Motorbike insurance FAQs

There are three main levels of cover available with motorbike insurance:

• third-party only
• third-party, fire & theft
• fully comprehensive

They work the same way as they do with a car insurance policy, with the level of protection and cover increasing across each. You can read more in our guide to levels of cover.

There are six common types of motorcycle:

• Sports bikes
• Scooters and mopeds
• Naked bikes
• Custom cruisers
• Adventure sport
• Touring motorcycles

Check out our guide on the different types of motorbikes for more information.

Like with car insurance, motorbike insurers will look at a number of factors which include:

• The rider’s age
• Riding history – including previous convictions or points on your licence
• Previous claims – including no-claims bonus
• Class of use – whether you use it for social use or for business use, etc.
• Level of voluntary excess agreed
• Bike location – where the bike is kept the majority of the time
• Motorbike make and model, type and engine size
• Security the bike has – including locks, alarms and trackers

You can be insured under one of these classes:

• Social, domestic and pleasure
• Commuting
• Business use
• Courier & delivery – currently not available through Confused.com

Some insurance companies will allow you to carry your car's no-claims bonus over to your motorbike policy, but the majority won't. If in doubt, check with your insurer.

If you’re keeping your bike on the road, you should insure your motorbike for the entire year. It’s illegal to have your motorbike uninsured, and cancelling policies could work out being more expensive than continuing with a yearly policy. An alternative way is to declare it off the road with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).

Often referred to as pillion cover, this will depend on the policy you buy. Be sure to check the terms and conditions of your cover before carrying any passengers. You’ll also need to check your licence allows you to carry passengers.

Motorbike licence grades are similar to how driving licences are given categories that let you drive different vehicles, eg cars, buses and trucks. Your motorbike licence will only entitle you to ride certain bikes. Restrictions will normally be based on your age, riding experience, and the power of the bike. You can read more on the GOV.uk website or check out our own guide on getting a motorbike license.

If your trike is a standard, manufactured model, we can quickly offer insurance quotes and get you covered.

But many trikes are non-standard, custom builds. If this is the case, you can still receive and compare prices with us, but you'll need to call the insurer you choose and confirm all your vehicle details.

This will ensure that the risk, policy and price quoted are correct and fully understood. Any incorrect information at this stage could lead to additional insurance costs later on.

This will help make sure that your policy and price are correct, and you're getting the right level of cover.

You can, with the correct insurance. Before you go abroad with your bike you should check to see if your policy covers you, how long you’re covered for and which countries you are insured for. You’ll also need to check if your level of cover is the same as when you’re abroad.

When you’re 16 you’ll be able to ride either a moped or a scooter, but before you can ride on the road you’ll need to hold a provisional licence and have completed a CBT course. You’ll also need to display L plates when riding your scooter as it’s illegal to ride without them during your provisional licence period.

New models and imported bikes can be difficult to find, and some models are listed under a slightly different name. For example, you’ll find a Piaggio under "Vespa Piaggio". If your details are correct and you still can’t select your bike, then unfortunately we won’t be able to help you get a quote at this time. Without knowing your bike’s exact details, the prices we return could be invalid.

In certain instances, your insurance policy may already cover certain add-ons, but the full list of extra cover you may consider includes:

• Pillion cover
• Helmet and leathers cover
• Sidecar insurance
• Breakdown cover
• Loss of earnings
• Legal expenses
• European/overseas cover

If you're involved in an accident, after safety concerns have been met and emergency services (if necessary) have been contacted, you should report the matter to your insurer. Make sure to pass on all the details you took from the scene of the accident to your insurer within 24 hours. For more details on how to claim on your motorbike insurance you can see our guide here.

If you haven’t got a car licence, you can leave this question blank and still carry on with getting your quote. A full UK licence allows you to drive a bike provisionally, so we need to know the date you got it if you have one.

To lower your motorbike insurance policy as much as possible, you should consider these options:

• Provide high security measures for your bike – park in a secure area like a garage or secure car park and lock your bike as securely as possible. More information about security can be found in our motorbike security guide.
• Limit mileage – the more miles you do in the year, the higher your insurance premiums tend to be. Those that use their motorbike for business purposes are more likely to have a higher premium than those that only use their motorbike for personal use.
• Have a motorbike with no modifications – usually the more modifications your bike has, the higher the insurance premium. Take a look at our guide for more information on modified motorbike insurance can be found in our guide.
• Have a smaller engine – a 50cc engine can provide you with a smaller price to pay compared to a 125cc engine, for example. Less powerful engines usually lower your motorbike insurance.