Vehicle Sharing Services Extend to Motorcycles

Just last month, there were major news updates on the ride sharing service company Grab acquiring their competitor Uber. Surely most, if not all Singaporeans would have heard of this news. With the advent of the vehicle sharing culture becoming more prevalent all over the world, it is little wonder that this culture has spread to the world of motorcycles as well.

Meet Austin Rothbard, founder of the motorbike rental service company Twisted Road.

Source and Image: thestar 

Frustrated at not being able to enjoy Mother Nature’s scenic views via motorcycling while abroad, an epiphany hit him. Why not start a service that enables people all around the world to rent or list bikes? This gives others the experience he himself wanted but was unable to in the past; the experience of being able to ride while travelling overseas. In other words, to ride the world. Being a startup company, there is unfortunately no such option to ride the world yet, for the service is, for now, only extended to within the United States. However, with the pitch to be the ‘Airbnb of motorcycles’, it is only a matter of time before the service becomes worldwide.

The mechanics of this system work like this, as summarised. For bike rentals, the user will first find the bike most suitable for their needs through criteria such as brand, price and location, which they will then book upon finding their best match. The bike owner can then choose to either reject or approve of the rental, and both parties will then meet at a convenient location for vehicle inspection and exchanging of keys. After the details have been sorted out, the rider will go out to ‘ride the world’ until the rental period is complete, in which both parties  will meet again for the return (and inspection on the owner’s end) of the bike. Payment for the bike’s rental will then be received after the return of the bike.

Of course, this system has received its fair share of skepticism as well. Some motorcyclists will not exactly be thrilled to rent out their precious bikes to a stranger. Issues such as theft, property damage and insurance were brought up, all kinks within the system that should be ironed out and definitely considered in the face of bike rental. What about you, will you be willing to rent your motorbike out to strangers?

For more information, visit their official website