"It's worth considering accidental damage and personal accident cover. Due to the high risk nature of motocross or using a dirt bike in general, make sure you're properly covered for any accidents."
Do off-road motorbikes need insurance?
This depends on how you use your bike.
If you ride your dirt bike, scrambler or motocross bike purely off-road, you don’t need motorbike insurance.
However, if you ride your bike on public roads - including green lanes and byways - or even if you park it on the road, you must have at least third-party insurance in place.
Even if you do only ride your bike off-road, having insurance in place can often be worth it. You’ll still be able to claim if your bike is stolen, or if it’s damaged by fire.
Will I be able to claim if I crash off-road?
In most cases, no. Most standard motorbike insurance policies won’t allow you to claim for any accidents you have while off-roading. This means that if you crash off-road, you won’t be able to claim for the cost of any repairs to your bike.
Some specialist providers might offer off-road cover, but this can be far more expensive than standard cover.
If you need specific off-road cover, contact your insurer to see if they can cover this.
What does off-road motorbike insurance cover?
Specific off-road policies can cover damage your bike sustains in accidents off-road. However, standard motorbike policies won’t cover this.
If you insure you off-road bike for on-road use, what’s covered depends on your policy:
Third-party
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
What our motorbike insurance expert says
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Where can I ride my dirt bike legally?
If you don't have any kind of insurance, you can only ride your dirt bike on:
- Private land that you own
- Land where you have the owner's permission
- Dedicated off-road tracks
Not having any kind of insurance means you can't ride your off-road motorbike on:
- Any kind of public road
- Unclassified country roads (UCRs)
- Byways open to all traffic (BOATs)
How can I get cheaper off-road motorbike insurance?
Looking to get cheap motorbike insurance? Here are some tips:
Shop around
Don't just auto-renew as it is often more expensive.
Limit milage
Off-road bikers tend to rack up less miles than standard ones.
Increase your voluntary excess
Just make sure you can afford to pay it if you made a claim.
Consider a less powerful motorbike
Bigger engines tend to cause more expensive claims so changing to a different type of motorbike could help.
Take an advanced training course
This shows you're a safer rider and should be at a lower risk of getting into an accident.
Increase security for your motorbike
Extra security measures like an alarm or immobiliser could help you save money.
Why choose Confused.com?
- We were the first insurance comparison site, founded back in 2002. Since then we've helped million of people find better deals for their car, home, motorbike and van insurance.
- We're fully regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as are all the insurance partners we work with. This means you can trust us to always put the cutomer first.
- We aren't owned by any insurance companies which means we're 100% independant. When you look through our prices, we'll show you the best ones we can offer you.
- We have a UK based customer support team to help you with anything you might need. Get in contact with us if you need any help.
Need more help?
Can I insure a modified off-road motorbike?
Yes, but you must declare any modifications to your insurance provider. Some modifications may increase your premiums, however, certain modifications, such as security devices, may lower your premium. If you don’t fully disclose all of your motorbike’s modifications, your claim may not be valid.
Do I have to register my motorbike with the DVLA?
It's not a legal requirement to register your motorbike with the DVLA if you use it off-road. However, it helps find your motorbike if it's stolen, so it is recommended. You can register your off-road motorbike for free on the Gov.uk site.
Does my off-road bike need an MOT?
If you intend to use your motorbike on the road, it must have a valid MOT. However, if you intend to purely use your motorbike off-road, then it doesn’t require an MOT.
Will off-road motorbike insurance cover me for motocross?
Also known as motorbike track day insurance. The event you’re taking part in might offer insurance. If not, contact your chosen provider once you’ve compared quotes to see if they can add it on.
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