Are UK Roads Quietly Putting Riders Off? Liam Simm Weighs In

For plenty of UK riders, the biggest thing putting them off the next ride is not the bike. It is the road ahead. In this Moto Planet feature, Liam Simm looks at whether rough road surfaces, potholes, speed camera stress and rising riding costs are quietly making motorcycling less appealing across the UK.

This is not a bike review in the usual sense. It is a rider-first road test of modern UK riding conditions, based on Liam Simm’s real-world experience on British roads and backed up by current public data. Tested and presented by Liam Simm for Moto Planet, the point here is simple: are riders giving up a bit at a time, rather than all at once?

Why this conversation matters to UK riders

Liam’s point lands because it feels familiar. A ride that should clear your head can end up feeling like hazard management. You are scanning for potholes, loose gravel, diesel, crumbling edges and changing surfaces instead of relaxing into the road. For UK riders, that can chip away at confidence even when the joy of riding is still there.

That is the heart of this piece. Riders do not always make a dramatic decision to stop. More often, they skip the winter ride, avoid the rough route, leave the bike in the garage a bit more often, and gradually ride less. Liam frames that shift in a way many riders will recognise from real UK roads.

What the public data says about UK roads

Liam is not relying on feeling alone. The National Audit Office has said the condition of local roads in England is declining and that the backlog to return them to a good state of repair is rising. The Asphalt Industry Alliance’s ALARM 2025 report put the one-off backlog for England and Wales at £16.81 billion, and said roads are resurfaced on average once every 93 years.

Those numbers matter more on two wheels. In a car, a pothole may mean a damaged tyre, wheel or suspension part. On a motorcycle, the margin is much smaller. Even when a rider stays upright, a bad hit can destroy confidence, upset the bike mid-corner or turn a normal road into something tense and tiring.

Why riders feel more switched on than ever

Liam rode and filmed this piece in a real UK road context, and that matters. This is not theory from a desk. It is a rider looking at how British roads feel now, and why a quick blast can feel more stressful than it used to. When every mile asks more of your attention, the reward can start to feel harder earned.

That stress is not only about tarmac. Liam also points to the wider pressure stack around modern riding: insurance, tax, fuel, theft concerns and general cost of living. Any one issue might be manageable on its own. Together, they can push occasional riders into using the bike less.

Speed cameras, trust and rider confidence

Liam also raises a second issue that many riders will understand: enforcement stress. Average and variable speed camera systems are meant to improve safety, but constant monitoring can add another layer of tension when riders are already watching the road surface for trouble.

That concern became sharper in December 2025, when National Highways confirmed a technical anomaly affecting some variable speed cameras. It said affected drivers would not be prosecuted from those activations, with refunds and penalty points removed where relevant. Even if the total number of affected cases was small compared with overall activations, the episode did little to build rider trust.

Buying advice: who is still likely to ride through this, and who may step back?

The riders most likely to push through are experienced bikers with strong roadcraft, realistic expectations and a clear reason to ride. Commuters who depend on the bike, tourers who still value the escape, and seasoned riders who know how to read poor surfaces will usually adapt and carry on.

The riders most likely to step back are those already on the fence. That could be returning riders who have not rebuilt confidence yet, occasional leisure riders who can easily choose not to go out, or newer riders looking at the road risk and the total cost and deciding the reward no longer feels clear enough.

If Liam’s video resonates, the answer is not to stop riding by default. It is to be honest about your own tolerance for risk, your local road quality and the kind of riding you actually enjoy. For some riders, shorter fair-weather rides on familiar roads will keep the fun alive. For others, it may be worth rethinking routes, timing and bike setup.

New rider drop-off is part of the wider problem

This issue is not only affecting established riders. MCIA said the UK L-category market closed 2025 at 93,922 registrations, down 19.3% year on year. At the same time, the government’s 2026 consultation on motorcycle training and licensing highlighted that many learner riders repeat CBT rather than progressing, underlining a wider problem around getting new riders to commit for the long term.

That does not prove potholes alone are shrinking biking. But Liam’s argument is that poor roads, rising stress and rising cost all add up. For someone thinking about starting, that stack can be enough to stop them going further.

Ownership, running costs and day-to-day practicality

For existing riders, the practical answer is not panic. It is preparation. If UK roads are rougher, your bike condition matters more. Tyres, suspension setup, chain condition, brake feel and rider visibility all become even more important when road quality is less predictable.

For riders who still commute or tour, comfort and carrying practicality matter too. A well-set-up bike with luggage, weather protection and sensible accessories can make daily use easier and reduce fatigue on poor roads. If you are improving your own setup, check out our motorcycle luggage options here: motorcycle top boxes.

Two-up riding, touring and everyday commuting are all still possible in the UK, but Liam’s broader point stands: the road environment now asks more of the rider. That makes comfort, maintenance and route choice more important than they used to be.

How UK riding conditions compare to what riders actually want

Most riders are not asking for perfect roads or zero risk. They accept that biking comes with exposure, skill and responsibility. What they do want is a road network that does not keep adding avoidable risk on top. Liam’s road-led perspective is powerful because it stays grounded in that reality. He is not asking for luxury. He is asking for roads that do not drain the fun out of riding.

The same applies to enforcement. Riders will accept fair, accurate and transparent safety measures. What they struggle with is feeling watched, stressed and second-guessed while also dealing with poor surfaces and rising costs. That combination changes how a ride feels, even before the engine is warm.

How this compares to the old idea of British motorcycling

There is a clear contrast here with the classic idea of UK biking as freedom, release and escape. That image still matters, and Liam makes the point that the reward is still there. But the route to that reward can feel more hard work than it used to.

That is really the comparison at the centre of this piece: not one bike against another, but the old promise of a carefree ride against the more demanding reality many UK riders feel now. In that comparison, the spirit of biking still wins, but the roads are making it fight harder than it should.

Verdict

Liam’s verdict is measured rather than dramatic. UK roads are not killing motorcycling overnight, but they may be wearing riders down bit by bit. Poor surfaces, potholes, enforcement anxiety and higher ownership costs can all make riding feel less spontaneous and less relaxing than it should.

Even so, the core reward remains. Liam is clear on that. Riding is still exciting, freeing and worth doing. The challenge for riders is to adapt without losing the enjoyment, and the challenge for councils and policymakers is to stop treating road quality like a background issue when it directly affects confidence and safety on two wheels.