Scooter rental: the 5-minute safety check
Before you hand over your passport in Bali, Vietnam, or anywhere else — do this. It's saved me from two scams.
Updated 1 May 2026
Scooter scams are predictable: damage you didn't cause, a 'missing' part, a rental shop holding your passport hostage for IDR 3 million. Five minutes of inspection kills the entire playbook.
Before you sign anything
- 01Walk a full circle around the bike. Photograph every panel — front, both sides, rear, seat lifted, underside.
- 02Video the engine starting, the horn, both indicators, brake lights, headlight on high beam.
- 03Test the brakes by walking it forward and squeezing each lever separately.
- 04Check tyre pressure and tread. Bald tyres in monsoon = a hospital visit.
- 05Open the seat. Confirm there's a real spare key, not just a keychain.
The passport question
Don't hand over your actual passport. Offer a colour photocopy + a SGD 100 cash deposit. If they refuse, walk to the next shop — there's always a next shop.
The helmet
The one they hand you doesn't fit. Ask for a different size, or buy your own for IDR 200k at any Indomaret. A SGD 18 helmet is the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy.