Is Biker Match only for dating, or can I use it just to find riding buddies?

Biker Match (bikermatch.co.uk) is not only a dating site. It presents itself as a UK motorcycle social club and biker personals network, and it explicitly welcomes couples and non-singles who want motorcycling friends rather than romance. If your goal is finding people to ride with, you can use profile search to contact riders in your area, join the forums and chatroom, or meet members at listed motorcycle events.

What the site says it is for

The homepage describes Biker Match as "the UK's first, biggest and friendliest online motorcycle social club, a biker personals network by bikers for bikers." It lists two purposes side by side: "biker dating or just motorcycling buddies."

The site also addresses couples directly: "So, biker couples, please don't be put off. BM isn't just for dating." That statement is the clearest signal that solo dating is not the only accepted use.

Ways to connect without dating

The homepage frames all three as part of the same community: "Come say Hi at one of our many motorcycle events, or chat to us in our biker forums and chatroom."

How to use it as a riding-buddy finder

1. Register or sign in. The site has Register and Sign In links in its menu; browsing profiles and contacting members sits behind an account.
2. Search by location. Use the "Search UK Bikers" / "Search UK-only Bikers" function. Results show members with their town, such as Exeter, Aberdeen or Warrington, so you can judge distance before messaging.
3. Message riders in your area. The site's stated purpose includes contacting others "in your area, either for biker dating or just motorcycling buddies." Say plainly in your first message that you are looking for ride-out companions.
4. Check the events calendar. The listings include dated rides and meets, for example a Reading Toy Run and a Christmas meet at Squires. Attending one is a way to meet members without one-to-one messaging.
5. Use the forums and chatroom to ask about local routes or upcoming rides, which surfaces active members in your region.

Expected result: you end up with a shortlist of nearby riders and at least one shared event or conversation thread to build on.

Points to know before you join

• UK-focused membership. The site advertises "105,000 UK-Only Motorcyclists," so the member base and events are UK-centred. If you ride outside the UK, local matches will be thin.
• The site is mid-migration. A notice on the page says the team is "still in the process of converting the site to the new format" and offers a choice to go to the old site or stay on the new one. Some features may behave differently depending on which version you land on.
• Free is claimed, not itemised. The site title and description call it "FREE," but the page evidence does not list plan details or payment options. Treat "free" as the site's own marketing claim and check what registration actually requires.
• Dating and friendship share one pool. Because the network serves both, be explicit about what you want in your profile and messages so your intentions are not misread.

Common sticking points

• Assuming everyone is single. The site says otherwise; couples are members too, so don't filter people out on that basis if you only want riding company.
• Messaging without local context. A generic "hi" is less effective than naming a shared area or an event you both might attend.
• Ignoring events. The events list is one of the site's main non-dating features; skipping it leaves you with only one-to-one contact.

In short: use Biker Match as a dating site if you want, but its own description, its welcome to couples, and its forums, chat and events listings make it a legitimate place to find riding buddies.