Ask LH: How Can I Use My Motorbike To Make Money?

Dear Lifehacker, How can I use my motorcycle to make some extra cash? I don’t have a car so Uber is out of the question. I looked into Deliveroo but it’s surprisingly difficult to find out how to become a rider for them. What are some ways I can use a motorcycle to earn money? Thanks, Matt

Dear Matt,

Compared to cars, there aren’t a whole lot of options for motorcyclists looking to to make money on the side. Ride sharing is obviously out, and transport hire is also tricky due to myriad insurance issues. This leaves you with courier jobs, which tend to favour bicycles and scooters.

With that said, there are plenty of businesses who do hire motorcyclists to make deliveries, particularly in the metropolitan fast food market. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, a quick Google search should turn up some job listings in your area.

In addition to getting an hourly wage, many of these businesses offer a drop off bonus per delivery. The drawback if that you’ll most likely be working evenings and weekends. You might also be required to apply for an Australian Business Number (ABN) as a sole trader.

If you live in Sydney or Melbourne, you may want to consider UberEATS. As its name implies, this is Uber’s food delivery arm. The service runs seven days a week between 11am and 10pm, which should provide more flexibility compared to a single fast food franchise. To be eligible, you’ll need a registered motorbike that was made in 2001 or later that’s insured (with you listed as an insured rider).

There are also plenty of independent restaurants that require motorcycle riders on a casual or part-time basis so be sure to check job listings online. The same goes with courier jobs; I see courier motorcycles zipping around town all the time. Sherpa is a service that works like UberEats but it’s for delivery all sorts of goods. It is also open to motorcycle riders so you might want to check it out here.

Another option worth looking into is Airtasker. This is a basically a job listing site for one-off deliveries and casual labour. Workers can choose the jobs they want to take on and set their own price. Just be aware that there will be plenty of others vying for the same jobs, so don’t expect to make a fortune. On the plus side, you get to be your own boss (kind of) and Airtasker provides a basic insurance policy which covers you for public liability when completing tasks.

If you’re any good at writing and own a popular motorbike model, you could try offering your services to a media publication. There are quite a few websites and magazines that specialise in motorcycles and travel. If they like your style, you might even get to test drive new bikes and get paid for sharing your experiences.

We’re also going to throw this one over to our readers. If any motorcyclists have income generating schemes of their own, share them in the comments!

Cheers
Lifehacker

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