Thoughts On Riding A Motor Bike in Bali

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motor bike

Riding a motor bike in Bali can be an exciting activity for you to do. Most of the Balinese ride motor bikes, though most of them don't have license or don't understand the traffic rules. Every body agrees that it is cheap to run compared to cars. You too can ride motor bike in Bali. Getting one while you are here is no big deal. A lot of motor bike rentals in Kuta and other tourist area, but before you hit the Bali street here is some tips that might be useful for you.

To hire a motor bike, you will need about 30,000 rupiah a day or about 3.5 USD. The petrol is 4500 a litre. So, yup, it is indeed cheap to run.

Next, you have to get an international driving license. You can get that from your country or you can obtain it here. The cost of getting one, is around USD 20 to 25.

Get a "automatic" motor bike. So, you don't have to change gears. It is easier especially if you are not used to ride motor bikes a lot in your country. Some brands like Yamaha Mio, Nuvo, and Honda Vario are the automatic motor bike.

The police will stop you from time to time on the street. They normally are stationed in the big cross roads, and close to tourists area such as Kintamani. They just like asking questions, especially to tourists. Just show your license. Nick, an expat living in Seminyak, wrote a good article about his experience concerning this.

The traffic can be chaotic and overwhelming. You need to get use to it. Sometimes you will see mad motorcyclists who do some fancy stuff in the streets to impress people or maybe they just don't understand the traffic rules, like most of us.

Turn on your light. It's a safety riding technics introduced by the Police several months ago, though it has gained less and less popularity.

The good news of riding a motor bike:
  • You can stop at any time you like, any place you want.

  • Like I said before, it is economical to run.

  • You can ride into small paths in the villages to see more of the village life. Cars can't do that.

  • If you are a surfer, you can have your surfboard attached to your motor bike for easy transport.
The bad news of riding a motor bike
  • It is a little bit dangerous. Maybe there is more chance to be hit by other motor bikes or cars in Bali street compared to being struck by lightning.

  • You can get stopped many times by police, because they want to check your license.
Conclusion, motor bike can be risky. So, please consider thoroughly before deciding to get one.

Update: 7/12/2015 The cost of renting motor bike is at the moment around USD 8 per day.

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