Medellín Scooter Rentals has been in business for a few years in Medellín renting scooters and motorcycles to enable visitors to Medellín to explore the city and surrounding area using one of the easiest ways possible – on a scooter or motorcycle.
Jenson is the expat owner of Medellín Scooter Rentals. And he has been living in Medellín for about six years.
When Jenson first arrived in Medellín, just like everyone he was mainly taking a Medellín taxi everywhere he went in the city. If he wanted to go to anywhere he had to take a taxi or public transportation.
He wanted to rent a scooter or motorcycle because he noticed that this was the easiest way to get around the city and did not have to pay for parking in most places.
So, Jenson started searching for scooter and motorcycle rental companies. But he couldn’t find any in Medellín. He did find a place in Cali and Bogota, but they focused on long distance tours. But he wasn’t looking for this. He wanted to rent a scooter or motorcycle in Medellín.
For example, if he wanted to go to Guatapé on the weekend as in the photo above, he could rent a scooter or motorcycle and just go. And he didn’t have to take a taxi or bus and be under time constraints. A scooter or motorcycle gives you more freedom to do whatever you want.
Medellín Scooter Rentals
More About Medellín Scooter Rentals
So, Jenson decided to start the Medellín Scooter Rentals business in late 2015. His goal was to offer flexibility to customers with several different models of scooters and motorcycles available and also offering flexible rental durations from hours to days to weeks and up to a month.
Jenson feels like when you arrive at a destination, of course you can rent a car. But the reason people rent scooters or motorcycles is because it can be easier to get around in the city for a lower cost. And most of all, the experience of riding a scooter or a motorcycle in a different country can be quite fun.
Also, for scooters and motorcycles it seems like they have special areas in most of the parking places in Medellín and it’s almost like VIP parking.
In addition, if you have not driven a car in a city similar to Medellín, a rental car can definitely be a challenge with the generally high costs for car rentals and insurance in Medellín, plus the traffic in the city and needing to find and pay for parking.
In comparison, a scooter or motorcycle can be much less expensive with a relatively small deposit. And insurance can be purchased at only 5,000 pesos per day and parking is much easier to find for a scooter or motorcycle.
SYM CRO-X 125 scooter, photo courtesy of SYM Colombia
Available Scooters and Motorcycles for Rent at Medellín Scooter Rentals
Medellín Scooter Rentals currently has the following scooter and motorcycle models available for rent: SYM CRO-X 125, Pulsar 200NS, Apache 200, Custom Cafe Racer Blue Agave 200cc and BMW F700GS. In addition, they have a Ford 150 FX4 Super Crew truck available for rent.
The SYM CRO-X 125 is a popular and easy to ride scooter. And you don’t really need any experience. These are automatic scooters. You just get on it and give it the gas. While it isn’t a very powerful scooter, it does have enough power to take you and a passenger up a hill without any hesitation. They are also pretty lightweight scooters.
So, Medellín Scooter Rentals doesn’t require any experience. But Medellín Scooter Rentals does have a little training available for those that need it. If you can ride a bicycle then you can ride one of these scooters.
And you are only required to have a driver’s license and passport if you are a foreigner tourist and credit card for the deposit. And if you are Colombian or a resident foreigner, a Colombian drivers license is required.
Besides the scooters, Medellín Scooter Rentals also has some bigger power bikes for some customers that want to do touring around Colombia.
Here is a list of rental costs for the scooters and motorcycles available at Medellín Scooter Rentals.
- SYM CROX 125 Scooter – 125,000 pesos for 8 hours; 160,000 pesos for 24 hours; 890,000 pesos for weekly and 2,680,000 pesos for monthly; $500 USD security deposit
- Pulsar 200 NS – 150,000 pesos for 8 hours; 200,000 pesos for 24 hours; 1,050,000 pesos for weekly and 3,150,000 pesos for monthly; $500 USD security deposit
- Apache 200 RTR – 150,000 pesos for 8 hours; 200,000 pesos for 24 hours; 1,050,000 pesos for weekly and 3,150,000 pesos for monthly; $500 USD security deposit
- Custom Cafe Racer Blue Agave 200cc – 150,000 pesos for 8 hours; 200,000 pesos for 24 hours; 1,050,000 pesos for weekly and 3,150,000 pesos for monthly; $500 USD security deposit
- BMW F700GS – 445,000 pesos per day for 1 to 3 days; 400,500 pesos per day for 4-7 days; 380,000 pesos per day for 7+ days; $1,000 USD security deposit
Medellín Scooter Rentals offers flexible rental times by the hour, day, week, and even by the month. Medellín Scooter Rentals also runs promotions quite often for a 10 or 20 percent discount for a group rental.
Furthermore, Medellín Scooter Rentals does not have mileage limits. So, you are permitted to take the scooter or motorcycle anywhere within Colombia.
Other Rental Options at Medellín Scooter Rentals
The base rental cost includes one helmet and an additional motorcycle helmet costs only a one-time 30,000 pesos fee. Additional rental options offered by Medellín Scooter Rentals include:
- Riding gloves – 30,000 pesos
- Motorcycle jacket – 60,000 pesos
- Moto phone holder – 20,000 pesos
- Brake disk alarm – 30,000 pesos
- Motorcycle storage case – 35,000 pesos
- Cargo strap net – 10,000 pesos
- Rain poncho – 15,000 pesos
- Personal insurance – 20,000 pesos
Typical Customers of Medellín Scooter Rentals
A majority of the scooter and motorcycle rental customers at Medellín Scooter Rentals are currently foreigners. Many of renters are backpackers staying at hostels in the area. Backpackers are accustomed to renting scooters.
In addition, Medellín is becoming a tourist destination for many foreigners, as the word is getting out that Colombia and Medellín has become a much safer place. People are becoming curious about what all the talk is about in Medellín and Colombia.
Rental scooters at Hacienda Nápoles, note this plane was removed in January 2018 and this old arch entrance destroyed
Some people rent the scooters or motorcycles for day trips to Guatapé and surrounding areas or for weekends. So, they can experience many of the destinations that surround Medellín like Parque Arví, Guatapé, Jardín, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Rio Claro Nature Reserve, Santa Elena, Hacienda Napoles and many other destinations.
In addition, Medellín Scooter Rentals has maps or GPS units available for customers that aren’t too familiar with the area.
Guatapé Scooter Tour
Furthermore, Medellín Scooter Rentals offers a guided tour to Guatapé and El Peñón and to other locations by request.
How to Get to Medellín Scooter Rentals
Medellín Scooter Rentals is located in El Poblado on Carrera 37 near Calle 10. It is located a short walk from Parque Lleras. Or it is located about a 15-minute walk from the Poblado metro station on Line A of the Medellín metro.
Website: http://medellinscooterrentals.com/
Address: Carrera 37 #10-19, El Poblado
Phone: +57 (322) 693-8581 (English and Español)
Hours: Monday to Friday: 9 am to 6 pm, Saturday and Sunday: 9 am to 6 pm. Holidays/Festivos: reservations and returns only
Motorcycle rental at El Peñón de Guatapé – the gigantic rock with incredible views
The Bottom Line: Medellín Scooter Rentals
Medellín Scooter Rentals has grown steadily over the past couple years, as there has been growing demand for a scooter and motorcycle rental business in Medellín.
I have talked to several customers of Medellín Scooter Rentals and they had good experiences. Also, Medellín Scooter Rentals has many positive reviews out on TripAdvisor.
So, if you are looking for a short-term or even a longer-term scooter or motorcycle rental to explore Medellín and the surrounding are, Medellín Scooter Rentals is recommended.
But take care when driving in Medellín. A recent study by the LA Network think tank ranked Medellín the 29th most dangerous city in Latin America to drive based on counts of traffic fatalities.
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Editors note: updated on May 15, 2019 with updated prices for scooter and motorcycle rentals at Medellín Scooter Rentals.
8 thoughts on “Medellín Scooter Rentals: Explore Medellín by Motorcycle”
Thanks Jeff, great idea. I’d be a bit hesitant with all the traffic I hear about. Have had a few Bikes over the years, does it require a special license, to ride? or is that just gringo thinking?
Cheers!!
You can use your foreign driver’s license with a passport until you have a visa/cedula. Once you have a visa/cedula you need a Colombian driver’s license.
Thanks Jeff, greatly appreciated.
Nice article that is helpful. A friend is visiting Medellin next month and wants to rent a bike to visit some pueblos near Medellin. So I passed this information on to him.
Seems pretty expensive. I get it if you need it for the day but anything over a month, if you’re staying here and it would work out cheaper buying a scooter?
I hear most people saying this “well I could buy a bike for that price”. If you were going over two months then yes, you could buy a scooter. But don’t forget all the process you have to go through with transferring the documents, paying the taxes, if there are any violations on the title from speeding, red light infractions, if the bike title is with the bank, etc…. Then when the person leaves, they have to sell the bike, then have to go through all the process all over again. And what ends up happening, is that they literally end having to almost give the bike away because time is always a restraint. The upside to renting is No hassle with documents, you dont have to do any maintenance on the bike, dint have to pay the yearly tax, dont have to worry about transferring any documents before and after, you have roadside assistance, and basically it a hassle and worry free deal, and you dont spend a week going to and from the transito office because you forgot to sign a paper, and they make you do it all over again. I would be eager to say that I would rent a bike any day over buying one if I was a perm resident here in Colombia. The convenience by far out weighs the hassle. I would say GREAT prices and service from my perspective
Still better just to buy the bike and easily sell it on olx in a few days.
thanks but no thanks
Thanks a friend is visiting and was asking about renting a scooter so this is helpful.