Hello everyone,

During my visit to Bangalore in April 2024, I opted to rent a two-wheeler for an early morning bike trip to Nandi Hills with my wife. After researching several bike rental services, I settled on Royal Brothers and selected a Yamaha Aerox 155 for INR 800/- for a one-day rental with a 120km limit and an excess charge of INR 5 per kilometer.

Although the app had some glitches, I managed to make the booking and payment. My pickup time was 9 PM, and upon arriving at the location, my experience took a turn for the worse. The fleet manager proved unhelpful and disinterested in engaging with me, despite this being my first time renting a bike and having several inquiries. After taking a few photos of the scooter, including its mileage and all sides, he handed it over to us.

On the way to the nearest gas station, I noticed the oil indicator was on and promptly informed the fleet supervisor. His casual response reassured me that it was normal, so I refueled with INR 500/- and proceeded home.

The following morning at 5 AM, we embarked on our journey and soon encountered issues with the bike. Dust and dirt covered the mirror and headlight, impairing our visibility. Despite cleaning them, the scooter continued to make grinding noises, possibly due to low oil, causing concern for a breakdown. Additionally, the worn-out brakes made stopping difficult, especially when coming down the hills with pillion. Despite these challenges, we managed to maintain speeds of 70-80 km/h on highways and 30-40 km/h on rough roads. However, the bike continued to emit concerning sounds even at lower speeds.

Upon reaching Nandi Hills and exploring the area, we encountered further difficulties navigating through traffic on the return journey, especially with a pillion rider. Despite the numerous issues, the bike surprisingly achieved over 40 km/l fuel efficiency, and we returned it three hours earlier than scheduled. However, upon inspection, the fleet supervisor charged me an extra INR 240/- for exceeding the 120km limit by 40km.

Upon returning home, my brother, who had accompanied us on his own Aprilia SR 150 Race, revealed that his scooter's odometer displayed only 135 km for the entire trip, compared to the 160 km recorded on the rented Aerox (120 km + 40 km). When I raised this discrepancy with customer support, they insisted that their vehicle odometers were accurate and dismissed any need for correction.

Perplexed by how two vehicles traveling the same route could yield different odometer readings, I attempted to contact the fleet supervisor but decided against it, knowing well their attitude towards customers and vehicle maintenance. Disappointed with the experience, I resolved to delete the app and refrain from using Royal Brothers due to their poor customer service and inadequately maintained vehicles.