RENT-A-RIDES OF A LIFETIME

Pillion with Mamola, Vincent Black Shadow and more, can be yours.

Pillion a Motogpbike

Ride pillion on a

Motogp bike piloted by

Randy Mamola, and do it on the same weekend and the same circuit as a

Motogp race. Straight off the line Randy will be pulling wheelies and still be accelerating where your average Fast Group

Frank would be steaming on the brakes. And when the braking does arrive, courtesy of monoblocs clamping carbon discs, it feels like the compression could dislocate your elbows. The best bit is it’s all in aid of Two Wheels For Life, a charity that Mamola cofounded. Keep your eye on their website for opportunities to book and keep up the neck exercises in preparation.

Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP Biposto Price to buy: £2,000,000 Bike verdict: 11/10 Rental price: auction Contact: twowheelsforlife.org

Hireyourdreambike…inessex

Tucked deep in the Essex countryside, between villages with names such as Nine Ashes, Stanford Rivers and the painfully nostalgic Hook End, lurks enough horsepower to blow the roof off the 900-yearold church. Pride of place in Superbike Rental’s collection goes to Kawasaki’s H2 SX, with its addictive supercharger gurgle. But the 2021 Xdiavel comes a close second. They’ve even got a Triumph Daytona 765 Moto2 bike, one of only 765 in the world. It’s yours to rent for £700 a week.

Bike: Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE+ Price tobuy: £22,147 verdict: 8/10 Rental price: £800 for 7 days Contact: superbikerental.co.uk

Renta Streetfighter …formonths

Unsure whether dropping £20,000 on the new Streetfighter is explainable to the other half? See how £850 for a week’s test ride goes down first. Spyder Motorcycles, based at Silverstone, have an army of desirable two-wheelers they’re comfortable lending you for a single day… or for up to three months. For example, an Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory costs £1215 per month for a three-month lease. There’s also a subscription club: a yearly payment of £4050 gives you 27 days rental on any motorcycles in their ever-changing line-up of new machinery.

Bonkers.

Bike: Ducati Streetfighter V4S Price to buy: £19,941 Bike verdict: 8/10 Rental price: £850 for 7 days Contact: spydermotorcycles.co.uk

Six-cylinderbeemer for£80perday

Renting motorcycles in the USA has become proper cheap. Case in point: pop over to San Francisco to pick up a BMW K1600GT for just £80 per day. Or tour Miami on an MV Agusta Turismo Veloce for £50 a day. These bikes are such good value because they’re owned by normal motorcyclists and rent through Twisted Road – a website that provides full insurance for both the renter and the owner. Use at your own risk, though: that dude you’re renting from may not believe in chain lube.

Bike: BMWK1600GT Price to buy: £18,745 Bike verdict: 8/10 Rental price: £80 per day Contact: twistedroad.com

Titanium-framed madnessindorset

Brough Superior dealerships are few and far between. If you live near Dorset then Moto Corsa is your best bet. Ask nicely and they might even let you out for a ride. Buying the Brough has become easier thanks to a huge price drop – it used to be sixty grand. But that doesn’t excuse the need for a prepurchase test.

Bike: Brough Superior Super Sports 100 Price to buy: £35,000 Bike verdict: 8/10 Rental price: free for a few hours Contact: motocorsa.co.uk

2020Hondafirebladeontrack

Honda’s new many-r’d motorcycle can be hired in day-long bursts to rag around a choice of European race circuits such as Portimao, Jerez or Valencia. Spa Francorchamps by way of 214bhp would be a right laugh. Throw in a day’s coaching by the likes of Endurance World Champion Freddie Foray for an extra £400.

Bike: HONDACBR1000RR-RSP Price to buy: £23,499 Bike verdict: 9/10 Rental price: £550 per day Contact: firston-track.com

Tryaclassicvincent

Jog round to the National Motorcycle Museum and sign up for one of their ‘Try a classic bike’ days. But wait, these are no ordinary classics. The NMM wheel out their collection of ageing rockstars for the event: a Vincent Black Shadow, a Brough Superior SS100, and a 1914 New Comet. To attend you’ll need to stump up the £30 members fee plus £5 for insurance on the day.

Bike: Vincent Black Shadow Price to buy: £60,000 Rental price: £35 Contact: nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk

Uralsidecarincuba

Cuba is still home to an abundance of sickle and hammer machinery: the Yugoslavian Jawa, Ukrainian Dnepr, and IMZ-URAL. Rent them with the help of Willy at Cuban Sidecar, which he happily informs customers is also the name of a tasty cocktail. If Cuba’s too far, pop to Paris and putter around with French company Retro Tours instead.

Bike: Ural T sidecar Price to buy: £11,737 Rental price: £1539 for a 7 day tour Contact: cubansidecar.org

‘Ride pillion on a Motogp bike piloted by Randy Mamola… he’ll be pulling wheelies’