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Motorbike statistics
How has motorbike popularity amongst Brits changed?
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There are a number of reasons to choose a motorbike: As well as potentially making your commute easier and more thrilling, they tend to be cheaper than owning a car. They also give you the freedom to cover new ground while also welcoming you into a community of friendly bikers.
However, motorbikes can be very dangerous if you are involved in a serious accident, and just like a car, owning a motorbike means that you must have third party cover in case anything goes wrong.
Did you know?
- In 2017, the region with the highest number of licensed motorcycles was the South East, with 216,000 vehicles.
- This is over 5 times the number registered vehicles in the North East (39,200).
- The number of motorcycles registered in 2018 was 1,243,000 – almost a thousand times the number of licensed ultra-low-emission motorcycles registered in 2018 (1,279).
- The number of motorcycle riders involved in road accidents decreased from 29,523 in 2003 to 19,204 in 2017 – a decrease of 34%.
- In 2018, the average expenditure on motorcycles per quarter in the UK was £225 million.
- The consumer price index (CPI) of motorcycles was highest in 2018 at 104 – a 28% increase on 2007’s CPI value of 81.
The most popular motorbike brands
The number of motorbikes per brand owned in the UK from 2016 to 2018 is presented below. In 2018, the most popular brand was Honda. There were 302,000 Honda motorbikes in 2018, which is almost double the number of the next biggest motorbike brand, Suzuki.
| Motorbike brand | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda | 302,000 | 237,000 | 270,000 |
| Suzuki | 154,000 | 162,000 | 163,000 |
| Yamaha | 148,000 | 138,000 | 144,000 |
| Kawasaki | 143,000 | 105,000 | 141,000 |
| BMW | 131,000 | 142,000 | 118,000 |
| Triumph | 92,000 | 96,000 | 100,000 |
| Aprilia | 86,000 | 23,000 | 45,000 |
| Ducati | 77,000 | 124,000 | 75,000 |
| Harley Davidson | 73,000 | 64,000 | 56,000 |
| Piaggio | 50,000 | 39,000 | 65,000 |
| Vespa | 41,000 | 65,000 | 47,000 |
| Peugeot | 25,000 | 28,000 | 46,000 |
The number of motorcycles sold in the UK in 2018 by type
At 33,570 sold, naked bikes are the most popular type of motorcycle sold in 2018, making up over a third of all motorcycle sales. A fifth of all motorcycle sales are scooters, followed closely by adventure sport bikes at 18% of all motorcycle sales.
| Type of motorcycle | Number sold |
|---|---|
| Naked | 33,570 |
| Scooter | 19,770 |
| Adventure sport | 17,860 |
| Custom | 8,280 |
| Supersport | 8,260 |
| Trail/Enduro | 6,130 |
| Sports/Tour | 3,240 |
| Touring | 2,470 |
| Unspecified | 190 |
The number of motorcycles sold in 2018 by engine size
Motorbikes with 51-125cc engines were most commonly sold in 2018, making up 22% of all motorcycles sold. In second place, and making up close to a fifth of all motorcycles sold, were motorbikes with engines over 1,000cc.
| Engine size | Number of motorcycles |
|---|---|
| 1-50cc | 70,000 |
| 51-125cc | 278,000 |
| 126-150cc | 12,000 |
| 151-400cc | 146,000 |
| 401-500cc | 63,000 |
| 501-600cc | 96,000 |
| 601-650cc | 68,000 |
| 651-800cc | 128,000 |
| 801-1,000cc | 175,000 |
| More than 1,000c | 228,000 |
Reasons for motorcycle failing their MOT in 2017/2018
In the 2017/2018 year, 25.6% of motorcycles initially failed their MOTs. Of these failed motorcycles, 37% failed due to lighting and signalling issues, making it the most likely reason to fail. Brakes were the second biggest reason for these motorcycles failing their MOTs, with almost a fifth of all failed motorcycles failing for this reason. Steering and suspension and tyres and wheels closely followed as the next most common causes for failing an MOT, with a 15% and 12% occurrence, respectively.
| Reason | Reasons for failure |
|---|---|
| Lighting and signalling | 37% |
| Brakes | 18% |
| Steering and suspension | 15% |
| Tyres and wheels | 12% |
| Drive system | 5% |
| Registration plates | 4% |
| Fuel and exhaust | 4% |
| Body and structure | 3% |
| Driving controls | 2% |
Which age group is best at passing the practical motorcycle road test?
The pass rate for the practical motorcycle road test is shown for three years, from 2015 to 2018. With an average of a 73% pass rate over the three years, the 21-30-year-old age bracket has the highest pass rate. Despite the jump in 2017/2018, the 61+ age group has the lowest average motorcycle pass rate, at 64%.
| 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17-20 | 67% | 66% | 67% |
| 21-30 | 73% | 73% | 74% |
| 31-40 | 72% | 71% | 70% |
| 41-50 | 70% | 70% | 70% |
| 51-60 | 66% | 65% | 66% |
| 61+ | 61% | 59% | 73% |
Sources
Click here for more research. For all media enquiries, please contact:
Matt Mckenna
UK communications manager
T: +44 20 8191 8806
UK communications manager
T: +44 20 8191 8806
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