Motorcycle enthusiasts who want to take to the open road for an afternoon will be able to rent a BMW motorcycle through Eagle Rider Cleveland BMW, starting April 1. The company, a spinoff of Sill’s Motor Sales on Brookpark Road, will rent out six BMW motorcycles in four models, including the new BMW scooter and BMW’s top-of-the-line model with all the bells and whistles.

Customers can rent the bikes for a day or longer, or even do a one-way rental and drop the motorcycle off at one of nearly 60 Eagle Rider locations across the country. Pamela Dengler, president of Sill’s and partner of the rental venture, decided to offer the rentals after seeing Cleveland visitors longing for a ride.

“My staff and I for the past four or five years noticed customers come in with a ‘motorcycle fix,’” Dengler explains. “They are here, usually visiting the Cleveland Clinic, and they have time on their hands and they’re motorcycle people. They come in because they want to see what we have and then ask, Can I rent one?"

Locals who are curious about the BMW brand also can experience the bikes for a lengthy test drive. “In our demo program, you can’t take it for an extended ride,” Dengler says. “Now they can take it for a weekend, a week, or a month to try it out. We see it as an enhancement to our sales.” Riders who no longer have their own bikes can get their fix in, too.

The only requirement is renters must have a motorcycle license. Rentals go for $119 to $230 a day, with discounts available for longer term rentals. Sill’s Motor Sales has 11 people on staff to help with the rental venture. Dengler says if all goes well, she will be hiring additional staff. 

Source: Pamela Dengler
Writer: Karin Connelly