by Gabrielle DeSantis

Summer is here, and for many, that means it’s time to head for the water and enjoy time swimming, boating, and skiing. If you enjoy jet skis, either as a rider or passenger, the good news is that it’s usually pretty easy to find rentals near popular bodies of water. Most rental services that offer jet skis will offer you a quality rental craft at a reasonable price. However, some rental services aren’t as ethical. It’s important to know the latest scams so you can avoid getting ripped off this summer.

Common jet ski rental scams

According to Jet Drift, one of the biggest ways rental services take advantage of you when renting jet skis is hidden fees or restrictions. Often, such services will draw you in with tempting discount offers or hard-to-beat hourly rates that you can reserve way in advance. However, once you get there, you’re hit with fees that weren’t disclosed, like charges for cleaning, vehicle parking, gas, taxes, late arrival, maintenance, and more. Furthermore, you might find out that age, activity, and other restrictions on using the craft weren’t previously disclosed.

Additionally, be on the lookout for vague details and poor communication. You might rent a jet ski from a given location only to find out rentals from the service aren’t physically available there. You might also get frustrating excuses like the staff lost or forgot your rental, there was an emergency, and the staff couldn’t make it, or the jet ski is damaged and unavailable. 

Lastly, unscrupulous services can also provide old and worn jet skis despite the promise of a high-end working model. They can attempt to charge you for damage to the jet ski that you didn’t personally cause through this practice.

What you can do to avoid jet ski rental scams

First, completely read the rental agreement and any frequently asked questions offered by the rental service. These should be offered on their website or in print at their physical location. If you can’t find them, make sure to request them. Additionally, ask the rental service any questions you have before signing an agreement or putting any money down.

You’ll also want to confirm the physical location of the rental service to ensure the jet ski will be where you plan to use it. You can verify the street address using Google Streetview or numerous other online tools. Furthermore, make sure you know where you’ll be picking up the jet ski and at what times before the day you plan to use it, as well as when and where it needs to be returned to avoid any late fees.

If you want to determine if there will be communication problems with the service, call them to ask questions before signing an agreement. How quickly and how well they answer your inquiries will preview how they will conduct business with you. If they are prompt and informative to a prospective customer, the chances are better that you’ll have a pleasant rental experience with them. 

While you’re communicating with them, be sure to ask about the age of the crafts in their fleet and ask how often they replace and service jet skis. Once you arrive, ask for a copy of the rental agreement, so you’ll have it on hand if something goes wrong. Additionally, be sure to inspect the jet ski before you use it for any damage and go over it with the rental agent so it’s known that you weren’t responsible for it.

How to know you’re getting a good deal on a jet ski rental

To summarize, doing your homework in advance of renting a jet ski can save you time, money, and frustration. It will also keep shady business practices from ruining your fun. For the best experience, please communicate with the business before doing business with them, completely understand their rental agreement, and be sure to ask any questions you have.

Lastly, take a look at the rental service’s customer reviews online. The experiences of your fellow consumers are one of the best ways to gauge whether a rental service is a good fit for your rental needs or if it should be totally avoided. 

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The post Jet Ski Rental Scams to Watch out for so You Can Save Money appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S might bear a familiar name, but it’s significantly different from its fellow Sportsters. However, it’s also still a cruiser motorcycle, albeit a rather sporty one. Harley’s known for making excellent cruisers, from touring baggers to more urban-friendly bikes. So, how does the Sportster S stack up to the competition?

Which cruiser motorcycles directly rival the 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S?

Comparing the 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S to other cruiser motorcycles first requires determining its closest rivals. And that means figuring out which bikes it doesn’t compete with.

For instance, the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 is a good entry-level cruiser. But as a single-cylinder $4399 bike, it’s not a competitor for the $14,999 V-twin Sportster S. On the other hand, the 2021 Suzuki Boulevard M109R B.O.S.S. offers a larger, more powerful V-twin for only an extra $300. However, it’s down a gear to the Harley and outweighs it by about 260 pounds. It’s a heavyweight performance cruiser, WebBikeWorld says, more in line with Harley-Davidson’s CVO models.

The 2021 Honda Rebel 1100 is also a solid cruiser motorcycle. And with its $9299 starting price, a fairly affordable one, too. Plus, unlike the Harley, it offers an optional dual-clutch automatic. However, in terms of performance and features, it’s not quite on the Sportster S’s level. More on that in a moment, though.

Going further, RevZilla muses that some potential owners might cross-shop the Sportster S with the 2022 Indian FTR. And to be fair, the bikes have several similarities. Both draw inspiration from flat track racing, for example. Their liquid-cooled V-twin engines also make roughly the same amount of power, though the Harley is slightly torquier. They also weigh about the same. Plus, the 2022 Indian FTR 1200 S has the same starting price as the Harley-Davidson Sportster S. However, the FTR is technically a standard, not a cruiser.

So, which cruiser motorcycles are worthy rivals to the 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S? Looking through specs, features, and prices, several bikes stand out:

• 2022 Indian Chief
• 2021 BMW R 18
• 2022 Ducati Diavel 1260
• 2022 Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster

How does the 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S compare to its cruiser motorcycle competition?

Spec	2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S	2021 BMW R 18	2022 Indian Chief	2022 Ducati Diavel 1260	2022 Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster
Price	$14,999	$17,495	$14,499	$20,295	$13,150
Engine	1252cc liquid-cooled V-twin	1802cc air/oil-cooled boxer-twin	1811cc air-cooled V-twin	1262cc liquid-cooled L-twin	1200cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin
Power	121 hp	91 hp	76 hp (based on Cycle World dyno testing)	157 hp	77 hp
Torque	94 lb-ft	116 lb-ft	108 lb-ft	95 lb-ft	78 lb-ft
Transmission	Six-speed with slip-assist clutch	Six-speed	Six-speed with slipper clutch	Six-speed	Six-speed with torque-assist clutch
Curb weight	502 lb	761 lb	670 lb	538 lb	580 lb
Fuel tank capacity	3.1 gal	4.23 gal	4 gal	4.5 gal	3.2 gal
Front suspension travel	3.6″	4.7″	5.2″	4.7″	3.5″
Rear suspension travel	2″	3.5″	3″	5.1″	2.9″
Lean angle	34°	25° (Vicarious)	28.5°	41°	Unavailable
Front brake	Single-disc Brembo with cornering ABS	Dual discs with ABS	Single disc (ABS optional)	Dual-disc Brembos with cornering ABS	Dual-disc Brembos with ABS
Rear brake	Single-disc Brembo with cornering ABS	Single disc with ABS	Single disc (ABS optional)	Single-disc Brembo with cornering ABS	Single-disc Nissin with ABS
Seat height	29.6″	27.2″	26″	30.7″	27.8″

Looking purely at the specs, the 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S is the lightest among these five cruiser motorcycles. And while its torque figure is middle-of-the-road, the Sportster S is the second-most powerful bike listed here.

However, it also has the least amount of rear suspension travel and the smallest fuel tank. Plus, it has the second-highest seat. That being said, a 29.6”-tall seat is “very low and approachable,” Roadshow notes. And with a 34° lean angle, the Sportster S neatly splits the difference between the more ‘traditional’ cruisers and the sportbike-like Diavel.

Plus, the Harley is the second-cheapest cruiser motorcycle listed here. That’s important to remember where features are concerned.

How do the cruiser motorcycles compare in technology and standard features?

Spec	2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S	2021 BMW R 18	2022 Indian Chief	2022 Ducati Diavel 1260	2022 Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster
LED lighting	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard
Fuel gauge	Standard	Unavailable	Standard	Standard	Standard
Keyless ignition	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard	Unavailable
Bluetooth	Standard	Unavailable	Unavailable	Optional	Unavailable
USB outlet	Standard	Unavailable (12V instead)	Standard	Unavailable	Unavailable (12V optional)
Traction control	Standard	Standard (called ‘Stability Control’)	Unavailable	Standard	Standard
Rear-wheel-slip control	Standard	Standard	Unavailable	Standard	Unavailable
Cruise control	Standard	Optional	Standard	Standard	Standard
Engine-braking control	Standard	Unavailable	Unavailable	Standard	Unavailable
Stability control	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable	Standard	Unavailable
Launch control	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable	Standard	Unavailable
Wheelie control	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable	Standard	Unavailable
Number of riding modes	5	3	3	3	2
Suspension adjustability	Fully-adjustable front and rear	Rear preload adjustment	Rear preload adjustment	Fully-adjustable front and rear	Rear preload adjustment
Quickshifter	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable	Optional	Unavailable
Reverse gear	Unavailable	Optional	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable
Tire-pressure monitoring	Standard	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable

The Ducati Diavel’s extra performance features over the other cruiser motorcycles are expected given its sportbike-like design. However, while it offers three additional ‘power modes,’ it still has fewer riding modes than the Harley-Davidson Sportster S. And the Sportster is the only one of the five to have standard TPMS.

It’s worth noting for potential BMW R 18 and Indian Chief buyers that these bikes’ higher trims do have additional features. The Chief Bobber Dark Horse and Super Chief Limited, for example, have Bluetooth and USB outlets, CW notes. And the new R 18 Transcontinental has a fuel gauge, Bluetooth, an audio system, and optional adaptive cruise control, RevZilla says. However, they’re all more expensive than the Sportster S.

Which one is worth buying?

As with any motorcycle, try the cruiser you’re interested in before you think of buying it. The Harley-Davidson Sportster S and the Bonneville Speedmaster offer optional mid controls for those who don’t want forward ones. And if that doesn’t make you comfortable on the bike, try a different one.

Ultimately, picking between these five is a matter of preference and budget. The Indian Chief, BMW R 18, and Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster hew close to the ‘traditional’ cruiser formula. As noted earlier, the Ducati Diavel is significantly more like a sportbike. And the Sportster S is somewhere in the middle.

But regardless of which one you pick, it’s clear that the Sportster S is by no means an also-ran cruiser. It’s a true competitor.

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