a rental agreement with the rental service. Nowadays, even the most basic rental shops and private individuals with just two bikes offer these agreements. This is even more true for services like BaliMotion.

In most cases, you might not need this agreement in the future. That's if everything goes smoothly, you don't scratch the bike, return it at the end of the rental period, and bid a friendly farewell to the owner. However, in any dispute, it's based on this document that you can protect your rights or even involve the police. To properly rent a bike, you should opt for reputable services with contracts in dual languages. Clear terms and no ambiguous clauses. Ideally, the agreement should come with insurance, at least for damages, without limits on the damage amount. Established rental services always have consistent conditions. If you're dealing with a street-side rental, at best, you might negotiate a $100 insurance, which they use to cover minor scratches. Comprehensive insurance isn't part of the deal here, so if the bike gets stolen, you'll still have to pay. There are larger companies (like BaliMotion), which offer theft insurance.

In the past, a deposit for a bike was more of an exception. Nowadays, it's a common practice. Many rental services started asking for a deposit of 1 million rupiahs, which they return at the end of the rental period if the owner has no complaints. It's up to you to decide. As for leaving your passport in lieu of money, don't even think about it!

Bike insurance in Bali is not mandatory but is recommended for all tourists planning to rent a bike. There is a risk of accidents on the island (especially if you are a beginner). Most small rental shops along the roads have a rather unique approach to insurance - the owner might just hand you a 1 million rupiah bill, claiming that it covers all expenses in case of bike damage. It's better not to agree to this "verbal insurance" and insist on having it stated in the contract. Reputable rental services offer insurance as an additional service, which covers major expenses in case of bike damage or theft.

In the event of a traffic accident with other parties, the main concern is to ensure that no one is seriously injured. If your bike is not heavily damaged, it's best to avoid unnecessary attention and try to resolve the matter on your own.

Even if another driver (local) is at fault, proving your innocence will be difficult, especially if you don't have an open Category A license. In this case, first, you will likely be deemed the accident causer. Second, you'll not only be required to pay for the damage to other parties but also face fines.

If the accident is serious and you can't resolve the problem on your own, immediately contact the rental company from which you rented the bike. It's in their interest to help you settle the situation with minimal losses. And there's no need to attempt to flee the scene. You're quite noticeable in the flow of Balinese traffic, and finding you won't be hard, but in that case, you'll certainly be held responsible.

An extremely important aspect. The rental service's behavior can depend on how thoroughly you inspect the bike and document any damages. They closely watch your inspection, and if they realize you've missed any defects or scratches, they might later attribute them to you.

To avoid questions later, when renting, take the time to turn on your phone's camera and walk around the scooter from all sides, capturing everything on video. Document every scratch and scrape. Don't rush. You can even point out defects to the bike's owner. Send all photos and videos of damages to the rental service before signing the contract. This is an important psychological step.

When choosing a bike rental company, research the market. Perhaps someone you know uses a trusted rental service. Pay attention to reviews and recommendations. Ratings, for example on Google Maps, are usually quite objective. It's preferable to have at least 50 recommendations. Only positive reviews (especially when there are few of them overall) raise suspicions.

In reputable services, you might not need to inspect the bikes. In 99% of cases, they are well-maintained and don't require checking for the next 1000 km or so. This is in the company's best interest. If a company invests in good bikes, they need to maintain them properly.

Another point to consider: if you're a complete beginner, try to choose a bike that has been in rental before. Opting for a brand new scooter might be tempting, but it adds responsibility: any small scratch will be visible on the pristine plastic, and the rental service might hold you accountable for it.

However, a balance is key. You shouldn't choose an overly battered bike either. If the bike is all scratched up or has cracked parts, it's unlikely that it's been well-maintained in technical terms.

In reputable services, the vehicle looks appealing. Even if the bike isn't new, nothing is falling apart or squeaking.

If this is your first bike, ideally ask someone experienced to conduct a test drive. If you haven't made friends yet, you can ask the staff at your hotel, for example. A person with driving experience will immediately notice problems. For instance, the bike might have bad, failing brakes, a low tread on the tires, or even bald tires. The bike might veer to the side (usually due to a misalignment in the fork or frame).