GT Rider

Renting Bikes

Motorcycle Rentals in Chiang Mai Thailand

Hire bikes are either
1. Small 100 – 125cc scooters,
2. Grey import 250cc plus bikes from Japan. Mainly Honda CB400 super Fours.
3. Honda Phantom 250 cruisers.
4. New Kawasaki 250 KLXs / D-Trackers
5. New Kawasaki 250 Ninjas
6. New Kawasaki ER6Ns / 650 Ninjas released in 2008-2009.
7. New Kawasaki 650 Versys released in November 2010.

The best bike to ride is the one you are most comfortable on. So think about the type of riding you enjoy most & like to do then pick a bike to satisfy that need, not what you think you should ride.  Read these tips on Traffic & Roads before you set off from the rental shop.

1. Honda Dream / Wave 110 -125cc a four-stroke single cylinder scooter. This is the best bike in & around town. It is a simple, reliable & very economical machine & without a clutch to worry about it is very suitable for novice riders. Anyone doubting this bike’s ability should watch hill tribe people, three-up, tackle a steep mountain dirt road. Hire cost is 80 -150 baht a day. In town you can’t beat a Dream. Hire one for your first couple of days in Chiang Mai to look around & get a feel of the place. Then hire a bigger bike for trips upcountry. BTW you can beat a Honda Dream on the Mae Hong Son loop either.

2. Honda Phantom 200 a popular Thai made chopper. Single cylinder, 200c, with electric start & disc brakes. Cool for light cruising and / or inexperienced riders. Hire cost is 500 baht a day. Safe, & easy for the girls to ride & enjoy themselves on.

Image3. Honda AX-1 250 a second hand import from Japan. A dual purpose machine with electric start, fantastic disc brakes, and very economical fuel consumption, it is a better road bike than a dirt bike with the suspension too soft for the serious dirt rider, but either way it gives unlimited enjoyment when ridden. Very easy to ride, it is a great “lady’s bike” for touring North Thailand (one-up). Getting old now & only available at Dang Mc Hire. Cheap & reasonable value touring one-up, hire cost is 600 – 700 baht a day.

4. Honda XR 250 Baja a newer model 250cc single cylinder four stroke off road machine with disc brakes and electric start, imported 2nd hand from Japan. It is a better stronger bike for the more serious dirt rider; but with a higher seat height is not so suitable for shorter riders who might not be able to get their feet firmly down on the ground in tricky situations. Get a new one with the big fuel tank and a range of 300 kms for serious riding. Look for good tyres to go off-road for a bash in the bush. In Feb 2001, I rode one non-stop from Luang Nam Tha (the Lao / China border) to Chiang Mai in a day, & my Baja never missed a beat. This is my preferred off-road touring machine! Hire cost is 650 – 800 baht per day.

5. Yamaha TTR 250 , another newer model grey import from Japan. Single cylinder, four-stroke, electric start. Quite a good dirt bike, but probably not as good as the Baja. However with a slightly lower seat height, than the Baja, the Yam can be more rider friendly. There are two models, one The Raid has a bigger headlight & fuel tank, for longer distance riding. Hire cost is 650 – 800 baht per day.

6. Honda CB400 Super four, another newer model grey import. This one a nice little higher revving 400cc small road bike. Quite a few around, but condition varies a lot, so take a good look. In particularly take a good look at the tyres, brakes & suspension. Hire cost is generally around 500 – 600 baht a day. Brilliant for thrashing round the twisty mountain roads, one-up.

7. Honda CB750F ye old faithful. A big lumbering heavy four cylinder machine. Good for touring on road with the girlfriend or a pax. Generally reliable & solid. If you’re a big road bike man, then it usually does the biz quite adequately. Hire cost approx 700-1000 baht a day.


Check the GT Rider forum for the latest bike & shop info.

If you’ve already got your own bike & need some work done it, then check out the GT Rider list of Chiang Mai bike shops.

Serious big bike riders might want to bring their own machine, but come and rent a local bike first before jumping in at the deep end. Read about how to bring your own bike.

Bike Test Ride

To be satisfied with the bike’s reliability and comfort for an upcountry tour, test ride it before hand. Start with a run around the city moat, then if you are still not sure take it for a one day trip. The Samoeng loop is an excellent 100 kms half day ride from Chiang Mai, which everyone should do at least once, even if just to test out a bike. Take a Mae Sa Valley Samoeng Loop map with you & have a great day out.

Hire Prices

Can be negotiable, but if you bargain too hard for a bike the owner will probably give you the worst bike in the shop and keep the better bike for someone else who wants to pay more money. A cheap rental price might only mean a cheap bike that costs extra money for fuel, repairs and heaps of worry while on tour.

Hire prices in Chiang Mai are very cheap with most of the shops struggling to survive in low season. So, take care of your bike, don’t try to screw the shop owner, and they’ll be there when you come back next time.

PASSPORT SURRENDER
When you hire a motorcycle you must surrender your passport to the shop as security for the bike. As the bike is not insured, your passport is the insurance for its return. When the shop has the bike back to their satisfaction, your passport is returned. This hiring condition might alarm first time visitors, but it is standard practice in North Thailand and there is seldom a problem recovering your passport, provided you bring the bike back.

Note too that motorcycle theft is not a real threat to deter you from hiring a bike.

If you do experience any difficulty recovering your passport, don’t waste time with the shop – call the Tourist Police.

CHIANG MAI MOTORCYCLE HIRE SHOPS

Shops worth considering (but which all have good & bad days):

1. C & P Service. 51 Kotchasarn Rd. Tel: 053271161.

Bikes:

  • 9 x derestricted Kawasaki KLX250s @ 800 baht a day.
  • 3 x Kawasaki ER6Ns @ 1,200 baht a day

Comments: The only derestricted rental KLX250s in town.

2. Dang Hire Bike. 23 Kotchasarn Rd. Tel: 053271524. Bikes: Honda AX-1 250s. Comments: The only shop left in town with AX1 250s. A big fleet and getting old, bike condition varies, so have a good look at your preferred steed first

3. Goodwill Motorcycle Hire / Joe’s Bike Team. 26/1 Soi 2 Chang Moi Rd. Tel / Fax: 053251186.

Bikes:

  • 3 x Honda XR250 2005 model (upside down forks) @ 1,000 baht a day.

  • 1 x Honda AX1 250 @ 800 baht a day.

  • 1 x Kawasaki KLX 250 @ 1,000 baht a day.
  • 4  x Kawasaki ER6N @ 1,200 baht .

Comments: This is the number one big bike service shop in North Thai. Bikes serviced by German Joe, the expat expert, & generally more reliable. To Book a Bike at Joe’s Bike Team – click here

Break down service: Joe’s got a powerful sidecar (Kawasaki VN1500 motor) for breakdown pick-ups, and they’re an awesome pair on the road at times. Prices start at 300 baht inside Chiang Mai city. Up country pickups cost 500 baht + 7 baht per kilometre. Ring Joe 053251186 to check availability. Sundays not available. Other days depends on work load in his work shop (rental customers come first) so he may not always be able to respond immediately.

RTW bikers Joe is a very good mechanic &has a great workshop; but note that logically enough, he prefers not to let people use his facilities for free. So don’t just roll up, expecting to do all your own work and leave without so much as a thank you kindly or a tip. I’ve personally witnessed this several times, and it goes down like a lead balloon, spoiling it for all the other nice RTW bikers.

4. Mr Beer. 2 Rajwithee Rd, Chiang Mai. Tel: 053418236. Bikes available

  • 4 x Honda Click Automatic 110 @ 200 baht a day
  • 10 x Honda Wave 100 @ 150 baht a day
  • 6 x Honda Dream 125 @ 180 baht a day
  • 4 x Honda CRB 150 @ 400 baht a day
  • 5 x Honda Phantom 200 @ 500 baht a day
  • 4 x Kawasaki Ninja 250 @ 800 baht a day
  • 3 x Kawasaki D-Tracker@ 250 @ 800 baht a day
  • 3 x Kawasaki ER6N 650 @ 1,200 baht a day
  • 4 x Yamaha Fino 115 @ 200 baht a day
  • 2 x Yamaha Nuovo 135 @ 350 baht a day
  • 5 x Yamaha Nuovo 125 @ 250 baht a day

Comments: some mixed reports, but generally acceptable. Mr Beer is an interesting character.

    5. Mr Mechanic. 4 Soi 5, Moon Muang Road. Tel: 053214708 / Mobile 018824402. Chiang Mai biggest rental fleet & run by the vivacious Gung.
    Bikes: 

  • 1 x Yamaha XJR 1200 @ 1,100 baht a day.
  • 5 x Honda CB750F @ 800 baht a day.
  • 4 x Kawasaki ER650 @ 1,200 baht a day.
  • 1 x Kawasaki 650 Ninja @ 1,200 baht a day.
  • 1 x Kawasaki 650 Versys @ 1,500 baht a day (the perfect two-up touring machine for North Thailand.)
  • 2 x Honda Steed 400 @ 800 baht a day.
  • 8 x Honda Super Four 400 @ 700 baht a day.
  • 3 x Honda XR 250 @ 700 baht a day.
  • 4 x Kawasaki KLX 250 @ 900 baht a day.
  • 2 x Kawasaki D-Tracker 250 @ 800 baht a day.
  • 7 x Honda Phantom 200 @ 700 baht a day.
  • 18 x Honda Dream 100cc @ 170 baht a day.
  • 49 x Honda Dream 125cc @ 200 baht a day.
  • 2 x Honda Sonic 125cc @ 250 baht a day.
  • 9 x Honda Wave 110cc @ 170 baht a day.
  • 5 x Honda Click Automatic 110cc @ 250 baht a day.
  • 4 x Suzuki Hayate 115cc @ 300 baht a day.
  • 5 x Suzuki Step 125cc @ 250 baht a day.
  • 2 x Yamaha Mio Automatic 115cc @ 200 baht a day.
  • 1 x Yamaha Nuovo 125cc @ 300 baht a day.
Comments: The 2nd biggest bike fleet in town. Generally new model Honda Dreams / Waves / Automatics.  Gung & her female staff also liked to be wined & dined. Lek (Mr Mechanic) also runs 2-3-4 day bike tours if you are interested. Recommended for excellent friendly service & the best long term rental deals in town. To Book a Bike at Mr Mechanics – click here

6. Tony’s Big Bikes. 17 Ratchamankha Rd. Tel: 053207124.  Bikes:
Automatics:

  • 1 x Suzuki Hayate 125cc @ 250 baht per day
  • 3 x Honda Airblade 110cc @ 230 baht per day
  • 8 x Honda Click 110cc @ 200 baht per day
  • 2 x Yamaha Fino 110cc @ 200 baht per day

Semi Automatics:

  • 8 x Honda Wave/Dream 125cc @ 150-180 baht per day

Manuals:

  • 8 x Honda Phantom 200cc @ 550 baht per day
  • 5 x Honda SuperFour 400cc @ 800 baht per day
  • 2 x Honda VRX 400cc @ 900 baht per day
  • 1 x Suzuki Desperado 400cc @ 900 baht per day
  • 1 x Kawasaki “Ninja” 250cc @ 900 baht per day

Comments: The shop has a good variety of well-maintained bikes and is run by a couple of knowledgeable ex-pat bikers with a lot of local miles between them. If you want trip advice with a dose of Brit humour as well as a decent bike, this is the place to go.

    7. BMW RENTAL with bed & breakfast (or vice versa). Check out Chiang Mai Luxury Bed & BreakfastPhone: +667-193-4646. Fax: +1-480-275-3589. Address Mae Sa Ban Doi on R1096, the Mae Rim – Samoeng road. The bike: BMWR1100R @ US$100 a day. 

    Latest bike & shop info: check out the GT Rider board

    CHIANG RAI MOTORCYCLE HIRE SHOPS

    1. ST Motorcycle. 527/5-6 Banphaprakan Rd. Chiang Rai.

    Tel: 053713652. 053752180. Mobile: 0818852852.
    Bikes:
  • 6 x Honda 250 Bajas @ 1,000 baht a day in Thailand. 1,800 baht a day in Laos.
  • 15 x Honda 250 Degree @ 700 baht a day in Thailand. 1,500 baht a day in Laos.

    • Comments: ST’s bikes are all legal registered machines. Their bikes are also well maintained.  Check out their spotlessly clean workshop & you’ll know their bikes will be good!

    ST also provide a rental service to take bikes to Laos. Minimum 10 days rental.  All bikes well prepared & reliable.

    To rent a bike from ST to take to Laos click here.

    ST Bike Sales: ST also sell bikes (Honda 250 Bajas & Degrees) with legal registration.

    As a “rough guide” Honda Bajas cost 170,000 with a plate. Honda 250 Degrees cost 135,000 baht with a plate. Price will vary 5-10,000 baht depending on the model year.  Generally bikes are from 2003 – 2007 on.

    They are well set up & organized with registered plated bikes in stock = no waiting for a book. If no registered  bikes in stock for sale, new ergo takes 3 months. To Book a Bike at ST Motorcycles – click here

GT Rider