Last Update: 28 July 2024
It’s no surprise that female motorcycle ownership is at an all-time high, thanks in part to the efforts we’ve made to expand women’s presence in motorcycling. According to a 2015 survey conducted by the American Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), women now account for 14 percent of all U.S. motorcycle owners, a significant increase from the 8 percent reported in 1998. This growth over nearly two decades reflects the progress and impact of initiatives aimed at promoting motorcycling amongst women.
Women’s Motorcycle Ownership Doubles Over the Past Decade
The survey covered 9.2 million motorcycle owners and recorded a significant increase in female ownership compared to the past. In fact, the survey noted that the number of women motorcycle owners more than doubled between 2003 and 2014. Among the over 30 million Americans who rode a motorcycle at least once in 2014, a quarter of these riders were women.
Percentage of Female Motorcycle Riders
The American Motorcycle Industry Council’s Motorcycle Owner Survey reveals that women motorcycle riders now make up 14 percent of the riding population, a 50 percent increase over the past decade. Women are also significant influencers in motorcycle and motorsport purchases, with nearly 25 percent of all motorcycle riders, including passengers, being female.
The More Than 30 Million Americans Who Swung a Leg Over a Motorcycle And Rode At Least One Time in 2014, a Quarter of These Were Women.
Amongst younger generations of owners, the percentage of women is even higher. Slightly more than 17 percent of Gen X owners, and 17.6 percent of Gen Y owners, are women. Amongst Boomer owners, women make up 9 percent.
Women’s Preferred Motorcycle Types: Survey Results
- Cruisers: 34 percent of female riders.
- Scooters: 33 percent
- Sport bikes: 10 percent.
Three Top Reasons Women Ride Motorcycles
In the survey, of some 48,000 American households, women were also asked to share their top three reasons for riding motorcycles. They answered:
- Fun and recreation.
- Sense of freedom.
- Enjoy outdoors and or nature.
When it comes to purchasing a motorcycle, women rate “Fuel Economy” and “Test Rides” as the most important decision-making factors.
The study revealed that women riders are safety-conscious. While 60 percent of women took a motorcycle safety course, only 42 percent of men had any formal training. In some state motorcycle safety training programs, women make up 30 percent of the student population.
Australian Women Motorcycle Riders Double in the Last Decade
The number of female riders in the United States has doubled from 2003 to 2015. In Australia, while official figures are not kept, there has also been a noticeable and significant increase in the number of women riders.
In the U.S., women made up 8% of motorcycle owners in 1998. By 2003, this number had increased to 10%. Since then, the numbers have doubled, with female ownership rising from 600,000 to 1.2 million.
Australian Women Motorcycle Riders Vary Substantially from Six Percent to Ten Percent
Motorcycle Council of NSW chair CJ Burns believes it is about 6%, but says there has been “exponential growth” in female registrations.“ Probably double what they were 10 years ago,” he says. The growth in regos in NSW and Australia has many causes; more leisure time, cheaper to holiday in Australia on a bike than go overseas, commuting in particular on scooters has been the biggest winner and scooters are non-threatening which gets female riders hooked and then they opt for something larger with better brakes and suspension, a natural progression.”
Other Key US Survey Results on Increasing Women Riders
- The median age for female motorcyclists is 39 versus 48 for males.
- More than 49 percent of women motorcyclists do their own maintenance or have a friend or relative do it, instead of taking their bikes to a shop.
- New motorcycles are preferred over used by 57 percent of female riders.
- 49 percent of female motorcyclists are married.
- 47 percent of female motorcyclists have a college or post-graduate degree.
