Wairarapa's rural roads contributed to the high crash rate, as did the Rimutaka Hill Rd, he said. "It's an open road situation with open road speed."
Returning riders who hadn't been on a bike for years were more likely to lose control, accounting for a large proportion of accidents, Mr Ryan said. "People returning to motorcycling is increasing ... [people] who think they're young at heart."
Keeping headlights on and wearing high visibility gear made a huge difference to rider safety. "The black leathers just blend into the background."
Wairarapa Road Safety Council is running a practical motorcycle safety course on December 1 for anyone with a licence and their own bike.
Despite this, the cost of claims is dropping, with ACC paying out $198 million to claimants in the Wellington region in the year to June, compared with more than $237 million in 2008/2009. Separate figures for Wairarapa were unavailable.
More than half of injuries in Wairarapa happened at home, totalling close to $6.7 million in claims.
Sport and recreation injuries were the next most common, followed by accidents occurring at a "commercial or service" location.
While accidents sustained in the street only accounted for about 7 per cent of claims in Masterton, they were among the most costly, accounting for the second highest claims bill of $3.5 million.
The most common cause of injury in Wairarapa was reported as "loss of balance", followed by lifting and carrying, then "struck by a person or animal".
Masterton's injury claim rate - the number of claims lodged per 10,000 people - has dropped over the last five years to 3765, about 100 lower than the national average.
Nationwide, injuries cost the country $7 million a day.
ACC's annual report showed it accepted 1.7 million new claims in the 12 months to June 2013, for a total cost of $2.6 billion.
Claims expenditure was $208 million under budget, reflecting a reduced number of claims and better rehabilitation performance, the report said.
Medical treatment accounted for $449 million, while $234 million was paid out for hospital treatment and elective surgery.
Compensation for lost wages was the highest cost, at $759 million, while $406 million was paid out for "social rehabilitation" like home help, child care, and house modifications like wheelchair ramps.
In the year to June 2013 more than 32,000 people had surgery, 27,594 were injured while cycling, 6210 were injured from dog bites and 11,565 were injured from insect bites.
Knees and shoulders were injured most often, and more than 400,000 people claimed for physio treatment.
More than 42 per cent of new claims were the result of injuries sustained inside the home.
ACC Minister Judith Collins said ACC's Safety Week aimed to raise awareness of safety risks - especially during "seemingly harmless" activities.
"This year we reminded New Zealanders that they don't have to be out on the rugby field or skateboarding to be at risk of an injury," she said. "While sport and recreation claim numbers are an ongoing area of focus, a significant number of accidents happen during routine and seemingly harmless activities."
Trips and falls were the biggest cause of injuries in New Zealand so it paid to take precautions around things like stairs, dog leads, rugs and skipping ropes, Ms Collins said. "I've encouraged the corporation to put a greater, more evidence based focus on injury prevention because I know it has the capability to be more than just an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff."
