Privacy Policy

Read This FIRST, sorry but this is a legal requirement in this day and age.

By booking with Open Road Motorcycle Tours you agree you have read and accepted these terms and conditions in their entirety.

Our Legal Status

Open Road Motorcycle Tours NZ is our operational name (Open Road here on), we are licensed as a transport service and authorized to operate a rental service. We are governed by the New Zealand Land Transport Safety Authority.

Bookings, Deposits, Final payments

All Tour & Rental Bookings should be made using our online system. Simply choose your tour &/or preferred bike & check availability, confirm your booking and pay your deposit. It's that easy. Payments are made through Stripe a secure credit card portal. If your card is not supported by Stripe you will need to contact us to make other payment arrangements.

A deposit of 20% of the tour or rental fee is required to confirm & secure your booking. Once we receive your deposit we will send you a booking confirmation. The conformation will outline details of when & how to make your final payment.

IMPORTANT - Please note, tour bookings will not be confirmed until you make the deposit payment, if you don't make the deposit payment, we can't confirm your booking request.

Final payment of the remainder of the tour fee and any charges for additional activities are due 60 days prior to the start date of your tour. Upon final payment, we will send you a detailed itinerary and description of your tour.

Final payment for rental charges of a motorcycle only are due 30 days prior to start date of the rental.

If you wish to come on tour or rental a motorcycle, & it's less than 60 days from the published tour date contact us directly for availability and we'll see what we can sort out.

As the Hirer, you must adhere to collection & return date, place & time as stated on the rental agreement. If you need to make changes to an existing booking - eg: extend your rental, this will be subject to availability and must be approved by Open Road and any charges associated will be advised and charged accordingly.

Open Road will make every effort to supply the motorcycle requested, however, if due to circumstances beyond our control you first choice is not available, we reserve the right to offer an alternative motorcycle.

Cancellation Policy

Minimum NZD$250 administration fee applies for all tour cancellations.

Motorcycle Rentals

If you have to cancel your rental the following charges apply:

A NZ$100 administration fee applies to all cancellation of rental bookings.

NB - To protect yourself, we strongly advise you purchase your own travel insurance at the time of booking your tour or rental.

Refunds

Once your tour/rental has commenced Open Road is not required to refund any charges if you cancel or miss meals, activities or accommodation bookings.

Open Road reserves the right to cancel a guided tour up to 30 days prior to a tour. In this unlikely event, we will refund your monies in full or offer you a guided tour on another date or arrange, with your consent, an independent tour, and we will refund the difference in cost.

In the event of there being less than 4 motorcycles booked on a fully guided tour, we reserve the right to supply a tour guide on a motorcycle only.

Open Road and its guides/instructors/contractors retain the right to curtail or change a tour or rental for groups or individuals at any time if Open Road considers safety is compromised.

Late collection or early return of the Motorcycle does not entitle the Hirer to any refund of the unused portion of the rental.

Riders

The following applies to ALL riders - not pillions - of our motorbikes.

All riders must be 25 years or older & hold a current licence for the size (cc & power) of motorbike requested for hire. If your licence is not in English, we require an international driving permit written in English, bring both with you just in case - an emailed copy may be required before confirming your booking. No licence = No Ride If in doubt contact us, in English thanks.

You must also declare that you are 25 years of age or over and have not been convicted in a criminal court for any criminal driving offence or for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The hirer will be asked to complete our 'Hire Agreement' form prior to starting their tour, which will ask this question again. If in doubt have a chat with us before you book, we will do our best to help.

We would like you to have a couple of years of riding experience on the size of bike you're hiring. This is not a legal requirement, however we would remind you that the insurance excess is currently $3,500 NZD. This is pretty easy to use up with even minor spills often costing more than you'd like. If in doubt ask us for advice.

Our Motorcycles

All our motorcycles are purchased new and come with breakdown cover and they all have a full government safety check every 6 months, regardless of mileage. We also give the motorcycles the best care and attention between hires.

Look after the motorcycle and it will look after you, a quick check in the morning will go a long way to your enjoyment. If something needs attention please mention it, prevention is better than cure.

As the Hirer you shall pay for all petrol & oil used in the motorcycle during the period of hire.

In the unfortunate event of a breakdown or accident call us first on 027 682 5265 OR 027 422 0879 we can then advise on the best course of action. However it was caused never admit liability, as motorcyclists people are quick to point the finger at us. The rider (if able) should obtain names & addresses of anyone involved or witness to the accident as well as photographic evidence of all vehicles and/or road conditions.

If the motorcycle requires repair, please call us first before this is undertaken so that we can authorise it keep any receipts to show us on your return. If there is a mechanical issue and it is not the fault of the rider - ie. outside his/her control - we will endeavor to get you going asap. If the damage or breakdown is your fault, repair or replacement is at our discretion. Not an easy call to make but sometimes it needs to be made. By the very nature of our tours and the remote places we get to this is not always going to be straightforward. If you've ridden motorcycles for long enough you'll know to expect the unexpected!

You will be liable for any cost associated with the incorrect use of fuel or contamination of the fuel tank.

Punctures are the responsibility of the hirer, the cost of repair, and or replacement tire if necessary is also down to the hirer. Our motorcycles do come with a puncture repair kit, however, this is designed as a temporary repair to get get you moving. If used, you must get the tire checked by a suitably qualified mechanic the first chance you get. If the puncture repair kit is used RIDE WITH CAUTION. And let us know so we can replace it for the next customer. Thanks.

All fines for traffic offences are the responsibility of the hirer & the cost charged to your credit card. If the fine comes in after you have returned the bike, ie from a speed camera or other traffic offence we will also charge a $75 admin fee.

You must return the motorcycle in a reasonably clean condition and with a full tank of petrol.

Passports and Visas

You are responsible for ensuring that you have valid documentation to enter New Zealand, a current passport and visa if needed - Visit New Zealand | Immigration New Zealand for more information.

Insurance

The bikes - not the rider - have full comprehensive insurance which is included in your Tour or rental hire. The standard liability is NZD$3,500. This covers you for motorbike damages & third party damages, loss & theft of the bike or accessories. You are liable for all costs up to $3,500 with this cover. The liability excess applies to each claim, not the rental period - so if you drop the bike twice at different times during the same hire that is two claims.

You are liable for any damages incurred not covered by this insurance such as lost keys, damage due to incorrect fuel used, tyres, etc.

Puncture repair or tyre replacements are the responsibility of the rider.

Insurance cover will be voided and the hirer will be held fully liable for all costs if:

1. Any of the terms of the rental agreement are breached.
2. Damage to property is caused by careless, willful, reckless - stupid - driving including whilst the rider is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
3. Damage to motorcycle or property caused by submersion in water, such as a river crossing, including salt water, resulting from rider negligence, if in doubt don't attempt it.
4. Damage to motorcycle or property caused by riding on 'unauthorised' roads, tracks, beaches or cross country.
5. The rider's license is invalid, not current or not appropriately rated for the motorcycle on hire.
6. The motorcycle was being ridden in an unlawful manner, such as on the right-hand side of the road without good reason ie. overtaking is ok, corner cutting is not.

Rental motorcycles must only be ridden on legal roads, they may not be ridden off-road and/or on unauthorised roads. 'Unauthorised' roads include: 90 Mile Beach, Ball Hutt Road, Skippers Canyon Road. These are legal roads, just not suitable for motorbikes, well not ours anyway.

Security Bond

Open Road does not require a security bond for bikes used on Guided or Self Guided Tours but Bike Rentals will require a bond/insurance excess of NZD$3,500. We will authorise but not process this fee on your supplied credit card pending the return of the bike undamaged.

If the motorcycle, accessories or any third party property has suffered damage or loss we will make an assessment of the monetary value of such damage or loss and, under advice to you, will deduct this value from the security bond held.

Personal Insurance

In New Zealand we have something called ACC - It stands for Accident Compensation Corporation - Basically it will cover you if you have an accident (not illness), and injure yourself. As the name says it's for accidents. It will get you picked up - in an ambulance, if needed, patched up and get you fixed as best as can be. However, it's no replacement for avoiding a spill in the first place. This repair job is only in the public health care system & whilst in New Zealand. It doesn't cover anything else, no possessions, no disrupted travel plans, or any other costs incurred by you or others due to your misfortune. Replacement of a damaged motorcycle is at the discretion of Open Road Tours.

We strongly advise taking out personal & travel insurance as the consequences of a disruption can be costly. Make sure the insurer understands you are riding motorcycles, you don't want them declining a claim, so put it in an email to them. It should also cover you for loss of deposit in the event of your having to cancel your tour.

Photos & Videos

Any photos and videos produced by Open Road Tours remain the property & copyright of Open Road Tours and this material may be used for advertising and marketing purposes. You are not entitled to any remuneration in regard to any photo or video that you may appear in. If you submit photos to Open Road Tours you agree to allow the use of such photos for advertising and marketing purposes.

Waiver and Release

The undersigned understands the requirements and conditions and is aware that the tour / rental and its activities involve the risk of personal injury and damage or loss of property. In consideration of the benefits to be derived from participation in the tour / rental, the undersigned voluntarily accepts all risks of personal injury and property damage arising from participation on the tour / rental.

The clients of Open Road Motorcycle Tours NZ hereby agree that they and their dependents, heirs, executors and assigns, do release and hold harmless Open Road and the employees, directors, and representatives of Open Road from any and all claims of illness, bodily injury, death or property damage or loss, however caused, arising from or related to this motorcycle tour/rental in New Zealand.

This exclusion is subject to any rights or remedies you may have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.