Industry and Economy
Since about 2001 expenditure on motorcycling has been around £0.75 per household per week (£0.15 on purchases and loans, £0.60 on accessories, spares, etc.) which suggests a total for the UK at more than £1 billion.
(Compendium of Motorcycle Statistics DfT June 2006)
The Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCI) estimates that the total UK motorcycle industry turns over in the region of £3 billion per year and directly employs approximately 15,000 people.
Motorcycle Activity
- In the UK, there are approximately 3.5 million people who have motorcycle entitlement on their licence
- There are around 1.5 million active riders and 15 per cent of them are women
- The average motorcyclist rides 90 miles per week
- About 60 per cent of motorcycle trips are for
- Five motorcycles can park in a space occupied by one car
- Scooters cut journey times in the capital by an average of 48 per cent compared to all other forms of transport
- Approximately 100,000 Londoners own a bike
Gender & Motorcycling - 28 per cent of women used a motorcycle as their main form of transport
- 27 per cent used a moped
- 63 per cent said they were all-year riders
- 37 per cent didn’t generally ride in winter
- 40 per cent used their bike every day compared to 33 per cent men
- 38 per cent used a bike mainly for general transport compared to 23 per cent men
- 42 per cent used a bike mainly for pleasure compared to 51 per cent men
Age & MotorcyclingThe number of young people aged 17– 21 years, who took their motorcycle test increased from 2003/04 to 2004/05 by 12 per cent.
An industry survey of riders in the 35-45 age-groups indicates:- Three quarters are married
- Around half are skilled, managerial or professional workers
- On average, they started riding 20 years ago
- Many gave-up in the mid 1980s
- Around 60 per cent have come back to biking after a break of 9 years on average
- Around 1 in 4 belong to a bike club of some sort
The Nation’s Favourite Bikers ….. Steve McQueen Top of The PollsAlmost one quarter of the British public value Steve McQueen as the nation’s favourite biker. Research commissioned by the MCI found that he tops the polls with 24 per cent of the votes, head and shoulders ahead of other famous two-wheel fans. (1)
McQueen’s closet rivals achieved votes from nearly one in ten people (8 per cent). Ewan McGregor, the actor, also famous for his ‘Long Way Round' exploits with buddy Charley Boorman came joint second favourite with the household name Carl Foggarty.
The queen of the pillion remains Angelina Jolie, known for her on-screen high octane antics in films like Tomb Raider and Mr and Mrs Smith. She retains the title as the person that people would most like to ride pillion with, securing 13 per cent of the votes. ( 2)
Unsurprisingly, men are most likely to pick Ms Jolie who got 26 per cent of their votes and bikers on the whole gave her 18 per cent of the votes. (3)
MCI’s Craig Carey Clinch said, “There are a great number of household names that people associate with motorcycling, some because of their profession as racers. But it is surprising how many famous people have got the bug of two wheels and enjoy riding bikes either for fun or practical reasons.
“Fans of scooters and bikes who have also supported motorcycling campaigns include Jonathan Ross, actor Charley Boorman, politician Lembit Opik, BSB commentator Janie Omorogbe and sports stars James Toseland and James Cracknell.”
Famous Motorcyclists- Brad Pitt – Hollywood actor and sex symbol rides BMWs with his partner Angelina Jolie
- Elvis Presley - Elvis was a motorcyclist and appeared in several movies with a motorcycle theme such as Roustabout in 1964
- Jay Leno - popular late night television talk show host - has a huge collection of motorcycles
- Arnold Schwarzenegger – Former Governor of California popularized the Harley- Davidson 'Fat Boy' model in Terminator 2 and still rides Harley-Davidsons
- Bob Dylan - legendary musician who also rode motorcycles
- Steve McQueen - The famous actor’s skill as a rider was even acknowledged by the professional riders that he rode with. Steve was a high ranking amateur rider as well and did some of his own motorcycle stunts
- T.E. Lawrence - Best known for his extraordinary feats in the Arabian desert during WW1, Lawrence was an ardent motorcyclist
- George Bernard Shaw - The famous British dramatist (Pygmalion, Saint Joan), was a personal friend of T. E. Lawrence and shared Lawrence 's passion for motorcycles. He once gave a Brough Superior SS100 motorcycle to Lawrence
- Roald Dahl -A respected author of children's books and perhaps best known for the stories in the TV series Tales of the Unexpected. He mentions his motorcycle Boyor Going Solo
- George Orwell - The author of many books including Animal Farm and 1984. He regularly used a Royal Enfield 350
- Charles Lindbergh – Famous for crossing the Atlantic by plane he was also motorcyclist
- Queen Latifa - An American hip-hop/rap musician
- Che Guevara - wrote a book on his motorcycling adventures
- Buddy Holly – Legendary musician also rode an Ariel Cyclone
- James Dean - His uncle Marcus bought him his first motorcycle, a 1947 Czech Whizzer. Other motorcycles included a Harley-Davidson, a Norton 500, an Indian 500, an Italian scooter and a Triumph T110
- Prince William - one of the heirs to the throne is a motorcyclist
- Prince Michael of Kent - another royal who enjoys powered two-wheelers
- Dick Emery - The comedy actor had several bikes, including one of the first Honda CB750s
- George Formby - A popular music hall/film star in England in the 1940s and 50s,famous for playing the ukulele. He owned a Norton International 500cc OH single sports model, one of the most desirable machines of the day
- Howard Hughes – American aviator, film maker, playboy and eccentric reputed to ride dirt bikes in the desert
Image credit to Dailymail.com
