Origin.

From one of my Motorcycle Forums, I came across this very interesting article. By the way, I ride a Black CBR1000RR.

Do people with red motorcycles really get more speeding tickets than those with blue motorcycles? Do motorcycle insurance companies use the color of your motorcycle to determine your rates? Do certain colors increase your chance of an accident? What does the color of your motorcycle SAY about your personality?

What Does Your Motorcycle's Color Say About Your Personality and Motorcycle Insurance Premiums?
How Fast IS That Red Motorcycle?

According to the Web site Colormatters.com there may be some truth the urban legends surrounding motorcycle color and speeding tickets … at least anecdotally.

Visitors to that site say that when they drive red motorcycles they seem to get more speeding tickets. Although there seems to be no official statistics kept for such things, and the police aren't talking about it, the stories reinforce the urban legend that many have heard.

In general, driving the speed limit is usually a good idea no matter what color motorcycle you drive. If you keep your red motorcycle at or near the limit, the chances you will get a ticket are much smaller. In fact, they are probably exactly the same as the guy next to you driving the speed limit in his purple motorcycle.

Color and Personality

In Great Britain there was actually some research done that suggested that the colour (they really like that spelling for some reason) of your motorcycle says something about your personality type. And accordingly, based on your personality type, your likeliness to be involved in an accident (in the U.K. at least). That research showed that black motorcycles are twice as likely to be involved in crashes as cream-color motorcycles. Whether this is true in the United States is unclear.

Here is what it said about certain motorcycle colors (listed in order of most dangerous to least)*

Black motorcycles denote an aggressive personality or someone who's an outsider or rebel.
Silver motorcycles indicate someone who's cool, calm and slightly aloof.
Green motorcycles can often be chosen by people with hysterical tendencies.
Yellow motorcycles signify someone who is idealistic and novelty loving.
Blue motorcycles are chosen by the more introspective, reflective and cautious driver.
Gray motorcycles represent those who are calm, sober and dedicated to their work.
Red motorcycles denote those who are full of zest, energy and drive and who think, move and talk quickly.
Pink motorcycles are chosen by gentle, loving and affectionate drivers.
White motorcycles represent status-seeking extrovert drivers.
Cream motorcycles are the least likely to be involved in accidents and denote self-contained and controlled owners.

The Color of Money

What about the motorcycle insurance rates question? Does your motorcycle insurance company use color to determine your premium? The answer is … no.

Some people have suggested that insurers use the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to determine the motorcycle color and use that information, in part, to set the rate for each motorcycle. But the fact is that motorcycle color is not one of the details encoded into a VIN number. So technically, unless they ASK you the color of your motorcycle when you buy your motorcycle insurance policy, they really have no idea what color it is. And thus has no affect on your rate.

Additionally, according to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times in 2005, despite the mistaken belief by 25 percent of drivers that color affects your motorcycle insurance rates, it really has no effect on your insurance at all. Factors like year, make, model, body type (of the motorcycle, not YOU) and engine size are taken into consideration along with the driver's personal information.

So, if you want that little red sports motorcycle, go right ahead and get it. Does it mean you are full of zest, energy and drive and think, move and talk quickly? Only you can answer that.

The fact is, if you keep the speed of that little red number somewhere around the posted limit, stop at red lights, yield to oncoming traffic, and make your cell phone calls when you are stopped, you will probably do a lot more for your motorcycle insurance rates than any color ever could.