Text/photo: OA Isdahl
Do you have a motorcycle license, have owned or ridden a motorcycle in the past and want to take up riding without owning a bike yourself? Then Bilkollektivet has actually made it possible for you to do just that. Now you can rent a Royal Enfiled Scram 411, for as long as you like at a very livable cost. In return, you’ll get a delightful, authentic and classic driving experience that will certainly satisfy your need for adventure and plenty of driving pleasure.
Morten Munch-Olsen is a genuine Royal Enfield lover and drives a magnificent Classic 350 that has been slightly modified.
The embrace of the idea
Morten is one of the founders of Bilkollektivet and came up with the idea on a trip with his girlfriend to South America, which was completed with a camper van and a few rental days with a Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 that they used for adventure activities along the way. Upon returning home, the idea matured and became the basis for a market survey where a large proportion of Bilkollektivet’s members actually responded that they wanted to rent a motorcycle if it had been possible. Bilkollektivet is a non-profit organization and quickly found out that this was actually possible, given that they chose the right target group and a type of motorcycle that suited them. Since the Himalayan 411 had now been taken out of production, the choice fell on the all-rounder Scram 411, which is an excellent touring and adventure model.
The offer
“Bilkollektivet is a non-profit organization, but we work long-term and systematically with innovation and purpose, we also have to take some risks and must therefore be willing to enter new and slightly unknown terrain,” says Morten. This led to conversations with Lazy Boyz and later the acquisition of three Royal Enfiled Scram 411s, which can now be rented out according to three price models:
- Non-members can rent a bike for NOK 850 per day
- Members can rent the bike for NOK 765 per day
- Plus members who rent a car frequently can pay a monthly fee of NOK 1,250 and receive a 40% discount on the rental price, i.e. a daily rental of NOK 510 per day.
What kind of bike is this?
A few years ago, ROYAL ENFIELD got new and rather forward-thinking owners. The new ownership group promised 10 new models over a five-year period and the Scram 411 was one of these. Royal Enfiled has been making motorcycles for more than 125 years and its models are known for being mechanically precise, simple, robust and very reliable. However, the new owners managed to add something new that was previously not so prominent, namely design, good driving characteristics and high production of driving pleasure at a very low acquisition cost, and thus sales exploded. The Scram 411 is by no means a high-speed plastic rocket, but rather a very comfortable, lightweight, strong motorcycle with a delightful steering geometry. The 19-inch two-wheel provides a predictable and good steering geometry, which is accompanied by good dampers that literally eat up poor surfaces. The Scram 411 is therefore made for Norwegian conditions and thrives just as well on gravel as on asphalt.
Royal Enfield uses tires from CEAT, which are produced in India and are relatively unknown to us Norwegians, but the tires are really good and are therefore used on the Scram 411. The technical data for the Scram 411 is not that impressive, but the model still delivers a lot of power with its 24 hp and 32 Nm, it actually pushes very well and these characteristics suit the target group very well.
Who is in the target group for Bilkollektivet?
Morten Munch-Olsen quickly replies that with this choice, Bilkollektivet wants to shape a “reborn philosophy” for members who are well grown up, probably well educated and have had a driver’s license for a while and who want to experience adventure or discovery elements without necessarily needing lots of power and speed.
The customer in the target group would like to go on a trip, discover and enjoy experiences and the joy of traveling comfortably on two wheels and, make no mistake, the Scram 411 is a very capable motorcycle that loves corners and without a doubt delivers a lot of fun factor.
The road to new roads and new driving pleasure can literally be found at HUBriding.no
Morten is concerned that driving pleasure is unlikely to be produced on motorways or trunk roads with high speeds and monotonous driving. Find driving pleasure on smaller and winding roads and feel free to use HUBriding.no, where there are ready-made travel concepts and more than 100 defined driving routes with turns and guaranteed experiences. All routes can be downloaded to your phone or your own GPS. “Our goal is to help create interest and renewed driving pleasure, preferably with one of a total of 15 Royal Enfiled models,” he adds. “These are reliable, affordable, reliable and, not least, affordable and fun to drive.
Adventure for everyone with Bilkollektivet and the only ones in the world to offer online booking by app
We in the editorial team think this is a fantastic initiative and we’re really rooting for this initiative that we really hope can grow. This is a low-risk contribution to increased motorcycle interest and driving pleasure that does not necessarily mean high speed and high power, not at all. Bilkollektivet has the only member-based app in the world where you can book a motorcycle online 24/7, how cool is that?
If you live in the Oslo area, you have easy access to this service and if, like many others, you love Royal Enfield, Lazy Boyz, which is both importer and dealer, is not very far away. Several new and exciting models are being launched here these days. For a presentation of all Royal Enfield models, see https://www.royal-enfield.no/royalenfield-motorsykler
We’re rooting for Bilkollektivet and Morten Munch-Olsen and will be following them closely in the time to come.
Kudos for innovation, determination and drive.
