By Kristi Tanner
2023 GM 120th Anniversary Lifestyle Photography
More Michigan bikers own a Harley-Davidson than any other motorcycle brand, according to the latest state registration data. Honda trails Harley-Davidson by 30 percentage points. Currently, Michigan has about 220,000 registered motorcycles. Motorcycles are defined as motor vehicles with two or three wheels in contact with the ground and a saddle or seat for the rider, excluding tractors.
Which states have the highest rate of motorcycle ownership?
Montana has the highest ratio of registered motorcycles compared with the number of residents. In 2021, there were about 34,000 motorcycles for every 100,000 people, according to federal statistics. South Dakota, home to a massive annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, ranks second at almost 25,000 motorcycles per 100,000 people. Michigan residents are less likely to own motorcycles compared with other areas in the U.S. — about 2,500 motorcycles for every 100,000 residents. Nationwide, there were 9.8 million registered motorcycles — roughly 3,000 per 100,000 residents.
The number of publicly owned, private, and commercial motorcycles registered in the U.S. states and the District of Columbia reached a total of some 9.89 million units in 2021. In that same year, there were some 637,500 motorcycles registered in Florida.
U.S. motorcycle registrations by state
In 2021, New York and California reported the highest amount of registered private and commercial motorcycles in the country. Not only is California one of the U.S. states with the highest number of motorcycles, but it is also the most populous state in the U.S. overall, representing close to 12 percent of the country’s total population. At the bottom of the ranking are Rhode Island, Delaware, and the District of Colombia with fewer than 25,000 registrations, as well as less populous states, including Wyoming and Alaska.
To see a detailed chart of the amount of motorcycles registered by state, pick up the next issue of Wheels Of Grace magazine #68 (Volume 14 issue 4).
