Motorcycle rental for a few days?

Hiya all

Can anybody recommend somewhere I can rent a bike for 3 days (I'm on a pretty tight budget)

I'm going to be visiting for three weeks come the end of July...most of the time will be in Northumberland with my sister and her family but I'm hoping for a few days reprieve from the family duties to get a little riding in. Surprisingly, my sister is so excited by the prospect she has already sorted access into their small back garden in the event I have a bike whilst there.

The nearest big town from where I'll be is Newcastle but I'm not necessarily tied to starting out from there. I'm thinking I really would like to do one of three options, a lil bit of Scotland and the roads around my sister's area or a few days in Northern Ireland and visit a few folk there or a few days down south with a friend based in Kent.

Maybe I'm being a sook, but I'd prefer an SV purely and simply coz I love my beast and I'm confident and comfortable on him and given I'll be in completely different traffic to what we experience in Oz and I don't really know the lay of the land, I don't want waste time learning to feel confident (and relatively safe) with something else

cheers
Linda

In Scotland there is

www.perthmcs.com/bike_hire.php
www.cupar.co.uk/bike_hire.php
http://www.kdykawasaki.com/bike_hire.php

I can't recommend anywhere else closer to Northumberland without doing a google search, which you are quite capable of doing yourself I'm sure.

thanks Ralph. I've been googling and found cupars which sounds promising (I've sent them an email), especially as I'll be in Edinburgh a week before I'm due to go home and I haven't yet sorted how I'll get back to Heathrow. I may well fly out of Edinburgh instead of the train from Newcastle...perfect methinks

I still want to explore all the options though and posted coz I though someone may know of a mechanic or some-such who does rentals.

Oooh, I'm just a wee bit excited

[punyXpress]

Try:
www.ukmotorbikehire.co.uk
They're in York, 2 hours from London
HTH

Originally Posted by teddee

thanks Ralph. I've been googling and found cupars which sounds promising (I've sent them an email), especially as I'll be in Edinburgh a week before I'm due to go home and I haven't yet sorted how I'll get back to Heathrow. I may well fly out of Edinburgh instead of the train from Newcastle...perfect methinks

I still want to explore all the options though and posted coz I though someone may know of a mechanic or some-such who does rentals.

Oooh, I'm just a wee bit excited

Those three I posted are the same company. The one in Cupar would be a bit of a pain to get to if you have no transport, but the one in Kirkcaldy would be easy.

http://www.kdykawasaki.com/bike_hire.php

Direct train Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy takes about 30 minutes, then you can get a taxi from Kirkcaldy station to take you to the dealership there are usually a few waiting when an Edinburgh train comes in, or AE Taxis 01592 202040 if you want to phone ahead (my Uncles taxi firm).

There is a bus which runs from the Airport into Edinburgh regularly and stops just outside the train station.

They also state on the website

"We can collect you from Edinburgh Airport or from Kirkcaldy rail station by arrangement", but I don't know what the cost would be.

You would find an ER6 very easy to ride if you are used to the SV.

lots of info there Ralph. I'll be in Edinburgh with my sister and she'll be able to drive me to the company before she heads back to Hexham. In fact I may well follow her back for a day or two in her area. I lived in Edinburgh for 6 months but it certainly wasn't long enough to learn the lay of the land beyond the town, only long enough to want to come back to do some riding...so many options

I've emailed both businesses with lots of questions so I guess I'll just have to wait and see what they come back with.

PunyXpress thanks for the info and I checked out their site. they only do BMs or Trumpys..well, put it this way...I wouldn't be able to put both feet on the ground

I'll keep looking though coz I may well be lucky enough to find one around Newcastle.

cheers

[andrewsmith]

sadly out of Newcastle its H*rleys or h*rleys, saying that if its the dealer is doing this now there could be the chance of a triumph

http://www.hadrianhdtours.co.uk/bike-hire/

I'd do what Ralphs suggested and get one in Scotland then run down to Newcaslte. Its about 2 hours on the back roads through Gatso country

avoid the a702 its full of 4x4 driver who try to park on you
hth

I'm just a little bit excited...nah...I'm so bloody excited I can't sleep.

I've booked the 650 from Cupars for from 9/8 to 13/8...that's five days of motorcycling I've booked extra accommodation in Edinburgh for a night at each end of the five days and then it's a flight out of Edinburgh to London for a day with a mate in Kent before flying home.

I've sorta got two possible scenarios in mind

1. Head back down to my sister's in Hexham and spend a day or two exploring the roads around there, then saying my farewells to the family and spending the other 3 days heading north and back to cupars on saturday arvo.

2. Head down to my sisters for one more night, say my goodbyes in the morning and head west to catch a ferry to Belfast and spend a few days in Northern Ireland and cross back on saturday giving me time to have a cuppa tea with a friend in Glasgow before returning the bike.

too many options with so little time.

I don't know the roads well, if at all so any advice, feedback, suggestions, recommendations, must do's and must nots would be most appreciated.

Did I mention I'm bloody excited and just a wee bit scared TBH

BTW, where/what is gatso country?

[andrewsmith]

its the stretch's of the A1, A68 and A697 from Edinburgh to roughly Morpeth (A1 and A697) and Carter Bar (A6. The Lothian and Borders police force love there speed enforcement cameras.

If your around the Hexham area the Hartside pass the closest of the fun roads (and the back roads from Hexham to the Alston road (A686)

Heres a few good ones in the area http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=158547