Is there a company that rents Harleys for 3 or 4 days?

Thanks
Ben

Hi, Ben. I do believe there ia a place that rents out Harley's. I don't know the name of it but I know someone else will jump in here and save me by providing the name of the establishment. It is right in town on the main drag.

Have no fear, someone will provide you with the name, address, phone number, etc. Hang in there! Sounds like fun, to me....tooling around on a Hog on Bonaire.....the wind in your hair and the wind in the wind, too! LOL. Have fun! Carole

Thanks I'll wait and see.

Hello Ben,

The name of the shop is The Bonaire Motorcycle Shop. The owner's name is Orlando. He has a 2003 Fat Boy, a 2002 Springer (he changed the front end to a Fat Boy...seems to rent easier that way), and one other Soft Tail. He also rents scooters and 4-wheelers as well. You can try his e-mail at motorcycleshop@bonairenet.com or his phone number is +599-717-7790 for prices.

Hope this helps

Thanks, Jack! I knew someone would come to the rescue. Carole

I rented the Fat Boy for a day last week ($90 US) and it was great. This one had leather saddlebags that allowed us to carry water and cameras comfortably. We rode the circuit from Kr north through Hato and the northern dive sites to Karpata. When then turned right to make the drive into Rincon. Stop at the top of the hill overlooking Rincon and the eastern shore. It's quite a sight. We stopped at The Rose in Rincon for a Amstel and chatted with the friendly locals. Next it was on to the southern road out past the Salt Pier and the southern lighthouse back around to Sorebon and Jibe City. We took Kayamida Sorebon to drive by Lac Bay and back into Kr. Wonderful ride.

The staff at the Motorcycle Shop were friendly and attentive. I'll be doing business with them again on my next trip.

(Message edited by flyndive on August 18, 2003)

I'm so glad it worked out for you! I knew there were hogs (the motorized kind!) on Bonaire for folks' enjoyment! Carole

I will be renting one hopefully in November.

Aquaman

Barry, just be verrrrry careful on that bike, OK? We don't want you to hurt your nice new back! I can see you guys tooling around the island on one of those beauties! Someone MUST take a photo of you and Sherry when you do rent one. Sounds like so much fun to me! I'm envious...wish I had the guts to do it, too! Carole

Photo? Did someone say photo?

Here's a Fat Boy on a Fat Boy...

Another pic at 1000 Steps without the Fat Boy on top...

Great shots, James (or is it Jim?) Thanks so much for posting the photos. We'd love to see more if you have them. You two go very well together, indeed! CArole

OK Carole and James...now you've started it...Jake I can see it now, a whole new group on HOGS on Bonaire. The scary looking crew with Mt. Brandaris in the background is L-R, Steve McCulloch from HBOI, underwater artist Wyland, me and Ed Clark from the Virginia Wildlife Institute...just goes to show, you never know who you're gonna meet on a Harley...HARLEY ON.

Oh, I can see it now...the Bad Boys of Bonaire...BBBs...

I'm impressed with the line up, Jack! Very interesting and credible dudes saddled up on those hogs!!

I recall our first ever trip to Bonaire back in 2000 during Regatta Sail week (we did not know that at the time we booked it) and there were hogs and rice burners, too, tooling all around the place 24/7 and even driving on the inner walkways at the Divi timeshare side at 3 and 4 in the morning. I think that was the ONLY time I did not enjoy the sound(s) of a Harley or three or four, etc.

In general I really do love that sound and wish I had the guts to just hop on one and cruise the island for a while. Alas, I don't think that will happen for me, however. I should have done it in my "younger" and "thinner" days.....oh well. The rest of you folks can enjoy yourselves for me! CArole

Well, this is Bonaire Motorcycle Rally weekend, and I havn't had a moments peace and quiet or a good nights sleep since they off-loaded the container two days ago. Even had one send me flying straight out of my bed when it raced it's engine at 5:23am in the Yact Club Apt parking lot right next to my window. Scared the dickens out of my cat who disappeared for the rest of the day. Jake had the same experience at his home in Hato, only it was his son who was plastered to the ceiling screaming at 5:30 am. And then there's the other end of the day...when, after hours of sitting around town drinking and admiring each other's bikes, there's a competition to see how much noise can be made on the way home at 2 in the morning......

It would seem that the only people enjoying the Harley's are the ones riding them.......at least I haven't encountered a non-participant that is enjoying this incredible racket.

Dara, sounds like what Joe and I went through down at the Divi timeshare side in 2000 during our first trip to Bonaire....we thought it was going to be like that the whole two weeks we were there...that this was what it was like on Bonaire every day. It was Regatta week and we had no idea what that was all about about...never knew what to expect. They were staying at the Divi, too, and were doing the same things inside the walkways around the timeshare units at 3 and 4 in the morning. Thank goodness they were all gone by the second week we were there and then Joe and I were able to see what Bonaire was "really" like...tranquil, peaceful and wonderful.

I guess this is your last Hurrah with the sounds of the Harley's tho, eh?

Sorry to hear everyone is being so disturbed....biking can be fun but in small doses and with control and consideration for others.

If you also heard high-pithced whining and screaching, that would be the "rice burners"....the Japanese bikes who like to compete with the hogs.....oh my goodness. Peace and quiet are on the way soon for all of you! Carole

I have my fingers crossed that our last motorcycle visitor left this morning at 6:45am. After Jake's talk with them about the 5:30 wake up call, they have tried to be very considerate about excessive reving of their engines at extreme hours of the day. I've even heard them stall out rather than pumping in the gas.

My kids did enjoy watching the whole crew motoring by on Saturday afternoon. Although it is nothing like Motorcycle Weekend in NH.

Linda,

You can say that again. But I don't think you'd want your kids hearing the "Show us your ****!" calls, and seeing the obliging (and often a little under weather, shall we say) females, honoring the requests!

It's pretty incredible watching them all ride by, though.

There's a restaurant on the way to where I keep my horse that many clubs like to stop in at, and where they'll often gather for an organized ride. I've seen two or three hundred parked there on big ride occasions - and it's not a big restaurant. Occasionally the police have set up a "presence" when the gathering is expected to be particularly large, but as far as I've ever seen, there's never been a problem.

Most often the rides are to benefit a non-profit like the Cancer Society. Very cool.

Dear Dara,

While I was not the one who scared off your cat or was in the "competition to see how much noise can be made on the way home at 2 in the morning......"...I was too tired to stay out past 11:00 p.m. (guess I'm gettin' too old);-)...
I was one of the participants of the Rally and as such apologize for any inconvenience some of the participants may have caused you and/or anyone else on Bonaire.

Linda, I am happy to hear that after Jake discussed the problem with the biker's who, I assume were staying at Diver's Paradise, the problem was rectified.

The Biker's Bonaire Motorcycle Club who sponsored the event every year, took great pains and much effort in asking all visiting riders to please be considerate of the local population and curb the over-revving, especially in residential neighborhoods. However, as you know, the BBMC cannot be everywhere and there are those "FEW" riders who are inconsiderate and give the rest "MAJORITY" a bad name.

I can tell you that I was approached on many occassions during the week-end by locals and tourists alike saying how great this was and how impressed they were at how well organized the event was as well as the control and restraint that was being shown by almost all of the over 200 riders.

From strictly a business standpoint, this week-end was definitely a success for Bonaire. Our hotel alone would have been at 41% occupancy without the Rally, but as a result of the Rally we were 100% occupied from Thursday night until today. I also heard from several restaurant and bar owners that the week-end was one of the best they have had in quite a while.

I received only one minor complaint during the entire week-end from a non-participating guest and that had to do with the high volume of traffic they encountered downtown (traffic jam on Bonaire). Every motorcycle riding guest was given a letter requesting that they not ride their motorcycles on the sidewalks of the hotel, not to over-revv their engines on property nor in residential neighborhoods, and generally to be courteous of other non-riders. The cooperation we received from riders staying in 50 of our 85 rooms was great. Had only a couple of minor incidents of parking bikes on porches to clean them but once I approached them and asked them to keep them in the parking lot where we had set up tents and water hoses for washing the bikes in a reserved parking area, there were no more infractions of the rules here.

I realize that it only takes one "bad apple" so to speak, to skew the view you may have of all bikers, but I would ask that you please not lump us all together. The vast majority of riders are considerate, calm, and generally nice people who just have a passion for motorcycles and just want to enjoy this passion and share it with others.

Well I for one enjoyed seeing them... again. Last year around this time was my first time ever on Bonaire (incredibly, it seems now) and I already had a fair glimpse of them then. This year, I set out to shoot a full report of them, which can be seen on VisionsOfBonaire. Personally I'm quite pleased with the result.

Yes, the noise was deafening at times and some of the stunts they pulled (with their bikes) was on the edge of dangerous, even downright stupid. But the town was alive, the atmosphere was great and I think people just enjoyed the show even if they weren't a part of it.

Well, the motorcycles aren't the problem - they don't have to be ridden in such an obnoxious manner.... As always, it's a few select idots that have no consideration for others. I grew up with motorcycles and I know firsthand they can be reasonably quiet and safe - just depends on the rider.

If you are here for a few weeks, it's easy to figure out who the local offenders are. I don't mind the bikes and scooters as long as the riders understand that their right to make gawdawful noise ends where someone else's right to peace-n-quiet begins.

I'm glad to know that the Club advised the participants on proper etiquette, and indeed I'm sure the majority were courteous. But I live in town on the main road at the curve where everyone feels the urge to pass or drive well above the speed limit - my misfortune.

It's great that the event is contributing so much to the economy here. And also wonderful that so many people enjoyed the Rally. I just personally didn't hear anyone say a positive thing.

In general, I can't eat a nice meal in town at the seaside these days without motorcycles or rice burners screaming by at deafening volume. I think that is a shame.

I will miss a lot of things about Bonaire, but Rally Weekend and New Year's fireworks season aren't two of them!

Dara, If you don't like fireworks over New Year's eve (or the 4th of July) for your own peace of mind never come to New Orleans during these times. One great thing is on Bonaire they don't shoot guns in the air to celebrate...Ya wanna trade New Years ?????

Marc,

Thanks! Great photos!!

Dara, I agree with the rice burners ripping by the outdoor cafe's. Everytime Kelly and I ate outside in town, we had to endure the noise and high pitch of these guys. And it was the SAME ones that kept cruising by at high speed popping wheelies....showing off to their friends no doubt. It was hard to enjoy a nice meal at Cappricio's when we kept having our conversation interrupted by them screaming by. Hopefully the government will see this as a tourist distraction, and issue some warnings (I know, wishful thinking)...now I am sure there will be those folks who think I am being over sensitive...I'm not in my book. I live in a very populated area (yet beautiful) and deal with enough noise and congestion 365 days a year. One of the reasons I like Bonaire is it's peaceful environment...rice burners screaming by while you are trying to have dinner doesn't cut it in my book!

Whew, thanks for letting me vent...I feel SO much better now!