In case you’ve noticed more bikes in people’s garages across the United States over the recent years, you aren’t the only one. The number of U.S. households that own at least one motorcycle has reached a record high in decades.

The Motorcycle Industry Council posted a press release saying motorcycle households have risen from 6.94% in 2014 to a record of 8.02% in 2018. That’s an increase of over a million and a half homes.

According to the United States Census Bureau’s most recent estimate, there are  126,224,000 households in the U.S. The Motorcycle Industry Council survey has discovered that 10,124,400 of those households had at least one motorcycle.

“The household penetration numbers have always been among the most important figures to us,” said MIC President and CEO Tim Buche in the press release. “We’re certainly happy to see more homes that have a motorcycle. Riders who talk about motorcycling to friends and neighbors help to inspire people who don’t yet ride.”

The number of owned motorcycles has also reached record levels according to the survey, which doesn’t add up to the fact that motorcycle sales are in a major decline. The survey points out an increase of more than 2.5 million motorcycles compared to 2014.

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The estimated number of bikes in use also rose to 12,231,000 in 2918 – which is an increase of more than 2 million since the last survey in 2014.

“Modern motorcycles are high-quality machines, enabling the pre-owned market to be a key part of the overall growth in the motorcycle and rider population,” said Jim Woodruff, secretary/treasurer of the MIC Board of Directors and COO of National Powersport Auctions. “The annual pre-owned market is actually three times larger than the new market. Used bikes appeal to many riders because there are so many options in terms of price and style.”

As for the decline in sales in the motorcycle industry that doesn’t match these numbers, the explanation is simple: people buy used bikes.

“Our research shows that the average age of a pre-owned motorcycle sold in the U.S. is approximately eight years old. Plus, vintage bikes are on trend now, and many riders are keeping non-runners as part of their collection,” Woodruff said.

The Motorcycle Industry Council is dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting motorcycling through government relations, statistics and research, developments of standards and data communications, and various activities surrounding regulatory and technical issues.

Source: Motorcycle Industry Council