Riding to work on this day demonstrates to the public and to all officials that motorcycling is more than a stimulating and invigorating recreation. For many people, riding is a socially responsible form of personal transportation that saves energy, reduces congestion, adds parking spaces, helps the environment and provides a broad range of other public benefits. Ride to Work Day dramatically shows that motorcyclists come from all walks of life, work in all occupations, and range in age from teenagers to grandparents.

The American Motorcyclist Association and many other worldwide rider organizations have actively encouraged all motorcyclists to ride their cycles to work on the third Wednesday in July each year to show that motorcycling is a social good. Global participation in the yearly demonstration is estimated to be several million riders. Today there are over two hundred and twenty million cars and light trucks crowding American roads and seven million registered motorcycles.

If more motorcycles become a regular part of the transportation mix, it will help make urban parking easier and traffic will flow better, according to Ride to Work, a non-profit advocacy organization. Studies have shown that urban motorcyclists reach their destinations faster and are more invigorated and refreshed upon arrival than those using automobiles. In advanced countries like Japan, Germany, and England the advantages of motorcycling for transportation are widely appreciated. In the United States, a smaller percentage of the seven million registered cycles are used for everyday transportation and commuting.