Motorbike- and Scooter Rental on Flores
Motorbike rental and scooter rental even one way rentals are very popular on Flores. Labuan Bajo has many motorbike- and scooter rental stations. At some places you also can rent Enduros, as well as big trekking- and touring bikes. In comparison to it, Maumere has only one bigger rental station.
Be advised to choose your rental company carefully as not all scooters or motorbikes are in good conditions to master the long and difficult overland trip on Flores between Labuan Bajo, Maumere and Larantuka. We recommend Motor Adventure Bali. They are experienced and provide scooters as well as big motorbikes. One way rental is also possible with this company.
Scooter Rental
Scooters (108 to 150 cc) can be rented easily in Labuan Bajo and Maumere. There are plenty of rental stations at least in Labuan Bajo. But Labuan Bajo and Maumere still does not provide enough bikes in high season for all the demands. Be a bit careful if you rent a scooter and check the brake system and the tires. Driving on the roads of Flores is not easy and you should be already more or less an experienced driver. Extreme climbs, steep descents, tight bends, potholes and dirt roads are common during an overland tour across Flores.
You have to expect apprx. 65.000 to 100.000 IDR (rp) per day for a scooter rental. Since 2019 one way rentals between Labuan Bajo and Maumere or vize versa are possible at certain rental stations.
Usually the following types of scooters are available:
- Honda Beat (108 cc) - not recommended for overland tours with 2 persons on a bike (only one person)
- Honda Vario (125 cc or 150 cc) - recommended for overland tours with 2 persons on the bike
- Honda ADV 150 with ABS
- Yamaha Xtra (108 cc) - not recommended for tours
- Yamaha Xeon (125 cc) - recommended for overland tours with 2 persons on the bike
- Honda Nmax (155 cc)
Be advised:
In case you like to rent a Yamaha Nmax scooter (155 cc) or Honda PCX scooter (148 cc) in Bali or Flores and plan to travel across to Flores be advised that you can only enjoy your trip on the main road in Flores the so called Trans-Flores Highway. This road is at the moment in good condiontion and fully paved. It is not advisable to travel on the side roads of Flores with these large scooters. Many roads, especially, the roads to villages, to some attractions and as well some coastal roads are unpaved, broken or dirt and graveled roads. They cannot be used because the scooters are too heavy, the wheels are too small and the ground clearance is too low. The full plastic cladding will suffer very badly. Falls and crashes on these roads are inevitable.
You can check the road conditions of Flores.
Reserve a scooter now in Flores!
Motorbike Rental
Enduros Trekking- or Dirt Bikes
Enduros, Trekking- or Dirt Bikes can be rented for apprx. 280.000 IDR a day depending on the conditions and power of the bikes. It is very important to check and try the bike before you sign the rental contract. Below you can find a rental check-list
Rental stations for Enduros are only in Labuan Bajo and Maumere.
The following Enduros with motorcross tires are offered in Labuan Bajo and Maumere:
- Kawasaki KLX 150 S (148 cc)
- Kawasaki KLX 150 BF (148 cc)
- Kawasaki KLX 250 (250 cc)
- Honda CRF 150 (150 cc)
- Honda CRF 250 Rally (250 cc)
Touring- and Street Motorbikes
Touring or Street Motorbikes (150 cc and above) can be rented only on request in Labuan Bajo and Maumere. The prices are reasonable. Oneway rentals between Labuan Bajo and Maumere or vize versa or even to Bali or Jogjakarta on Java on request at certain rental stations.
The following motorbikes are available on request:
- Honda CB 150
- Kawasaki Versys X Tourer (250 cc)
- Honda CB 500 X
- Kawasaki Pulsar NT 200
One Way Rental Flores
On Flores one way rentals are possible between Labuan Bajo and Maumere. For long distance tours a one way rental can be arranged between Yogyakarta on Central Java, Bali, Lombok and Flores. At all locations you can find a Motor Adventure Bali rental station.
Guided Motorbike and Scooter Rental
The newest idea of Flores Komodo Expedition is to offer a Florenese guide to accompany you during your tour on Flores. It might be that you or your group like to have a helpful hand beside you to show you the hidden secrets and attractions off the beaten path and to introduce you to the culture of Flores. Feel free to ask us whether a guide is available. Further information about guided motorbike tours.
Scooter Rental and Motorbike Rental Stations in Flores
Labuan Bajo has plenty motorbike or scooter rental stations. In Maumere only a few guest houses offer scooter rental. However, Motor Adventure Bali has opened rental stations in Labuan Bajo in 2019 and Maumere 2020. Since that time it is possible to do one way tours across Flores. If you plan a one way tour from Bali or Jogjakarta on Java to Flores, we highly recommend Motor Adventure Bali. They provide new and well maintained scooters and motorbikes which are equipped for touring. Their service is unbeatable professional.
In all other locations on Flores as Ruteng, Bajawa, Ende, Moni, Riung, Mbay and Larantuka it is more difficult to rent a scooter or motorbike. Public rental stations don't exist. Just ask your hotel manager or a local travel agency to arrange a motorbike or scooter for you. However, automatic scooters are often not available. Therefore you get more or less private owned, small and sometimes elderly motorbikes with gear. They are usually a little bit more expensive at those locations as compared with Labuan Bajo or Maumere. Oneway rentals are not possible at those places.
Addendum
We have heard that recently Bajawa got a scooter rental. This has yet to be confirmed.
What to take in mind when renting a bike on Flores
If you plan an overland trip you should choose carefully your rental company as not all scooters or motorbikes are in good condition to master the long and difficult overland trip on Flores between Labuan Bajo and Maumere. Sometimes private people or unlicenced motorbike workshops offer also a motorbike or scooter rental. We have made not good experience with them before. Be especially careful. Usually those bikes are hardly or not maintained at all and equipped with cheap, non-original parts from China. Imagine what happens if you get stuck in the middle of the wilderness due to a broken scooter or bike .....
We have put together a few tips to help you rent a bike on Flores:
- Always ask for the rental price per day. A long-term rental is usually cheaper than a one day or two day rental.
- Some rental stations ask for an international driving licence. On Flores usually they don't ask for it, if you rent a scooter. If you rent a bigger motorbike you should bring your country and your internationl driving licence. They are mandatory for renting powerful, bigger bikes.
- In case you plan an overland trip check first, if the bike is in good condition:
- tire profile
- brake lever and brake blocks
- chain
- headlight, backlight, brake light and direction indicator
- horn
- oil level
- full tank
- If you only like to rent a bike to drive around the town, just take the cheapest offered bike or scooter you can get. You can always swap it in case something gets broken.
- Ask for a bike insurance (almost none of the rental companies provide it, but some do) . Give it a try if you care.
- Take a test drive (you can deposit your passport as a deposit).
- Take photos of scratches and cracks that already exist.
- Don't forget to have a contact or emergency phone number given to you.
Some advices for your motorbike or scooter overland trip on Flores
- First of all, you should be a more or less experienced scooter or motorbike driver. Driving across Flores is a challenge. Don't underestimate it. We have seen many accidents and many drivers crying when they were overhelmed. Nevertheless many individual drivers - no matter whether male or female - made it.
- If possible travel with at least one other scooter or motorbike together. This has many advantages i.e. if you get a flat tire or you face any unforeseen problems.
- Don't travel with too much luggage.
- Check the engine's oil level regulary during your trip. Our experince has proofed that sometimes the engine run dry due to massive driving in the mountains. If you need to add oil, just ask a motorbike workshop to fill in more oil ("olli" in indonesian language). Keep the invoice and hand it out later to your rental company.
- Take your international driving licence with you, even the rental company didn't ask for it. In case of an accident the police will ask for it and if you cannot provide the driving licence, it could get very expensive for you.
- Bring a plastic bottle with petrol for emergencies. Sometimes petrol stations run out of petrol. Remember the fuel consumption in the mountains could be twice as high as in flat terrain.In remote areas families often provide bottles with petrol beside the road. But don't always rely on it. Try to keep your tank full especially if your scooter tank capacity is only 3 to 4 liters.
- Drive always on the left side of the road. That means also on the very edge of the road. On Flores local bike- and car drivers still think the road is only there for themselves. It often happens that they drive on the middle of the road even in narrow bends.
- Park your bike always at a safe place in the night.
- Take care of your helm.
- Bike mirrors and helms are often nice souvenirs for local people. Discuss with your rental company how to act in case your helm or mirrors get stolen. Every company deals differently with such cases. Most companies advise to try to buy new original mirrors or helms in a spare part shop and to keep the purcase receipt. When you return the bike the receipt should be handed over to your rental company. However, if you forgot to discuss it, we suggest to call your scooter rental company before you buy a new mirror or helm and ask what to do. So you will avoid any surprising inconvinience with your rental company after you return the bike.
- Last but not least: buy a local mobile phone sim card (only telkomsel network is available as other networks doesn't work on Flores). 4G internet is available in major cities. In country side only 3G or 2G or no network. We recommend a simple Telkomsel "Simpati" card. Add "pulsa" first and afterwards buy an internet package. This is sometimes the cheapest way. If you get an internet promo sim card, it will be fine as well. They are also sometimes cheaper. "Kartu Hallo" and "Kartu As" are usually more expensive on Flores when you want to add pilsa to your card again (add pulsa or "tambah pulsa").
Why scooter- and motorbike rentals in Flores are more expensive in comparison to Bali?
There are several reasons:
- The investment in motorbikes and their maintenance is much more expensive in Flores.
- Spare parts have to be flown in from Bali or Java.
- The bad road conditions and the heavy load of the bikes with luggage in the mountains shortens their useful life drastically.
- As Flores is very mountainous, the gas mileage is more than twice as high as on roads in good condition and in flat areas.
Tags: Flores, travel hints Flores, motorbike rental Flores, travel advice Flores, scooter rental Flores, Enduro rental Flores, one way rental Flores
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