50 States ranking for motorcycle ownership

[Rick McC.]

I'm kind of surprised at the preponderance of northern states, on the other hand my cousin in Florida and a friend in Phoenix have both mentioned that in the summer it's too hot to ride in the daytime, they have to ride at night. I'm not sure how bikes per capita would be a meaning less statistic to show level of bike ownership, seems like the best measure to me?

NY is almost at the bottom of the list, surprised by that, bet it's near the top in percentage of motorcyclists who own Harleys, LOL, anything else is a rarity.

Doing my part, I have 5, looking at a 6th Saturday....

Well, I'll have to call BS on the Florida comment, as I ride my R3R, bicycle, Kayak and shoot competitively (outside) throughout the summers down here.

It is very hot and humid here, but an active person can get by fine as long as you keep hydrated.

Now, if you're not in shape; you'll need to work up to it.

When I grew up, there was no air conditioning in the cars, homes, and not even in the schools or most commercial buildings.

Rick

 

[ksquared]

Well, I'll have to call BS on the Florida comment, as I ride my R3R, bicycle, Kayak and shoot competitively (outside) throughout the summers down here.

It is very hot and humid here, but an active person can get by fine as long as you keep hydrated.

Now, if you're not in shape; you'll need to work up to it.

When I grew up, there was no air conditioning in the cars, homes, and not even in the schools or most commercial buildings.

Rick

I have to agree with Rick. I ride all year long - even on our hottest and most humid days. You soak your t-shirt and put it on, then put your mesh jacket on over it to control the rate of evaporation - works pretty well. The rain is a bigger problem - it can pop up any time of day and can get very heavy - but that's what rain suits are for.

 

[1olbull]

No, not really. 6 of the top 10 states have populations of less than 1MM. LA and MS have populations roughly 3 to 5 times those states.

The three I mentioned are small populations yet reside near the bottom of the list???

 

[ksquared]

The three I mentioned are small populations yet reside near the bottom of the list???

Yes, that's true, but you need to think of it statistically, rather than absolutely. They have relatively large populations compared to the 6 (of 10) top states that I was referring to.

 

[1olbull]

Yes, that's true, but you need to think of it statistically, rather than absolutely. They have relatively large populations compared to the 6 (of 10) top states that I was referring to.

I am looking at the list compared to my state near the middle at 31. WA is not large and in the middle area size and motors per capita. Ohio and Pennsylvania are huge yet also in the canter. Texas and New York are just not bike riders compared to most states.
What perplexes me is how many larger AND smaller better weather states rank so low.
if you don't agree with motor registrations per capita as a fair indicator then I assume you disagree with the murder

 

[mr hunt]

The problem with registration/capita is it doesn't (usually) account for multiple ownership. How many of us here have more than one bike registered? If all owners had 2 bikes the rate/capita is over-estimated by a factor of 1 - completely misleading

 

[JoseyR3Wales]

When one has an abundance of good weather, it becomes rather routine.
Living somewhere with a limited amount of good weather, promotes appreciation for the sunshine.
I know I savor the few good months of weather we get in the NW and ride my ass off whenever possible.

You just have to learn to ride in the wet stuff. Thanks to Rainman I start smiling when it starts raining now. Daddy Rabbit led us into a torrential tornado last year too. We sat in a restaurant and there was a large puddle on the floor where I was seated. They were very nice and did not throw me out. Smokehouse on the edge of Landrum S. C. And the food is great btw.

Regardless of the per capita numbers, I would swear they all end up here every summer and fall.

 

[TURBO200R4]

Arizona has all the old people coming to this state to get out of the cold troughs off the count.
after we have rode most of the year not too many people wants to ride in 110 degrees(in the shade) temperature. even the 10 mile ride from work stopping for red lights is hard to enjoy!

 

[GPMAZ]

Arizona has all the old people coming to this state to get out of the cold troughs off the count.
after we have rode most of the year not too many people wants to ride in 110 degrees(in the shade) temperature. even the 10 mile ride from work stopping for red lights is hard to enjoy!

Excellent point. When I moved here 36 years ago I rode all year. For several years I didn't own a car. Now, that I've reached that 'old people' status I park the bike for the majority of the summer.

 

[Vinkster]

I would like to see the same report but with an average number of days the owners rode their bike in a year. I can't imagine having more than an accumulative couple months per year in New Hampshire that are condusive to riding. Even though here in AZ, a lot of people don't like to ride in the middle of the summer, we still have more 'perfect riding conditions' days than most states. I'd say we have more ridable days than even Florida since it rains almost every afternoon there in the summer due to the onshore winds, abundance of moisture, and differential heating combined with a more unstable airmass. Sorry, I was a meteorologist.