We’re a hardy bunch here in the UK. The country is renowned around the world for its drizzly weather but nonetheless we’re passionate about outdoor pursuits and buy far more motorcycles per head of population than many nations with far more bike-friendly climates.
But even inside the UK there are areas where bikes are particularly popular, and thanks to the way the DfT keeps its records, we can tell exactly which postcodes have the most motorcycle registrations.
We last did this some six years ago, and surprisingly there’s been a distinct shift in some of the motorcycle population. Last time around the SW6 area of London was in the number one spot, now it barely scrapes into the top 20.
That’s potentially a reflection of the drop in the moped market. In recent years, bicycles and electrically-assisted bicycles have become vastly more popular, particularly in cities, at the expense of sub-50cc bikes. Now, bigger bikes make up a larger proportion of the overall motorcycle population, and as a result we’re seeing a shift away from big cities and the South East towards areas where motorcycling is likely to be enjoyable rather than a mere practicality.
Here are the ten most bike-rich postcodes, as of the 3rd quarter of 2018…
10: NG16 (Nottinghamshire)
With 1831 registered bikes, the NG16 area of Nottinghamshire doesn’t have any big cities, but it does have just the sort of roads that bikes flourish on. The area’s actual ratio of bikes to cars is fractionally above the national average, but there are a relatively large number of both registered in NG16.
9: LE9 (Leicestershire)
Another fairly rural area, LE9 sits to the south-west of Leicester and includes places like Mallory Park. Again, the roads are the sort that make bikes a tempting solution, while LE9 also provides a home to plenty of employees and families from the nearby Triumph factory in neighbouring Hinckley.
8: L39 (West Lancashire)
Ormskirk is the biggest town in L39, sited between Liverpool and Southport in West Lancashire. The overall total number of bikes in the area – 1907 – earns it its place in this top 10, but in terms of proportions it would be far higher. The national average is to see around four bikes for every 100 cars, but in L39 there are more than 13 bikes per 100 cars.
7: LE10 (Hinckley, Leicestershire)
Backing on to the LE9 area that’s in ninth place on this list, LE10’s main town is Hinckley, home of the biggest motorcycle factory – by far – in the UK. The fact that Triumph is based in Hinckley must surely be related to the fact that the area has more than average number of bikes per head of population. In total, there are 1931 motorcycles and scooters registered to the postcode, compared to 28,653 cars.
6: LE12 (Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire)
We don’t have to travel too far to reach our next entry on the list. LE12 is mainly in Leicestershire, covering the area surrounding Loughborough, although it also nudges into Nottinghamshire at its northern edge. While its total number of bikes – 2096 – puts it above other areas, there are a lot of cars here, too – 33,638. Even so, the bike-to-car ratio is still around 50% higher than the national average.
