Motorcycle rental in Dubai

Motorcycle rental in Dubai starts from AED 425 a day for a Harley-Davidson Street 750, and the middle of 33 day-priced models sits at AED 750. Below: how daily, weekly, monthly and hourly prices compare, which bikes sit in each price band, what the licence, age and deposit rules look like, and how to line up two quotes so they can be compared fairly.

How rates are set: day, week, month or hour

Road motorcycles in the city are rented by the day, and longer rentals drop the daily cost sharply. Off-road enduro bikes are the exception: they go out by the hour, on a guided ride.

A daily rate is the basic unit

The Rent-Trip section on this page brings together 35 motorcycle models. Of those, 33 are priced per day and two per hour. Every daily figure is a starting price — the lowest rate a bike goes out for, not a quote for your dates. The market offers these bikes in three working modes: ridden by yourself, rented by the day, and rented for a week or a month. There is no "with a rider" option here — you take the bike and ride it yourself, which is why the licence rules in the sixth section matter as much as the price.

Weekly and monthly rates change the maths

Where weekly and monthly prices are given, they start from AED 2,500 a week and AED 8,500 a month, against AED 400 a day at the same entry tier. A week therefore costs the same as 6.25 days at the daily rate, and a month the same as 21.25 days. Put differently, seven separate days at AED 400 would come to AED 2,800, so the weekly rate saves AED 300; thirty separate days would come to AED 12,000, so the monthly rate is about 29% cheaper. If your plan runs to five days or more, ask for the weekly price before you accept five daily ones. For a stay of three weeks or longer, a monthly rate is usually the better deal even if you return the bike early — but check the early-return terms before you count on that.

Standard and reduced rates on the same bike

Six BMW GS models carry two daily figures: a standard rate and a lower current one. The gap is large. An R 1250 GS Adventure stands at AED 1,450 against AED 900 now, which is 38% less. An F 900 GS shows AED 1,250 against AED 800 (36% less), an R 1250 GS Trophy AED 1,350 against AED 850 (37% less). The others are milder: an R 1300 GS at AED 1,300 against AED 950, an R 1250 GS Rally at AED 1,150 against AED 850, and a plain R 1250 GS at AED 950 against AED 800 — only 16% less. In my view the reduced rate is the one to compare, because that is what a booking actually costs. Still, ask whether it holds for your exact dates, since a reduced rate can be tied to a period.

Hourly rates for off-road enduro

Two KTM enduro bikes, the 450 SX-F and the 500 EXC, are priced at AED 350 for one hour. A two-hour ride costs AED 550, which is AED 275 an hour and AED 150 less than two separate hours. These are off-road machines used on a guided outing into the desert, not bikes you take onto the highway, so their price sits in its own column and should not be set against a daily road rate.

Daily rates from AED 425 to AED 1,500

The 33 day-priced models spread across a wide range, but most of them sit in a narrow band in the middle.

Where most bikes sit

Seven models start at AED 600 a day or less, 17 start between AED 601 and AED 800, and nine start above AED 800. The middle of the range is AED 750, and the average is about AED 767. Only one bike breaks AED 1,000: the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob 114 at AED 1,500. Without it, the top of the range is the BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Trophy at AED 990. So the honest summary is that a big-capacity touring or adventure bike costs AED 700–950 a day, and anything far outside that band is either an entry-level cruiser or a single special model.

Prices by type of motorcycle

Cruisers have both the lowest and the highest price on the page, which is why their middle — AED 650 — is the lowest of any road type. Adventure tourers sit highest in the middle, at AED 825, because the newer, more powerful GS models cluster between AED 800 and AED 990.

What moves the price

Engine size alone does not explain the price. The Harley-Davidson Street 750 starts at AED 425 and the Fat Bob 114 at AED 1,500 — about 3.5 times more — yet both are cruisers from the same brand. Meanwhile an 1,800 cc Honda Valkyrie starts at AED 750, the same as a 1,600 cc BMW K 1600 GT. Model generation matters more inside one family: the BMW GS line climbs from AED 600 for the F 800 GS to AED 950 for the R 1300 GS. And the same badge can carry different prices from different offers: an R1200GS Adventure starts at AED 650, while a plain R 1200 GS starts at AED 750. Read the price against the exact model and year, not against the family name.

Adventure bikes: a dozen BMW GS models

The largest single family in this section is the BMW GS — 12 models from AED 600 to AED 990 a day, with the middle at AED 825.

The GS line and its prices

Middleweight or full-size boxer

The middleweight F-series bikes — the 800 and 895 cc models — start between AED 600 and AED 800. The full-size boxer bikes from the R 1250 onwards start at AED 800 and climb to AED 990. For a first ride on unfamiliar roads, a lighter F-series bike costs less and is easier to handle at low speed. For long distances with luggage or a passenger, the 136 hp R 1250 GS Adventure or the 145 hp R 1300 GS gives more reserve, at AED 900–990 a day. The newest R 1300 GS costs AED 150 more per day than an R 1250 GS, which over a week of daily rates adds up to AED 1,050.

Adventure, Rally and Trophy versions

Inside one generation, the version name changes the price by AED 50–100. An R 1250 GS starts at AED 800, the Rally and Trophy at AED 850 and the Adventure at AED 900. Adventure versions are built for longer range, so they suit a multi-day ride better than a short city loop. If a quote names only "GS" without the version, ask which one it is: the difference is small per day but real over a week.

Two more bikes for mixed roads

Outside the GS family, two models fill the same role. The Aprilia Tuareg Rally 660, with a 659 cc engine and 80 hp, starts at AED 790 a day — lighter and less powerful than a GS at a similar price. The BMW R 12 G/S, a 1,170 cc, 109 hp bike in classic styling, starts at AED 850.

Cruisers and tourers: Harley-Davidson and its rivals

Harley-Davidson is the second-largest family here, with 12 models from AED 425 to AED 1,500 and the middle at AED 700. Four other cruisers and tourers come from Indian, Honda and Kawasaki.

Harley-Davidson models and prices

Entry cruisers under AED 600

The three cheapest bikes on the page are all Harley-Davidsons: the Street 750 at AED 425, the Sportster 883 SuperLow at AED 450 and the Sportster Forty-Eight at AED 500. They are lower and lighter than the big touring models, which makes them a reasonable choice for riders who want the cruiser feel without a heavy machine. A three-day rental of the Street 750 at its daily rate comes to AED 1,275, less than two days on the Fat Bob 114.

Big-twin cruisers and full tourers

From AED 600 upwards the engines grow to 1,690–1,870 cc. The Dyna Low Rider and Sportster S 1250 start at AED 600, the Heritage Softail Classic, Street Bob 114 and Road King at AED 700. Full tourers with fairings and luggage — the Electra Glide Ultra Classic at AED 750 and the Road Glide at AED 950 — are built for long distances with a passenger. The Fat Bob 114, at AED 1,500, is the single outlier: it costs twice as much as most big-twin Harleys.

Indian, Honda and Kawasaki

Three tourers from other brands compete directly with the Harley range. The Indian Chieftain, with an 1,800 cc engine, starts at AED 950 — the same as the Road Glide. The Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager starts at AED 750 with a 1,700 cc engine, and the 1,800 cc Honda Valkyrie also at AED 750. For a rider who wants a big touring bike and does not insist on the badge, these two are AED 200 a day cheaper than the Chieftain or the Road Glide.

Sport, naked and off-road enduro

A smaller group covers the bikes that are neither adventure nor cruiser: one superbike, two nakeds and the two hourly off-road machines.

Sport and naked bikes

The Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100, a 1,100 cc superbike, starts at AED 800 a day. The Honda CB1000R Neo Cafe Plus, a 1,000 cc naked, is also AED 800, and the BMW F 800 R, an 800 cc naked, AED 600. Superbikes and nakeds have a riding position and power delivery that suit experienced riders; for anyone who has not ridden a similar bike recently, a middleweight such as the F 800 R is the gentler starting point. Four models in this section — the RSV4, the CB1000R, the Fat Bob 114 and the R1200GS Adventure — come with two seats, so a passenger is possible on them.

Desert enduro by the hour

The KTM 450 SX-F and KTM 500 EXC are off-road enduro bikes, priced at AED 350 for one hour or AED 550 for two. They go out with a guide into the desert rather than on public roads. That changes what you are paying for: the hourly price covers a guided ride on sand, not a bike to keep for the day. If you want both a road trip and a taste of the dunes, it makes sense to book them separately — a day on a road bike and a two-hour guided enduro — rather than looking for one machine that does both.

Which bike for which plan

For a city day with photo stops, an entry Harley under AED 600 or a middleweight F-series GS is enough. For a long day out of the city, a tourer or a full-size GS at AED 750–990 carries luggage and a passenger in more comfort. For sand, the hourly enduro is the only option in this section built for it. Matching the bike to the plan saves more money than chasing the lowest daily figure.

Licence, age and deposit

The price is only half of the decision: the rental conditions decide whether you can take the bike at all.

Licence and documents

The usual requirement for tourists is a passport, a motorcycle licence and an International Driving Permit, unless your country is on the exempt list. A car licence alone is not enough — the licence has to cover motorcycles. Some rental companies go further and accept licences from 29 approved countries only, and ask for experience on a similar motorcycle. Check both points before you choose a bike: a rider with a licence from a country outside that list may still be able to rent from a company with the standard rules, but not from the stricter ones.

Age limits and the under-25 surcharge

The common minimum age is 21, and riders under 25 pay extra. Stricter companies set the minimum at 25. In practice this means a 22-year-old rider will find a narrower choice of bikes and a higher total price than a 30-year-old. Ask how the surcharge is charged — per day or per rental — because over a week the difference can be noticeable.

The security deposit

A deposit of AED 2,000 to AED 5,000 is blocked for the rental, depending on the bike. For the cheapest models that is a large figure next to the daily price: AED 2,000 equals almost five days on the Street 750 at AED 425. Plan your card limit around the deposit, not only around the rental, and ask how and when it is released after you return the bike.

Questions worth asking before you sign

• Is the rate for my dates the one I see, or a starting figure?
• Does the price include a helmet and other riding gear?
• Is there a daily distance limit, and what does each extra kilometre cost?
• How large is the deposit for this bike, and when is it returned?
• Is the under-25 surcharge charged per day or per rental?

Key points before you book

Six figures to keep in mind

• Daily rate: the 33 day-priced models start between AED 425 and AED 1,500, with the middle at AED 750.
• Longer rentals: a week from AED 2,500 equals 6.25 days at AED 400; a month from AED 8,500 equals 21.25 days.
• Reduced rates: on six BMW GS models the current rate is 16–38% below the standard one — compare the current figure, and check it holds for your dates.
• Families: a dozen BMW GS models from AED 600 to AED 990; a dozen Harley-Davidsons from AED 425 to AED 1,500.
• Off-road: desert enduro goes out with a guide by the hour — AED 350 for one hour, AED 550 for two.
• Conditions: motorcycle licence, passport and usually an International Driving Permit; minimum age 21 or 25; deposit AED 2,000–5,000.

Comparing two quotes

Two quotes are only comparable when four facts match: the exact model and version, the unit (day, week or month), the deposit, and the dates. Convert weekly and monthly rates to a daily figure before you compare them with a daily one, and set the deposit next to your card limit. A quote that cannot answer one of those four is not yet a price, whatever the figure on it says.