In the past year since the start of the pandemic, the motorbike industry has seen a significant revival, with the Motorcycle Industry Association reporting an 11.8% increase in motorcycle registrations during 2020 compared to the previous year, as people began to discover new hobbies and make the most out of the restrictions. This in turn has led to an increase in members within the biker community as countless new people have been welcomed aboard.

Here at Asda Money, we decided to undertake some research and put out a survey to understand people’s perceptions of bikers and where they feel the friendliest bikers reside in the UK. We’ve put together some of the top findings in this blog post – read on to find out more.

Bikers from London are considered the most friendly

One of the main outcomes from the research taken indicates that many people believe the friendliest motorcyclists reside in London, closely followed by the likes of South Wales, South West England, North Wales and more.

Many bikers are part of groups or clubs of bikers whether that is in person or even on social media, with Plymouth leading the game and boasting a wide circle with an average of 131 biker friends. The biker community is one that is full of friendly faces – in fact, one of the reasons many people get into motorcycling as a hobby is to make some new lifelong friends and socialise with likeminded individuals.  

Below are the locations in the UK that British bikers voted the ‘friendliest biker area’ outside of their own region.

1. London (7%)
2. South Wales (5%)
3. South West England (5%)
4. North Wales (4.8%)
5. Yorkshire and the Humber (4.7%)
6. East England (3.9%)
7. North East England (3.9%)
8. Mid Wales (3.5%)
9. South East England (3.3%)
10. South of Scotland (3.2%)

Freedom and adventure is the main reason people get into motorcycling

Aside from making new friends and enjoying the sense of community motorcycling can provide, the main reason many get into motorcycling is due to the sense of freedom and thrill of adventure it can provide. This became even more apparent once the pandemic hit and caused the country to go into lockdowns, halting everybody’s plans to enjoy the summer and go on adventures.

The surge in people picking up motorcycling as a hobby in the past year has led to a huge boom in the motorcycling industry, as statistics show that third quarter registration figures for licensed motorbikes was at 1.35 million in 2020, up from 1.25 million the previous year. Not only does motorcycling provide people with a sense of thrill and adventure, but many people who took the survey admitted it helped them through their depression and anxiety.

In the research, bikers were asked for their top reasons for becoming a motorcyclist and below are the top five answers that were selected.

1. Freedom and adventure (56%)
2. To have a fun hobby (52%)
3. Like the motorcycling community (38%)
4. For an easier commute (33%)
5. Cheaper than other transport (32%)

Alistair Ball, Head of Insurance for Asda Money commented, “It’s great to see that the majority of UK motorcyclists would describe themselves as ‘friendly bikers’, and that they look out for other riders when they are on the road. It’s interesting to see, from our research, that some believe that motorcycling has helped their anxiety and depression.”

“The strong desire for ‘freedom and adventure’ also makes sense as to why so many Brits took up motorcycling in this past year – to get some freedom when much of our lives were restricted, due to the pandemic.”

Whether you’re an avid motorcyclist, or simply looking to pick it up as a new hobby, you need the right insurance to keep you and your bike protected at all times. Compare motorbike insurance today to find the right policy for you.