MotoGP's Arrival in Adelaide Sparks Hopes for Motorcycle Culture Boost

The arrival of the Tour Down Under to Adelaide in 1999 inspired a significant uptick in Lycra-wearing cyclists in and around Adelaide, a trend that continued well into the late 2010s.

But with MotoGP landing in the City of Churches from 2027, and a Superbike World Championship round in Tailem Bend from 2028, it poses the question: Will this result in thousands of high-performance sport bikes whizzing around our roads?

Noah Orozgani works in sales at family business Moto Adelaide and says retailers believe the MotoGP is a major coup for the state.

"Like the time we had a big name like [MotoGP rider] Jack Miller come and ride for the Australian Superbikes," he says.

"There was big crowd there at Tailem Bend, the racetrack and people just went there to watch Jack Miller.

He says the MotoGP bikes and their riders are "out of this world" in terms of their performance and the excitement would rub off on spectators of all ages, which would in turn be good for dealerships and service centres.

"The fan base is not like anything else. They get really riled up, like footy fans," he says.

"People are doing 360 kilometres per hour, and it just gives you that buzz, and they'll go: 'Oh yeah, I've got a bike at home, I'll go riding, and then the bike's not good enough, I need an upgrade, or a service.'"

Revving up hype

Motorcycle Alliance of South Australia chairman Heath Norris says it's likely a lot more motorcycles will be brought out of people's sheds.

"It always brings a bit of hype along with it, this sort of thing," he says.

He says Adelaide already has a strong motorcycle culture, with "great roads, great scenery and great destinations", as well as flagship charity events, like the Motorcycle Riders' Association of SA Toy Run.

That being said, he points out there is a difference between the high-performance sport bikes, or "crotch rockets" developed into superbikes, and cruiser bikes like Harley-Davidsons.

The South Australian government is banking on strong interest in the MotoGP to warrant expenditure forecast by the former F1 Grand Prix track designer to be more than $100m to adapt the racecourse alone.

It is also facing strong and ongoing public criticism over the removal of Parklands trees that will be required to adjust the track for the MotoGP.

Banking on a big impact

A spokesperson says the 2025 MotoGP event at Phillip Island delivered an average of "$217 million in economic impact for local economies through "global exposure combined with tourism and hospitality".

"MotoGP has a global fan base of more than 639 million people, with a record 3.6 million attendees in races in 2025 and TV audiences up 9 per cent over the past year," he says.

The spokesperson says it is a "major global sporting property with an established national and international audience".

"South Australians will no doubt embrace motorcycle racing with the same enthusiasm we've embraced cycling, Supercars, golf and the arts, among many others."

A world first

While Victoria's Phillip Island Grand Prix racecourse is regarded as among the best worldwide, enthusiasts have said the location had limits when it came to accessibility.

A street circuit like Adelaide, the world's first, was expected to draw significant international visitors, and its timing alongside the Supercars Championship Adelaide Grand Final would further bolster attention.

Mr Orozgani points out that every year there was a huge contingent of people who would ride bikes over to Phillip Island via the Great Ocean Road to watch the MotoGP.

"Religiously, they went to Melbourne to watch the races and come back," Mr Orozgani says.

Describing the end of that annual event as a "downside" to the MotoGP coming to SA, he adds it may mean people interstate will ride their bikes to Adelaide instead.

Raising awareness

Mr Norris hopes an increased profile through motorcycle racing will improve road awareness among other road users, pointing out that Adelaide drivers are not always willing to share the road.

"I've ridden in Queensland, and people get out of your way when they see you coming up behind," he says.

Lane filtering is when a motorcycle rider edges between two lanes of stationary traffic on the same side of the road, or traffic moving at 30km/h or less in the same direction, which is a legal and practical activity to ease congestion.

"A lot of people here are oblivious to motorcycles," Mr Norris says.

Asked if SAPOL was expecting more high-performance sport bikes on the roads as a result of the MotoGP, Officer in Charge of Traffic Services Branch Superintendent Shane Johns says it is committed to improving road safety for all road users.

"SAPOL routinely plans for these events with an appropriate policing response, which includes targeted road safety operations where required.

"SAPOL encourages all motorcyclists to ride within the speed limit, to the conditions, and to make responsible decisions on the road."