About Us

Six consecutive TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards. Riders from over 40 countries. Thousands of trouble-free rental days across Greek mountains, coastlines, and countryside.

But MotoGreece didn’t start with accolades. It started with a crisis, a five-month journey, and a decision to build something different.

Our story

The Beginning

In 2012, I, John Kapelakis, lost my job. It was the height of Greece’s financial crisis – businesses closing, unemployment soaring, futures uncertain. Rather than scramble for another position in a collapsing economy, I made a different choice: a five-month motorcycle expedition through South America.

Patagonia. The Andes. Ushuaia at the edge of the world. Months on the road, testing limits, meeting riders from everywhere, understanding what truly matters on a long journey. When I returned to Greece, something had shifted. The corporate career path no longer made sense. The question wasn’t what job to find – it was what to build.

MotoGreece’s Partner John Karoumpas shared the vision. We had both spent years on the roads doing what we loved – me touring Europe and beyond – the Alps, Pyrenees, North Cape, the routes that serious riders chase. John Karoumpas doing races like the Historic Acropolis Rally for a decade accumulating thousands of kilometers.

And we kept coming back to the same realization: Greece had roads that could rival anything in Europe, but almost no one knew about them. The international touring community was missing something extraordinary.

We thought turning our passion into a business would be straightforward. We imagined customers like us – experienced, careful riders who understood the bikes and the roads. We envisioned long conversations about routes over coffee, riders returning year after year, becoming friends.

We were romantics.

Reality Arrived Quickly

The first 2 seasons were a shock. The logistics of maintaining a fleet, the reality that many renters had little actual experience despite their confidence, the late-night calls about minor damage that felt major, the complexity of insurance, the discovery that “I’ve been riding for 20 years” often meant “I rode to work for 20 years, but I’ve never actually toured.”

And then there was the workload. Twelve-hour days. Every single day. No weekends. No holidays. No breaks. For years. While our friends were enjoying time off and weekends, we were answering WhatsApp messages at midnight, troubleshooting GPS units, and driving to swap out motorcycles in remote villages.

There were moments we questioned everything.

What We Learned (The Hard Way)

But we didn’t quit. And somewhere in year three, things started to click. Not because it got easier – it didn’t. But because we finally understood what we were actually building.

We realized that the inexperienced riders weren’t a problem to solve – they were our actual customers. First-timers touring abroad who needed more than just a bike, they needed confidence. They needed routes that were spectacular but not terrifying. Hotels booked in advance so they weren’t searching in a foreign language at 6 PM. GPS units pre-loaded and tested. Someone to message at any hour if something went wrong.

Every system we built – the detailed route books, the 24/7 support, the maintenance protocols, the pre-trip briefings – came from mistakes we made or problems we solved. The premium fleet? Because we learned that bike reliability eliminates 90% of potential stress. The boutique hotels? Because after 6 hours in the saddle, you don’t want to gamble on accommodation. The alternative routes loaded in every GPS? Because weather and energy levels are unpredictable.

We stopped trying to be the company we imagined and became the company our customers actually needed.

Where We Are Now

Today, MotoGreece is what years of 12-hour days and hundreds of customers have built. We’re not riders who started a company – we’re a company built by riders who refused to cut corners.

The awards mean something because they came from the people who rode with us. The reputation is real because it was earned one careful route selection, one late-night support call, one perfectly maintained motorcycle at a time.

John Kapelakis and John Karoumpas still run every aspect of the business. We still test every route. We still personally brief every customer. We’re still working those long hours – but now we know why we’re doing it, and we know how to do it right.

We’re no longer romantic about the work. But we’re still romantic about the roads. And after all these years, we still believe Greece offers some of the finest motorcycling in the world. We just know now that sharing it properly takes more than passion – it takes systems, experience, and an uncompromising commitment to getting the details right.

The Next Chapter

Whether you’re planning your first international tour or your twentieth, whether you’re an experienced rider or someone who’s ready to challenge themselves, whether you want complete independence with a self-guided tour or the ease of joining a small guided group – our job is to make your Greek adventure exceptional.

Not because we promise it in marketing copy, but because we’ve spent years learning exactly how to deliver it.

Recognition and Awards

Our Commitment

Quality Without Compromise

Before MotoGreece, we spent years in demanding corporate environments – the kind where details matter and systems prevent problems. We brought that discipline to motorcycle touring, not because we wanted to be corporate, but because we learned the hard way that the difference between a great trip and a bad one often comes down to overlooked details.

Every motorcycle in our fleet is less than three years old and maintained exclusively by authorized service centers. Every route is personally tested and refined based on real rider feedback. Every hotel is hand-selected and vetted. Every GPS is pre-loaded and verified.

We don’t use third-party suppliers for our motorcycles – our entire fleet is 100% owned by MotoGreece. When you have a question at 9 PM, you’re messaging us directly, not a call center. When something needs fixing, we handle it personally.

This approach doesn’t scale easily, but combining professional systems with personal service is the only way we know how to operate.

Responsibility, Not Hype

Motorcycling carries inherent risk. We do not try to hide that, dilute it, or market around it.

Our responsibility is to:

  • Provide well-maintained motorcycles
  • Design routes that are enjoyable without being reckless
  • Communicate limitations honestly
  • Support riders when things do not go perfectly

Trust is built through consistency and transparency, not through exaggerated claims.

For clarity on how MotoGreece approaches reviews, rankings, and third-party features, see our transparency statement.

Where to Go Next

If you would like to understand:

Company Information

  • Founded: 2016
  • Location: Based in Athens, Greece
  • Founders: John Kapelakis & John Karoumpas
  • Service Area: Mainland Greece (Peloponnese, Central Greece, Epirus, Thessaly, Macedonia)
  • Fleet: Premium motorcycles
  • License: MH.T.E. 0206E82000521401