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Insurance Group: Supersport Motorcycles Deadly

Motorcycle death rates double, helmet use down

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

September 18, 2007

Motorcyclists who ride supersport bikes have driver death rates per 10,000 registered motorcycles nearly 4 times higher than rates for motorcyclists who ride all other types of bikes, according to the insurance industry group.

Supersport motorcycles are built on racing platforms and modified for the highway before they are sold to enthusiasts. The bikes are especially popular with riders younger than 30.

The bikes are lightweight and with powerful engines and are all about speed. Supersports typically have more horsepower per pound than other bikes.

For instance, a 2006 model Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R produces 111 horsepower and weighs 404 pounds. In contrast, the 2006 model Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide, a touring motorcycle, produces 65 horsepower and weighs 788 pounds.

“Supersport motorcycles are indeed nimble and quick, but they also can be deadly,” says Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research. “These bikes made up less than 10 percent of registered motorcycles in 2005 but accounted for over 25 percent of rider deaths. Their insurance losses were elevated, too.”

Death rates more than double

Fatalities among motorcycle riders have more than doubled in 10 years and reached 4,810 in 2006, accounting for 11 percent of total highway fatalities, according to a preliminary count from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate.

At the same time, overall helmet use is down. Only 51 percent of all motorcycle riders wear helmets certified by the US Department of Transportation. This compares with 71 percent in 2000, according to the federal government’s National Occupant Protection Use Survey.

Motorcycles are gaining in popularity and ridership is on the increase with total bike registrations climbing 51 percent between 2000 and 2005.

At the same time, interest in high-performance bikes is also growing. Supersport registrations are up 83 percent in 2005 compared with 2000.

Combined registrations of cruisers and standards climbed 59 percent from 2000 to 2005.

Speeding and driver error are bigger factors in fatal crashes of supersport and sport bikes compared with other classes of motorcycles.

Speed was cited in 57 percent of supersport riders’ fatal crashes in 2005 and 46 percent of the fatal crashes of sport riders. Speed was a factor in 27 percent of fatal crashes among riders on cruisers and standards and 22 percent on touring motorcycles.

“Supersport motorcycles have such elevated crash death rates and insurance losses because many people ride them as if they were on a racetrack,” McCartt says. “Data show that speed is a big factor in their crashes. A combination of factors, including the motorcycle itself, may push up death rates,” she said.

“Motorcyclists presumably buy supersports and sport bikes because they want to go fast, and manufacturers are happy to oblige," According to McCartt. “Short of banning supersport and sport motorcycles from public roadways, capping the speed of these street-legal racing machines at the factory might be one way to reduce their risk.”

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