John and Lora from Ohio

Here is Don Robertson, the owner of the Gold Mine Ghost Town in Jerome. I waved to him on the street by our hotel and he stopped to tell us about his ghost town. The bike is a 1941 Harley 45.

Here are some of Don's treasures. His ghost town is a great side trip, especially if your a gearhead.

This is a view from our balcony at the Matterhorn Inn in Sedona. We enjoyed our stay at this hotel.

Here is a picture of the wildflowers going up the mountain south of Payson.

We really enjoyed our trip. Thanks for your help.

Restaurant tip for Oldtown Scottsdale: Cien Agaves, Tacos and Tequila

Don and Nancy from NH

I'd like to say thanks for your help in making our sedona vacation so great and the renting of the bike so smooth. I cant imagine a better bike than the Goldwing for two and your reduced mileage rate was practical and affordable for us. It was 32 degrees riding to work this AM so we've got a ways to go yet.

What a great experience!

AZ Ride has been the BEST!

May 2007 was my first rental from AZRide.com. I rented the R1200RT (my first) and the 1200GS. Both were great bikes, however I feel in love with the RT. So, when the opportunity came up to purchase the RT from Gabor & Monica, I knew I could not say no!

They have been the greatest to work with and they run the tightest ship I've ever seen. The two together have what it takes to put together everything from a great tour to as simple as getting your bike registered without a hassle.

I thought that since I purchased the RT from M & G, that it would be the end of my rentals! I guess not! Now, I can wait to try something else and do the comparisons!!!

Thank you for all your help!!!

A.

Ernest and Valerie Tortilla Flat Wildflowers

Monica and Gabor were great to rent from. We are already planning our next trip. The V-Strom is a great bike, and was in perfect shape. Val and I rode out top Tortilla Flat off of the Apache Trail to take in the spectacluar wildflowers this year.

Here we are at the Canyon Lake lookout.

Here is the fabulous V-Strom at Tortilla Flat. This was a very comfortable bike with very quick and stable handling through the tight turns and switchbacks.

This is a great exampple of an Arizona Poppy. The blooming barrel cactus is almost as beatiful as my wife! If you have a chance to see the wildfloewr bloom in Arizona in the spring, rent a motorcycle from AZRIDE

Local Yokel

I am Todd and I've been riding in AZ since ~1990. Been there, done that (got stuck there...got lost there...) but still enjoy doing it. I'm considering buying a GS1200 so I rented one from AZ rides. I found them on time, knowledgeable, and just darn nice (bikes are immaculate as well). I took it up through Superior and Globe, and then up to Roosevelt lake. Passed a half dozen car clubs enjoying the AZ backroads (one was a string of about 15 classic 1940's cars all restored, a joy to pass slowly on a beautiful day). Down the Apache trail and back to Tempe in just a few hours round trip. Beautiful ride, very mellow, but delicious curves the GS just carved through - oh and the usual stunning AZ scenery of the salt river canyon. Stopped by Victory BMW in Tempe and started pricing a new GS :-)

I highly recommend the experience for anyone. It will be the best ~$250 you've spent on yourself in a long time.

Go. Do. Ride.

-Todd Neville

Mike and Trish Hale, Maryland

We greatly enjoyed renting the Goldwing from MCTOURS and riding in Arizona. My only regret is that we did not take the bike longer. The ride to Sedona on Route 89A was awesome. I didn't take many pictures -- was too busy riding. I was enjoying the bike so much, I didn't want to get off. Next time I want to try the Concours 14. I have a frequent flyer pass I need to use. I'll probably see you again in the Fall. Gabor and Monica, your bikes are awesome and in top shape. The Goldwing ran perfectly. Until next time! --Mike and Trish

Bill & Leatha from Indianapolis, IN

Thanks for the opportunity of this wonderful experience. Everything was just great, the trip that was programmed in the GPS worked fantastic, if there were any missed turns, it was driver error as I was enjoying the 1800 Goldwing, Fantastic Ride, Beautiful Scenery. This was my first trip to Phoenix / Scottsdale, the hospitality that you showed was way above expectations. Thanks so much for making our Arizona Trip one that we will treasure for many years to come. We enjoyed the Roosevelt Lake & Damm as well as Apache Trail with the long and winding road a beautiful trip on a Wing! What can I say except "Ya done good!" Thanks for everything. We Loved it!
Bill & Leatha

Last Minute Ride cont

Last Minute Ride cont.

Last Minute Ride

My brother in law and I were in Scottsdale for training and decided to take a last minute site seeing trip. He and I thought a ride would be the best way of seeing AZ. After a few minutes on the internet we came across AZride.com. There site offered what we were looking for: Great bikes (BMW 1200 RT's), gear, travel planning, and location. We showed up at 9am without reservations. Monica and Gabor welcomed us in and treated us great. Monica handled all the paper work quickly, and explained things very well. Gabor handled the techincal once over with the bikes. He too was very helpful and friendly. Within an hour we were on our way. Following the advice of Monica and Gabor we headed up toward Prescot. On the way we stop at Lake Pleasure, Vulture mine, Wickenburg and a few other places.

The bikes were great. AZride's bikes were clean, awesome condition and what can one say about a BMW 1200 RT other than awesome!

This is without a doubt the best one day ride I've every had. Both Wynn and I had smiles from ear to ear all day long and for the last few days.

I you're looking to reduce stress, low blood pressure rent a cycle from AZride and forget your worries. Both of us will be back soon for a longer tour.

Thanks again Monica and Gabor.

Guy Monhollen

Gill from Plymouth, MN

I will spread the good word about your company to the folks here in Minnesota.

A Good Neighbor

Monica just a note to thank you and Gabor for a wonderful experience renting and riding in Arizona. The whole experience was everything I hoped for with no surprises. I'll be seeing you again in the future. Steve Gallian, Winnemucca Nevada.

Dave and Irene from Minnesota

You and Gabor have, AND maintain a nice fleet of bikes. I chose the RT 'cause I have never ridden one before. It was a good choice for two-up touring. Very "long legs" for smooth open road traveling. Bags hold generous amounts. Not a scratch on this mount and we kept it that way. The electrically-adjustable windshield is a real plus-----------down for slow traffic and up for higher speed.
We headed east towards Globe but deciced to head south due to the northly wind and went through Florence. On to Tucson and ended up in Green Valley to visit with Irene's sister for two days. Headed back a similar route and why we didn't stop at the Biosphere I will never know. So on our next trip through you guys we will see the 'sphere. I know, I know you said: "----visit the Biosphere on your way to or from Tucson".

John from San Francisco

Hi Monica and Gabor: You both run a top quality outfit! Thank you both for your professional approach to renting me a superb motorcycle. Just like your offices and showroom, the Triumph America bike was absolutely clean and in outstanding condition. The liability forms you provided were thorough, but very fair. No problems at all.
From the first-phone calls I made to you, and to the check-out and check-in process, I couldn't have been more impressed.
My Triumph ride was to Carefree, lunch at the Sundial Cafe, and then over a wonderful winding road to the Lake. Just an easy, comfortable ride with some brief exploring on side roads and into areas that I found interesting. The wall map in your offices and sites and the routes you suggested were also very helpful.
Thank you again,
John

High Adventure in the Scottsdale Sun!

It was hard to get the smile off my face during the entire trip!
It has been years since I put riding a motorcycle up in the Arizona mountains, but it wasn’t until I talked my wife into going and making a call to Monica that finally made the dream a reality! With minimum hassle and maximum friendliness, Monica and Gabor put us on a brand new BMW with a full tank of gas and a map for adventure.Heading out on to the road was as exciting as I expected and we watched the miles to the mountains evaporate beneath the smooth power of the BMW throaty roar. We poked around the upper lakes, wondered thru Usury Pass and up to Tortilla Flats for a barbecue sandwich.Even the band was a fun diversion sitting in the sun enjoying a cold ice tea.
Our adventure was a perfect mix of liesurely thrills!
Thanks a ton for all your help in setting up this incredible expereince.
Sincerely, Bill and Charlene Cattley / Michigan

January Get Away

So i'm hanging out minding my own business and a buddy calls and says "Are you up for a bike Trip in 10 days" Hell Ya!!!!!

Jan 23 08 we arrive to meet Monica and Gabor for what we are anticipating being 6 days of great riding. We notice the rubber glove treatment of the rental bikes and i have to say i was a tad worried about sitting on the bike and marking the well maintained Kawy. Wasn't too long into the ride and the tuned motor confirmed we had rented from people who love their machines .. so i best ride it like i own it.

Down to Tuscon then Tombstone working our way finally to the Carlsbad Caverns with many interesting stops in between made this trip one to remember. We come back with countless memories and something we all look forward to experiencing again in the future.

Monica and Gabor were great to work with .. even though you almost were nervous taking the bikes back cuz you may have added a stone bruise :) Would i rent from these people again ... in a heart beat. We even had the unfortunate issue of 1 bike having a flat tire last day. The tire was filled with Napa foam and no issues with either the ride or the bike inspection upon our return.

I will be back to experience other parts of Arizona for sure. Next time most likely March.

Guy Dudding

Lloydminster, Alberta

October 2007 BMW Ride

My two-day rental was a great experience. I was in Scottsdale for only one week. Had to see the Grand Canyon by car but left two days to tour with a BMW 1200GS rental bike from AZRide. Arizona is a totally foreign environment to a Boston resident. Beautiful, stark, exciting. The 1200GS rode well, not that much different than my 1983 R100RS.
I am so glad I took the time and expense to experience Arizona. I did a modest 283 mile loop east and south of Phoenix. Saw the Roosevelt Dam, totally enjoyed myself .

Thanks AZRide!!

Bob Mazzone
A member of Yankee Beemers BMW Motorcycle Club
our motto is "YB Normal?"
Lynn, MA

Great Day Trip!

Sunday Feb. 10th, 50 deg at 8:30 am departure, back Scottsdale 5:30.
I don't have any heated gear, and you w'ont need any for any part of this 385 mile day trip.
H87 “Beeline” to Payson, straight ahead, 60-70 mph easy cruising to wake up. Keep on 87N,, and met up with 4 Phoenix BMW riders in Pine,, for the rest of the trip. Snow on the roadsides in the elevations,, no ice, great road conditions, little or no traffic, continue on 87 to 260 west trough Camp Verde, lots of nice sweepers, keeping it under 90mph on this leg,, fantastic scenery,, Flagstaff snowcapped peaks in distance, fabulous,, 260 ending at 89, then to Jerome. Jerome is a little postcard kind of place,, switchbacks up into town,, lots of history, artsy place,,, try the fudge,, 20-40 rides there at mid day, so must be popular destination for riders,, bar on the corner of downtown has great character,, walked around for maybe an hour. Stay on 89 climbing out of Jerome on Twisties, then descending towards Prescott. Great twisties, some sand in centre track,, road a bit chewed up from sand and snowplows,, but still great,, hardly any traffic so nothing to hold you back from having a blast! Sand will be non-issue after winter and rain washes it away. Into Prescott for a mid afternoon coffee,, Staying on 89 and back into twisties,, no sand this leg and road is great, twisties are cleaner>safer>more challenging>fantastic!,,, vehicular traffic picked up only marginally,, but still easy enough to get in front of 4 wheeled stuff. Out of the elevation back into some sweepers and then straighter stretches where we are cruising at 100, and at times around 130-140 mph for what seem like 10 mile stretches,,, the Kawi concours14 is running about 7500rpm in OD at this point,, but I'm not out here to see how fast it goes, but it definately goes,,, just keeping up with the lead bikes,, and after that well pretty monotonous heavily trafficked from Wickenburg to Scottsdale on hwy60, where I get my ride to AZRide by 5:30, total is 385 miles.
There are few places that rent other than Hogs Wings and big Beemers. Azride have a small fleet, but pretty good variety of rides, very proffesional and knowledgeable couple run the joint. 9 out of 10 recomendation.
Kawisaki Concours 1400 is a sweet ride. Ridding position is upright, but it is so stable that I almost feel that I let my guard down tracking curves,, it just wants to carve right in and back out and handles those twisties like nothing,, but feedback is there and it still lets you know you have to push on the bar.. Could have kept riding for hours,,, didn’t squirm my butt around in the seat once, no joint pains, not tired at all. At 650 lbs, the weight distribution makes moving the bike around dead slow, seem like it's a lot lighter of a ride. Power band is impressive, distribution is consistent rpm dependent,, so the only downside to this ride is heat generation,, which I only notice from Wickenburg to Scottsdale, riding at 55-75 mph in 75 degrees,, and yep it's giving it off.
For 160 dollars rental 400 free miles, plus gaz, insurances, etc,, it works out to a pretty cheap couple of hundred dollars to trial a great ride on a route that I think described above as offering, well,,, everything.
There is absolutely nothing here,, close by where I live,, that compares to what you have there for riding,, so I'm not envious,, I'm outright jealous!
This is a great route for anyone from outside of the area too. lots of hotels, great AZ hospitality, so come in to the area, ride the route the next day, overnight and back home.
There is a ton do do other than Golf in Arizona!
Peter
(Ontario, Canada)

1600 miles in and around Arizona

I am grateful to be among AZRide's satisfied customers. Monica and Gabor have created something special and I highly recommend it to anyone who shares a passion for motorcycles and great scenery. Their approach and their fine stable of bikes make it easy once you stop dreaming and pick up the phone. The bikes are first rate and worthy of your confidence. I truly get the impression that Gabor treats each one of them as it were his only bike. Monica makes sure your questions are answered and that your needs are met. Arizona and the neighboring states take care of all the rest, providing unlimited options for magnificent views and memorable experiences.

I booked my trip for late September, 2007. Riding Harleys around Florida is nice but I always wanted to throw my leg over a BMW and I can never get enough of the West. I made the call and in no time had arranged for 7 days on a R1200GS. With my 6'5" frame and the kind of riding I had it mind, it turned out to be a great choice. Great at speeds and in turns. Sixty days to plan, gear up and anticipate the trip were put to good use and I spent many an evening in Google Earth trying to plan the perfect route.

My trip ended up covering 1600 miles of Indian reservations and mountain roads. After checking out Prescott and Jerome in AZ, I spent a night in Sedona and headed north through Oak Creek Canyon and on through the Navajo reservation and four corners area to Dolores, Colorado. I can recommend "Cabins at Bear Creek" near Dolores as a fine place to rest up to tackle the "Million Dollar Highway". The loop through Durango, Silverton, Ouray and Telluride provided views and twisties worthy of that name to a motorcycle tourer. A second night back at the Cabins and it was off for eastern Arizona and its White Mountains. Hannagan Meadow Lodge was my destination and provided a nice place to stay and a great place to ride. That was my first taste of the forests and meadows that you'll find at 9000 ft at the top of Route 191. Talk about your twisties, but be careful!

I made the trip alone this time and truly loved the solitude, but I may never again get that chance. After sharing my pictures and stories from the trip I'm afraid I'll be leading a tour group next time. The morning after one of my night's rests three older retired men stopped to watch me load up for my departure. I could see in their expressions equal parts of envy and regret. One of them said, "I wish I had done something like that when I was younger". At 52 I'm no kid but I thank God I'll never have to make that statement. I hope you don't either. Make plans now!

Steve from Florida

Jerry & Orv from WA

Orv and I had a great ride. The weather could have been a little better, but it was still far above what I found at home when I got back. It took me two tries to get up my driveway due to having to bash through the snow berm left by the snowplow.I was a little apprehensive about renting the SV650. I sat on one before I left and the stock seat height seemed fine, and I was afraid that two inches lower would be a problem. I also thought that three days riding without any wind protection would be pretty tiring. However, all your other bikes were too tall for this 5 ft. 6 in old-timer, so I went with the SV. It turned out to be a great choice. I was not aware from your website that you had a windscreen on the SV650, so that solved the wind blast problem, and the lowered seat height actually made the bike more maneuverable and easier to get on and off with the hard bags that were installed.
I last rode a motorcycle in Arizona in 1964 when I had a summer job at Ft Huachuca. I bought a 1962 Triumph TR6-C in Tucson that summer and rode it all over the southeast of the state. There were a lot less people then, but the mountains and desert are pretty much as I remembered them.


So, thanks for the great service and the pristine, new motorcycle. Jerry

Hi Monica,just wanted to thank both of you for the great service and would of loved to rented again sunday, but the weather changed that,guess it has to rain sometime,thanks again,will be back next year. Ken

Jim and Friends from Edmonton, Alberta

On behalf of our group of four escaping the cold grip of a western Canadian winter, a big thanks to Monica for organizing our rental and ride. Excellent communication from the very first inquiry, everything clearly spelled out at the pick-up and gorgeous bikes rolled out for our start. The dedication to service and customer satisfaction is evident from start to finish. Our short trip to New Mexico and Arizona was enough to want to return again. I would definitely recommend AZride.com to anyone serious about riding top calibre bikes in the sunny warm south west.
Best regards
Jim Carey