News
Make motorcycles great again!
Sustainability, accessibility and electrification are just as important on two wheels as four, as you can soon see for yourself at the NEC!
Words by: Dan Trent
Published on 6 November 2025 | 0 min read
Motorcycle Live 2025 kicks off at the NEC next week and the head of the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) Tony Campbell is determined to make it more than just a trade show. In a previous conversation he told us all about MCL’s reinvention into an indoor festival for riders and non-riders alike, with the aim of promoting motorcycling to a wider audience. As well as secure its future as both a hobby and accessible, sustainable and fun means of transport for all.
This included a new focus on riding opportunities for kids on up, expanded live entertainment with stunt shows and live music and a much-improved food and drink offering. Ahead of MCL 2025 we caught up with Tony for another chat on how it’s all going, what the organisers learned from last year and how that will inform the event going forward. Which is to say striking a balance between an experience to delight hardcore bike enthusiasts while simultaneously attracting a whole new crowd to powered two-wheelers. No small task!
This included a new focus on riding opportunities for kids on up, expanded live entertainment with stunt shows and live music and a much-improved food and drink offering. Ahead of MCL 2025 we caught up with Tony for another chat on how it’s all going, what the organisers learned from last year and how that will inform the event going forward. Which is to say striking a balance between an experience to delight hardcore bike enthusiasts while simultaneously attracting a whole new crowd to powered two-wheelers. No small task!
More than just heavy metal
“One of the great assets we’ve got is motorcycle culture,” says Tony. “It is a lifestyle, and I’ve always taken it for granted but it’s an amazing way of creating friendships that can last for life. And if we can make people feel part of this big family, I think we stand a better chance of bringing people in.”
This picks up on our previous conversation with Tony, and the ongoing discussion about motorcycling’s aging demographic here in the UK. And how to inspire a new generation of riders from all backgrounds. While there will be a spotlight on heavy metal, both in terms of bikes like the all-new British-built Nortons making their first appearance on home soil and (possibly!) some of the music on the live stages, Tony is keen to see motorcycling go beyond its petrol-powered image and be embraced for its wider role in accessible mobility. Whether that be powered by an internal combustion engine or a motor and batteries.
This picks up on our previous conversation with Tony, and the ongoing discussion about motorcycling’s aging demographic here in the UK. And how to inspire a new generation of riders from all backgrounds. While there will be a spotlight on heavy metal, both in terms of bikes like the all-new British-built Nortons making their first appearance on home soil and (possibly!) some of the music on the live stages, Tony is keen to see motorcycling go beyond its petrol-powered image and be embraced for its wider role in accessible mobility. Whether that be powered by an internal combustion engine or a motor and batteries.
An electrifying experience
“From a new rider’s perspective from what we’re seeing with micro mobility, e-scooters and e-bikes we know this is exploding,” says Tony. “We also know the government has some proposals to hopefully tidy up what is legal and what isn’t, and once that gets sorted I’m encouraged there’s a higher propensity for people to be on some sort of motorised two-wheeler.”
This is something we’ve seen with our tests on electric bikes like the retro-styled Maeving RM2, built in nearby Coventry and combining style and tech in a neat package designed to appeal as much to those new to riding as it is experienced motorcyclists. Compact, easy to ride, clean and cool, the Maeving offsets its high purchase price with cheaper running costs, Royal Enfield looking to do something similar with its innovative Flying Flea electrified sub-brand. That these and electric scooters like the Honda CUVe: we rode recently could bridge the gap to traditional motorcycles for an upcoming generation raised on getting about on Lime Bikes is a hopeful sign in Tony’s eyes. But there are still barriers.
This is something we’ve seen with our tests on electric bikes like the retro-styled Maeving RM2, built in nearby Coventry and combining style and tech in a neat package designed to appeal as much to those new to riding as it is experienced motorcyclists. Compact, easy to ride, clean and cool, the Maeving offsets its high purchase price with cheaper running costs, Royal Enfield looking to do something similar with its innovative Flying Flea electrified sub-brand. That these and electric scooters like the Honda CUVe: we rode recently could bridge the gap to traditional motorcycles for an upcoming generation raised on getting about on Lime Bikes is a hopeful sign in Tony’s eyes. But there are still barriers.
Cost of entry
“We’re pushing for a licence review to help take some of the cost out of learning to ride without compromising safety,” he says. He points out that of the nearly 40,000 people learning to ride each year more than half are aged under 40, helping offset the fact the majority of existing licence holders are considerably older. “It’s encouraging there’s this younger generation looking at motorcycling so positively,” says Tony.
To help inspire younger riders into motorcycling as a means of transport or even a potential future career Motorcycle Live has encouraged attendance for students from local colleges. “We kicked it off last year and it was incredibly well-received,” explains Tony, “and over the two days we’ve dedicated to this we’ve got 650 students registered from local colleges.” The stereotype of gents of a certain age living out mid-life crisis dreams is there for a reason, of course. And you’ll see plenty of folk meeting that description attending the show. But motorcyclists are an incredibly friendly bunch and, on Tony’s watch, MCL organisers hope a much broader cross-section of people will feel equally inspired to pop by the NEC and see what the world of motorbikes has to offer.
To help inspire younger riders into motorcycling as a means of transport or even a potential future career Motorcycle Live has encouraged attendance for students from local colleges. “We kicked it off last year and it was incredibly well-received,” explains Tony, “and over the two days we’ve dedicated to this we’ve got 650 students registered from local colleges.” The stereotype of gents of a certain age living out mid-life crisis dreams is there for a reason, of course. And you’ll see plenty of folk meeting that description attending the show. But motorcyclists are an incredibly friendly bunch and, on Tony’s watch, MCL organisers hope a much broader cross-section of people will feel equally inspired to pop by the NEC and see what the world of motorbikes has to offer.
