To buy or to rent a motorcycle?

Did you spent hours of searching and scrolling on online apps and websites that sell motorcycles, like marktplaats.nl? Did you do a decent amount of daydreaming about all those beautiful bikes? Did you endlessly watch YouTube videos of the TT of Assen, or the Isle of Man TT from ages ago? Or maybe you cleaned your motorcycle, again.

No worries. Winter is almost over. Just a few more months left! Then the new riding season of 2022 starts. Every biker looks forward to those dry and sunny days with a temperature of at least 15 degrees Celsius. Those are the ideal circumstances to go for a lovely solo ride, or a ride out with friends. While most of us can’t wait to get the bikes going again, others might wonder whether its worth it to buy your own motorcycle or just rent a bike whenever you want to ride.

Riding a motorcycle isn’t the cheapest hobby out there. It not just the price tag of that beloved two wheeler. You need full gear to ride it safely, from a motorcycle helmet to some proper boots. You have to pay taxes and insurance. Regular maintenance is important to keep the bike in a solid condition. Whenever someone says ‘regular maintenance’, you can feel the pennies rolling out of your pockets. (Although you could do some maintenance yourself too). And last but not least; your motorcycle requires fuel to run. And we all know the amount of money that costs these days.. But for all that money, you also get a lot in return.

Nothing gets the heart of a motorcyclist going like the sound of the exhaust of a Harley, the acceleration of the Kawasaki Z1000 or the drooling faces of bystanders when you park your Ducati Diavel in front of the terrace.

The average motorcyclist in the Netherlands rides less than 2500 kilometers per year. And to be fair, in that case owning a motorcycle is quite an expensive hobby. An older motorcycle might not cost that much anymore on a monthly basis, but more recent models can be expensive. Then the question pops up; what’s better? To buy or to rent a motorcycle? Both have their pros and cons.

What if you’d rather buy a motorcycle? The residual value of a bike drops way less than that of a car. And there’s nothing better than the bond between a rider and his or her own bike. We fully understand you love to polish the exhausts of your own Triumph Bonneville. Haven’t you made the decision yet between renting or buying a motorcycle?

Let’s help you out. MotoShare started as a peer-to-peer platform for motorcyclist in the Netherlands. We grew into a European wide platform for both private owners and renters and for official dealers. Rent and ride a few different motorcycles to see if one of them steals your heart.

Can’t forget about that one? Sleepless nights over it? Then buy the motorcycle. Does the ride give you goosebumps, but you don’t feel like you need that exact bike to give them to you, or to get them on a regular basis? Then stick to renting motorcycles. You’ll find hundreds of motorcycles from both private owners as well as owned by official dealers from every brand imaginable on our platform. They are just a few mouse clicks away.

Did you buy that beloved motorcycle years ago? That one that wouldn’t let you sleep until it was yours. But life has changed, other hobbies got more attention, or maybe your precious kids. Not riding that much anymore? Register on MotoShare and rent out your bike to other motorcycle enthusiasts. You decide who rents, when they do so and for how much they can take your bike for a spin. You’ll get 70% of the money, the insurance company gets 15% (they make sure your bike is fully - allrisk - insured) and MotoShare gets the last 15% (for making it all so easy and safe. We check every renter on fraud and riding license!)

Are you a dealer of motorcycles? And got a few demo bikes or occasions? Make use of the marketing strength of MotoShare! Hundreds of motorcyclists look for a perfect bike to ride on our platform on a daily basis. Want to know more? Read it here!

The choices between renting or buying a motorcycle can be quite tricky. Our advice to every new motorcyclist or born-again bikers; rent a motorcycle first. Try different bikes, brands, models etcetera until you find the perfect match.