Medellín Scooter Rentals is a new business in the city helping visitors get around in the quickest and easiest ways possible- on scooters! It’s only been around for a few months but is already picking up speed (pun intended).
I spoke to the owner, Jenson, about how the idea came to be, what he looks to accomplish, how it’s been doing so far and what plans are for the future.
The Start of Medellín Scooter Rentals
When Jenson arrived in Medellín, he, like many, was taking a taxi everywhere he went.
He thought that for someone living in Medellín, who didn’t quite like public transportation, a taxi wasn’t ideal. He wanted to rent a bike seeing that this is the easiest way to get around the city.
The weather in Medellín is great for bikes, and they don’t get stuck in traffic jams or pay for public parking. Parking anywhere in the city is a bit of a hassle when you have a car.
He noticed that on a bike, on average, he could travel the city from North to South in less than twenty minutes! You can’t beat that in public transportation or even in a privately owned car.
Weighing his love for Medellín on one hand and his discomfort with public transportation in the other, he searched for a motorcycle rental company with no luck.
Cali has Moto Colombia, and Bogotá has them as well, but they focus on long distance tours. Jenson wanted something the could rent for the city at a price that was worth it.
If he also wanted to tour around outside the city on it, he wanted that option too.
He wanted something that was liberating; that freed him from time constraints of buses and taxis and scheduling.
As a traveler, Jenson believes time is a critical factor behind your decisions, you don’t want to waste time on transportation. You want the most convenient, comfortable and quick option.
When telling about his interest for starting this business, Jenson said:
“I feel like when you arrive at a destination, of course you can rent a car. But the reason people rent scooters or motorcycles is because, its very easy to get around in the city, and most of all, the experience of riding a scooter, a motorcycle in a different country is quite fun.
People enjoy not having to pay for parking, not having to have this large deposit to put down on a vehicle, and we all know that renting a car is quite expensive here in Colombia from my experience, and if you have not driven in the city similar to Medellin, a car can definitely be a nightmare with the possibility of wrecking, hours in traffic, pay for parking.
Whereas our scooters have a very small deposit and insurance can be purchased to cover anything at 2 mil pesos per day… You really can’t beat this in my opinion. And the weather is beautiful almost all the time. It’s an experience that people can carry with them the rest of their lives.”
Isn’t this situation where all good ideas come from? An inconvenience, a gap, an opportunity and an idea: voila.
Available Scooters for Rent
Medellín Scooter Rentals have eight scooters right now of the following models, with a lot more coming soon:
- KTM 390
- Pulsar 180
They do carry bigger power bikes for customers’ special requests and will be getting more of those in the future.
Clients tend to enjoy bigger bikes like the KTM because they’re sporty. This is why clients tend to take it out for more than a day at a time, even a week, taking it to Cali, Cartagena, or further!
Their focus, though, is scooters, to rent by the day or week so that people may experience the area in Medellín in a different way.
As for the future?
Jenson says he hopes to open shops in other cities like Cartagena so Medellín Scooter Rentals can have brother stores soon.
Renting a Bike
All you need to rent is a valid driver’s license and a passport (or ID for locals).
They also ask for a security deposit, which they refund entirely when you return the bike. Simple as that.
Prices start at 80,000 pesos ($25) per day, and they offer promos quite often, offering 10 percent and 20 percent discounts for group rentals.
They offer rental times of:
- 8 hours
- 24 hours
- Per week
- Per month
They accept credit cards and cash and provide the best possible experience for their customers. Focusing on customer service, convenience, and satisfaction. They offer guided tours on request to whatever request the client wants.
As Jenson himself says:
“We strive to make that happen for our renters, and try to give a very personal and private treatment to everyone. “
You can make reservations via their website, contacting the following phone numbers or going to their office in Poblado.
- English:+57 (312) 870-0983
- Español: +57 (322) 693-8581
The Bikers
Most renters are foreigners. Backpackers come around from hostels, being accustomed to renting scooters and since Medellín is already a huge tourist destination, tourists who have heard the good news (Colombia is safe) will come around and give it a try.
But locals can rent too! All they need is a valid driver’s license.
Some will use them for trips to Guatapé or for weekends to get around Medellín and all its great weekend getaway destinations (such as Parque Arví, Santa Fé de Antioquia, etc.).
They provide maps for clients that aren’t familiar with the city which explains routes and possible destinations.
Christmas Lights Tours
One of the coolest things they’re offering now is the scooter Christmas Light Tours.
The Christmas lights are along the river on Avenida Regional, and in several areas of the city, and most people take the tour walking or take a car.
A scooter tour would be so much more interactive, with the lights all around you, and not just the hood of your car.
This is the best time to take the scooters around the city.
Hype Around Medellín Scooter Rental
They’re only getting started, with just a couple of reviews (both five stars) on TripAdvisor, and a few on Facebook with comments like:
“I found them while I wandered the city, they offered me all option of renting motorcycles: Dirt bike,road Sports Bike, Scooter … Price is really terrific, amazing new bike (Duke 390)! I had a great experience with them!”
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This post was brought to you in partnership with Medellín Scooter Rentals.
Awsome, thanks for sharing, a friend of mine was looking for scooter rental info, will send this post to him…
People coming to Colombia for the first time need to understand that scooters and motorcycles are very dangerous here. Moto drivers here do not follow the rules and take horrendous risks. It is nothing like the USA. I see moto accidents all of the time and we continually get news about people we know hurt and killed.
Yes, you might be able to make it through the city in twenty minutes, but that’s by weaving in and out of cars and taking gigantic risks. Even if you are a safe driver, you are still at high risk. For example, if you choose not to ride in the gap between two lanes of cars other moto drivers will push you out of the way.
My kids are banned from riding motos on the street in Colombia, and I would recommend against it for anybody else.
I hate to have to make a negative comment about somebody’s new business, but it’s clear from his comments that the owner of this business is a dangerous driver and will not properly educate his customers about driving motos here.
But why do they charge so much? over $45 per day is just rediculous. Backpackers like to rent scooters to save money not to waste money. $10 or 30k pesos per day is a perfect price. More than that in Colombia is just a rip off. But I don’t think the owner of this business wants to rip people off, if he did he’d be out of business soon. But what’s the real reason why the price is rediculously high?