The Complete Guide to Motorbike Insurance in the UK

As an FCA-authorised expert with experience in over 800,000 insurance policies, WeCovr presents the definitive guide to motorbike insurance in the UK. Whether you ride a trusty commuter or a powerful superbike, understanding your cover is crucial for staying legal, protected, and in control of your costs.

WeCovr's overview of motorbike cover, from commuter bikes to superbikes

The thrill of riding a motorcycle is a unique blend of freedom, skill, and connection with the road. It’s a passion shared by millions across the UK. But alongside the helmet, leathers, and gloves, one piece of equipment is non-negotiable: a robust insurance policy.

This guide will navigate you through every aspect of motorbike insurance. We'll demystify the jargon, explain the legal requirements, and provide actionable tips to help you find the best vehicle cover for your specific needs. From understanding how your choice of bike impacts your premium to learning how to make a claim, this is your one-stop resource for getting the right protection at the right price.

Why Motorbike Insurance is a Legal Necessity in the UK

Before we delve into the types of cover, it's vital to understand the law. Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, it is a criminal offence to ride a motorcycle on a public road or in a public place without at least a minimum level of insurance.

The legal framework is enforced through the Motor Insurance Database (MID), which the police and the DVLA use to check if a vehicle is insured. This system of Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) means that if your bike is registered and not declared as "off the road" (SORN), it must be insured, even if it's just parked on the street.

Riding without insurance carries severe penalties:

• A fixed penalty of £300 and 6 penalty points on your licence.
• If the case goes to court, you could receive an unlimited fine and be disqualified from riding.
• The police also have the power to seize, and in some cases, destroy the uninsured vehicle.

Simply put, the risk is never worth it. A suitable motor policy is your ticket to legally enjoying the open road.

Understanding the Different Levels of Motorbike Insurance

When you seek a quote, you'll be presented with three core levels of cover. While it might be tempting to opt for the cheapest, it's crucial to understand what each level provides. Interestingly, comprehensive cover is often not the most expensive option, so it always pays to compare.

1. Third-Party Only (TPO)

This is the absolute minimum level of cover required by UK law. It is designed to protect other people (the "third party") from any damage or injury you might cause while riding.

• What it covers:
  • Injuries to other people, including your pillion passenger.
  • Damage to another person’s vehicle or property.
• What it DOES NOT cover:
  • Damage to your own motorcycle.
  • Theft of your motorcycle.
  • Fire damage to your motorcycle.
  • Your own injuries if you are at fault.

Example: You misjudge a corner in the rain and clip a parked car. Your TPO policy would cover the cost of repairing the car, but you would have to pay for the repairs to your own bike out of pocket.

2. Third-Party, Fire and Theft (TPFT)

This level includes everything offered by TPO, with two significant additions that protect your own vehicle in specific circumstances.

• What it covers:
  • All TPO cover (injuries to others and damage to their property).
  • Repair or replacement of your motorcycle if it is stolen.
  • Repair or replacement of your motorcycle if it is damaged by fire.
• What it DOES NOT cover:
  • Damage to your own motorcycle in an accident that was your fault.

Example: You return to your bike to find it has been stolen from its parking bay. A TPFT policy would help cover the cost of replacing it, subject to your policy excess.

3. Comprehensive Cover

As the name suggests, this is the highest level of motor insurance UK providers offer. It includes all the benefits of TPFT and adds protection for your own motorcycle, even if an accident is your fault.

• What it covers:
  • All TPFT cover.
  • Accidental damage to your own motorcycle, regardless of who was at fault.
  • Typically includes cover for your helmet and leathers (up to a specified limit).
  • Often includes other benefits like a courtesy vehicle, though this can be an optional extra.

Example: You hit a patch of diesel on a roundabout and your bike goes down, causing significant damage. With comprehensive cover, your insurer would cover the cost of repairs to your bike, even though no one else was involved.

What Determines the Cost of Your Motorbike Insurance Premium?

Insurers calculate premiums based on risk. They use a wide range of data points to predict the likelihood of you making a claim. Understanding these factors can empower you to take steps to lower your costs.

The Rider: Your Personal Profile

• Age and Experience: Younger, less experienced riders are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents. Premiums typically decrease significantly after the age of 25 and with several years of riding experience.
• Riding History: A clean licence with a long No-Claims Bonus (NCB) is the biggest indicator of a safe rider and will result in much lower premiums. Conversely, convictions (e.g., for speeding) or previous claims will increase your costs.
• Occupation: Your job title can influence your premium. Some professions are deemed higher risk than others, particularly those involving significant travel or high stress.
• Address: Your postcode plays a crucial role. Insurers use area-based statistics on traffic density, crime rates, and claim frequencies. Living in a busy urban area with high theft rates will usually cost more than a quiet rural location.

The Motorbike: From Mopeds to Monsters

• Type and Model: High-performance superbikes are in a much higher insurance group than 125cc commuter bikes or mopeds due to their speed, acceleration, and higher repair costs.
• Engine Size (cc): A larger, more powerful engine generally means a higher premium.
• Value: The more your bike is worth, the more it would cost an insurer to replace if stolen or written off.
• Modifications: Any changes from the factory standard must be declared. Performance-enhancing modifications like exhaust systems or engine tuning will almost always increase your premium. Cosmetic changes may also have an impact. Failure to declare modifications can invalidate your insurance.
• Security: This is a key area where you can make a difference. Using Thatcham-approved security devices like alarms, immobilisers, trackers, and heavy-duty locks and ground anchors can earn you significant discounts.

How You Use Your Bike

• Class of Use:
  • Social, Domestic & Pleasure (SDP): This covers recreational riding, visiting friends, and general non-work-related journeys.
  • Commuting: This includes SDP use plus riding to and from a single, permanent place of work.
  • Business Use: If you use your bike as part of your job (e.g., visiting multiple sites, not just commuting), you need business cover. This is often split into classes depending on the type of use. Delivery and courier work requires specialist commercial motor insurance.
• Annual Mileage: The more miles you cover, the higher your statistical exposure to risk. Be honest and accurate with your estimate—overestimating can cost you money, while underestimating could cause issues with a claim.

Decoding Your Motorbike Insurance Policy

An insurance document is filled with specific terms. Here’s a breakdown of the most important ones.

No-Claims Bonus (NCB) or No-Claims Discount (NCD)

For every year you hold a policy without making a claim, you earn a discount on your premium for the following year. This is one of the most effective ways to reduce your insurance costs over time.

• A single year of NCB might give you a 30% discount.
• Five or more years can lead to discounts of 60-70% or more, depending on the insurer.

You can often pay a small additional fee to protect your No-Claims Bonus. This allows you to make one or two claims within a certain period without losing your hard-earned discount.

Policy Excess

The excess is the amount of money you agree to pay towards any claim you make. It is made up of two parts:

1. Compulsory Excess: This is a fixed amount set by the insurer based on their assessment of your risk profile (e.g., your age, bike type).
2. Voluntary Excess: This is an amount you choose to add on top of the compulsory excess. Agreeing to a higher voluntary excess tells the insurer you are willing to take on more of the initial financial risk, which will usually lower your overall premium.

Example: If your compulsory excess is £250 and you set a voluntary excess of £200, your total excess is £450. If you make a claim for £2,000 worth of damage, you would pay the first £450, and the insurer would pay the remaining £1,550.

Tailoring Your Policy: Optional Motorbike Insurance Extras

Standard policies can be enhanced with optional add-ons to create a safety net that perfectly suits your needs.

• Legal Expenses Cover: This covers the cost of legal representation to recover uninsured losses after an accident that wasn't your fault. This can include your policy excess, loss of earnings, or compensation for injury.
• Breakdown Cover: Provides roadside assistance if your bike breaks down. Policies vary from basic roadside repair and local recovery to nationwide recovery, onward travel, and European cover.
• Personal Accident Cover: Provides a lump-sum payment in the event of death or serious, life-altering injury (e.g., loss of a limb or sight) resulting from a motorbike accident.
• Helmet and Leathers Cover: Standard comprehensive policies often include a small amount of cover, but this add-on increases the limit to cover the high cost of replacing your specialist protective gear after an accident.
• Pillion Cover: The legal liability to cover injuries to a pillion passenger is included as standard in all UK policies. However, some policies might have restrictions, so always check if you plan to carry passengers.
• Courtesy Motorcycle: This provides you with a temporary replacement bike (usually a small-capacity commuter model) while yours is being repaired after an insured incident. This is not always standard, so check your policy wording.
• European Cover: All UK policies provide minimum third-party cover for travel in the EU. However, this add-on upgrades your cover to the same level you have in the UK (e.g., comprehensive) for a specified period.

As an expert broker, WeCovr can help you find a motor policy that either includes these benefits as standard or allows you to add them cost-effectively, ensuring you only pay for the protection you need. WeCovr customers also benefit from discounts on other policies, such as life insurance, when they purchase motor cover.

Specialist Motorbike Insurance Policies

Not all riders fit into a standard mould. Specialist policies are designed for specific needs and can often provide better value and more appropriate cover.

Young Rider Insurance

Insuring riders under 25 can be expensive due to the high-risk statistics. Policies with telematics (a "black box") that monitor riding behaviour can help responsible young riders prove their safety and earn lower premiums. Choosing a low-powered, sensible first bike is also key.

Classic and Vintage Motorbike Insurance

For owners of older machines, classic bike insurance is essential. These policies often feature:

• Agreed Value: You and the insurer agree on the bike's value at the start of the policy, so you know exactly what you'll be paid if it's written off, avoiding disputes over market value.
• Limited Mileage: Discounts are offered for riders who use their classic bikes sparingly for shows and sunny Sunday rides.
• Salvage Rights: Policies may allow you to buy back the bike's salvage if it is written off.

Multi-Bike Insurance

If you are fortunate enough to own more than one motorcycle, a multi-bike policy can be much more convenient and cost-effective than insuring each bike separately. It consolidates your renewal dates and often applies a single, significant No-Claims Bonus across all your bikes.

Business and Fleet Motorbike Insurance

Standard "business use" is not sufficient for riders who use their motorcycle as a primary tool of their trade, such as couriers or food delivery riders. This requires a specific commercial motor insurance policy, often called "Hire and Reward". For companies operating a number of bikes, fleet insurance provides comprehensive cover for all vehicles and riders under a single, manageable policy. WeCovr has extensive expertise in sourcing competitive private, business, and fleet insurance solutions.

Practical Tips for Cheaper Motorbike Insurance in the UK

While some cost factors are fixed, there are many proactive steps you can take to lower your premium.

1. Pass an Advanced Riding Course: Insurers highly value qualifications from bodies like the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM RoadSmart) or the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). They prove you have invested in your skills beyond the basic test and can lead to substantial discounts.
2. Enhance Your Security: The more difficult you make it for thieves, the lower your risk. Always declare approved alarms, immobilisers, trackers, and heavy-duty physical security like ground anchors.
3. Store It Securely: A locked garage is the gold standard. A bike parked on a public road is at a much higher risk of theft and damage than one stored securely overnight, and premiums will reflect this.
4. Pay Annually: Paying for your policy in one lump sum is almost always cheaper than spreading the cost over monthly instalments, which usually include interest charges.
5. Build Your No-Claims Bonus: Ride safely and avoid making small claims. Sometimes it's more cost-effective in the long run to pay for minor repairs yourself than to lose a multi-year NCB.
6. Choose Your Bike Wisely: If cost is a major concern, opt for a bike in a lower insurance group. A naked middleweight will be far cheaper to insure than a 1000cc superbike.
7. Increase Your Voluntary Excess: If you are confident in your riding and can afford a higher one-off payment in the event of a claim, increasing your voluntary excess can bring your premium down.
8. Shop Around with an Expert Broker: The insurance market is vast and competitive. Using a trusted, FCA-authorised broker like WeCovr gives you access to a wide panel of leading UK insurers. Our experts compare the market for you, saving you time and finding the best car insurance provider and policy for your budget and needs, at no extra cost to you.

What to Do If You Need to Make a Motorbike Insurance Claim

An accident can be a stressful and disorienting experience. Knowing the correct steps to take can make the claims process much smoother.

1. Stop and Ensure Safety: Stop at the scene. Check yourself and others for injuries. If anyone is hurt, call 999 immediately. Move to a safe place away from traffic if possible.
2. Do Not Admit Fault: Even if you think you were to blame, do not admit liability at the scene. Stick to the facts of what happened.
3. Exchange Details: Swap details with any other parties involved. This includes:
   • Name, address, and phone number.
   • Vehicle registration number.
   • Their insurance provider details.
4. Gather Evidence: Use your phone to take photos of the scene, the position of the vehicles, and the damage to all vehicles involved. Note the time, date, weather conditions, and exact location. If there are any independent witnesses, ask for their contact details.
5. Contact Your Insurer: Report the incident to your insurance provider as soon as it is safe to do so, even if you don't intend to make a claim. Your policy will have a time limit for reporting.
6. The Claims Process: Your insurer will guide you through the next steps. This will involve arranging for an assessment of the damage, authorising repairs at an approved garage, or, if the bike is a total loss (a "write-off"), negotiating a settlement payment based on its market value before the incident.

A claim, particularly an at-fault one, will likely lead to an increase in your premium at renewal and the loss of some or all of your No-Claims Bonus unless it is protected.

Frequently Asked Questions About UK Motorbike Insurance

1. Do I need motorbike insurance if my bike is declared SORN? No. If you have officially registered your motorcycle with the DVLA as being under a Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN), you are not legally required to have insurance. However, this means it cannot be kept or used on a public road. If it is stolen or damaged by fire in your garage, you would not be covered unless you purchase a specialist "laid-up" or SORN insurance policy.

2. Can I ride my friend's motorbike on my insurance policy? Almost certainly not. The "Driving Other Cars" (DOC) extension sometimes found on car insurance policies very rarely applies to motorbike insurance. To ride another person's bike, you must be specifically named as a rider on their policy. Always assume you are not covered and check the policy documents carefully before riding any other motorcycle.

3. Do I have to declare modifications to my insurer? Yes, absolutely. You must declare all modifications that deviate from the manufacturer's standard specification, whether they are for performance or cosmetic purposes. This includes different exhausts, handlebars, fairings, or engine tuning. Failure to declare modifications can give your insurer grounds to reject a claim and void your policy entirely.

4. Does my motorbike insurance cover me to ride in Europe? Your UK policy automatically provides the legal minimum third-party cover required to ride in the EU and some other European countries. However, this will not cover you for fire, theft, or accidental damage to your own bike. To get the same level of protection you have in the UK, you will need to contact your insurer to add full European cover to your policy, usually for a specific trip duration.

Riding a motorcycle should be an enjoyable and liberating experience. By securing the right motor insurance, you give yourself the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are legally compliant and financially protected against the unexpected.

Ready to find the right cover for your ride? Get a competitive motorbike insurance quote from WeCovr today. Our FCA-authorised experts will compare policies from leading UK insurers to find the perfect protection for you and your bike.