Press release Women bikers on the rise despite blockers to ride, says Auto Trader 25th Aug 2021
  • Auto Trader reveals 36% year-on-year (YoY) increase of female users on bike pages, whilst comparethemarket.com shows younger women are taking the lead
  • However, DVLA data shows women are LESS likely to pass Practical Motorcycle test
  • Women are facing other barriers to riding, including being judged by others and stereotyped, limited gear available to them, and even a limited selection of bikes
  • For more information on buying and selling bikes, visit:https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bikes

New figures released by Auto Trader, the UK's largest digital automotive marketplace, has revealed that the number of female bikers is on the rise.

In June 2021, there was a YoY increase of 36% of female users on Auto Trader's bike website, and a 34% increase YoY of brand-new female users. According to internal data, 48% all female users in 2021 are new. Ad views for bikes overall were up 12% YoY.

Younger women in particular are leading the change, with comparethemarket.com revealing women most likely to buy a bike are those aged 25-34.

This comes despite women facing continued blockers to riding, from being judged and stereotyped by others, to having a limited amount of protective clothing available to them, according to Sallyha Din from Ride of Your Life podcast.

Other blockers include limited bike selection due to height and weight differences, being the only woman in a group of male bikers, and having to justify their presence at bike events.

Sallyha says: 'You constantly have to prove you belong on a motorcycle. Although there is a great amount of change occurring in this industry, you can still come across attitudes of expecting women to sit on the back seat.'

CASE STUDY: For a full list of barriers and further discussion with Sallyha Din, please contact Rebecca Lloyd-Wright, Auto Trader to arrange an interview.

Additionally, according to 2020/21 DVLA data[1], men were 20% more likely to pass their Practical Motorcycle Test Module 1 than women.

However, it's not all bad news for female bikers. According to comparethemarket.com, women typically have £80 lower premiums than men on average when it comes to bike insurance.

Comparethemarket.com has also revealed the top 10 bikes owned by female riders in UK (as of June 2021):

  1. HONDA CBR 125 R
  2. HONDA CBF 125
  3. YAMAHA YBR-125
  4. HONDA MSX 125
  5. HONDA VISION 110
  6. KAWASAKI ER-6F ABS
  7. HONDA VFR 800 V4 VTECH
  8. TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE STREET TWIN
  9. HYOSUNG GV 125
  10. HONDA CG 125

Auto Trader's Rory Reid says: 'I've been riding bikes for many years, so personally know the sheer joy people experience from it. It's therefore no surprise that more women are taking riding up themselves, but clearly there is a long way still to go to level the playing field. The good news is that brands are paying attention and working on wider selections of bikes, many of which are on Auto Trader.'

For more information on buying and selling bikes, visit: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bikes

- ENDS-

For all media enquiries, please contact:

Rebecca Lloyd-Wright | Rebecca.Lloyd-Wright@autotrader.co.uk | 07977132931

About Auto Trader

Auto Trader Group plc is the UK and Ireland's largest automotive marketplace. Our marketplace sits at the heart of the car buying process, with the largest number of buyers and the biggest choice of trusted stock.

Auto Trader exists to change how the UK shops for cars by providing the best online car buying experience and enabling all retailers to sell online. We are building stronger partnerships with our customers, using our voice and influence to drive more environmentally friendly vehicle choices and creating an inclusive and diverse culture for all of our people.

Auto Trader listed on the London Stock Exchange in March 2015 and is a member of the FTSE 100 Index.

For more information, please visit https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/who-we-are/about-us/

[1]https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/driving-test-statistics-drt#motorcycle-riding-test-pass-rates-drt04 (2020/2021 pass rate 77.1% for males, 57% for females).

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Auto Trader Group plc published this content on 25 August 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 25 August 2021 10:16:10 UTC.