There’s no doubt about it, Brits are big fans of motorbikes. Soon after finishing motorcycle training, riders look forward to heading out on country lanes, feeling a sense of freedom and creating a community of other enthusiasts who just ‘get it’.
Let’s not forget some adrenaline junkies love the thrill of riding as fast as they can, while others hit the road simply to relieve stress and achieve a state of calm.
For lots, it gives them liberty, being able to keep riding even though they don’t have a destination in mind, and it’s great for physical health too, strengthening muscles, improving the core, and burning calories. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun.
However, the UK is far from being the country with the most motorbike riders. In fact, that crown goes to India, where there are a huge 221 million motorcycles. This is followed by Indonesia with 112 million, and China with 85 million.
Of course, this is likely to be down to the substantial population of these countries, with India having 1.417 billion residents, Indonesia 275.5 million, and China 1.412 billion.
When it comes to the country with the greatest proportion of households that own a motorbike, Thailand takes first place. Here, 87 per cent of homes use a motorcycle, which is followed by Vietnam at 86 per cent, and Indonesia at 85 per cent.
Malaysia (83 per cent) and China (60 per ent) completed the top five, showing just how popular motorcycling is as a form of transport in Asia.
This is because they are cheaper than other vehicles, and they can whiz in and out of areas that other vehicles cannot access, which is ideal in crowded cities. This also makes parking much easier than using a car.