Men aged 40 and over account for 75 per cent of all motorbike deaths in Queensland, with the latest police figures challenging the long-held notion that young men are the biggest risk.

Eight people have already died in motorcycle accidents on state roads this year, with six of them aged 40 or over.

There were 12,028 motorcycles registered in Queensland in 2014-16.

In 2016, motorbike riders made up less then 4 per cent of all road used in Queensland.

Sixty-two riders and pillions died in 2016, accounting for a quarter of all road fatalities.

Queensland police Inspector Peter Flanders said speed, inexperience, and loss of control were the main contributors.

"Disproportionately, people dying on motorcycles are blokes my age," he said.

"It's not girls, it's not the younger people — it's blokes my age — and if you need to know I'm just over 50.

"We need to understand what switches on in blokes my age on a Saturday morning.

"[They] change from this calm, considered, collective, loving husband during the week, to this total fool on the weekend.

"I've been riding bikes for a long time, and I shudder when I see the figures every year."

Other road users not the problem

Police statistics also debunk another commonly held belief that other road users were the main cause of motorcycle crashes.

Figures for 2016 showed two-thirds of motorbike crashes were caused by the rider.

The year before, 971 people were treated in hospitals after coming off a motorbike.

Loss of friend prompts safety campaign

Richard Wall's best friend Dave Bailey died when he crashed his bike on the popular weekend route on Mt Nebo, north-west of Brisbane in 2015, just eight weeks after his wedding.

It was Mr Bailey's 34th birthday and he had done the ride dozens of times before.

Dave Bailey on his wedding day with wife Sarah (centre) and a friend. ( Facebook: Sarah Bailey )

"He came off the road on a left-hand turn ... hit a tree, and received fatal injuries," Mr Wall said.

"The level of guilt that you feel when you're supposed to be there and you feel like you could have done something to prevent it from happening."

Mr Wall organised a memorial ride this month for his friend and started the RideSafely4Me campaign, aimed at reducing rider impulsiveness.

"RideSafely4Me is effectively about making people think twice when they throw their leg over the bike, and think about the people that would miss them if they were to do something stupid," he said.

The Queensland Government recently launched a safety campaign featuring five-time world MotoGP champion Mick Doohan.

Doohan said riders had to develop a high level of awareness so they could read the road, the conditions, the potential hazards and stay focused and in control.

Inspector Flanders said buying a sports bike or cruiser was often an emotional decision.

"The majority of trips are for pleasure and not for work, so the challenge is to sell the objectivity — and I don't know how we actually do that," he said.