You might be surprised to learn that there are different types of motorcycle rider. A Belgian study has identified the differences between us all: apparently there are many!

What Type of Rider Are You?

Time was when you were one of two things: someone who rode motorcycles and someone who didn't. It was as simple as that and we were all quite happy. Now, however, a study conducted in Belgium has identified no less than eight types of motorcycle rider to further confuse things. And they have nothing to do with what type of bike you ride!

Belgian research group Vias conducted a study of 3,000 people who rode motorcyclists, 16 years old and above and, from that, identified the eight different categories.

Comprising 11.6% of the survey is the Time-Optimiser. This is the rider who uses their bike to shorten a journey time.

18.8% are the 'Time-For-Me Seeker, who use their motorcycle as an escape, to relax and get away from family or the stresses of a job.

Then there is the 'Unconditional', who rides no matter the conditions - rain, cold, sunny, dry - or the time of day.

14.2% make up the 'Good Vibe Seeker'. The polar opposite of 'Time-For-Me', these riders could also be called fair-weather riders and ride solely for the enjoyment, with no practical purpose.

18.2% are the 'I Want It All' category. We all know this type: the type that has to have the best of everything and will probably have more than one of everything, from bikes to gear, helmets, accessories and so on. They are unashamed of this materialism.

Then you have Multimodal. These are riders who will use a car or a bike equally, as well as other forms of transport, such as buses and trains. This class takes up 11%.

Then you have 'The Daily User.' Taking up only 7.5%, this is the rider who can never get enough riding time. It's like a drug and they can't do without their fix.

The eighth and final category is the 'Life-Long Experience', making up 9.2%. As the name suggests, these are riders who have ridden all their life and it is as ingrained as eating or sleeping.

Looking through the list, it is clear that we must all fall into at least two categories: nothing can be quite as clear-cut as this list suggests. Don't we all, no matter how long we have ridden, choose to take the car often, especially if the weather is wet? Don't we all use other forms of transport where necessary?

Personally, I think this is more about someone trying to justify their salary rather than come up with anything meaningful and of any use. Quite what a motorcycle manufacturer would do with this information is not entirely clear.

I think I'll stick with the old-fashioned list: you either ride or you don't. It really is as simple as that.