Motorcycle profiling, every rider’s philosophy

There are over 500,000 motorcycles and scooters registered in Belgium. This figure is increasing, even though our rainy weather might well discourage a lot of people. But who are these fans of two wheels?

This is a phenomenon that many European capitals are experiencing. More and more Belgian commuters are opting for a scooter or motorcycle to get to their workplace. Since 2011, motorcyclists have had an advantage over motorists: they are allowed to ride in traffic jams. In practice, motorcyclists use a corridor between the two leftmost lanes of the carriageway. But there are rules: they can’t exceed a speed of 50 km/h and they can only drive 20 km/h faster than the queuing vehicles. Safety for motorcyclists should be improved as motorists have been required to use the emergency lane as of October 2020.

According to a survey by the Transport & Mobility research firm, if 10% of motorists switched from cars to motorbikes or scooters for their commute, this would result in a 40% reduction in queuing traffic. 

Motorcycling, however, is also a matter of passion. It’s the pleasure of escapism, a sense of freedom and just such a cool way to travel... Whether you’re astride a large American machine wearing a leather jacket like they do in the movies, a German trail bike with equipment that can handle even the most extreme of treks, or perhaps riding the latest Japanese road bike that makes it easy for you to cross Europe with two people... Whatever the style, the one thing is common is that everyone shares a love of motorcycling! If you’ve never ridden a motorcycle before, ask your friend, neighbour or cousin to take you for a ride. You’ll quickly understand why you get such an unbeatable feeling from motorcycling! Even though you do have limited horsepower and speed. You can enjoy the landscape from a different perspective, feel the wind and – while still respecting the regulatory speed limits – enjoy riding round the bends on a beautiful country road.

Combine business with pleasure with a machine that can be used during the week and on weekends. With a minimum of practice, you can enjoy the benefits of using a motorcycle for business trips and then ride it out and take trips for pleasure. And the icing on the cake, is that there are dozens of clubs to share this passion for motorcycling. So, if some people talk about real or fake bikers, we have to say that there pleasure knows no hierarchy and that everyone should be able to ride according to their level and what they want.