What to Wear & Bring Riding a Scooter in Bali: Gear Checklist

Rental scooters in Bali usually come with one or two helmets, and sometimes a raincoat under the seat. The rest is up to you. Yet small items like thin gloves, sunscreen and closed shoes decide whether your day ends comfortably or with sunburn, scraped hands and a wet phone. This article lists scooter gear for Bali by function, separates the essentials from the optional extras, and shows what's better brought from home and what's easy to buy in Bali.

What the law requires

Law 22/2009 requires motorcycle riders and passengers to wear an SNI-certified helmet (Indonesian National Standard), and to carry the right licence and the vehicle's STNK (registration). The STNK is usually handed over with the bike; make sure it's still valid. Helmets are generally provided too, but quality and sizes vary. How to check a rental helmet and when to bring your own is explained in rental scooter helmets in Bali.

Gear list and what each item is for

The prices above are rough estimates and depend heavily on the brand and where you buy. Shops in tourist areas tend to cost more than minimarkets or motorbike accessory shops in Denpasar.

Clothing: comfort and protection

Bali is hot and humid, so a thick motorcycle jacket is usually torture. The most sensible choice is a thin, quick-dry long-sleeved shirt or jacket paired with light long trousers. Long sleeves prevent sunburn and give a little protection against scrapes if you fall at low speed. For mountain routes like Kintamani, Bedugul and Munduk, bring an extra layer: it's much cooler up there and can feel cold in fog or after rain.

Avoid riding in just swimwear, a sleeveless top and shorts. Besides being disrespectful in villages and temples, bare skin is the easiest to injure in a fall and the most likely to touch the exhaust. Prevention is covered in exhaust burns: prevention & first aid.

Footwear

Flip-flops come off easily when you put your foot down on a sandy road or brake suddenly. Choose light shoes or hiking sandals with a heel strap. Closed shoes also protect your toes from stones and from other bikes' exhausts in tightly packed parking areas.

Beating the Bali sun

Bali is close to the equator, so the midday UV index is usually very high to extreme almost all year. When you're riding, the breeze makes your skin feel cool, so many people don't notice they're burning. The most commonly forgotten spots are the backs of the hands, the neck, the ears, the tops of the feet and the knees.

• Apply SPF 30 or higher sunscreen 15–20 minutes before you leave, and reapply about every 2 hours or after swimming.
• Choose a water-resistant sunscreen; sweat under your helmet and gloves quickly removes ordinary sunscreen.
• Thin gloves work better than sunscreen for the backs of your hands, which are in the sun the whole time.
• Drink plenty of water. Keep a bottle in the under-seat storage or on the hook, and refill at every stop.

Phone holders: useful if used properly

A handlebar phone holder makes navigation much safer than holding your phone or keeping it in your pocket and stopping at every junction. Choose a holder with a strong clamp and a lock, because vibration and speed bumps can throw your phone out. Set your route and volume before you leave; if you need to change destination, pull over first.

Worth knowing: Article 106(1) of Law 22/2009 requires riders to ride with full concentration, and in 2019 the Constitutional Court rejected a petition to exempt GPS use on phones from this rule. Violations carry up to 3 months in jail or a fine of up to Rp750,000 (Article 283). Glancing at a mounted map is different from typing on or operating your phone while riding. Tips for using maps on a scooter are in using Google Maps on a scooter in Bali.

Sun and vibration can make your phone overheat and drain the battery fast. Lower the screen brightness, turn on battery saver, and keep a small power bank in your bag, not in the holder.

Raincoats and the rainy season

Bali's rainy season generally runs from about November to March, but local showers in the mountains can come at any time. Ponchos are cheap and easy to store, but the bottom can flap and catch in the wheel or get close to the exhaust. A jacket-and-trousers rain suit is safer for longer trips. Put the raincoat in the under-seat storage in the morning. How to ride in the rain and which routes to avoid is in riding a scooter in Bali's rainy season.

Bags and how to carry things

• A small backpack (10–20 litres) is the most practical. A big bag makes you lean and tire quickly.
• Under-seat storage: automatics like the Vario, NMAX and PCX have bigger storage than the BeAT. Don't leave your passport or valuables there when parked for a long time.
• Front footboard: good for light shopping bags; tie them down so they don't slide onto the brake lever.
• A crossbody bag or waist pouch for your passport, cash and spare phone. Wear it in front of your body, not hanging at your side, especially on busy roads.
• Surfboards need a special rack; see scooter rental with a surfboard rack.

Quick checklist before you ride

1. Helmet on, strap fastened, visor clean.
2. Licence, the bike's STNK and the rental's contact details in your wallet or phone.
3. Sunscreen applied, gloves and glasses ready.
4. Raincoat in the storage, phone in the holder, route set.
5. Drinking water, small cash notes for parking and tickets.
6. Enough fuel for the day's route.

A packing list for the whole holiday, from documents to medicines, is in the SiapPergi Bali packing checklist. If you don't have a bike yet, compare estimated Bali scooter rental prices and ask the rental to include a raincoat and two well-fitting helmets. Staying in Seminyak or Canggu? See also scooter rental Seminyak.

Conclusion

Scooter gear for Bali doesn't need to be expensive or heavy. Thin long sleeves and trousers, gloves, strapped footwear, sunscreen, a raincoat and a sturdy phone holder cover most everyday risks. Bring from home the things that need to fit you, and buy consumables like sunscreen, masks and ponchos in Bali.