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Insuring a motorbike for work use
If you use a motorbike to commute, for business use or courier and delivery work, find out how to get the right insurance cover for your needs.
Do you use your motorbike for work?
If you do, you need to make sure your motorcycle insurance covers you, even if you’re only using it to commute.
Key points
- Be clear on whether you need personal cover, insurance for commuting, business use and/or courier and delivery cover
- Consider whether you have or need cover for goods you’re transporting
- Your occupation is likely to affect the cost of your premium, even if you don't use the bike for work
Classes of use for motorbikes
Your insurer needs to know exactly how you use your bike.
Always be honest - if you give the wrong information, your insurer could refuse to pay out if you need to make a claim.
Social, domestic and pleasure
This category is for you if you don’t ever use your bike to commute to get to work, or for any work-related riding.
Commuting
Commuting covers riders who may use their bike for social, domestic and pleasure purposes, plus for travel to one fixed place of work.
Business use
If you use your bike to travel to more than one location for work, you need to insure it for business use.
This applies to any work-related destination, from training courses to visiting the bank.
Even if it’s a one-off journey and you usually just travel to a single place of work, you’re at risk of invalidating your cover if you don’t tell your insurer.
If your job role changes and you need to travel more, tell your insurer and it’ll update your policy.
Courier and delivery
To use a motorbike for courier or delivery work, you’ll need 'Class 3' business bike insurance. This covers you and your bike for the carriage and delivery of low costs goods such as food or parcels.
Many insurers will include occupations such as door-to-door sales in this category, even if you’re not actually carrying the goods you're selling.
When you compare quotes with us, tell us about how you use the bike and we’ll find the insurers that’ll cover you for business use.
Get cheaper motorbike insurance, whether you’re a commuter or a courier
How your job affects your premium
Your job is likely to affect your premium, even if you only use your bike for commuting.
That’s because insurers calculate the risk associated with every occupation, based on statistics from previous claims made by people with the same employment.
For example, delivery drivers are on the road during peak, busy times, which increases their risk of being in a traffic accident.
If you’re using your own vehicle in the line of business, then your job becomes even more important for insurers.
You need to be very clear about exactly what you use your bike for, especially if you’re a courier or delivery driver, because the insurer isn’t just covering you, your bike and third parties - it also has to consider the goods you’re carrying.
Your employer’s responsibility
If the motorcycle is your personal vehicle, then you’re the insured rider and cover is your responsibility.
If you’re riding for work, your employer must be aware of the type of bike you use and whether it’s safe to ride on the road.
They’re obliged to check that you have the correct level of insurance, but the liability for choosing and maintaining the correct cover is with you (the policyholder), not your employer.
Motorbike security at work
To keep your bike safe, and your premiums low, take precautions to cut the risk of damage, vandalism and theft when leaving your bike parked at work.
You could ask your employer to give you access to a locked car park or garage, or to install a ground anchor to lock your bike to.
Make sure you aren’t parked too closely to any other vehicles and position the bike in view of CCTV if there is any.
If you use your bike to travel to more than one place of work, make sure any other security devices you have on your bike - such as a tracker, alarm or immobiliser - are activated every time you leave your bike unattended.
And if you’re a delivery driver, never leave the keys in the ignition - you’ll invalidate your cover.
Carrying colleagues as pillion passengers
If you need over for carrying a pillion, you can add it to your policy for an extra cost.
With any pillion passenger you need to make sure you have pillion cover on your insurance policy.
If you're offering a lift share, you’re only permitted to ask passengers for a contribution towards fuel and other running costs. If you ask for more, insurers can decide that you’re operating as a taxi service for 'hire and reward'.