EXPERT OPINION ‘Don’t spend more than you need to’

“Our research suggests the cost of motoring is one of the biggest issues our members are having to deal with,” Lyes told MCN.

“Fuel prices are still a lot higher than many people are comfortable with. I think motorcyclists – particularly leisure motorcyclists – do have to check in and make sure they’re not potentially spending more than they need to.”

He continued: “For people who rely on their bikes it’s always difficult. But if you’re using your vehicle for leisure purposes, you may think twice because it has just become very expensive to insure and run your vehicles.

“We’re experiencing rising wholesale costs at the moment.

A lot of that is being driven by tensions in the Middle East – particularly between Israel and Iran. It’s also the start of the driving season in America and that tends to increase demand for fuel.”

This ‘season’ is the part of the year when many in the US use their vehicles for leisure trips, as Lyes explains: “They go to national parks, they do road trips; it’s a very big thing. So, you start to see more people filling their cars up and, in America, a lot of people do have thirsty vehicles, which means they’re going to be filling up more.”

Lyes says it’s hard to tell if prices will continue to climb. Factors likely to dictate any change include how the situation in the Middle East pans out. Petroleum-exporting countries could increase their supply to assist with pricing, but whether or not that happens is also uncertain.

“Don’t always assume that supermarkets are the cheapest, because sometimes independent retailers have lower prices,” Lyes concluded. “There was once a perception that supermarkets were cheaper than anywhere else, but that’s not always the case now.”

‘Supermarkets aren’t always the cheapest’