This paper reviews some aspects of trauma to motorcyclists in terms of the frequency and severity of their injuries. Data on lower limb injuries from an in-depth study of motorcyclists, who survived their crashes but required hospital treatment, show that these injuries are severe and roughly equally distributed at or above the knee and below the knee. The frequency of side impacts by other vehicles into the motorcycle is shown to be of consequence, and some aspects of the biomechanics of the injuries are discussed. Current fairings and crash bars do not appear to be beneficial, but the numbers of such devices in the sample are small. The paper concludes that crash protective concepts, offering partial protection for the legs, are a worthwhile aim for future motorcycle design to address.