Background

New motorcycle registrations have been growing steadily month-on-month throughout 2015. Devitt Insurance Services created the ‘Biking in Britain’ survey to find out the true state of the biking nation of the UK.

2,100 UK motorcyclists completed our State of the UK Biking Nation in 2015. Of those respondents, 91.52% were male and 8.48% were female.

The aim was to give an in depth analysis of the current biking generation covering everything from their demographic and lifestyle choices, their preferred style and type of motorbike, safety concerns and interests.

Who is your ‘average’ biker? 

From the ‘Biking in Britain’ survey, it was clear that the overall majority of UK motorcyclists are aged between 40 – 59 (63.38%) and one third of bikers are aged between 50-59 (33.83%).

Although many people would stereotype motorcycling as a young person’s sport, only 8% of UK motorcyclists are in their twenties.

Unsurprisingly, with the generation of bikers being more mature, 68.23% have children.

The most populated area of motorcyclists in the South East (19.05%) of the UK with 12% of bikers using their motorcycling for commuting purposes and 8% to avoid congestion.

82% of UK motorcyclists are riding ‘for fun’ and 76% for the love of motorbikes.

Lifestyle

With 40 – 59 year olds being the favourite to ride it’s unsurprising that 46.19% of motorcyclists have been riding a motorcycle for more than 20 years and 66.56% have an A class motorcycle license.

Other modes of transports popular with 87.41% of motorcyclists also use a car while 28.53% still can’t get enough of two-wheels and use a bicycle.

In answer to the question “Why do you ride a motorcycle?” The top response was for fun (82.67%), second came for the love of motorbikes (76.64%) while the third most popular response was for the thrill (51.89%). More mundane reasons for riding a motorbike such as for commuting (46.19%) or to avoid congestion (31.52%) or to save money (19.68%) came 4^th, 5^th and 6^th respectively.

It is evident that motorcyclists ride for different reasons, for some it was keep the young “Biking keeps me feeling young. You have to ride one to understand.” Other it was all about freedom, “Freedom to go anywhere at any time, cheaply and quickly.”

Brand and Styles

The Japanese motorcycle manufacturers rule: Honda (26.56%), Suzuki (19.63%) and Yamaha (19.20%) are the favourite bike brands of approximately two thirds of the UK’s motorcyclists.

Keeping in the British theme, Triumph remains a leading UK motorcycle manufacturer brand with 15.31% unlike British brands, BSA and Royal Enfield with less than 1% of UK bikers owning one.

Female motorcyclists in the UK are more likely to be seen riding a Yamaha motorcycle compared to male motorcyclists who are more inclined to be cruising on a Honda.

Although the overriding favourite brand of all motorcyclists is Honda. Other popular brands for young riders (20 -39) is Suzuki compared to Kawasaki for 40 – 59 year olds. 

Similarly, when asked what bike they would purchase if money was not object the response to this was hugely eclectic but the three brands that really stood out included Ducati, BMW and Honda.

The top three styles of motorcycles are sports (24.59%), naked (20.69%) and touring (21.07%).

Touring styled motorcycles are most popular with the 50 – 59 age group, this could be due to having more time for longer rides and trips on their motorcycles, therefore opting for comfort over speed.

Sports styled bikers were increasingly more popular with generations aged between 20 – 49 years-old.   

Safety

Motorcycle safety is growing concern within the biking community as more and more organisations and companies are promoting ‘all the gear all the time’. It’s law to wear a motorcycle helmet when riding; however no other gear is compulsory.

94% of motorcyclists wear protective gloves, 91% protective boots and 70% wear protective trousers.

What was perhaps more surprising were the findings that only 25.01% wear full leathers while a meagre 33.39% of the same wear reflective gear.

Just over 20% of bikers use a sports pro camera when using their motorcycle. The main reason given by motorcyclists for using a camera is for using it as evidence in case they have an accident.

Additional training

69.33% of motorcyclists replied negatively to the question “Have you had any additional motorcycle training?” Of those that have taken additional motorcycle training the top three training organisations were Bike Safe (20.00%), IAM (9.65%) and the Enhanced Rider Scheme (7.41%).

The top response given for taking additional training was to ‘improve my riding skills’ (58.24%) while to ‘improve my safety’ was the main consideration for 34.45% of respondents.

To get insurance discounts accounted for only 12.64%, which suggests that some insurers may be missing a trick in not outlining the cost benefits of taking additional training more clearly.

Motorcycle Insurance and Road Issues

The response to the question ‘what’s your biggest consideration when buying bike insurance?’ was unequivocally met with the response “price” with 46.25% of respondents. 27.25% of motorcyclists said that the cover benefits played an important role in their ultimate purchasing decision while 15.22% said that the insurance company’s reputation informed their decision.

Like all groups in society, motorcyclists have their concerns and issues that they would like to see addressed and their main concern in 2015 is listed by 71.29% of bikers as “other road users”. Road conditions is cited by 62.87% of motorcyclists as cause for concern while keeping your bike well maintained (26.71%) and increases in theft (22.56%) were other top ranking worries.

Do bikers live up to their stereotypes?

The general consensus for motorcyclists is for them to be males covered in tattoos and have a beard. Devitt Insurance thought they would delve a little deeper to see if this was actually the case.

39.18% of motorcyclists have a tattoo. Tattoos were most popular with motorcyclists aged between 40 -49 with 36% of them being inked.

Less than a third of UK bikers have a beard, 27.30%.

Beards are most popular with male bikers aged between 50-59 years-old, with 151 respondents sporting facial hair.

Motorcyclist’s musical preference was rock with an overwhelming 75.28%. Many bikers confessed to being pop fans with 40.67% and nearly a third of motorcyclists (30.31%) said that classical music formed part of their music tastes.

If you have a beard and tattoos, you’re more likely to be seen riding a Harley Davidson or a custom styled motorcycle.

Biker Favourites

Nearly half of motorcyclists (47.33%) said they have never been to biker café. Of the more than half of motorcyclists that have gone to a café, the name that was mentioned the most was Ace Café with 21.40%.

Second and third places went to Squires (10.85%) and Ponderosa Café (9.26%).

The survey asked which do you think is the best motorcycle show in the UK? The MCN Motorcycle Show (40.29%) was considered by a significant number to be the best event while Motorcycle Live came second receiving 18.75% of the vote.

UK motorcyclists’ favourite motorcycle race to watch is Isle of Man TT (46.26%) followed in second place by the MotoGP (25.61%).

Who is your favourite biker personality?

Guy Martin was the clear winner with around 40% of votes with Valentino Rossi coming a not too distant second. Honourable mentions go to Carl Foggarty, Henry Cole, Barry Sheen and one respondent’s “dad.”

Technology and Innovation

The UK’s motorcyclists in the main don’t seem to think much of the latest smartphone App technology that is out there for them at the moment with many respondents saying they have no real opinion or don’t know what is on offer.

Of those that did have an opinion, many were of the view that nothing met their needs right now while other cited Sat Nav, Tom Tom and Real Rider as being their favourites.

Opinions on new technology such as electric motorbikes, however, was more positive with many UK motorcyclists giving the concept, at least, a cautious thumbs-up.

Social Media Platforms

The final question in the survey focussed on social media and which platforms were being used by the UK’s motorcyclists.

No surprised for guessing that Facebook came out on top with 78.83% of respondents; followed by Twitter with 30.73%.

Conclusion

The main points that can be drawn from the Biking in Britain survey justify that bikers can’t all be tarnished with the same brush.

Stereotypically speaking, less than half of bikers are bearded with tattoos which changes an age-old perception, although rock music will always be their favourite.

Motorcycling, as a nation, is maintaining a positive attitude and is growing steadily in terms of registrations, licence carriers and safety measures.

There is room for improvement in terms of the new technology available to bikers, advice for motorcycle insurance specialists and motorcycle manufacturers to help understand their target market further, in terms of styles of bikes they may release in the future.

The results of the survey have been able to give an in-depth synopsis of the biking nation as a whole in 2015. It has also given the ability to be narrowed down giving a more detailed description of key areas of the UK which can provide handy information to the relevant fields.  

First of all let me wish everyone a safe and peaceful Christmas and New Year: 2015 has seen its ups and downs however everyone at the Henry Surtees Foundation deserves a pat on the back for the sterling work achieved during this very busy year raising not just funds, but awareness too! My sincere thanks also to the faithful sponsors and supporters as without them we would not be able to continue our work in helping those who have suffered head trauma and other serious accidents.

2016 will see another year and another great step forward for the foundation with plans afoot to...  (watch this space!)

Hever Castle Father’s Day event – 19 June 2016

Henry Surtees Brooklands Team Karting Challenge at Mercedes-Benz World – date to be agreed shortly

Henry Surtees Challenge at Buckmore Park 26 October 2016

 

 

In January BBC 2 aired a ‘Racing Legends’ episode on John Surtees, which proved so popular it was broadcast twice. The programme saw John paired with keen motorcycle enthusiast and Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood. Paul took to the track and the Isle of Man TT circuit to recreate some of John’s finest races. Paul’s sheer enthusiasm and genuine pleasure of working with John, and riding the MV Agusta was clearly evident.

Paul Hollywood said “It was a real privilege and an honour to not only meet a true living legend… but to be allowed to ride his championship MV Augusta, was a dream come true! It was one of the best days of my life!”

Paul has since become a firm friend and ambassador of HSF and has supported numerous events throughout the year.
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The British Motor Museum (formerly known as the Heritage Motor Centre), has made three new senior staff appointments. John Bishop takes on the role of Group Visits Executive, Simon Carr joins as Clubs & Rallies Co-ordinator and Neil Colledge joins as the Drivezone Development Officer.

John Bishop, who was previously ‘Clubs, Groups & Rallies Senior Co-Ordinator’ took on the new role of ‘Group Visits Executive’ from 30 November. John is responsible for promoting the British Motor Museum and Collections Centre to Group Travel Organisers and Tour Operators as well as developing joint visits with other venues and increasing footfall. John joined the organisation 20 years ago and is well experienced in what the British Motor Museum can offer, as well as motoring history, social history and RAF Gaydon history. John plans to introduce a series of new guided tours in 2016, including ‘Mind Your Motoring Manners’ with Paula Cornwell acting as the Hon. Mrs Victor Bruce.

Simon Carr is responsible for looking after clubs and rallies who wish to hold club meetings/AGM’s and run road rallies. His main responsibilities are to look after classic car clubs and promote the excellent facilities on offer at the British Motor Museum. Simon’s experience has previously been in customer services so he is well equipped for his new role. His future plans include running the usual events such as Club Expo and the Heritage Rally as well as new events such as the 2016 Shakespeare Rally which will celebrate 400 years of Shakespeare’s legacy over the August bank holiday weekend.

Neil Colledge, a retired Police Officer, started at the British Motor Museum on 2 November. He is heading up the Museums ‘Drivezone’ which provides driver education and experiences for people of all ages, starting from 11 years! One of his aims is to try and reduce road casualties by providing driver education to 11 - 17 year olds before they start driving lessons. During Neil’s time as a traffic officer, he attended and dealt with many road traffic collisions where drivers suffered life changing or fatal injuries, and the hardest thing he did was to deliver "that message" that due to a collision, someone will not be coming home. The last 5 years of his police service was spent in the forces driving school, teaching both police officers and support staff to drive cars and ride motorcycles, from basic assessments to advanced level, including emergency response and pursuit techniques. Neil was also the trainer and assessor for the VIP police motorcycle escort team. Neil is passionate about road safety, and is a member of The Association of Independent Road Safety Officers, The Institute of Advanced Motorists and is an approved examiner for RoSPA. Neil’s future plans include developing a road safety academy at the British Motor Museum .

The British Motor Museum re-opens to the public on Saturday 13 February following a refurbishment at a cost of £1.1m by the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust. The changes will result in a much more visually exciting and immersive display of cars, designed to appeal to both current fans as well as new audiences yet to experience all that the Museum has to offer. The Collections Centre also re-opens on the same date. Supported by Heritage Lottery Fund, Jaguar Land Rover and the Garfield Weston Foundation, as well as the two charitable Trusts involved, the £4m project stores around 250 vehicles from the reserve collections of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust and the Jaguar Heritage Trust. To find out more information please visit the website at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

The Institute of Advanced Motorists’ (IAM) free driving taster offer has less than two weeks to run – and the road safety charity is encouraging people to take advantage before it expires on 31 December.

Every driver in England and Wales can take advantage of the advanced driving taster session, which is worth £39.

This initiative is part of the IAM’s Love Driving campaign, which discovered that bad driving can be a real turn-off. Not only can bad motoring habits cause accidents and injury at worse; it can also put a damper on you meeting Mr or Ms Right.

The free assessment gives drivers the opportunity to carry out a 60-minute session in the comfort of their own car with a qualified assessor from the IAM. There are no special insurance requirements – you only need to hold a valid UK driving licence.

To take advantage simply log on to www.iam.org.uk/lovedriving before 31 December to register your interest.

The IAM is the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving and motorcycling. The commercial division of the IAM operates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive. The IAM has more than 200 local volunteer groups and over 90,000 members in the UK and Ireland. It is best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving and motorcycling courses. Its policy and research division offers advice and expertise on road safety.

www.facebook.com/InstituteofAdvancedMotorists

Waterproof bags by Ortlieb are extremely resilient, completely watertight and an essential companion on many motorbike tours. All motorbike luggage by the Middle Franconian manufacturer will now be marketed exclusively under the name “Touratech Waterproof made by Ortlieb”. The rack-packs, saddle bags and tank bags will be available via motorcycle equipment specialists Touratech, based in Niedereschach, as well as through other dealers in Germany and worldwide via Touratech’s distributor network.

Established in 1982 at Heilsbronn in the Ansbach district of Bavaria, Ortlieb Sportartikel GmbH have made a name for themselves with high-quality outdoor equipment. Their products are used wherever waterproofing is essential, such as on the way to the office – or on a wilderness adventure. There are solid reasons for Touratech to become the sole distributor of Ortlieb’s motorcycle line. As previously with Adventure Rack Packs, the product range is being further optimised for motorcyclists in close collaboration with Ortlieb, and new developments added. These include packsacks and saddle bags, tank bags, water bags, document bags, outer pockets and many more. “Touratech Waterproof made by Ortlieb” is a brand that combines Ortlieb’s experience in manufacturing waterproof equipment with Touratech’s expertise in adventure touring.

A love of adventure unites the two companies, which have followed parallel paths in many ways. Like Touratech, Ortlieb’s first products came about through a personal need to develop equipment for individual use that didn’t exist before. For Touratech founder Herbert Schwarz, it was the IMO 200T motorcycle computer and homemade aluminium panniers. For Hartmut Ortlieb, it was waterproof saddle bags, made from lorry tarpaulins, for cycling trips. Both companies have an impressive history of success. They attach the utmost importance to “quality made in Germany”, and house all departments – from development and production to sales and marketing – at their headquarters.

“I am delighted that we can offer this additional range of products under the Touratech brand. ‘Touratech Waterproof made by Ortlieb’ is precisely tailored to motorcyclists’ requirements,” says Touratech sales manager Martin Wickert. “We see obvious advantages in partnering exclusively with market leader Ortlieb in this segment, and pooling the knowledge of both firms in the interests of our customers.”
Ortlieb employs 170 people and offers a range of more than 500 individual items. All waterproof original ORTLIEB products are manufactured in a high-frequency welding process directly at the company’s headquarters in Heilsbronn.

www.touratech.com