Ten minutes of checks at pickup saves a day of trouble later. Work down this list before the bike leaves the street.
Paperwork first
Confirm you have a licence that covers the bike and that the rental arrangement is clear: the deposit at Nguyen Tu is typically 2,000,000–5,000,000 VND depending on the vehicle, late return is charged at 20,000 VND per hour, and more than six hours late may mean a full additional rental day. Insurance is not provided — riders arrange their own. Full requirements are in the rental requirements guide.
The machine
- Clutch: pull the lever — smooth, no binding, and no free play that lets the bike creep in gear with the lever in. The lever adjustment guide covers what correct feels like.
- Gears: click through the full pattern with the engine off, then find first and neutral again with it running.
- Brakes: squeeze the front and press the rear while pushing the bike; both should bite before half-travel.
- Chain: look for obvious rust, a chain sagging like a necklace or one drum-tight, and listen for slap on the test ride.
- Tyres: tread present, sidewalls without cracks, pressures firm (press the seat and bars hard — a soft bike squats).
- Lights and horn: headlight high/low, brake light front and rear, indicators if fitted, and a horn that works — in Hanoi traffic the horn is a safety tool.
- Fuel: agree the fuel level at pickup in words — full, half, empty — not a shrug. The rental fuel policy guide covers the common arrangements.
- Test ride: two slow laps of the street, testing both brakes and every gear, before you commit.
Photos
Photograph all four sides, the odometer, and any existing scratch. Timestamped photos settle every disagreement about damage instantly.
What to skip
Do not adjust or repair a rental bike yourself — report the issue to the provider instead, and for anything mechanical, the basic maintenance knowledge guide helps you describe the symptom correctly rather than attempt the fix.