Motorcycle rental in Barcelona

Motorcycle rental in Barcelona starts from €31 a day for a 500 cc Honda naked, and the middle of 53 day-priced models sits at €94. Below: how the rate climbs from 125 cc bikes to adventure machines and full tourers, what a car licence lets you ride, where the bikes are collected and which questions turn two offers into a fair comparison.

What a day on a rented bike costs

Every motorcycle in this section is priced by the day, so the daily rate is the common unit for comparing them. The cheapest model starts at €31 and the most expensive at €250, roughly eight times as much, and most of the range sits in the upper half of that spread rather than at the bottom.

Five price bands across 53 models

The Rent-Trip section on this page brings together 53 motorcycle models from 10 brands. Honda and BMW supply 15 models each, Triumph 7, Ducati 4, KTM and Yamaha 3 each, Suzuki and Royal Enfield 2 each, and Benelli and Harley-Davidson one each. Grouped by starting day rate, they fall into five bands:

The table says two things. First, the budget end is thin: only five models start below €60, and all five are Hondas. Second, the centre of gravity is the €80–129 range, where 27 of the 53 bikes sit. The median of €94 is the honest answer to "what does a normal motorcycle cost here"; the average, €103.8, is higher because 13 bikes at €130–250, mostly premium adventure machines and tourers, pull it up. Twenty-eight models start below €100 a day, and thirteen below €80.

Generation matters more than engine size

Engine size is a weak guide to the price. The BMW F 850 GS starts at €70 a day, while the BMW F 900 GS, its successor with a 895 cc engine, starts at €107, and the F 900 GS Adventure at €185. The same pattern runs through the big boxers: the R 1250 GS starts at €100, the newer R 1300 GS at €180. The step from one generation to the next costs more than the step from one engine size to another. If the newest version is not important to you, the previous generation of the same bike is the most reliable saving in the whole range.

A second pattern is the odd outlier. The Honda CRF 300L, a light 300-class enduro, starts at €140, the same as the Honda Africa Twin and the Honda NT1100 tourer. A light bike at a big-bike rate is a reminder that the rate depends on who offers the motorcycle and what is included, not only on the machine itself. When two similar bikes differ by €40–50 a day, read the conditions before choosing the cheaper one.

Day, week or month

Bikes in Barcelona are offered in three modes: by the day, for a week or a month, and always ridden by you rather than with a driver. This section quotes starting day rates only. For a week or longer, ask for the weekly figure directly instead of multiplying the daily rate by seven; a long rental is priced as its own product.

Licences, age and deposits

For motorbike hire in Barcelona, the licence you hold decides which part of the range is open before price or taste comes into it.

What a category B car licence covers

In Spain an ordinary category B car licence lets you ride a motorcycle of up to 125 cc and up to 11 kW, provided the licence has been held for at least three years. A licence issued two years ago does not qualify, however light the bike. This is the rule that makes the 125 cc class the natural starting point for visitors without a motorcycle licence, and in this section it applies to three bikes: the Honda CB125F, the Honda Dax 125 and the Honda Monkey 125.

Above 125 cc: A2 or A

Every other model here, from the 390 cc KTM to the 1,800 cc Gold Wing, needs a motorcycle licence of category A2 or A. The A2 category limits power, so riders with an A2 licence should look first at the lighter bikes, such as the Honda CB 500 F, the Honda CB 500 X, the KTM 390 Adventure and the 400 cc retro models, and confirm with the rental office that the exact bike is accepted on their licence. For the large adventure bikes and the tourers, assume a full category A licence is expected, and ask before you settle on a model rather than after.

Age, card deposit and kilometres on big bikes

Conditions for large touring motorcycles are stricter than for light bikes. On big tourers such as the Harley-Davidson Street Glide, some rental offices in Barcelona ask for a minimum age of 21, a credit card deposit of at least €1,500 and a charge of €0.25 per kilometre. The deposit is a hold on the card, not a payment, but it reduces your available limit for the whole rental. The per-kilometre charge matters more than it looks: a 300 km day to the Pyrenees and back would add €75 on top of a €110 day rate. Before you book a heavy bike, ask whether kilometres are unlimited or charged, and how large the card hold will be.

125 cc and light bikes from €31

The light end of the range is small but useful: three 125 cc Hondas for car-licence holders, and a handful of 390–500 cc bikes that are the cheapest way onto a full-size motorcycle.

Three 125 cc bikes from €42 to €59

The CB125F is a plain, practical commuter and the obvious choice if the bike is transport rather than entertainment. The Dax and the Monkey are mini-bikes with a cult following; they cost €17 more a day for the same engine size, and that premium buys character, not speed. On a three-day rental the gap between the CB125F and the Monkey is €51 in total.

Motorcycle or scooter at 125 cc

A 125 cc scooter does the same legal job on the same licence and costs less: the scooter section for Barcelona starts at €15 a day. The choice comes down to how you ride. A scooter with an automatic gearbox and under-seat storage is easier in stop-and-go traffic between neighbourhoods. A 125 cc motorcycle with a manual gearbox and larger wheels is steadier on faster roads and more engaging on the coast. In my experience, riders who stay inside the city are happier on a scooter, and riders who plan even one day out along the coast are happier on a motorcycle.

The cheapest full-size bikes

For riders with a motorcycle licence, the floor of the range is surprisingly low. The Honda CB 500 F, a 500 cc naked for rider and passenger, starts at €31 a day, cheaper than any 125 cc bike in the section. The Honda CB 500 X, the same engine in a taller adventure-style chassis, starts at €45. Above them sit the Benelli Imperiale 400 at €60, a retro single for unhurried riding, and the KTM 390 Adventure at €85, a light trail bike that is happy on mountain roads. For a single rider on a budget, the CB 500 F and CB 500 X are the best value in the whole section; both are light enough for city streets and capable enough for a day on the coast roads.

Retro, naked and cruiser bikes for the city and the coast

Between the light bikes and the big adventure machines sits a group chosen for style and riding feel rather than distance: eight retro bikes, two nakeds and three cruisers.

Eight retro and scrambler models from €60 to €94

The retro class is the most tightly priced in the section, with all eight models inside a €34 band:

• €60–75: Benelli Imperiale 400 at €60, Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 at €70 and Yamaha XSR 700 at €75.
• €80–83: Triumph Scrambler 400 and Triumph Street Scrambler 900 at €80, Ducati Scrambler Icon 800 at €83.
• €90–94: Triumph Bonneville Street Twin at €90 and BMW R nineT Pure, with a 1,170 cc boxer, at €94.

The 400 cc Triumph and the 900 cc Street Scrambler start at the same €80, so in this class the price says little about the engine. The 400 cc bikes are light and forgiving for a first ride in unfamiliar traffic; the 800–1,170 cc models have the torque for a passenger and a day on the Garraf coast road. Retro bikes in general suit relaxed riding, short distances and stops for coffee better than long motorway days.

Nakeds: €31 or €130

Only two bikes are classed as nakeds, and they sit at opposite ends of the price scale. The Honda CB 500 F starts at €31; the Honda CB750 Hornet, a 755 cc naked weighing 190 kg with a seat height of 795 mm, starts at €130. The Hornet is a sharper, more powerful bike, but four times the rate is a large premium for that difference. If you want an upright naked for the city and do not need the extra power, the 500 is the rational choice.

Cruisers and the Harley-Davidson

Three cruisers cover the relaxed, feet-forward style. The Honda Rebel 500 starts at €110, the Honda Rebel 1100 at €150, and the Harley-Davidson Street Glide, a 1,690 cc bagger with 86 hp, at €110. The Street Glide therefore costs the same as the small Rebel and €40 less than the large one. It is a heavy touring machine, though, and it comes with the stricter terms described in the licence section: age, card hold and possibly a per-kilometre charge. Cruisers are tiring to manoeuvre through the narrow streets of the old town; they make sense for a day along the coast rather than for short city hops.

Adventure bikes, the largest class

Adventure bikes dominate the range: 27 of the 53 models, just over half, are adventure or trail machines. They are tall, comfortable for two and built for a mix of motorway, mountain roads and rough surfaces, which is exactly the riding most visitors do on day trips out of the city.

27 adventure bikes from €45 to €190

Two thirds of the class, 17 bikes, start between €80 and €120. Below that are six genuinely affordable models, and above it four premium machines at €140–190.

Middleweights for the mountains

The middleweights, from 650 to 900 cc, are the most practical choice for day trips. The Suzuki V-Strom 650 at €60, the BMW F 850 GS and Yamaha Ténéré 700 at €70 and the Honda XL750 Transalp at €84 all carry a rider and passenger comfortably, handle twisty roads well and do not feel heavy at walking pace. For rides to Montserrat, the Montseny hills or the Costa Brava, where you mix motorway with winding secondary roads, a bike from this group gives everything a larger machine does at a lower rate. In my view, the Ténéré 700 and the F 850 GS at €70 are the best-value adventure bikes in the section.

The big GS and its rivals

At the top of the class stand the large boxers and their competitors. The BMW R 1250 GS starts at €100 and the R 1250 GS Adventure at €120; the newer R 1300 GS starts at €180 and the R 1300 GS Adventure at €190, the most expensive adventure bike in the section. The KTM 1290 Super Adventure S starts at €115, the Ducati Multistrada V4 at €112 and the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro at €120. For a couple with luggage on a multi-day ride to the Pyrenees, these large bikes earn their rate in comfort and wind protection. For a single rider on a day trip, the €80 gap between the R 1250 GS and the R 1300 GS buys little that you will notice.

Off-road leaning bikes

A few models are built with more off-road ability than the rest: the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 at €80, the Ducati DesertX at €89, the KTM 890 Adventure and Triumph Tiger 900 Rally at €105, and the Honda CRF 300L enduro at €140. Most visitors will never leave the asphalt, so these are worth choosing only if a gravel track is part of the plan. The Himalayan is the gentlest of them and the easiest to handle at low speed.

Touring bikes, pick-up points and the questions to ask

The last group is built for distance, and the last practical questions are about where you collect the bike and what the rate covers.

Sport-tourers and full tourers

Four sport-tourers combine an upright riding position with road-focused handling: the Yamaha Tracer 700 from €83, the Triumph Tiger 660 Sport from €90, the BMW F 900 XR from €116 and the BMW S 1000 XR from €132. Above them are five full tourers for long days with a passenger: the BMW R 1250 RT from €133, the BMW R 1300 RT from €139, the Honda NT1100 from €140, the Honda Gold Wing 1800 from €180 and the BMW K 1600 GT from €250, the most expensive bike in the section. The NT1100 weighs 238 kg with a seat height of 820 mm, and the big tourers are heavier still, so they suit riders who already handle a large motorcycle at low speed. For a couple covering several hundred kilometres a day along the coast, they keep both riders fresh.

Sants station or the city centre

For 35 models the pick-up point is stated, and two areas dominate. Sixteen bikes are collected near Estació de Sants, the main railway station, and thirteen in the city centre; for the remaining six only "Barcelona" is given. Sants is convenient if you arrive by train and lies on the west side of the city, on the side of the roads out towards Montserrat and the Garraf coast. Even within one model the point can change the offer: the BMW F 900 XR is available from two points, one 3.3 km and one 10.9 km from the centre, at the same €116. Ask for the exact address before you book, and plan how you will reach it with a helmet and luggage.

Questions that make two quotes comparable

• The licence: which category does the office require for this exact bike: B for a 125, A2 or A for anything larger?
• The kilometres: are they unlimited, or charged per kilometre as on some large tourers?
• The deposit: how much is held on the card, and when is it released after return?
• The kit: is a helmet included, and is there a second one for a passenger? Helmets are compulsory on any two-wheeler in Spain.
• The unit: is the figure a day rate, and is there a separate weekly or monthly price?
• The point: where exactly do you collect and return the bike, and at what hours?

Only when two offers answer these six questions in the same way does comparing the headline rates make sense. A €10 lower day rate can easily disappear into a kilometre charge or a missing passenger helmet.

Key points before you book

Six figures to keep in mind

• Range: 53 models start between €31 and €250 a day, with the middle at €94.
• Budget: 28 models start below €100, and the Honda CB 500 F at €31 is the cheapest bike of any size.
• Car licence: a category B licence held for at least three years covers motorcycles up to 125 cc and 11 kW; three 125 cc Hondas start at €42–59, and a 125 cc scooter at €15.
• Adventure: 27 adventure models start between €45 and €190; the middleweights at €60–84 are the best fit for day trips.
• Big bikes: on large tourers expect an age limit of 21, a card hold of at least €1,500 and possibly €0.25 per kilometre.
• Pick-up: most bikes with a stated point are collected near Sants station or in the city centre.