September 19 2014


Vehicle information expert HPI is urging British motorists to consider swapping their cars for motorbikes this autumn to beat the winter gridlock.

 Why? According to recent research, riding a motorcycle – rather than driving a car – is the best way to ease congestion. An experiment which saw the number of motorcycles increased on a busy commuter road revealed that when 10% of the traffic was changed from cars to motorbikes, overall journey times were reduced by 63%. When 25% of the traffic was switched from cars to motorbikes, congestion was completely eliminated. Not only could this alleviate rush hour headaches, but reduce the impact of harmful emissions on the environment.

Before investing in that dream motorbike, HPI advises used bike buyers to remain vigilant when shopping around, as one in five bikes checked by the company has a hidden history. Conducting a vehicle history check like www.hpibikecheck.com offers used motorcycle buyers the protection they need from fraudsters.

“Motorbikes remain an easy target for thieves. They are simply easier to steal because they are compact and generally less secure than cars. Indeed, it can take minutes for two big burly men to lift a motorcycle into the back of a van,” says Shane Teskey, Senior Consumer Services Manager at www.hpibikecheck.com. “This obviously presents a huge risk to motorbike owners. Buying a stolen bike means consumers could lose the bike and the money they paid for it when it’s returned to the owner.”

By simply conducting an HPI Bike Check, consumers can avoid buying a used motorbike with a hidden history. The HPI Bike Check informs consumers if the dream bike has been registered as stolen with the Police National Computer, is an insurance write-off or has outstanding finance.

“Outstanding finance continues to be a significant problem too, with one in four motorbikes checked by HPI still having finance on them. If a consumer purchases a bike with outstanding finance they too could risk losing the bike and the money they paid for it as it still legally belongs to the finance house. In addition, one in ten motorbikes checked by HPI have been written off by an insurance company and could be potential death traps if they haven’t been repaired properly.

Teskey concludes, “Consumers face numerous threats when buying a used motorcycle, which would see them end up severely out of pocket or worse. A situation where a bike is confiscated and returned to the rightful owner is an unfortunate reality for some. But consumers don’t have to take that risk. The HPI Bike Check will tell buyers whether their potential purchase has been stolen, written-off or is still on finance, offering peace of mind before they buy. Our dedicated bike check offers an easy and quick way for customers to discover the facts before they buy.”