MOST motorcyclists break the law whenever they take to the road, according to the findings of a new survey.
Undertaking, speeding and having a number plate that is too small top the list of laws broken.
The findings come in a study by Gloucester-based motorcycle logistics and support company WMB, which undertook the research as part of a study into the habits of Britain's bike riders.
More than 2,000 riders who use their bikes at least three times a week were quizzed.
Some 71 per cent admitted to breaking the law and more than a fifth of riders (22 per cent) said they did so every time they travelled on their motorcycle.
A spokesperson for WMB Logistics said: "Whatever the reason, there's never an excuse for breaking the law whilst riding - and that's the stance the police would take if you were to get caught. To see that so many motorcyclists break the law every time they ride was a real shock."
Top of the list of offences was undertaking at 73 per cent followed by speeding at 56 per cent. Driving with a number plate that is too small to be legal was admitted to by 35 per cent while 27 per cent admitted to riding with a helmet that did not conform to EU safety standards. Some 20 per cent also owned up to carrying a passenger not wearing a helmet.
According to the poll, as many as 19 per cent of bikers confessed to having run a red light on their motorcycle and more than half of these said that it was after sitting at a red light for a long period of time and thinking the traffic light sensors weren't picking them up, but the remaining 48 per cent said that it was just after the light had changed from amber to red.
When asked why it was they were most likely to undertake another vehicle, the top reason cited was ‘motorists hogging the middle or right-hand lanes on the motorway/a dual carriage way' (69 per cent), whereas the top reason for speeding was cited as ‘I was in a rush/running late' (51 per cent).
Furthermore, when asked if they'd ever found themselves in trouble with the police due to their motorcycle riding, one fifth of respondents (19 per cent) said ‘yes'.
"It is a minor bugbear though that many traffic lights won't pick up on motorcycles waiting patiently for a green light to be able to pass safely; although, the fact the traffic lights sensors aren't that great doesn't mean you should just jump the lights. That's a very dangerous move to make and one that could hurt many people," added the WMB spokesperson.