Background Recently, motorcycle use as a mode of transportation had increased tremendously. The motorcycle rider behaviour questionnaire (MRBQ) has been used among British motorcycle riders. We sought to determine its performance among Nigerian motorcycle riders (CM).

Method We adapted and administered the MRBQ to 500 CMs in Osogbo, Nigeria using two trained interviewers. Findings The mean age was 27 years (Range=17–70) and the mean riding experience was 4.72 years (range=1–19 years). 110 (22%) had been involved in a crash before while 124 (24.8) had been involved in 1-6 traffic violations in the past. Using Principal Component Analysis, the five-factor structure of the original MRBQ condensed to four, which accounted for 32.5% of the variance. Factor 1 (control/safety) consisted of 4 safety and 5 control variables which accounted for 10.5% of the variance. Factor 2 (stunt) accounted for 8.6% and it comprised five stunt variables. Factor 3 (error) accounted for 8.0% of the variables and consisted of four error variables while factor 4 (seed/impatience) accounted for 5.4% and consisted of speed variables. Six variables did not load under any factor. General linear model showed that speed/impatience, experience, alcohol use and motorcycle usage were the only significant predictors of crash liability Conclusion The performance of MRBQ in the Nigerian CMs population is different from its performance among British riders. The paper will discuss possible ways in which findings from this study can help in formulating policies directed at reducing motorcycle crashes