Make Money With Your Motorcycle

Jun 8, 2021

Tags:ownertipsotherindustry-news

Triumph Trident naked motorcycle.

Riders know that motorcycles offer tons of benefits over cars. For starters, owning a street bike is a lifestyle choice that provides a thrilling connection to the road and a sense of pure freedom. Riders can get performance chops in a bike that would smoke most four-wheelers, at a fraction of the cost. Motorcycles are easier to park, there’s a deep feeling of community among riders, and you can have a few of them for the money you’d spend on a car.

And let’s not forget that owning a motorcycle means consuming much less gasoline than you’d use in a car. Up-front costs, long-term expenses, and maintenance costs are all a fraction of the price of any car-related expenses too.

Beyond the good vibes and money saved, though, are opportunities to pad your income as a rider and motorcycle owner. That’s right, your motorcycle has the potential to be a cash-earning machine. Want to know how? We’ve outlined five of the best ways below.

1. Rent Your Motorcycle Out to a Fellow Biker

Airbnb made it easy to rent your home to visitors, and Riders Share makes it easy to rent your motorcycle to vetted, experienced riders. This is a fantastic option if you don’t use your motorcycle every day, and you can earn a lot of money just by handing over the keys. Learn how our rental program works. Also read the Buy a Motorcycle, Rent It With Riders Share article.

Here are some of the additional perks you’ll enjoy by renting your ride to a fellow motorcyclist through Riders Share:

  • You control the daily price of rentals.
  • You can offer discounts for longer rentals.
  • Renters are vetted and must be 21 or older with a clean license.
  • Your bike is covered up to $30,000 by a Riders Share insurance policy. Learn how our insurance program works.
  • Riders Share issues payment to you within a week of the end of the rental.

2. Host Motorcycle Tours

Hosting bike tours allows you to make cash doing something that you love. You can easily start small, offering guided rides around your area. If you find you have a passion for it, you can scale up from there and turn it into a fully-fledged business.

Make a plan before you start to market your own tours. Chart a course, determine how long the tour will be, and be sure to call out some features of the ride that would entice riders to sign up. Spread the word at your local shops, in local rider forums, or anywhere you think you might reach prospective riders.

A great way to gain traction early on is by offering free tours. This will give you the chance to iron out any kinks and to refine your skill as a guide. If you’ve got a knack for it, word of mouth will grow and you can then leverage your touring experience and reputation to build a company.

However, if you’re not ready to market your own guided tours, you can always consider reaching out to one of the established bike tour companies in your area to see if they’re hiring guides. This option is great to get a look at how an established business operates, but they may require you to go out on longer tours or make a full-time commitment as an employee.

3. Get Sponsored

Racers aren’t the only motorcycle riders that get sponsors these days. Thanks to the magic of motorcycle vlogging, average riders around the world can generate income with their bikes.

Simply put, vlogging requires you to shoot a video and upload it to a site like YouTube. Everything that’s in the video is completely up to you. Some vloggers strap cameras to their bike or helmet and offer stream-of-conscious commentary. Others set up a static camera in the garage and talk about motorcycle maintenance. The key is to make the content interesting so viewers subscribe to your channel and come back for more.

If your motorcycle stories are compelling enough to gain a significant following on YouTube, you’ll automatically receive advertising revenue when people see the ads that are included with your videos.

For a taste of what motorcycle vlogging looks today, check out some of these popular vloggers:

  • Baron Von Grumble
  • Royal Jordanian
  • RNickeyMouse
  • Adjriannickelodeon
  • Motorcycle Dreams

In addition to generating ad revenue, a significant following also means you can reach out to potential sponsors. You can offer to showcase their products in your videos, or provide discount codes through your channel and get a cut of the profits yourself. These arrangements can mean free stuff, additional cash, and an expanded network of industry contacts that will continue to help your brand grow.

Plus, the more trusted your channel becomes, the more brands will want to come to you. Once you’ve established a positive reputation and a sizable audience, the sky's the limit.

4. Become a Motorcycle Instructor

If you want to help expand the riding community, pass on the wisdom you’ve gained as a rider, and make some decent money, consider becoming a motorcycle instructor.

In addition to being a knowledgeable, licensed, and experienced rider you’ll also need to be patient, able to communicate effectively, and capable of maintaining a positive attitude. It’s not for everyone, but for those who possess all the necessary skills this can be a rewarding side hustle.

You’ll need to get trained and certified to teach motorcycling first, however. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s comprehensive motorcycle safety training program, RiderCoach, is the way to do this in the United States. Plus, you’ll also get American Red Cross first-aid certification.

After that, you’ll need to maintain your RiderCoach certification, so plan to take annual refresher courses and to teach a minimum number of instruction hours a year. Apart from this, you’re free to work part-time as much or as little as you want.

5. Deliver Stuff

The “sharing” economy is big business now, with thousands of companies outsourcing their work to independent contractors. Uber is a prime example. This platform has allowed vehicle owners to transform their car into a taxi. Airbnb is another, allowing people to turn their home into a hotel.

Your motorcycle is an important resource too, and you can get in on the “sharing” economy action by registering as a contractor with one or more of these delivery services. Some examples:

  • Uber Eats — Deliver food directly from restaurants to the customer’s home on your bike.
  • Instacart – Delivery groceries from stores to the customer’s home.
  • Lyft/Grab Bike – Motorcycle ride sharing popular in S.E. Asia but yet to take hold in the U.S.
  • Postmates – Deliver “anything from anywhere” on your motorcycle.
  • Doordash – Another restaurant food courier service.

Many motorcyclists register for multiple delivery apps and switch between the various jobs available on each to maximize their return.

To get started earning money right away, by renting out your motorcycle, visit Riders Share.