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Motorbike insurance
COMPARE CHEAP MOTORBIKE INSURANCE QUOTES[1]
50% of customers paid £243 or less for their motorbike policy[2]
What are the different levels of motorcycle cover?
There are three levels of motorcycle insurance cover. Third party only, third party fire and theft, and comprehensive. They each offer varying levels of protection at different prices.
Don't just pick the cheapest policy. Take a look at the level of cover, exclusions, and insurer's reputation too. That way you’ll be sure to find the best motorbike insurance for your needs.
Comprehensive
- The most extensive type of cover you can get. This option covers damages to your bike and any third party, should you cause an accident.
- Your policy will include cover for fire damage, theft and the cost of a replacement bike if yours is written off.
- Despite offering the most cover, it’s generally the cheapest option.
Third party, fire and theft (TPFT)
- Third party, fire and theft (TPFT) will cover you for damages caused to other people, vehicles or property should you cause an accident.
- You’ll also be covered if your bike is stolen, damaged due to an attempted theft or damaged by fire.
- If you’re responsible for an accident, TPFT won’t cover the costs of repairing or replacing your bike. You’d need comprehensive cover for this.
Third party only (TPO)
- The most basic level of cover you can get. And the minimum level of cover required by law.
- It’ll only cover damage and injury you cause to others.
- It won’t cover the costs of repairing or replacing your own motorbike if it gets damaged or stolen.
Compare motorbike insurance in minutes
We just need a few details to get your bike insurance quotes:
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How you use your bike
For social, commuting or business purposes
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Details about you and your vehicle
Name, address, reg number and where you keep your bike
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Your annual mileage
How far do you ride in a year? Remember to account for more riding in summer if you’re a fair-weather biker. Try our mileage calculator.
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Additional riders
Including any past claims or convictions they may have had
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Your bike’s value
How much is it currently worth?
What's usually excluded from motorbike insurance?
You’ll need to check the T&Cs to find out exactly what’s not covered. But here are some common exclusions:
- Wear and tear: For example, dents and scrapes from everyday use.
- Negligence: Like leaving your key in an unoccupied bike.
- Intentional damage: If you or anyone else on the policy purposely damages the bike.
- Riding under the influence: As well as being illegal, drink or drug driving is also dangerous and unsurprisingly not covered by insurers.
- Racing or other high risk activities: Standard insurance says no. But you might be able to get specialist cover for this.
- Modifications: Modified bikes might be covered as a whole, but some insurers won’t pay to specifically replace or repair the modified parts.
How much is motorbike insurance?
According to vast:visibility, the average cost of fully comprehensive motorbike insurance is £180 a year.[2]
Third party, fire and theft (TPFT) cover costs more at £315, and third party only (TPO) is more again, at £316.
The price of your own bike insurance will depend partly on how risky it is to cover you. It’s affected by things like:
- Your age - The younger you are, the less experience you have which means you’re more risky to insure.
- Your job - Work that involves more time on the road – like a courier – means more expensive insurance.
- Engine size - More powerful engines generally mean higher insurance costs.
- Time you usually ride - Riding in peak times? The busier the roads, the higher the risk of an accident.
- Security - If you safely store your bike overnight in a garage and have other security devices, you might get cheaper insurance.
- Claims history - Previous claims can signal to insurers that you’re riskier to insure.
- Annual mileage - Clocking more miles can raise the cost of cover as you’re on the road for longer.
*In January 2023, the average median cost of a third party only motorbike insurance policy at vast:visibility was £316. The average median cost of a third party, fire & theft motorbike insurance policy was £315. The average median cost of fully comprehensive motorbike insurance policy was £180.
How could I get cheaper motorcycle insurance?
Most motorbike insurance policies will cost you a few hundred pounds. But there are ways you could reduce the cost. Try these tips:
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Shop around
Use comparison sites like ours to find the right cover for the best price. Probably the easiest way to save.
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Improve security
Reduce the risk of your bike being stolen by fitting a Thatcham-approved alarm or lock and storing your bike in a locked garage overnight.
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Cut down on extras
Adding optional extras to your policy, such as protected no claims or leathers cover, can increase the cost of your premium.
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Take a motorbike training course
Advanced riding courses can help you gain experience and further your skills, but not all insurers offer a discount for the extra experience. You'll need to weigh up the cost of the course versus the reduction you get.
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Reduce your annual mileage
The less time you spend on the road, the less likely you are to need to make a claim. But always be honest with your insurer about your annual mileage.
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Choosing the right bike
Smaller motorbikes tend to have less powerful engines, which means your insurance might be less expensive. They're usually cheaper to repair or replace too.
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Build your no-claims history
A riding history without claims can get you a no-claims discount (NCD). But it'll usually have to be earned on a bike, not a car or other vehicle.
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Avoid modified and unusual motorbikes
Having a motorbike with lots of modifications will make you premiums more expensive. They make your bike more expensive to repair, or replace, and more attractive to thieves.
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Pay annually
It’s cheaper to pay annually, as paying monthly means you’ll be charged interest.
Motorbike insurance upgrades and additional cover
You can upgrade your cover with policy extras if you need them, but you'll have to pay extra for them. Learn more about the extras you can get to supplement your policy.
Breakdown cover
Breakdown cover can assist you if your bike breaks down at home or on the roadside. A mechanic will come out to fix your bike or tow you to a garage if it can’t be repaired immediately. Basic breakdown cover might not include breaking down at home, abroad or because of misfuelling.
European travel cover
Comprehensive bike insurance policies may only offer third party cover when riding in EU countries. And there might be restrictions to how many days you can travel abroad on your bike too. You’ll need to add travel cover to your policy to get the same level of cover as your UK policy.
Helmets and leathers cover
Bike gear’s expensive. Luckily, you can insure your protective clothing for extra peace of mind. This’ll cover damage to things like your helmets, boots, gloves and other protective riding gear. But not theft. Most policies offer around £1,500 cover. Check policy details before you buy.
Legal protection
Legal protection covers the cost of pursuing at-fault parties for things like loss of earnings and travel expenses following an accident. Your policy will only cover you up to a limited amount - usually between £50,000 to £100,000 but each insurer will differ. Also, they'll likely only take legal proceedings if there’s a reasonable chance of success.
Key cover
You can add cover for lost or stolen keys, so if yours go missing your insurer will cover the cost of getting the key and locks replaced. Check how much you're covered for though, as there’s likely to be a limit.
Personal accident cover
Personal accident cover offers compensation for serious injury or death after a motorbike accident when you can’t claim from a third party.
Pillion cover
You’ll need pillion cover to carry passengers, even if you only do it occasionally. You must have a full motorbike or moped licence for the class of bike you’re riding to legally carry a passenger. Provisional licence holders can’t carry passengers under any circumstances.
Protected no claims
If you have a no claims discount, you can pay extra to protect it. That way, if you need to claim on your insurance you won’t lose all of the years of no claims you’ve built up. The number of years bonus you can keep, and the amount of claims you can make while protecting your discount vary between insurers.
Classes of motorbike use
When you compare quotes, you’ll be asked how you intend to use your motorbike. There are four options: social, social including commuting, business use and delivery use.
Social only
For riders who use their bike for social, domestic and pleasure (SD&P) purposes. Things like leisurely rides, or trips to the shops. It excludes use of a motorbike for business purposes or commuting to and from a place of work.
Social including commuting
This covers social use of your motorbike, as well as commuting to and from a single place of work. If you regularly travel to more than one place of work, you’ll need business use cover instead.
Business use
For riding to multiple places of work. You’ll need it if you regularly travel to meet with clients, visit multiple offices, or travel for training purposes. It’ll also include cover for social use.
Delivery use
This class covers you for the carriage and delivery of low costs goods such as food or parcels. It may also include cover for occupations such as door-to-door salesmen.
Policies for you, whatever bike you ride
If you’re looking for something more specific than standard motorcycle insurance, there are other policies available for many types of riders and bikes.
Classic motorbikes
If your bike is over 20 years old, it may qualify for classic or vintage bike insurance. Cover may include discounts for low mileage, and an agreed value of the amount you’ll be paid in the event of a total loss claim.
Learner insurance
It’s perfectly legal to get out on the road unsupervised while you’re learning to ride a motorbike. You’ll still need to have adequate insurance and a provisional license, however.
Multi-bike insurance
If you have more than one bike in your household, you can usually insure them all under one policy with multi-bike insurance. You’ll usually get a discount and all of your cover documents will be in one place.
Quad bike insurance
Standard motorbike insurance won’t cover a quad bike - you’ll need specialist cover instead. Quad bike insurance can cover your quad for theft, fire or damage on and off the road.
Scooters and moped insurance
Protection for smaller engine two-wheeled vehicles. Due to their low speeds, they’re suitable for learners and are often cheaper to insure than more powerful motorbikes.
Short-term motorbike insurance
Temporarily covers your motorcycle for a day, a week, a month or several months. You may need it if you're borrowing someone else’s bike, or riding a replacement bike.
Short-term motorbike insurance >
Trike insurance
Trikes aren’t usually covered by standard bike insurance. But some providers may cover standard production models from recognised manufacturers.
Young or new riders insurance
Insurance can be costly if you’re a new or young rider. Lack of experience and perceived risk all contribute towards your premium. However, you could find the cover you need for less when you compare quotes with us.
Frequently asked questions
Motorbike insurance is an agreement between you and an insurer – you agree to pay a monthly or yearly fee and the insurer agrees to cover the cost of certain damages covered by the policy.
Generally, motorbike insurance covers damage due to theft, fire, road accidents and vandalism. You can usually get extra cover too for things like legal expenses, but this will cost more.
Yes. If you want to ride your bike on the road, you’ll need at least third party cover.
Yes. Some insurers will offer insurance that covers more than one motorbike. It can be cheaper than insuring each bike individually, so it’s worth comparing both options to find the right one for you.
If you’re an experienced rider with comprehensive insurance, you might have cover to ride other bikes. It’ll be third party only, and there for emergencies rather than to ride another bike all the time.
Not all insurers offer cover. Check policy docs before you think about getting on someone else’s bike to be sure.
If not, short-term motorbike insurance is a solution. You can get cover from days to months. And the cover is almost always comprehensive.
There are different licence categories that allow you to ride bikes ranging from low-speed mopeds to motorcycles of any size or power.
There are two ways of getting the licence category you want: the direct access route, which is based on age-group; or the progressive route, which allows you to gain experience and get the desired licence type at a potentially younger age.
For more information on motorbikes and licences, gov.uk has a list of the different licence types and requirements.
Your policy terms and conditions should state whether you can ride abroad.
If you do so frequently, it might be worth looking into European cover as a separate policy, and it’s always worth being aware of issues such as the countries you're insured for, the number of days of continuous cover, and whether you have the same protection as when you're in the UK.
It depends. The majority of insurance providers will not allow this. But you might be able to find few providers that’ll allow transferring your no-claims bonus over from your car to your motorbike policy.
Usually no, but a few insurers might allow it. Make sure you check with your insurer before committing to a policy.
Yes, you can. Depending on the provider, sidecar insurance may be included as standard on your policy, or you might be able to add it as an optional extra.
CBT stands for Compulsory Basic Training. This is a course that all learner motorbike and moped riders must undertake. If you passed your car driving test before February 2001, you can ride a 50cc moped without taking it, but it’s still recommended.
If you're aged 16 and want to ride a moped or scooter on the road you'll need to hold a provisional licence, have completed a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course, and you'll need to display L plates (D plates in Wales). You can’t carry a passenger or ride on a motorway.
The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) defines a scooter as having an engine that's an integral part of the rear suspension, or a chassis that's a step-through type. This is regardless of engine capacity or wheel size.
A moped is defined as a motorised two-wheel vehicle with an engine capacity of less than 50cc and a top speed of approximately 31mph.
Yes, you can. Just like any other vehicle, you need to insure an imported motorbike before you head out on the road. Parallel imports are relatively simple to insure compared to grey imports, but both can be covered in the UK. We can help you find insurers who can cover your imported motorbike.
Crash cans, touring windshields, or lowering kits - if it’s not factory standard, you’ll need to declare it as a modification to your insurer.
This is the amount of money you pay to make a claim. Compulsory excess is what you have to pay, and voluntary excess is what you can opt to pay, which might bring down the price of your premiums.
The insurance company will usually keep your bike if it’s written off, and you’ll get a cash payment for its value.
Yes. Short term motorbike insurance can last for as little as a few hours, up to a few months. It usually covers everything that a standard bike insurance policy would.
You’ll need pillion cover to carry passengers on your motorbike – most insurers offer it as an optional extra.
You can usually add another rider to your policy. Just make sure you’re honest about who the main rider is, as not being truthful is a type of insurance fraud called fronting.
No, your insurance wouldn’t, but breakdown cover would include call outs for punctures and problems with the tyres.
If you have a rough idea of how many miles you travel on an average day, week or month, our mileage calculator could help you work out your annual mileage.
Alternatively, you can take a look at your previous MOT certificates – your annual mileage is recorded there.
To work it out yourself, make a note of your bike’s current mileage and then after a week find out the new mileage. Subtract the old mileage figure from the new mileage figure to work out how many miles you drove that week. Multiply this by 52 to give you a rough estimate of your annual mileage.
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*In January 2023, the average median cost of a third party only motorbike insurance policy at vast:visibility was £316. The average median cost of a third party, fire & theft motorbike insurance policy was £315. The average median cost of fully comprehensive motorbike insurance policy was £180.
[1]Go.Compare introduces customers to Vast Visibility Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Go.Compare's relationship with Vast Visibility Limited is limited to that of a business partnership, no common ownership or control rights exist between us. Please note, we cannot be held responsible for the content of external websites and by using the links stated to access these separate websites you will be subject to the terms of use applying to those sites.
[2]50% of customers paid £243 or less on average through vast:visibility motorbike insurance in January 2023. Based on average median premiums paid in the month of January 2023, excluding cancellations.
[3]As of January 2023, there are 36 active motorbike insurers on the panel at vast:visibility.
Page last reviewed: 17 April 2023
Page reviewed by Ryan Fulthorpe