Everything you need to know about renting a motorbike and scooter in Bali

A rented motorbike is a super comfortable way to travel around the island

What rights are needed to rent a motorcycle

This is what an international driver's license or IDP looks like

To control a motorcycle and even a low-powered scooter in Bali, you need an international driving license (IDP) with category "A". The IDP is made in the form of a book, and is issued in addition to the rights you have without passing exams and a medical certificate. They are issued to the traffic police or MFC, it is most convenient to submit an application through the website of the State Service. The fee for issuing 1,600 rubles, the validity of these rights is three years.

For any motorbikes, the "A" category is required by law. Even if you have a "B" or "M", these rights will not be valid for a motorcycle.

You can rent a motorcycle without a license, but you should have them on the road, at least in theory. They are really checked, we had such an experience. Especially like to stop tourists breaking the rules, and especially when driving without a helmet. In our experience, there are very few policemen on the road, and the chances of lying to check if you are driving according to the rules and wearing a helmet are minimal.

Of course, you can read in the reviews that someone has been living in Bali for a long time and never got to check the documents, and if they did, then everything was solved on the spot with a bribe of $ 10-30. And all this is really so. Officially, a fine of about $ 65 is imposed, prison for up to 4 months is possible and removal from management on the spot with evacuation of the vehicle to the parking lot. But it's up to you to decide, of course.

Prices for renting a motorcycle and scooter in Bali

A rented scooter for 70,000 rupees

Here are the real prices for renting a motorcycle in Bali in 2025:

• Daily: from 60,000 rupees/day (3.68 rub.) for simple low-power scooters, and up to 800,000 rupees/day (rate temporary unavailable/span> rub.) for big bikes.
• For a week: from 350,000 rupees/week (21.48 rub.) for simple low-power scooters, and up to 5,000,000 rupees/week (307 rub.) for big bikes.
• Per month: from 1,300,000 rupees/month (79.79 rub.) for simple low-power scooters, and up to 15 000 000 rupees/month (921 rub.) for big bikes.

Where to find a motorcycle or scooter for rent in Bali

Motorcycle rentals in tourist areas of Bali at every turn

There are a lot of rentals, especially in the tourist areas of Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Changu, Sanur, Ubud. But in general, you can find a rental anywhere, except for the remote villages in the west of the island. You can find them right on the street, there are really a lot of them if you pay attention to the signs, ads and motorcycle bikes standing in rows with an inconspicuous inscription about renting.

But now more and more moto is being rented via the Internet. So you can rent a transport with delivery to the hotel or airport, and it's also free if you rent for a few days.

Even small rentals now have their own business card sites with prices and contacts. For example, you can look at these: https://www.kutamotorrent.com /, https://balimotion.pro/ru , https://www.rentalscooterinbali.com / (allow export to other islands). You can still set motorcycle for rent on the Google map, and you will see a bunch of rentals near your location, then contact the rental company and negotiate, or reach them on foot. There is also a rental in chat rooms and channels in telegram, which can also be found by search or by recommendations.

Usually, the booking procedure through these sites or through chat rooms is as follows: find suitable options, contact via messengers, usually Whatsapp and less often Telegram, discuss everything and book. Prepayment for a reservation is usually not requested, but they may ask you to send a photo of your passport, driver's license, hotel reservations and your tickets. If they ask for an advance payment, then, of course, it's up to you to decide, but if you have found a distributor through telegram or other messengers, then we highly do not recommend sending an advance payment.

And finally, you can use the rental aggregator https://bikesbooking.com /, there are also excellent prices from 50,000 rupees per day.

Main penalties

Policemen on the road in Bali

Frankly speaking, there is chaos on the roads of Bali, and it seems that no one knows or wants to follow the rules. The police don't really respond to violations either, that's the way it is. However, tourists pay special attention. Therefore, you can be sure that if you drive past the police on a motorcycle without a helmet, they will almost certainly stop you. They can also just stop to check the documents to make sure that you have the right rights and the right category, but, from personal experience, this rarely happens. Just in case, here are the penalties for major violations:

• Crossing a stop line or running a red light – 500 000-1 000 000 rupees / 30.69-61.38 rubles
• Driving on a scooter/motorcycle without a helmet, including for a passenger – 250 000-500 000 / 15.34-30.69 rubles
• Driving on a scooter/motorcycle without a license or category A – 4 months in prison and/or a fine of up to 1,000,000 / 61.38 rubles

What is the traffic in Bali

Traffic jams in Bali

Although we wrote above that traffic in Bali is very chaotic and difficult, but if we compare it with traffic in Vietnam and Sri Lanka, then in our personal experience and perhaps subjective opinion, drivers here are more predictable and decent, about the same as in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines. In general, if you have already driven a motorcycle in other countries, then there will be no problems here. But if you have never operated such a technique, it will be very difficult and dangerous.

The roads here are mostly narrow, in some places there is even only one lane for traffic in both directions, so that two cars go to the side of the road, and motorbikes go to the side of the road to let cars pass. In addition, they are also very winding, and in mountainous areas there are real serpentines with height differences. Watch our video at the end of the article, we show everything there and tell you about the situation on the roads clearly.

Because of such roads, there are eternal traffic jams, especially in the most developed part in the south, where all the main resorts are located. There are also huge traffic jams in the vicinity Ubud. Even motorbikes are stuck in traffic jams, or you have to drive on the oncoming lane or roadsides. As a result, the average speed can be 10-20 kilometers per hour, and, for example, a trip from Kuta to Melasti beach for 20 kilometers on weekends can take more than an hour.

Where and how to refuel a motorcycle

Gas stations in Bali

In Indonesia and Bali, in particular, gasoline is marked not with an octane rating of 92.95, 100 as in our country, but with the brand name Pertalite, Pertamax. Here are the prices:

• Pertalite is an analog of 90, it costs 10,000 rupees/liter, it's about 0.625 US dollars or 0.63 rubles.
• Pertamax is an analog of 92-95, it costs 12,500 rupees/liter, it's about 0.78 US dollars or 0.78 rubles.
• Pertamax Turbo is an improved analogue of 95-98, costs 14,000 rupees/liter, is it about 0.875 US dollars or 0.88 rubles.

The above prices are the minimum prices at branded network gas stations in large cities. At non-network or private "bottle" gas stations, it costs 2000-5000 more expensive.

What kind of gasoline you need to fill up a motorcycle or car, it's better to ask the rental company when renting. But usually motorbikes are filled with Pertalite, but Pertamax is better. Distributors also most often say that you need to refuel Pertamax, because it has a better effect on the life of the engine, but in practice it is really possible to refuel Pertalite.

It is best to refuel vehicles in Bali at large network gas stations Petramina or Shell, there are really a lot of them. Payment on Petramina is only in cash right at the pump in the hands of the tanker. Some Shell accept cards and electronic wallets with QRIS payment, but we did not check whether they would accept the Russian Unionpay card of RSHB Bank.

Please note that at gas stations in the south (Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Chandidas, Sanur) there are often long queues of motorbikes for Pertalite fuel, sometimes you have to stand for 10-20 minutes. If you do not want to stand in line, you can fill Pertamax in a separate column, there are usually no queues.

A large network gas station in Bali

There are fewer gas stations in the north of the island, and the distances are long, so if you go there, it's better to refuel to the fullest. In extreme cases, you can fill up at "home" gas stations along the road, but it is more expensive there and this is a dubious option for a car.

Home refueling in a village in Bali

Where to park, the cost of parking

Motorbikes in the parking lot in Bali

Most hotels and guest houses have places to park motorbikes for free, but just in case, please check this in the hotel description before booking. If there is no parking at the hotel, then it is best to park at paid parking lots for the night, they are available at almost every resort. The price is affordable, for example in Ubud there is a large parking lot in the center for 5000 rupees/night or day (0.31 rubles).

During the day you can park in any convenient and permitted place, there are no big problems with this. But still, parking for transport in Bali near beaches, attractions, and even near shopping centers or shops is mostly paid. The standard price for a motorcycle is 2000 rupees (0.12 rubles). But there are also more expensive places, for example, in the Nusa Dua area, they ask for 5000 for parking near the Bali Collection shopping center (0.31 rubles). Even in some expensive paid attractions, parking fees will also have to be paid in addition to the ticket price. For example, next to the new attraction sculpture park Garuda Vishnu Kencana (Garuda Wisnu Kencana), where only the simplest entrance ticket costs 100,000 rupees, you still need to pay 5,000 for parking a motorcycle.

Time in parking lots is not charged, usually it is a one-time entry fee. In most cases, the money is collected by the guards, sometimes they even give out payment coupons. By the way, with such coupons you can leave and enter the parking lot during the day back, at least we had such an experience at the beach parking lots in Changu and Kuta.

Just in case, the price of parking for a motorcycle bike is indicated for Speeda motor. And in general, all the signs and designations of motorbikes here are written exactly as Speeda motor, not Motorcycle.

Bali Motorbike Parking Ticket

Removal of a motorcycle to other islands

Transportation by cargo ferry Bali-Lombok

Not all car rental companies allow you to take a motorcycle by ferry to other islands of Lombok, Nusa Penida, Java. Be sure to clarify this issue before renting, otherwise there may be problems later. Also check the validity period of the STNK data sheet, as the ticket may not be sold from expired data sheets for the ferry, since all transport data is indicated there.

This is what the STNK motorcycle Bali data sheet looks like

It is possible to take a motorcycle to Lombok and Nusa Penida only through the port in Padang Bai on freight ferries. They go around the clock on a schedule every 1-2 hours, but in practice they are sent according to occupancy and with delays. The cost of the crossing for a motorcycle and a driver starts from 150,000 rupees. Tickets can be purchased immediately on the spot, not necessarily in advance.

Cargo ferries go to Java from the port gilimanuk also around the clock and on filling. Tickets are sold at the ticket offices before departure, the cost starts from 30,000 rupees per motorcycle and driver.

Bottom line and the most important thing to know

• When renting the right, you will most likely not be asked, but they must be, and necessarily category "A". Categories "B" or "M" are not suitable!!!
• They may not ask for anything as collateral, but only take your photo and passport photo. Sometimes they ask for a deposit of 500,000 rupees, and they may also ask to leave a passport. We highly do not recommend leaving a passport, it is better to offer to leave an internal passport, and if they do not agree, then look for another rental.
• A written rental agreement may be, or maybe just a verbal agreement (you have money, you have keys), it depends on the rental location.
• Not all rentals have motorcycle insurance, it is advisable to choose those where it is available. Usually this is insurance against damage and theft of a motorcycle, which is not at all superfluous in Bali. But such insurance does not cover damage caused by your fault, so be careful while driving.
• Be sure to take and wear helmets, usually 2 helmets are included in the price.
• Before you pick up the motorcycle, take a video and a photo with all the damage.
• Not all rentals allow the removal of a motorcycle to another island, for example to Lombok or Nusa Penida. Check all this before renting.
• Check the availability of STNK (technical passport) and the period until which it is valid.
• If possible, always park in paid parking lots, they cost from 2000 to 5000 rupees.