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What Do Motorcycle Colours Really Say About The Rider?

Tuesday, 6 September 2005

Romford, 5th September 2005 –A biker in black craves protection; those in green will keep the motorcycle in good condition and a biker in blue is an insurer's dream. These are just some of the results of a recent study conducted by leading motorcycle insurance broker Devitt.

Devitt's survey of its customers' leather and motorcycle colours was given to a leading colour psychologist to evaluate what the colours say about the individual biker.

According to Angela Wright of Colour Affects, each colour has slightly different implications: the colour someone chooses for a motorcycle indicates his/her attitude to the activity itself, while the colour of the leathers indicates attitudes to oneself in that psychological mode.

Although the most popular colours are comparatively predictable – for motorcycles: red, blue and black; for leathers: black and red – what each colour says about its rider makes for very interesting reading.

"Many people think that colour is just a matter of how things look and it is often dismissed as being purely cosmetic."

"However, the truth is that colour is light – the source of life itself; there is nowhere that colour does not exist and our instinctive, unconscious response to it is a vital element in our survival," she says.

"With regards to biking leathers, the most popular colour is black and many people think it is neutral. However, the psychology of the colour says differently."

"Black absorbs all colour wavelengths and creates a barrier between the wearer and the world. This often indicates a need for protection."

"At the same time, black's absorption of all wavelengths is effectively an absence of light – equivalent to darkness – and, since many people are afraid of the dark, can be perceived as menacing."

"It is very effective in this role, but the truth is the wearer might feel anything but powerful and menacing!"

So, what can a biker learn from his or her own colours? The main analysis from the Devitt study shows:

Beige: Calm, dependable, no fuss biker
Blue: A biker with clear thought, maturity and responsibility
Black: This biker requires protection from the outside world
Gold: Symbolises luxury, top-of-the-range, expense, sophistication and glamour
Green: Balanced and peaceful. The Biker will keep the machine finely tuned
Grey: Enjoys a well-made, functional machine. Sometimes has slight low self-confidence
Mauve/Purple: Upmarket biker, but also rather naughty and self-indulgent.
Orange: A biker who likes physical comfort, pleasure and sensuality, though opposite to blue
Pink: A maternal biker, loving, nurturing and a strong assertion of the feminine
Red:The sign of strong and masculine biker, exhilarating and exciting
Silver: The biker who loves luxury speed and fine engineering
White: The biker wants uncompromising, clean excellence and the world to keep away
Yellow: Self-confident and optimistic biker. Fun, yet more mature than the orange biker

Commenting on the results of the survey, Devitt's Managing Director Martin Pretlove said: "We know from our experience that bikers take a great deal of care and time in choosing the colour of their motorcycle and their leathers. What this study does is give us an insight into what's going through bikers' minds when they make these choices and give us a clue as to what their behaviour will be like on the road – which is always interesting to an insurer."