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Compare cheap motorcycle insurance quotes

51% of bikers paid £211 or less for their motorbike insurance1

  • We compare up to 37 motorbike insurance providers

  • Get a quote in less than 5 mins

1Based on Confused.com data March 2023, 51% of customers paid £210.03 or less for their motorbike insurance

Why you should always compare motorbike insurance

If you want to ride your motorbike on UK roads, the law requires you to have a valid motorbike insurance policy. But that doesn’t mean you have to pay more than you should for protection.

We search up to 37 motorcycle insurance providers to make sure you find the motorbike insurance quotes that suit your needs and budget.

What you need to get a motorbike insurance quote

Compare quotes is quick and easy. We'll just need a few details about your bike:

Motorbike details:

  • Motorbike registration or the make and model
  • The year your motorbike was manufactured
  • The estimated value of your bike
  • Any modifications made to your bike
  • The motorbike security devices you have
  • Where you keep your motorbike

New models and imported motorbikes can sometimes be difficult to find, and some models might be under a slightly different name. If your details are correct and you still can’t find your motorbike, try our contact form - we’re happy to help.

And a few details about you. We'll do the rest to help you find the right cover for you, at the right price.

Rider details:

  • Your motorbike licence type and how long you’ve had it
  • How you’ll use your bike
  • Estimated yearly mileage
  • Any claims or convictions you've had
  • Any additional rider’s details
  • If you need any polic add-ons

Motorbike insurance extras

A standard motorbike insurance policy should cover your motorcycle and other road users. But you might want to consider some extra cover to suit your needs. Here are some add-ons you can add to your policy:

  • Pillion cover, which covers you if you carry passengers on the back of your motorbike or moped.
  • Helmet and leathers cover to protect your motorbike clothing if it’s damaged in an accident.
  • Legal expenses, helping you with legal costs following an accident.
  • Motorbike breakdown cover provides you with roadside assistance if you breakdown.
  • Sidecar insurance provides cover for your sidecar. A self-built sidecar might need specialist cover. Check with your insurance company to see what cover they offer.
  • European/overseas cover allows you to ride your bike abroad. Levels of cover vary between insurers.
  • Key cover can cover the loss and replacement of your motorbike’s keys.
  • Personal accident cover is designed to protect you and your family if you’re seriously injured or die in an accident.

Insurance companies might include some of these add-ons as part of their policy. But if they’re not included they come with an extra cost.

51% of bikers paid £211 or less for their motorbike insurance1

The 3 levels of motorbike insurance

The level of cover you choose could impact what you’re covered for, as well as how much you pay.

As with car or van insurance there are 3 levels of cover available to you:

  • Third-party is the minimum amount of cover you can get and is a legal requirement. While you might think this would be the cheapest option for riders, that’s not always the case. It’s a basic level of cover that covers damage to other vehicles and property as the result of an accident that’s deemed your fault. It doesn’t cover your motorcycle for repairs or replacement if it’s stolen, damaged or involved in an accident.
  • Third-party, fire and theft gives you the same level of cover as with third-party, but also covers against repair or replacement costs if it’s stolen or damaged by fire.
  • Comprehensive offers one of the highest levels of protection. As well as covering other people and their property in the event of an accident, you’re also covered for damage to your motorcycle.

Remember, you can buy a motorbike without having motorbike insurance. But you need to make sure that you’ve got an insurance policy in place for your motorcycle before you ride it for the first time. If you want short-term cover to ride home, a drive away insurance policy may be your best option.

Can you get temporary bike insurance?

Yes, you can get temporary motorbike insurance as little as 1 hour up to 28 days. This could be useful for you if:

  • You're borrowing a friend's motorbike
  • Your're taking a motorcycle for a test ride
  • You own a motorbike but don't ride that often
  • You own multiple motorcycles and only ride certain models occasionally

Temporary insurance policies like these are flexible, letting you cover the motorbike for days or weeks at a time. It could be a more cost-effective solution than paying for an annual policy if you aren't riding that often.

Remember, you need motorbike insurance in place to ride, unless your motorcycle has a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). Even if you have temporary motorbike insurance, you'll still need to give your motorbike a SORN every time the insurance policy expires.

With the cost of cancellation fees, you may find an annual policy works out cheaper and means you don't have to worry about cancelling your policy throughout the year.

How much is motorbike insurance?

The average price of comprehensive motorbike insurance is £1432.

Motorcycle insurance tends to get cheaper as you get older. From an insurer’s point of view, older riders tend to be more careful riders and are less likely to have an accident. But age is just one of multiple factors that affect the price of your insurance.

2Confused.com data: Average price of a 12 month fully comprehensive premium between 01/08/2022 to 01/11/2022.

Top tips for cheaper motorbike insurance

If you're looking to save some money on your motorbike insurance, here are some helpful tips:

  • Shop around. Compare motorbike insurance policies and you could save money in minutes. If you've compared motorcycle insurance with us before, it's even quicker.
  • Increase security measures for your bike.Park in a secure area like a garage or secure car park and use extra security devices.
  • Limit your annual mileage. The more miles you do, the more insurance tends to cost.
  • Avoid modifications as they often increase the cost of your insurance.
  • Consider a motorcycle with a less powerful engine. Bigger engines tend to cause more expensive claims.
  • Increase your voluntary excess to shave pounds off your insurance costs. But remember you need to be able to afford the payout in the event of a claim.
  • Cut extras and add-ons and only pay for what cover you actually need. If you don't carry passengers, for example, do you really need pillion cover?
  • Building up your no-claims bonus is a great way of lowering your insurance costs over time. For every year you don't make a motorbike insurance claim, you should get a discount on your policy.
  • Improve your riding skills to prove that you're a safe rider, in turn showing you've a lower risk of making a claim.
  • Pay annually to avoid interest charges and bring your overall costs down. Make sure doing this still fits within your overall budget, though.

We compare up to 37 trusted insurance companies to get you our cheapest deal

Motorcycle classes of use

If you’re looking for a cheap motorcycle insurance quote, it’s important that you choose the right class of use when you get your quote. You need to be honest about how, when and where you use your bike. If you aren’t, your insurance might be invalidated, and you could be hit with points on your licence and a fine.

There are four classes of use for bike insurance:

  • Social, domestic and pleasure (SDP or SD&P)
  • Social including commuting (SDPC or SDP inc. C)
  • Class 1 business use
  • Courier, delivery or dispatch insurance

Social, domestic and pleasure (SDP or SD&P) is the class for riders who only use their motorbike for social reasons, such as bank holiday ride-outs and motorbike tests. Many SDP riders only do a few thousand miles a year, and your MOT certificate should show you how many miles you covered last year.

Social and commuting (SDPC or SDP inc. C) includes anyone who uses their motorcycle to ride to and from a single place of work. It’s sometimes known as ‘scooter-commuter’ cover, but it’s required for any motorbike you use to commute with.

Remember, SDPC only covers you for riding your motorbike to and from a single work location. If you work in multiple locations, you might need Class 1 business cover instead. If you use your motorbike to ride to the bus or train station and continue the commute using public transport, you should still select social and commuting.

Class 1 business use protects riders who use their motorbike to travel to different places for work, rather than just between their home and the office.

This class of use could be for you if you:

  • Travel to multiple places of work
  • Ride all over the country as part of your job
  • Use your motorbike to meet clients, suppliers or customers

Courier, delivery or dispatch insurance. If you’re a food delivery rider or courier then you might want to consider courier cover. We don’t offer courier and delivery insurance at Confused.com – you need to go to a specialist insurer for this kind of policy.

Compare cheap motorbike insurance quotes

What our motorbike insurance expert says

Some of the added extras you can bolt onto your cover might not seem necessary. But they can be worth the extra cost. 

Personal accident cover can be a big help if you’re injured in an accident, and breakdown cover could save you hours of sitting in the rain on a conked-out motorbike. So it’s worth considering them when you get a quote. 

 

Need more help?

Does motorcycle insurance cover me when I ride other bikes?

Some comprehensive motorbike insurance policies cover you to ride other motorcycles – normally on a third-party-only basis. Make sure you check your insurance policy before riding someone else’s motorbike though.

If you need to borrow a friend’s motorbike for a short while, temporary motorcycle insurance could be another solution. You can get comprehensive cover for as little as 1 hour up to 28 days.

Can I add other bikes to my motorcycle insurance policy?

Yes you can. Some motorbike insurance companies offer multi bike insurance policies. This lets you put multiple motorbikes under a single policy to reduce the admin headache. You could also get a discount on each motorbike you add to the policy.

Can I add other people to my motorcycle insurance policy?

Generally, yes you can. Most insurers should let you add another named rider to your policy. To add another rider, you need to provide the insurance company with some details about their riding history, such as claims and convictions.

Adding a rider to your policy could see your insurance costs go up. As the motorcycle is on the road for longer, there’s a greater risk of making a claim.

Can I get a new replacement if my bike is written off?

Normally you only get a brand-new replacement when your motorbike is written off if it was new or if you’ve recently bought it.

If your motorcycle is older, you’re likely to get a payout from your insurer that reflects its current value, minus your policy excess.

Can I transfer my car's no-claims bonus to my motorbike?

Some insurance companies let you transfer your car's no-claims bonus over to your motorbike policy, but many don't. If in doubt, check with your insurer before you commit to buying a policy.

You can only use your car's no-claims bonus on one vehicle at a time. So, if your no-claims bonus is currently on your car, you can’t use it on your motorbike.

Can you insure imported motorbikes?

Yes you can, though not all motorbike insurance companies offer cover for imported models. Imported motorbikes come in two types - parallel and grey.

Parallel imports come from within the EU, so should already meet minimum UK standards. These imports tend to be relatively easy to insure.

Grey imports come from outside the EU. They might not meet UK vehicle standards, so you might need to pay to modify them before you can ride. Grey imports tend to be more expensive to insure due to the need for specialist, imported parts.

Is my motorbike insured?

The easiest way to check if your motorcycle is insured is to put your registration into the askMID service. This service gives a clear yes or no as to whether your motorbike has a valid insurance policy.

If my motorbike is written off, can I buy it back and rebuild? Or reuse the parts?

This depends on your insurer and how bad the write-off was. Write-offs are categorised in a similar way to cars and given a rating of A, B, S or N.

Categories A (scrap) and B (break) mean the motorcycle can't be put into circulation again. It’s unlikely the insurance company would let you buy it back, even for parts.

Categories S (structurally damaged, repairable) and N (non-structurally damaged, repairable) could be a bit more flexible. Insurers might let you buy back the whole motorbike, or just parts of it.

Get in touch with your insurance company and ask them about their policy regarding write-offs.

Is there an agreed value payout if my motorcycle is written off?

Normally, if your motorbike is declared a write-off, the payout you get should be at the motorbike’s current value, which takes depreciation into account.

Some motorbike insurance policies might offer an Agreed Value feature, particularly if you own a classic motorcycle. This means you’re not left out of pocket following an accident.

To get an agreed value, you might need to get an independent valuation of the motorbike, as well as provide photographs and receipts to the insurance company.

I've entered my bike's details but I can't find it. What should I do?

New models and imported bikes can sometimes be difficult to find, and some models might be under a slightly different name. For example, if you’re looking for a Piaggio, look under ‘Vespa Piaggio’. If your details are correct and you still can’t find your bike, try our contact form - we’re happy to help.

Why do I need both a motorcycle and a car licence?

If you don’t have a car driving licence, you can leave this question blank and still carry on with getting your quote. A full UK licence allows you to drive a motorbike provisionally - if you have one, we need to know when you got your licence.

Can you insure a motorbike without a licence?

Yes, you can get a motorcycle insurance policy without having a licence. This could be useful if you're a collector, for example.

But you do need a valid licence before you can ride your motorbike. And it needs to be the right category of licence for the size and power of your motorbike.

Can I add a motorbike to my car insurance?

Most policies only let you insure cars or motorbikes, not both.

But there are specific companies that allow you to combine a car and a motorbike under a single policy. These are sometimes known as '6-wheel' insurance policies.

The benefit of a 6-wheel insurance policy is that you don't have to keep track of 2 sets of renewal dates or 2 sets of paperwork. It's likely to save you time and hassle, but it's always worth checking if it saves you money. That's why it's worth comparing 6-wheel insurance policies against separate car and motorbike insurance.

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