I was just wondering

Recently I came to renew my insurance and got asked something I've never been asked before.

 "how many years continuous riding experience do you have"

When I answered 27 years, the girl said "you are a rare breed"

I engaged in a bit of conversation, and it seems that a lot of their clients are about my age (40-50), but most are fairly new to bikes.

Apparently, 3-6 years experience is more the norm.

I must admit, whenever I chat to other riders, they are mainly my age or older, and most I speak too are either born again bikers, or new licence holders.

This begs the question, where are all the long term riders.

If what I'm thinking is true, the average rider starts biking fairly late in life, keeps going for a few years, and then packs it in.

There's another thing to factor in.

If the Glass's trade guide is to be believed, then the average superbike owner covers about 3000 miles a year, which is one quarter of the mileage covered by the average car driver.

What this means is that someone who has been riding 4/5 years, has only covered about 12,000 miles so in reality has the equivalent of one years road experience when compared to the average car driver.

That's a scary thought.

What it means is that a large percentage of riders out there, (and I'm prepared to bet the majority), are inexperienced riders when compared to the average road user.

Add to this that a huge number of them are on bikes that'll blitz even the most sophisticated supercar in a straight line, it's no wonder that as a group, we are crashing in such frightening numbers.

I know we like to blame "cagers" for all of our woe's, but I believe the reality is somewhat different.

As an accident investigator once told me when I asked about bike accidents;

"speed and inexperience are usually in the mix despite what the press try and tell you"

Paulus wrote (see)

Recently I came to renew my insurance and got asked something I've never been asked before.

 "how many years continuous riding experience do you have"

When I answered 27 years, the girl said "you are a rare breed"

Should have asked them what 'continuous' is supposed to mean.  Riding every day?  Every week?  Every month?  Every six months?  How long do you not have to ride to be considered to have 'quit'?

Sounds to me as if the insurance companies have absolutely no idea what they are looking for.  Why can't they just look at historic insurance data and check if you have been insured, for what and for what period of time.....?

Try here for some 2009 info,  it might help you sleep at night

http://www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/162469/221412/221552/228173/517838/motorcyclingstats2009.pdf

FJSRiDER. wrote (see)

Paulus wrote (see)

Recently I came to renew my insurance and got asked something I've never been asked before.

 "how many years continuous riding experience do you have"

When I answered 27 years, the girl said "you are a rare breed"

Should have asked them what 'continuous' is supposed to mean.  Riding every day?  Every week?  Every month?  Every six months?  How long do you not have to ride to be considered to have 'quit'?

Sounds to me as if the insurance companies have absolutely no idea what they are looking for.  Why can't they just look at historic insurance data and check if you have been insured, for what and for what period of time.....?

No too many young-uns get on bikes at 16-17 as we did.

Expense/complicated tests and parental pressure must play their part in why many who may have wanted a bike in their youth wait until later in life to get on a bike.

Agree to some extent (must be a first!) that those getting bikes later in life may be more vulnerable due to lack of experience, though at least somewhat off-set by having some road knowledge.

Started when I was 13 (rural police can used to be quite forgiving when your nearest peer lived 25 miles away), 40 now, don't have a car licence, had about  2 years off in total, longest was 9 months.

The 9 month break I was utterly astounded how much I lost touch, took 2 weeks to stop ruddering and get the confidence to countersteer, and another month or so to get confident, let alone good at walking speed stuff ;( Mind you that was with a 30 stone bike

 From alternators to zip-ties, Wemoto's got it, and we'll send it anywhere.

 VFR Owners club, monstering young whippersnappers on R1s. *

*with 3 piece luggage, the wife and her dog.

FJSRiDER. wrote (see)

Paulus wrote (see)

Recently I came to renew my insurance and got asked something I've never been asked before.

 "how many years continuous riding experience do you have"

When I answered 27 years, the girl said "you are a rare breed"

Should have asked them what 'continuous' is supposed to mean.  Riding every day?  Every week?  Every month?  Every six months?  How long do you not have to ride to be considered to have 'quit'?

Sounds to me as if the insurance companies have absolutely no idea what they are looking for.  Why can't they just look at historic insurance data and check if you have been insured, for what and for what period of time.....?

Not necessarily a good indicator of experience if you ride off road as well, though certainly better than nothing.

Another issue could be that they don't keep (or share) historical data. Might have something to do with data protection for example, though this may be a load of tosh. R1Loon would be the best person to ask.

I've been riding since I was a young 'un. I had 5 years 'off' while the kids were little, but even that wasn't completely. I still had use of field bikes and crossers to keep my hand in. Started again with no no claims so effectively no history. I was asked the same question when I first went for insurance after the lay off and got a decent discount on the back of my answers.

98% of the time I'm right. Why worry about the other 3%.

FJSRiDER. wrote (see)

Should have asked them what 'continuous' is supposed to mean.  Riding every day?  Every week?  Every month?  Every six months?  How long do you not have to ride to be considered to have 'quit'?

Sounds to me as if the insurance companies have absolutely no idea what they are looking for.  Why can't they just look at historic insurance data and check if you have been insured, for what and for what period of time.....?

Ignoring the pedantry in the first paragraph.

However, in answerig the second the one key question is "Where do you propose this information is sourced from?" The only central database is the MID and all this shows is that your vehicle is insured and who with if you are either plod or a paying valid customer eg insurance / legal representative.

There is no record of claims or other sesitive information stored on there. If there were, then the libertarians would be up in arms about the Big Brother issues.

Admin wrote (see)

If I was an insurer and some bloke rocked up aged 45, with a clean car licence, and who's had his bike licence for 25 years but not ridden for the past 10, I'd be having him in the same category as a young lad at 18 on a 125.

Give or tske they are, depending on their marital situation, overnight paring of the bike, type of bike etc. There are c100 different aspects that are assessed in any risk before quoting.

Did you ever hear anyone say “That picture had better be banned, because I might look at it and it might be very damaging to me”