A study released on Friday by the Institute of Health and Welfare shows there has been a 50 per cent increase in life-threatening injuries to male motorcyclists aged 45 to 64 in an eight year period.

Classic Car and Motorcylcle Enthusiast Club secretary Charles Stammers has been riding motorbikes for 55 years.

He knows many middle-aged men who also own motorbikes, many of them are just beginning to take up riding again after years away from the open road.

He said this could account for the increasing number of life-threatening injuries.

“There are many people who started out but then got girlfriends, wives and families, but these people are coming back into it again,” he said.

Mr Stammers also puts his finger on the increasing power of motorbikes as a major factor behind the rise.

He said motorbikes had greatly evolved since his early days of riding.

“The power and acceleration now makes some like cars, the technology is increasing all the time,” he said.

“I had an old Triumph motorbike in the 50s and 60s and back in that era they had 40 brake horsepower, now models have up to 200bhp.

“Some people get carried away with the speed.”

The survey showed that while more middle-aged men are having serious accidents, young people are still proving to be the biggest problem. Both males and females in the 15 to 24 years age group had the highest amount of life-threatening injuries.