Rent a Harley-Davidson in Phoenix

In May 2008 we planned a 10-day visit to the Phoenix area. We ride a Harley-Davidson 2003 Heritage Springer but couldn't take the time necessary to comfortably ride 2400 miles from Central Ohio and definitely wanted some bike time in the desert. We included a three-day Harley rental in our plans and rode to the Grand Canyon for an overnight stay.

Fly & Ride vacations are popular with motorcycle riders who don't have enough vacation time to ride to a far-away destination. Someone living on the East coast but wanting to ride through the Southwest desert can fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and rent a motorcycle from a variety of dealers in the area.

Top Spoke Rentals - Hacienda Harley-Davidson, Scottsdale

Based on the service we received on a prior visit, we chose Top Spoke Rentals inside Hacienda Harley-Davidson. Top Spoke is H-D certified which gives them a huge edge over the rental lot with a variety of manufacturers. Top Spoke offers a wide variety of Harley-Davidson rentals and prices ranging from a Sportster at $99 per day to an all-the-bells-and-whistles Electra Glide at $149 per day plus taxes and insurance. All rentals require a $1000 refundable credit card deposit

As our three-day rental would include an overnight stay outside of Phoenix, we chose the Electra Glide. Helmets were included in the rental price, as was rain gear that we later regretted not taking. To save money on the rental insurance, we made sure that our motorcycle policy at home would cover any bike we rode and brought our proof of insurance with us.

Our prior experience with Hacienda wasn't a fluke and the rental agent at Top Spoke was friendly, verifying some information regarding riding routes we had heard through the grapevine. We never felt rushed either during the pick-up or return visit and enjoyed talking with other renters while waiting.

Top Spoke Rentals, 15600 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 888-245-3482

Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson, Phoenix

On the surface, Buddy Stubbs H-D was very similar in pricing and model availability to Top Spoke. We were looking for a three-day rental and Stubbs' special pricing would appear to be less expensive at a flat $360 rate.

The deal breaker for us was the $2000 refundable credit card deposit charged at the time of pickup. While we understand that any vehicle rental agreement includes a responsibility clause for damage during the rental period, we've never encountered a deposit that high before.

Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson, 13850 North Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ 602-971-3400

Fun Time Rentals, Tempe

Fun Time Rentals features Harley-Davidson and Honda motorcycles and offers a pick-up service within 10 miles, including Sky Harbor International Airport. The free pick-up service is a great feature for anyone planning a true fly-and-ride vacation.

We bypassed Fun Time Rentals because they don't include the Electra Glide in their rental fleet. Rates begin at $119 per day for a Sportster and top out at $299 for a custom bike rental. For those wanting to rent a Fat Boy or Road King, the rates are an area-standard $149 per day.

Fun Time Rentals, 1215 North Scottsdale Road, Tempe, AZ 800-968-2522