Scratch the itch to ride when away from home
My first experience with EagleRider Rentals & Tours was 25 years ago, in Southern California. It was February 2000, and I was attending a week-long conference in Palm Springs. I learned a motorcycle rental shop operated nearby, not far from the hotel and conference center. Looking them up in the phonebook (remember those?), I discovered it was an EagleRider dealership. After chatting up a couple of guys running the shop, I decided to take a break from the conference later that week, and spend the day touring the region on one of their bikes. By Thursday they fixed me up with a pristine Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic, and outfitted me with some gear for a day in the saddle. I rode that bike around the Salton Sea, up into the high desert, and all through Joshua Tree National Park.
It was a glorious day, riding a magnificent motorcycle, in truly breathtaking, otherworldly places.
With the bike in Palm Springs CA, and out in Joshua Tree NP, February 2000.
I’ve since ridden with EagleRider two more times, once when my late friend Aaron Smith gave me a “Bike-For-A-Day” pass he’d earned, to spend a day riding a 2011 H-D Road Glide up into North Carolina and back. I worked with them again in 2019, when ER loaned us a beautiful Harley Iron 1200 Sportster for a week, which we used to write and shoot a feature on the history of that iconic model. Every time I’ve ever personally dealt with the EagleRider folks, they were professional, eager to please, and super friendly.
The 2019 Harley-Davidson Iron 1200 Sportster EagleRider loaned us for a review and history story.
The idea for EagleRider was birthed in 1992, in the imaginations of two AT&T employees, Chris McIntyre and Jeff Brown. The coworkers and friends wanted to take sabbaticals from their jobs and travel around the country on Harleys. At the time, neither owned a motorcycle yet, so they tried renting bikes from dealerships, unsuccessfully. Discovering there were no rental services across the country, the two had the idea to start their own. As they both put it, “We saw demand, but no supply!” They figured that plenty of men and women riders, when traveling, would jump at the chance to rent a motorcycle when away from home. They figured correctly. Chris and Jeff were soon joined by Peter Wurmer and Robert Pitts, and the friends opened their first rental shop in Peter’s garage in San Pedro, CA, with four motorcycles the guys purchased themselves.
And to quote English historian John Wade, “The rest is history.”
EagleRider founders Jeff Brown (standing) and Chris McIntyre (seated). Photo by EagleRider.
Today, EagleRider operates over 150 shops around the world, across six continents, in over 20 countries, with more on the way. Taking a gamble on their dream has certainly paid off for the four friends. The company now carries not only Harley bikes, but also Indian, Triumph, BMW, Ducati, Royal Enfield, KTM, and the Japanese Four (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki). ER has also branched into dirt bikes, SxS, trikes, and “roadsters” like the Slingshot and T-Rex. They can put you on everything from tourers (obviously), cruisers, standards, sport bikes, ADV and dual sport machines, and even scooters and electrics.
The boys have come a long way since their days in a garage with four Harley-Davidsons.
In fact, EagleRider is now the leading motorcycle/motorsports rental company on the planet, and the exclusive rental partner of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. They offer tours now too, with guided or self-guided of locations such as the Baja Peninsula, Route 66, Southwest and Southeast tours, Alaska, Rocky Mountains, even a “Coast to Coast”. And that’s just in the U.S. of A. Riders can rent and go, or book all-inclusive tour packages including the bike, gear, hotels, meals, support drivers/vehicles, and fuel. If you’ve got the quid and the time, ER will fix you up with a great bike, a great ride, and an unforgettable experience. Oh, and they have some killer off-road excursions too. Lots to offer, whatever your budget.
Three levels of their Club EAGLERIDER membership.
EagleRider offers membership incentives as well, for frequent travelers and riders. Club EAGLERIDER is their membership model, with three different tiers of involvement. Members can earn credits toward bikes and tours within the 12-month subscription term, earning more the higher the level you buy into. They have a “Buddy Pass” option as well, extending some Club ER privileges to family and friends within a given year. More on that HERE.
Surfing their site, EagleRider offers an amazing array of motorcycles, on and off-road rides, tours galore, and a plethora of merch and options. But more than anything else, ER offers experiences. I’ve enjoyed my share of road trips and making memories with them, so check out their offerings Stateside and abroad in the link below. Go ride.
Rob
*Top featured photo by EagleRider
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