IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- We know that more motorcycle owners these days are women, and now we know increasing percentages of all owners are married and college graduates, and they're generally older, according to the 2018 Motorcycle Industry Council Owner Survey.

"Demographics are changing for Americans across the country and it's no different for motorcycle owners," said MIC President and CEO Tim Buche. "For decades, the MIC Owner Survey has told us a lot about who we are, and we're now learning how things have shifted since our last study was done in 2014. Some of the stats are encouraging, like the increasing number of women owners, while other data, such as the rising median age, show where we have more work to do."

Gender, Age, Marital Status
Male Owners – 81 percent
Female Owners – 19 percent

Median Age
2018 – 50
2014 – 47
2012 – 45

Married
2018 – 68 percent
2014 – 61 percent
2012 – 63 percent

Education, Income and Work Status
College Graduate
2018 – 24 percent
2014 – 20 percent
2012 – 17 percent

Median Household Income
2018 – $62,500
2014 – $62,200
2012 – $64,100

Employed – 71 percent
Retired – 24 percent

The owner survey also uncovered trends among the emerging group of millennial motorcyclists. More than half have taken a training course and use their bikes frequently for commuting. Sixty-nine percent say they are interested in electric motorcycles, citing fuel and the environment as top drivers.

"For the past several years, manufacturers have offered more great entry-level motorcycles at affordable prices," Buche said, "while at the same time focusing on increasing the industry's outreach to millennials."

The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications and media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, development of data communications standards, and activities surrounding technical and regulatory issues. As a not-for-profit national industry association, the MIC seeks to support motorcyclists by representing manufacturers, distributors, dealers and retailers of motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, ROVs, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts, accessories and related goods and services, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies and consultants.

The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office in metropolitan Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914. Visit the MIC at mic.org.

SOURCE Motorcycle Industry Council