Nesba Bike Rental

[aegilbert33]

Speaking as someone that's done it, I'd be interested but it would have to be a "destination" track. I wouldn't pay $450 to rent a bike to ride Pocono, as an example. NJMP, maybe.

I rented a bike from Sportbikerental in Las Vegas to ride LVMS. It was February and I was really getting antsy for a track day, so I took the wife to Vegas and snuck in a track day. SBR does rental days at Willow and Laguna Seca, so I may go back to do those. In addition to the bikes, they also have a trailer, food, video, etc. It's fun.

TPM does offer rental bikes, but I've never seen them fully rented. I think they have about 8 bikes, and there are usually 5 or 6 left over on any given day. I rented once before I got my bike. I guess my point is I'm not sure how much repeat business there is in bike rentals for the track.

 

[rk97]

keep in mind, we're only providing input of people who are already into track riding.

I think the OP's primary customer base would be people who are new to the sport. After a weekend on my 500, I would have seriously considered renting a 600 with a decent suspension for my 2nd or 3rd weekend.

What's going to be difficult is defining where the business ENDS. Do you rent leathers too? NESBA already does that, but that's not really their 'business' either.

 

[mlmoore]

Motomoon;11602 wrote:
This is just something to show that yes there is a market for people with the finances to do such things.

I really think you'd be best served to look outside of NESBA as you will need to touch a larger market to make it work.

You have a good point here. I have a friend who races vintage sports cars. He and most of the guys/gals are like most of us in NESBA. On a budget, doing lots of their own work, etc..... There is another group that runs in the same classes. They are mostly wealthy business owners/professionals who don't have time to prep or travel but have the disposable income to support the sport. They have others prep/transport/maintain the cars and equipment. The owner usually flies in Sat or Sunday morning for the event. Sometimes in a helicopter to the track. Sometimes they don't make it to the track and the car just sits but the support company still gets paid. Some rent but I think most own the cars. Some of this is very expensive stuff, like $1,000,000 Ferraris etc.

I suspect the same market exists for bikes as well. Limited market but very high end. If I were doing it that is what I'd look at. People who have the money available and are willing to pay for the best and the convenience.

IMHO

 

[zxsixr]

696triumph;11605 wrote: If you were renting a newer 600 for $200/day, I'd sign up in a heartbeat. That is unbelievably cheap considering the risk factor and tire costs. I rented a BMW touring bike in Germany last month and that was over $250 day.

Of course, you gotta get it to some of the tracks people will fly to, Laguna, Barber, Mid-Ohio, etc.

I would also look at this (from a renters perspective) as a vacation/opportunity to ride a cool track that'n not in driving distance. Not so much as an outlet to ride the newest possible bike, but a way to ride Laguna Secca. As such, I really wouldn't care about the latest or greatest. Plus, you'll never get up to speed in one day at a new track to take advantage of it.

I had this same issue at Circuit D' Catalonia. Didn't really care what kind of bike I got, it was more about riding on a real GP track. The outfit just happened to be renting 675s, so i lucked out pretty good on that one.

Even still, I was nervous as Hell about Crashing in a foreign country. Didn't push the thing over 50%, mainly out of fear.

You could have took it on the nurbergring for like 10 bucks..that would be cool:adore:

 

[Surfinglbi23]

Cool idea man, I love the part about older model 600's and lower prices. Fantastic starter for trial days.

 

[sportrider]

If you are using the CSS model, remember that each bike is ridden every session, so you need fewer bikes than riders (assuming you spread appropriately across the levels).

 

[Revvin' Evan]

rk97;11579 wrote: I think you'll end up learning that INTEREST is high, but that interest wanes when costs are revealed.

You mentioned $200 - $300/day a $1200 damage maximum - that would replace my entire bike!

I think you'd have to really go the opposite direction of what you're thinking, or cater to extreme ends of the same spectrum. What I mean is this:

look at other rental services for dissimilar industries. Last time I went ice skating (girlfriend dragged me. flame away.), I rented skates. Did I get $400 top of the line bauer skates? nope. I paid $8 to rent $20 POS plastic pieces of garbage.

What I mean by mentioning that is, presumably renting a sportbike is meant to make the track MORE accessible to new riders who don't want to wreck their $8k street bike, or who can't afford a street bike at all. (just like I don't own ice skates, but still needed to go that one time)

a (more) realistic business model would be to start collecting F4s and similar era 600 cc bikes (maybe even older). Your costs drop tremendously, and then you don't have to charge as much. You've just expanded your customer base by about 10,000% You'd also have to become VERY adept at buying decent used bikes, and selling the old ones, but if you stick to the same era, at you can at least transfer the expensive parts from one to the other (i.e. the Penske shock from my F2 would go onto a 'new' F2 before the old one is sold).

Now, the opposite end of the spectrum shouldn't be ignored - I think you're right that there are a good number of people with a lot of money, and a desire to ride a 1098R, or whatever, but targeting them as customers is not going to be as easy as appealing to the masses.

I think if you can get your cost down to $100/day, or $150 for a weekend, you're almost guaranteed to sell out all your bikes every weekend. Initial costs are what will kill you on this, so new bikes aren't an option.

It's a great idea, but not an easy one to make happen.

:rtfm: this guy has got the plan right here. Good thinking.

 

[1literduceater]

100% totally :agree:

 

[alphamale]

Now if I can only find investors. :-D

 

[dolfnz67]

aegilbert33;11607 wrote: I rented a bike from Sportbikerental in Las Vegas to ride LVMS. It was February and I was really getting antsy for a track day, so I took the wife to Vegas and snuck in a track day. SBR does rental days at Willow and Laguna Seca, so I may go back to do those. In addition to the bikes, they also have a trailer, food, video, etc. It's fun.

Aegilbert33, I would really love some information on renting a bike and riding on Leguna Seca. Can you forward any info you may have?

Sorry for the Thread Jack but this goes to support that it will definately work for destination tracks and NJMP has the possiblity of becoming one.

 

[rk97]

alphamale;11807 wrote: Now if I can only find investors. :-D

depending on what you mean by "investors," you may already know plenty.

I think i'm well past my $.02 by now, but rather than looking for financial investors, maybe you can find people who will 'invest' their old bikes - maybe even their current rides, if they've got an old bike like mine.

They 'sell' you a $2500 bike for $1,000, but you cut them in for 70% of the profit their bike makes until they get $3k in returns. once they're "even" (including $500 in interest), the percentage flips, and you keep 70% while they get 30%. they're a shareholder until their investment bike dies.

or go in 50/50 with people who will just let you borrow their bike on weekends they're not using it.

now i'm just thinking out loud...

 

[ta2kutz]

while the investment idea is a good one. the logistics might make that tough. if its a bike they dont mind giving out till the return fine but like the 50/50 thing when not using it. might be a little tougher

 

[alphamale]

It was kinda a joke, but chris, you amaze me with your good ideas. On all these weekends where people can't go... If they just want to let me borrow their bike to rent out.

:-D

 

[rk97]

alphamale;11878 wrote: chris, you amaze me with your good ideas.

good ideas? my ideas are just practical enough to bankrupt you

 

[mcp]

I would love it if there were an East Coast sport bike rental company. Currently I live in Washington DC without a car and sold my motorcycle as there's nowhere for me to keep it. Now I want to ride on the track so my only option borrow a friends bike or buy one and keep it in his trailer. But if I only want to do 3-4 track days a year then that's not the best option for me. I'd rather spend $500-600 to rent a bike that I don't have to maintain/buy tires/oil/etc and go have some fun. I'd be fine with being responsible for fixing if I wrecked. I just don't want the hassle of owning another bike in the city.

I'd also be interested in investing in something like this. I have the money to buy a new bike, I just don't have a garage!

Not sure if you'll still read this, but if you do let me know.

Brian

 

[mcp]

I would love it if there were an East Coast sport bike rental company. Currently I live in Washington DC without a car and sold my motorcycle as there's nowhere for me to keep it. Now I want to ride on the track so my only option borrow a friends bike or buy one and keep it in his trailer. But if I only want to do 3-4 track days a year then that's not the best option for me. I'd rather spend $500-600 to rent a bike that I don't have to maintain/buy tires/oil/etc and go have some fun. I'd be fine with being responsible for fixing if I wrecked. I just don't want the hassle of owning another bike in the city.

I'd also be interested in investing in something like this. I have the money to buy a new bike, I just don't have a garage!

Not sure if you'll still read this, but if you do let me know.

Brian

 

[awhicker]

Another idea is to have track days with older bikes (i.e. 70's and such) where YOU rent out the track and YOU supply the bikes. I read about that group that races CB160's (18 HP). That sounds like an absolute blast. Do I want to put the time and effort into getting a vintage racer to work well? No, atleast not without a good support base. Would I pay a little more than I do now on a trackday to ride a vintage ride with like 50 HP (Probably less). Hell yes. That would be sweet.

 

[Dr. Evil]

I would be interested.
If even just to try different bikes and set ups.

I have thought of a similar business, but focusing more on an introduction to track riding perspective. Complete packages with meals and lodging. A turn key track experience.

There are a lot of military who ride, but when faced with the daunting task of preparing and transporting their bike to the track give it up in favor of a day trip to the mountains.

 

[rk97]

^ the penguin racing school has a fleet of EX-500's. You could do the same thing with a trackday.

bike cost would be $2,000 or less, and parts are everywhere. I don't know what tires they run, but 50hp doesn't exactly burn through rubber. You can get 10 days or more out of a rear

 

[jfeagin]

As a guy with almost $2k into my track bike, I would love the opportunity to try something different once or twice a season. Doesn't have to be the latest and greatest. But a different make, maybe an older liter bike, a twin. Especially for a more distant track.

I could even see doing the dream bike thing. But for that, I'd want to see a rental opportunity that wasn't just for track days. If I had money to consider buying an 848, say, I'd definitely want to try before I buy with back road time available. Prolly wouldn't take something like that to the track for a couple years.