Turning Radius is a registered Australian company - MC TEK PTY LTD (ACN 633 007 655)
OUR BLOG.
Read our take on some important topics in the motorcycle space.
JOYS AND SORROWS OF OWNING A MOTORCYCLE.
Why do we maintain a depreciating asset?
Motorcycle ownership should be all fun right? It’s what the spirit of motorcycling is all about. The cool wind in your face, the rush you feel in your belly when you rev the accelerator, the nods you get and give to fellow riders who otherwise may have nothing else in common with you. There are all aspects of motorcycling we love.
How many motorcycle riders have you heard say ‘I ride for pleasure’. You may think speed and adrenalin is the first reason but it’s not. Motorcycle gives the feeling that you belong outdoors. The wind, smells and sights are integral part of riding. As you not in closed doors, you smells things – fresh cut grass, damp soil, fresh bread, sometimes some unpleasant smells too. You see things better too compared to being in a car.
For me it’s a joy to get up every morning, see clear skies and know that today I will ride to work. There’s nothing worse than waking up to see rain and realise that today is not the day I’m riding. Those days are absolute worst for me – I do not feel like getting out of the house. Tim Huber said in his article ‘Riding can turn commuting from a necessary evil into the highlight of one’s day.
Owning a motorcycle also makes you understand mechanics. If you’re like me I like to fix things myself, that’s when I learn most. Cleaning the chain, changing the oil, installing new parts (that’s my favourite) are all small joys. But you may ask, what about major servicing and repairs?
Let’s now talk about the ‘sorrows’. The fun factor of motorcycles would amplify 10 folds if maintenance were not required. Maintenance as a word, only means maintain i.e. condition of the motorcycle does not improve than it was the day before, but it only been maintained. Paying large sums of money only to maintain an asset that sometimes depreciates more than you spent in the same year!
I remember until few months ago I used to own a Ducati Streetfighter. Great looking, sounding and performing motorcycle. I owned it for over 5 years. People used to look, congratulate me, acknowledge the beast she was. But every couple of years it asked for a major service. At 20,000 kms it asked for a super major service. Not only did I have to leave to work early, hop on to a bus to get to work, leave work early and get to the mechanic but also pay $2,400 as cost of maintenance. It was painful.
The joys a motorcycle brings to a rider are incomparable. The feeling cannot be measured, cannot be articulated. I wish there was a way to remove the sorrows – painful and inconvenient maintenance process. Perhaps an all inclusive option similar to cheap motorbike rental could bring some respite.
How many motorcycle riders have you heard say ‘I ride for pleasure’. You may think speed and adrenalin is the first reason but it’s not. Motorcycle gives the feeling that you belong outdoors. The wind, smells and sights are integral part of riding. As you not in closed doors, you smells things – fresh cut grass, damp soil, fresh bread, sometimes some unpleasant smells too. You see things better too compared to being in a car.
For me it’s a joy to get up every morning, see clear skies and know that today I will ride to work. There’s nothing worse than waking up to see rain and realise that today is not the day I’m riding. Those days are absolute worst for me – I do not feel like getting out of the house. Tim Huber said in his article ‘Riding can turn commuting from a necessary evil into the highlight of one’s day.
Owning a motorcycle also makes you understand mechanics. If you’re like me I like to fix things myself, that’s when I learn most. Cleaning the chain, changing the oil, installing new parts (that’s my favourite) are all small joys. But you may ask, what about major servicing and repairs?
Let’s now talk about the ‘sorrows’. The fun factor of motorcycles would amplify 10 folds if maintenance were not required. Maintenance as a word, only means maintain i.e. condition of the motorcycle does not improve than it was the day before, but it only been maintained. Paying large sums of money only to maintain an asset that sometimes depreciates more than you spent in the same year!
I remember until few months ago I used to own a Ducati Streetfighter. Great looking, sounding and performing motorcycle. I owned it for over 5 years. People used to look, congratulate me, acknowledge the beast she was. But every couple of years it asked for a major service. At 20,000 kms it asked for a super major service. Not only did I have to leave to work early, hop on to a bus to get to work, leave work early and get to the mechanic but also pay $2,400 as cost of maintenance. It was painful.
The joys a motorcycle brings to a rider are incomparable. The feeling cannot be measured, cannot be articulated. I wish there was a way to remove the sorrows – painful and inconvenient maintenance process. Perhaps an all inclusive option similar to cheap motorbike rental could bring some respite.
ARE MILLENNIALS KILLING MOTORCYCLES?
Millennials get blamed for the death of many iconic products and brand. Is "motorcycles" part of the list?
At the expense of an Avo toast, millennials are blamed for many things. Is motorcycles one of them. There are two schools of thoughts here.
Motorcycles have been an emotional (depreciating) asset. In the developed world they are not seen as a commuter but a luxurious (and dangerous) means to commute. So who buys them? Mostly baby boomers with enough cash to splurge on their pride and joy (mostly men). These boys then gather outside the side to ride through the hills and complain about how they don’t ride enough as life continues on.
Millennials don’t seem to be interested in an asset that’s risky, can be stolen easily and depreciates faster than an avocado. They also have many options. E-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards and all things e. Plus COVID-19 has reduced the need to travel with millennials always preferring work from home as an option. So can you really blame them?
What do motorcycle manufacturers or motorcycle renting companies think? The likes of Harley Davidson and Ducati have acknowledged and have altered there approaches – bring new smaller capacity, cheaper motorcycles to attract millennials. Motorcycle rental companies are struggling too. First renting motorcycles in places such as Sydney or anywhere in Australia is not cheap. Second millennials have a plethora of options to choose from and motorcycle rentals is not one of them.
There is some evidence (or rather science) that claims young people are interested in motorcycles. Millennials are cash-strapped, not high-income earners, paying all-time high rents and.
Motorcycles have been an emotional (depreciating) asset. In the developed world they are not seen as a commuter but a luxurious (and dangerous) means to commute. So who buys them? Mostly baby boomers with enough cash to splurge on their pride and joy (mostly men). These boys then gather outside the side to ride through the hills and complain about how they don’t ride enough as life continues on.
Millennials don’t seem to be interested in an asset that’s risky, can be stolen easily and depreciates faster than an avocado. They also have many options. E-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards and all things e. Plus COVID-19 has reduced the need to travel with millennials always preferring work from home as an option. So can you really blame them?
What do motorcycle manufacturers or motorcycle renting companies think? The likes of Harley Davidson and Ducati have acknowledged and have altered there approaches – bring new smaller capacity, cheaper motorcycles to attract millennials. Motorcycle rental companies are struggling too. First renting motorcycles in places such as Sydney or anywhere in Australia is not cheap. Second millennials have a plethora of options to choose from and motorcycle rentals is not one of them.
There is some evidence (or rather science) that claims young people are interested in motorcycles. Millennials are cash-strapped, not high-income earners, paying all-time high rents and.
IS CHEAP MOTORCYCLE RENTAL A MYTH?
Why does it cost so much to rent a motorcycle?
During our research to understand motorcycle subscription v motorcycle rental or rather cheap motorcycle rental, we discovered interesting facts.
Cheap motorcycle rental doesn’t exist. Especially in cities such as Sydney, Los Angeles, New York, Singapore or London (many more can join this list). This is because these cities take quality, safety and customer service extremely seriously. These are also cities where maintenance is expensive due to high labour charges, making cheap motorbike rental nearly impossible.
During our research we spoke to some motorbike rental shops or agencies in Sydney, who identified motorbike rentals as an extremely difficult business. The motorcycle rental shops seem to attract those customers who want to have all the fun on one day with their rented motorbike. This sometimes leads to total loss for the motorcycle and usually these motorcycles are not covered by insurance, as insurance companies (in Australia) have not yet warmed up to the motorcycle rental or subscription concept. Hence the motorbike agency needs to charge exorbitant prices which becomes a catch 22 situation. The customer feels entitled to ride it like he stole it due to the rental price he pays.
Motorcycle subscription can be seen as the alternative to expensive motorcycle rental , i.e. cheap motorcycle rental. Not only does it allow customers to hire out motorbikes for less price (when compared with motorbike rental), it also come with full insurance. Subscribes by committing to 4 weeks starting term, have significant time to get accustomed to the motorcycle before letting loose on the throttle. The model naturally works for both the subscriber and the motorcycle subscription service (such as Turning Radius).
Cheap motorcycle rental however, does exists. My first time riding a sport motorcycle was in Phuket, Thailand. Clearly I wanted to rent the fastest motorcycle. It was 2010, and I chose the Yamaha R1 that was much heavier than the 2021 model. I nearly dropped the motorbike within the first 1 km as it was too fast and heavy to handle for an inexperienced rider such as me. Then I chose the Honda CBR600 that was much more appropriate for me and had a blast. It was an example of cheap motorbike rental.
Cheap motorcycle rental doesn’t exist. Especially in cities such as Sydney, Los Angeles, New York, Singapore or London (many more can join this list). This is because these cities take quality, safety and customer service extremely seriously. These are also cities where maintenance is expensive due to high labour charges, making cheap motorbike rental nearly impossible.
During our research we spoke to some motorbike rental shops or agencies in Sydney, who identified motorbike rentals as an extremely difficult business. The motorcycle rental shops seem to attract those customers who want to have all the fun on one day with their rented motorbike. This sometimes leads to total loss for the motorcycle and usually these motorcycles are not covered by insurance, as insurance companies (in Australia) have not yet warmed up to the motorcycle rental or subscription concept. Hence the motorbike agency needs to charge exorbitant prices which becomes a catch 22 situation. The customer feels entitled to ride it like he stole it due to the rental price he pays.
Motorcycle subscription can be seen as the alternative to expensive motorcycle rental , i.e. cheap motorcycle rental. Not only does it allow customers to hire out motorbikes for less price (when compared with motorbike rental), it also come with full insurance. Subscribes by committing to 4 weeks starting term, have significant time to get accustomed to the motorcycle before letting loose on the throttle. The model naturally works for both the subscriber and the motorcycle subscription service (such as Turning Radius).
Cheap motorcycle rental however, does exists. My first time riding a sport motorcycle was in Phuket, Thailand. Clearly I wanted to rent the fastest motorcycle. It was 2010, and I chose the Yamaha R1 that was much heavier than the 2021 model. I nearly dropped the motorbike within the first 1 km as it was too fast and heavy to handle for an inexperienced rider such as me. Then I chose the Honda CBR600 that was much more appropriate for me and had a blast. It was an example of cheap motorbike rental.