Heading into your golden years on a Harley

It’s official…the days of Hell’s Angels and leather clad bikers are numbered and in their place is a new breed of biker - chicks who are more silver surfer than busty blonde. An AA Insurance survey shows that more than a than a fifth of all female motorcyclists in the UK are of retirement age.

The research, based on AA Insurance data also reveals that:

The oldest female motorcyclist in the UK is coming up for her 80th birthday!
The most powerful bike insured over the last five years belongs to an OAP

Angela Ashford, 74, has been on two wheels since her 70 year old mother offered Angela her motorbike over 20 years ago! Her present bike, her fourth, is her ideal run-around; cheap to run and easy to park. And with four grandchildren she says “My grandsons think it’s brilliant that their Gran rides a motorbike. The middle one is nine – I’m his hero! He is just mad about motorbikes – I’m sure he will be up and away on two wheels when he’s older.”

One thing Angela really enjoys is the freedom the bike gives her, and the camaraderie of other bikers. “I’ve noticed a lot more ladies motorcycling and it seems to be really catching on amongst – shall we say – more mature people! It is really easy to strike up a conversation because there is a real sense of friendship and interest.”

Gearing Up

It seems it’s not just grandmothers that like to hit the road in their spare time, with a 36% increase in both men and women over the age of 60 investing in a motorcycle between 2005 and 2006. Our super-nans don’t like to be outdone though, with a 110% increase in the number of retired ladies heading to lunch on a Lambretta.

On your bike!

It also seems our pensioners are setting the trend for other generations, with an increase of more than 40 per cent of young people between the ages of 17 and 20 taking out motorcycle insurance over the last five years. But with more OAP’s insuring their motorcycles than their twenty year old granddaughters, it seems there is a definite trend for hitting the road in your golden years on a Harley Davidson.

Kate Scammell, head of AA Motorcycle Insurance, says: “We are definitely seeing more silver surfers seeking the freedom of the road on two wheels. Young people are becoming more interested in motorbikes as well, perhaps spurred on by their grandparents. AA Insurance last year re-launched its motorcycle cover and it clearly appeals to everyone – proving that no matter what age you are – you really are only as old as you feel.”