Motorcycle rental in Orlando

Motorcycle rental in Orlando starts at $23 a day for a Honda SCL500 scrambler, and the middle of 58 day-priced models sits at $78. Below: why one Harley costs $72 and another $331, which class suits a Space Coast run or a lap of the lakes, what licence the market asks for and where the bikes are picked up.

Day rates from $23 to $331

Every motorcycle in this section is priced by the day, which makes the models easy to line up against each other — as long as you know which part of the market a price comes from.

Where 58 day rates fall

The Rent-Trip section on this page brings together 58 motorcycle models, from a 150 cc mini bike to a three-wheeled touring Harley. The cheapest starts at $23 a day, the most expensive at $331, and half of the models cost $78 a day or less. The spread is wide, but it is not even: most bikes sit well below the middle of that range, and a smaller group of large touring machines pulls the top end up.

In practice this means a rider with $50 a day to spend has 14 models to choose from, including a 650 cc sport-tourer and a 750 cc cruiser. With just under $100 a day, the choice grows to 37 of the 58 models. Only the last 12 bikes — large Harley tourers, cruisers and trikes — need a budget of $190 a day or more.

Two layers of the market

The gap between $23 and $331 is not random. The Orlando market has two layers, and they price very differently.

The first layer is branch fleets of current Harley-Davidson models, based near Orlando International Airport and in towns around the metro. In this section, 13 such Harleys start between $121 and $331 a day, and the middle of that group is $220. These are current models, mostly fitted out for touring and priced as a complete package.

The second layer is a much wider range of individually owned bikes spread across Orlando and its suburbs. Here 45 models start between $23 and $189 a day, with the middle at $68. This layer holds almost all of the Japanese and European bikes, older Harleys, adventure machines and sport bikes. Model years in this group span almost two decades, so the price usually follows the age and condition of the particular bike as much as the model name.

Neither layer is better by default. If you want a specific late-model touring Harley with luggage and a predictable handover, the first layer is where those bikes are. If you want a lighter bike, a particular European model or simply the lowest rate, the second layer gives you far more choice for the money.

One model, two prices

Because the two layers overlap on a few Harley models, the same name can carry very different rates. A Road Glide Limited starts at $103 a day as an individually owned bike and at $245 in a customised branch version. A Fat Boy starts at $72 a day in an older version, while the Fat Boy 114 is priced at $196. The Street Glide shows the same pattern: the Street Glide Special starts at $96, the standard Street Glide in a branch fleet at $208.

So when comparing two quotes for "the same bike", check the model year, the engine size in the name and whether luggage and accessories are part of the package. A difference of more than $100 a day on one model name almost always comes down to those three points.

Cruisers, tourers, adventure bikes and sport machines

The 58 models fall into ten classes. Three of them — touring, cruiser and adventure — hold 33 bikes between them, so most riders will be choosing within those three.

Classes in this section

Cruisers and baggers

Cruisers are the low-seat, relaxed bikes most people picture when they think of Florida riding. In this section the cheapest cruiser is the Honda Shadow Aero 750 at $35 a day, followed by the Honda NM4 at $40 and the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom at $47. The Honda Rebel 1100 DCT at $58 adds an automatic gearbox to the same easy riding position. Above that the class is all Harley-Davidson: the Dyna Street Bob from $72, the Street Bob 114 from $81, the Breakout 117 from $86 and, at the top, the Low Rider ST, Heritage Softail Classic and Low Rider S at $190–196.

Touring bikes — often called baggers — are cruisers with a fairing, hard luggage and a more comfortable passenger seat. This class has the highest middle price apart from trikes and sport bikes, at $106 a day. The cheapest tourer is a Victory Cross Country at $41; the Honda Gold Wing DCT starts at $99; the rest are Harley Glides between $82 and $237. If you plan a day out to the coast with a passenger and bags, this is the class built for it.

Adventure and sport-touring

Adventure bikes sit tall, carry luggage well and handle broken pavement better than a cruiser. The class has a very low middle price — $61 a day — because several practical Honda models sit at the bottom of it: the NC700X from $35, the NC750X DCT from $45 and the XL750 Transalp from $61. The CFMoto Ibex 800S at $49, the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special at $54 and the Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT Adventure at $55 are larger bikes for very little more. At the upper end are the Ducati Multistrada V4 S Travel & Radar at $106, the BMW R 1200 GS Adventure at $126, the KTM 890 Adventure R at $160 and the Pan America 1250 ST at $220.

Sport-tourers are a road-only alternative: lower, faster, with a fairing for highway speed. The two Kawasaki Versys 650 models start at $35–36, the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ at $75 and the Ducati SuperSport at $86. For a rider who wants long highway stretches without the weight of a big tourer, the middle of this class at $55.50 is good value.

Sport, naked, minis and the scrambler

Pure sport bikes span one of the widest ranges of any class: a Honda CBR600RR starts at $34 a day, a CBR650R at $108, a BMW S 1000 RR at $147 and a Yamaha YZF-R1 at $189. The gap reflects both age and performance, and the top two are litre-class machines intended for experienced riders.

Naked bikes — sport engines with an upright position and no fairing — are the most affordable class with a real choice: five models from $30 to $68, including the Yamaha MT-07 at $30, the Kawasaki Z500 ABS at $38, the Kawasaki Z900 ABS at $53 and the BMW R 1200 R at $58. They suit city riding and short loops around the lakes well. Two minis, the Venom KP Mini RS-150 at $32 and the Honda Grom at $68, are small-wheel fun bikes rather than transport for long distances, and the Honda SCL500 scrambler at $23 is the cheapest bike in the whole section.

The Harley-Davidson line-up

Harley-Davidson accounts for 24 of the 58 models, almost twice as many as Honda with 13 and more than Kawasaki, BMW, Yamaha, Ducati and Suzuki together. That makes Harley-Davidson rental in Orlando a market of its own, with its own logic of prices.

24 models, two price bands

Harley day rates run from $54 to $331, with the middle at $155.50. The middle figure hides a clear split, though: 11 Harley models start at $106 a day or less, and 12 start at $190 or more. Only the Nightster at $121 sits in between. The lower band is made up of individually owned Harleys — Sportsters, Street Bobs, a Breakout, Road Glide and Street Glide Specials, an Ultra Limited. The upper band is the current branch fleet of Glides, Softails and trikes.

In other words, a touring Harley for $82–106 a day exists, but it will usually be a slightly older bike with whatever luggage its owner has fitted. A touring Harley at $208–237 will be a current model in a standard rental specification.

Street Glide or Road Glide

The two most common touring Harleys differ mainly in the fairing. The Street Glide has a fairing that turns with the handlebars; the Road Glide has a fixed, frame-mounted "shark-nose" fairing that many riders find steadier in crosswinds on open highway. In the branch fleet both start at $208 a day, and both have a Touring Edition at $220. The Street Glide Ultra adds more equipment for $237. Among owned bikes, a Road Glide Special starts at $82 and a Street Glide Special at $96 — the cheapest way into either model.

For a first ride on a big Harley, the choice between the two is personal; the price is not a reason to pick one over the other, since both families are priced the same at each level.

Pan America and the smaller Harleys

The Pan America is Harley-Davidson's adventure bike, and it shows the two-layer market most clearly of all: the Pan America 1250 Special starts at $54 a day, the Pan America 1250 ST at $220. For a rider who wants the brand without the weight of a full tourer, the smaller Harleys are worth a look: the Sportster 1200 Roadster from $68, the Sportster S from $76 and the Nightster from $121. The Nightster is the cheapest Harley in the branch fleet, and it is one of nine bikes in this section listed with two seats.

Automatic gearboxes, trikes and riding two-up

Three questions come up often from visitors who ride at home but not regularly: can I avoid the clutch, can I ride something more stable, and can my partner come along?

Four bikes without a clutch lever

Four Honda models in this section use DCT, a dual-clutch automatic gearbox: there is no clutch lever, and the bike changes gear on its own or by a button. They are the NC750X DCT from $45 a day, the Rebel 1100 DCT from $58, the Africa Twin DCT from $80 and the Gold Wing DCT from $99. Together they cover four classes — adventure, cruiser, big adventure and full tourer — so a rider who prefers an automatic is not limited to one kind of bike. A DCT motorcycle is still a motorcycle in law, so the licence requirements below apply in full.

Three wheels

Trike rental in Orlando is a small niche with a very wide price gap. The Can-Am Ryker 600 ACE, a three-wheeler with two wheels at the front, starts at $61 a day. The three Harley trikes — the Tri Glide Ultra, the Road Glide 3 and the Street Glide 3 Limited — all start at $331, which makes them the most expensive models in the section. A trike stands up on its own at a stop and does not lean in corners, which some riders find reassuring. It also steers differently from a two-wheeler, so if you have never ridden one, take a few minutes in an empty car park before heading onto the highway.

Seat for a passenger

Nine models in this section are listed with two seats: the Street Glide, Road Glide, Road Glide Touring Edition, Heritage Softail Classic, Low Rider ST, Nightster, Pan America 1250 ST, Tri Glide Ultra and Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Custom. Many other bikes can carry a passenger too, but for those the seat count is not stated, so ask before you book. For two people on a full day, the touring class makes the most sense: a backrest, a wider rear seat and luggage space make a large difference after the first hour.

Licence, age and what to check on the bike

The rules are short, but they are applied strictly at handover, so it pays to know them before you rent a motorcycle in Orlando.

Who can ride

Across the market, renters are asked to be at least 21 years old and to hold a valid motorcycle licence or a motorcycle (M) endorsement on their driving licence. A learner's permit does not qualify. A car licence alone is not enough, even for an automatic DCT bike. Visitors from abroad should bring the licence that shows the motorcycle category; if the category is not written in English, an international driving permit makes the check easier.

Age of the bike

Of the 42 bikes with a stated model year, the oldest was built 19 years before the newest. Older bikes are a large part of why the second layer of the market is so affordable: a well-kept older cruiser at $35 a day can be a perfectly good choice for a few hours around the lakes. For a long run in summer heat, a newer bike with better cooling, ABS and modern tyres is worth the extra. The model name often tells you something too — "ABS" in the name of the Kawasaki Z500 and Z900 is a feature, not a trim level.

Questions before you pay

Before confirming, ask the same few questions for every bike you consider, so the answers are comparable:

• Model year and mileage: two bikes with the same name can be many years apart.
• What the day rate includes: luggage, a helmet for each rider and any mileage limit.
• Deposit: how much is held on the card and when it is released.
• Pickup and return: the exact address, the opening hours and whether a late return is charged as a full day.
• Passenger: whether the bike has a passenger seat and foot pegs fitted.

A quote that answers all five is ready to compare with another one; a quote that leaves out two of them is not yet a full price.

Pickup towns and planning by the week

Motorcycles are not all collected from one place. Where a bike is based matters almost as much as its price, especially if you do not have a car to get there.

Where bikes are based

Of the 45 bikes with a stated pickup town, 27 are in Orlando itself and the rest are spread around the metro area, up to 31 miles away. Branch fleets also operate at Orlando International Airport (MCO) and in Sanford and Leesburg.

If you are staying near the theme parks, Kissimmee and Windermere are the closest suburbs; if you fly in and want to ride straight away, the airport branch saves a taxi ride. For bikes based further out, factor the trip there and back into the cost of the first and last day.

A week on two wheels

The market rents motorcycles by the day, by the week and by the month. A simple way to set a budget is to multiply the day rate by seven and then ask whether a weekly price is lower — on longer rentals it often is, but the discount varies by bike and is not guaranteed.

The table makes one thing clear: over a full week, the choice between an owned touring Harley and a branch one is a difference of almost $800. For a few hours of riding, the difference matters much less than finding a bike close to where you are staying.

Matching the bike to the route

Central Florida is flat, and most riding is on multi-lane roads and quiet county routes between lakes. That favours comfort over agility. For a day trip to the Atlantic coast or a loop of the lakes to the west, a cruiser or tourer is the natural choice; for short hops between the city and the suburbs, a naked bike or the scrambler is lighter and easier to park. Adventure bikes suit riders who like an upright position and plan to cover distance, and sport bikes make most sense for riders who already own one at home. In summer, plan longer rides for the morning, carry water and keep rain gear in the luggage: afternoon storms are a regular part of the Florida day.

Key points before you choose a motorcycle

Six figures to keep in mind

• Day rate: 58 models start between $23 and $331 a day, and half cost $78 or less.
• Two layers: branch-fleet Harleys sit at $121–331 with the middle at $220; other bikes at $23–189 with the middle at $68.
• Harley-Davidson: 24 models, with 11 at $106 or less and 12 at $190 or more.
• No clutch: four Honda DCT models start between $45 and $99 a day.
• Licence: 21 or older, a motorcycle licence or M endorsement; a learner's permit does not qualify.
• Pickup: 27 of 45 bikes with a stated town are in Orlando itself; the rest are up to 31 miles away.