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Guided rides, what would you pay?

RapidSpyder

RapidSpyder

Well-known member
After leading a few rides during the Deadwood Three Wheeler Rally, I am toying with the idea of doing this as a side gig. My question is, what would be a reasonable rate to charge. I don’t need to earn a living by doing this, just would like to cover expenses such as gas, maintenance, insurance and the like. The state requires that our business (independent contractor) has other sources of income, so this would fall under the business.

Thanks in advance for any input!
 
RapidSpyder said:
After leading a few rides during the Deadwood Three Wheeler Rally, I am toying with the idea of doing this as a side gig. My question is, what would be a reasonable rate to charge. I don’t need to earn a living by doing this, just would like to cover expenses such as gas, maintenance, insurance and the like. The state requires that our business (independent contractor) has other sources of income, so this would fall under the business.

Thanks in advance for any input!
Click to expand...

Not uncommon to see $1000 USD for 5 days, with some meals, essentially lunches provided.
 
I’m thinking more in the line of short backroads trips to Mt. Rushmore, the Needles, Iron Mt. Road, Devils tower…. 50 bucks?
 
So I have a sister that lives near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
When I visit she's usually working during the day, so I'm on my own to entertain myself until she's done with work.

There are a number of "tour" companies that provide tours through the desert around Las Vegas, or to destinations like a longer tour to Hoover Dam.
One of the ones that interested me was the Red Rock Canyon tour.

The four hour tour for an adult is $114, but that's in their tour van and their driver, with a free pickup from one of a list of hotels.

You do have to pay a fee to drive through Red Rock Canyon, which is a National Conservation Area.
The scenic drive through the canyon is 13 miles, and there is a visitor center at the start.
Entrance fees are:

US $20/day for a car or truck.
US $10/day for a motorcycle.

So how much do you need to cover your expenses? (fuel, wear-and-tear, your time, etc).
The US IRS allows you to claim 65.5 cents per mile for business travel, if the company you work for doesn't reimburse you for your travel expenses.

And what is the "value added" to the trip by your expert leadership, that will get people to pay you (other than your charming personality and rapier wit?


Another example is an event coming up in Tennessee in early October: Motorcyclist Map's Appalachian Fall Event

https://www.motorcyclistmap.com/appalachian-fall-2024

It's a three day event to raise money for a couple of charities, which is the primary reason for the event.
It does mention the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, and the "opportunity to ride 6 states if not more - TN, KY, OH, WV, NC, GA."

They are selling $10 "raffle" tickets that if you buy a certain number tickets they will give you something, one of the 20 ticket gifts was a Brake Free Helmet Light.
They are also accepting donations.


And for whatever route you plan to lead, you'll need to scout the route ahead of time, possibly create handouts or flyers with the route information for those that might straggle or get lost. Plus information about fuel or food stops, or planned stops along the route.


Sounds like fun. :D
 
I have done "guided" rides when I lived in Alaska. For me I never thought to charge for my services. An occasional free meal, when it was offered, was my pay for the day.

You also live in a very scenic place and many, many people come there to see Rushmore and the surrounding sites. Over the years I have found most of the "good" places and visit them every time I visit the area. Your suggested price of $50 a day sounds like a bargain to me. I do not see that out of line and if you get a group of 4 or more, you have a good day going and the personal expenses are covered for sure.

Another great plus, the Spyder crowd for sure are some great people to be around. We have never met any we did not like. I don't see you leading the HD or Beemer crowd though.

There are many "first" timers who would benefit from your guide services, and you have a captive audience at least once a year. Many do not like riding with packs (10 or more) of bikes at the same time. Safety can also become an issue. Make sure you get a legit legal disclaimer if you are going to charge. The litigators are also out there. A good gig though. Getting paid to take people on one of the most scenic vacations of their life. :firstplace:
 
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Thanks for showing the clip. That one brings up some very fond memories. We did this group of roads the last time we visited the area. Fantastic.
 
I prefer not to ride in large groups and enjoy most planning my own rides/routes. Did the Three Wheeler Rally in '17 mapping all the roads myself and had a great time, saw all the sights, then some. If someone asks to accompany me, I explain what I'm doing, and if they want to accompany me fine. If someone accompanies me on a ride the experience of meeting another rider is all the satisfaction I need.
 
Unfortunately, liability insurance might eat up a good portion of your revenue. There might be third party insurance available for group rides that you could require each rider purchase. I have seen this option in other sporting activities, like the American Canoe Association. I would do it for enjoyment and hope for tips to start. I would be interested joining one of your rides. That is a beautiful part of the country!
 
Rohdster said:
Unfortunately, liability insurance might eat up a good portion of your revenue. There might be third party insurance available for group rides that you could require each rider purchase. I have seen this option in other sporting activities, like the American Canoe Association. I would do it for enjoyment and hope for tips to start. I would be interested joining one of your rides. That is a beautiful part of the country!
Click to expand...
Back in the day when we were doing group rides, our group used a pretty good legalistic sign off sheet. We never had to use it as there were no accidents in the 15 years we rode with them.
 
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