Average Motorcycle Age UK
Motorcycle Age
How old is old for a motorcycle? The average age of motorcycles in Great Britain and the UK is now 15.4 years old. Data from the Department for Transport shows that motorcycle owners are keeping their bikes on the road longer than ever before. In fact, the average age (i.e., the number of years since first registration) of motorbikes has risen from a low of 9.4 years in 2002/2003 to 15.4 years in 2020—a rise of 63%.
| Average Age of Motorcycles in GB | Years Old |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 11.6 |
| 1995 | 11.8 |
| 1996 | 12.3 |
| 1997 | 11.8 |
| 1998 | 11.2 |
| 1999 | 10.4 |
| 2000 | 9.8 |
| 2001 | 9.5 |
| 2002 | 9.4 |
| 2003 | 9.4 |
| 2004 | 9.6 |
| 2005 | 9.8 |
| 2006 | 10.0 |
| 2007 | 10.1 |
| 2008 | 10.4 |
| 2009 | 10.9 |
| 2013 | 13.1 |
| 2014 | 13.5 |
| 2015 | 13.7 |
| 2016 | 13.8 |
| 2017 | 14.1 |
| 2018 | 14.7 |
| 2019 | 15.0 |
| 2020 | 15.4 |
Motorcycles stay on the road longer than cars—the average age of cars in Great Britain is only 8.6 years old, nearly 7 years less than motorbikes. One benefit of driving an older motorcycle is a lower cost of insurance.
Age Profile of Motorbikes in the UK
Over 20,000 additional motorcycles were registered for the first time in the past year, a noticeable boost compared to cars, of which there were fewer vehicles registered in 2020 compared to 2019. Remarkably, there are 451,955 motorcycles registered in the UK that are over 13 years old, accounting for over a third of motorbikes on the road (34.8%).
| Age Profile of UK Motorcycles 2020 | Number of Motorcycles | Percentage of Total (%) |
|---|---|---|
Up to 1 year | 95,149 | 7.3% |
1 up to 2 years | 85,946 | 6.6% |
2 up to 3 years | 76,741 | 5.9% |
3 up to 4 years | 67,099 | 5.2% |
4 up to 6 years | 128,565 | 9.9% |
6 up to 13 years | 252,135 | 19.4% |
13 years + | 451,955 | 34.8% |
Unknown | 140,212 | 10.8% |
Total | 1,297,802 | 100.0% |
Older motorcycles are also appealing as they may be less likely to be stolen than a flashy, new motorbike.