Issue 014 - Bike Business Magazine Home Page

n e w s
Two-wheels gone tribal
Study puts motorcycle riders in a
tribe of their own. Australian motorbike
riders fall into one of six tribes, ranging
from adrenalin-seeking ‘performers’, to
economically-focussed scooter riding
‘commuters’, to safe and conservative
‘drifters’, according to a ground-breaking
study conducted by InsureMyRide.
The research comes as Australians are
using motorcycles in record numbers.
In the five years to March, 2008,
motorcycle registrations experienced the
largest rate of growth of all vehicle types in
Australia (from 377,271 in 2003 to 567,569
in 2008)1. And last year saw new records
set for motorcycle sales with 134,112
bikes sold, an increase of 3.2 per cent on
the previous year 2.
“We’ve long suspected that different
types of riders share a range of attitudes
and behaviours, but for the first time
research has shown that most riders
fall into one of six unique classifications
or, as we are calling them, tribes,” said
InsureMyRide Executive Manager Graeme
Browne.
“The tribes the research has uncovered
helps us to understand why motorcycle
riders behave the way they do, from their
choice and frequency of riding a bike, their
propensity to take risks while driving, and
their motivations for choosing two-wheels
over four.
“Through this research we’re hoping to
draw riders’ attention to all aspects of their
riding behaviours and characteristics with
the intention of making conditions safer
and even more enjoyable for all
road users.”
Most riders are ‘Specialists’.
Of the six classifications identified by
InsureMyRide’s research, the Specialists
tribe is the one most riders are likely to
fall into; three-quarters of riders 34 and
older (74 per cent) exhibit seasoned riding
behaviours and characteristics that make
them a Specialist rider.”
Specialist riders tend to be more
experienced than other riders, which isn’t
to say they are older – they simply have
spent more time on the bike,” Mr Browne
said. “As a consequence they are less
nervous and stressed while riding, and are
less competitive in comparison to other
tribes that have a compulsion for being
first and winning.”
Two-thirds of Specialists (64 per cent)
have 10 or more years riding experience
and almost half (48 per cent) have
more than 20 years experience. Such
experience is a likely factor in three in five
Specialist riders (58 per cent) wearing
protective safety gear even on short trips.
1 Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008
Motor Vehicle Census.
2 Federal
REPSOL HONDA RIDERS DROP IN AT HART
Honda’s star MotoGP riders,
Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso
(Repsol Honda), made a pit stop at the
manufacturer’s world class rider training
facility (HART) on the eve of this year’s
Phillip Island round to show their support
of rider training and safety.
Dani and ‘Dovi’ were both on hand
to participate in filming important safety
messages for HART, and to tour the
facilities of Honda’s all-new site located at
Somerton in Melbourne’s north.
The two 24-year-olds from Spain and
Italy respectively, were vocal about the
key issues surrounding motorcycle rider
safety, particularly considering they both
ride at home in Europe during their time
off. “I ride a Honda scooter back home,”
Dani commented. “It is important to be
much more aware when you are riding
on the road because people... other
drivers.... do unexpected things.”
“The controls on a motorcycle are
much the same, whether you are racing
or riding on the road.
What is different is the conditions, for
instance if it’s wet, as well all the extra
obstacles you have to watch out for.”
“If someone wants to ride a fast bike
on the road like they are on a race track,
my advice to them is to go and sign up
for a track day instead.”
BIKEBusiness
b u s i n e s s t o b u s i n e s s
4 Nov - Dec 2009
“In a way, it is easy to focus when
we are on the track because we are
going only one direction and there aren’t
as many distractions. On the road, it
is a different story so I think it is very
important for all riders to get the kind of
training they provide here at HART.”
Both riders also had a stint on HARTs
Riding Simulator, a state-of-the-art,
compact, computer driven, easy-to-use
mechanism, that puts riders in real life
road traffic situations through a wide
variety of options.
“This kind of machine is very useful,”
Dovi said. “It makes you think about all
the things that can maybe happen in
traffic.”
“It’s important too that people try and
wear the right kind of gear, a proper
jacket and gloves at least.”
“Our leather suits protect us on the
track because they have body armour
built in so if a regular rider can get the
same from a jacket, it would help them a
lot if they do come off.”
Honda Australia will be releasing a
short video in the near future highlighting
Dani and Dovi’s visit to HART which
will be available on the manufacturer’s
website as well as various social media
sites.
HART operates in Victoria, New South
Wales and Queensland, and is Australia’s
leading rider training company delivering
state-of-the-art teaching
methods to over 17,000 riders
each year.
They are the only rider
training company in Australia to
use rider simulators to improve
Hazard Perception.
HART is fully owned and
run by Honda Australia who,
apart from being a subsidiary of
the world’s largest motorcycle
manufacturer, is also one of
the world’s largest trainers of
motorcyclists.
www.hondamotorcycles.com.au