RMS Stats for Q4 2013,
In NSW we have
- 380,000 active or latent riders
- 200,000 registered motorcycles
- 132,000 unregistered off-road motorcycles
- 520,000 motorcycle licenses held by residents
The Federated Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) is the motorcycle manufacturers organisation and their website presents a wealth of information relating to sales growth of motorcycles in Australia FCAI 2012 Figures
FCAI note off-road motorcycles at around 85% of registered motorcycle numbers. Our estimate is more conservative at around 70%.
Data quality issues arise from the Australian Bureau of Statistics ceasing collection of sales and registration data. Government reliance on industry sales data has led to discrepancies.
However, the overall fleet or registered motorcycles has expanded in NSW by over one third in the past 5 years.
In their report on a survey of riders over 30 years of age, Haworth et al concluded that 30% of those with a motorcycle license would cease riding and never ride again.
Haworth, N. Mulvihill, C. Symmons, M., 2002, Motorcycling after 30 MUARC
The population of riders is a rotating pool of those who give up riding for certain periods of time and then re-bike. Establishing a mortgage or having children are typical life events that cause riders to leave, then later resume riding.
The motorcycle fleet is expanding rapidly in response to environmental, congestion and economic factors.
Yet, motorcycles are not included in Transport Planning and are still treated as a social problem to be excluded from society, or at best, tolerated with minimal concessions.
It’s time for all sides of NSW Politics to include Motorcycles and Scooters in Transport and Roads Policy, as a solution to many of societies problems such as Traffic Congestion, Parking Congestion and Pollution.