Abstract
Serious injuries to young motorcyclists represent an important public health problem. Little is known about the opinions and behaviours of the young riders at risk. We document the training experiences of young motorcyclists, and their reasons for riding or discontinuing riding, and identify the role models and sources of disapproval of motorcycling. The research was part of a longitudinal study of health, development, attitudes and behaviours of a birth cohort. At age 18 years, cohort members who had ridden a motorcycle during the past year completed a comprehensive questionnaire. Initial riding instruction was rarely received from a qualified instructor but was usually informal, from a male friend or father, and occurred off the load, usually on a farm. The most commonly given reasons for riding were excitement and economy. Most motorcyclists who had ceased riding attributed this to the lack of access to a motorcycle, and few mentioned safety. Mothers were the main source of disapproval. The young riders were not a homogeneous group. More licensed than unlicensed riders said manoeuvrability in traffic and ease of parking were reasons for riding. Licensed motor-cyclists had more friends who rode and were more likely than unlicensed riders to have received paternal instruction. Early informal training off the road may establish attitudes and behaviours inappropriate in a traffic contest. The main reasons for motor cycling (excitement, economical and manoeuvrable transport, freedom from supervision) and for discontinuing riding (lack of access) indicate motivations that should be considered before implementation of injury prevention interventions.