Trike insurance

Trikes come in two styles: car style trikes and bike trikes.

If you have a bike-style trike, you'll need motorbike insurance. Get a quote now to find cover in minutes.

If you have a car-stye trike, you'll need car insurance. Read on for tips on finding the right cover, or head over to our car insurance page to compare quotes.

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What type of insurance does my trike need?

The type of insurance you’ll need depends on whether you have a car style or motorbike style trike.

Car insurance icon

Car style trikes feature:

  • An enclosed body
  • A steering wheel
  • A car chassis

Examples of car trikes include the Campagna T-Rex and classic 3-wheelers like the Robin Reliant.

For a car-style trike, you’ll need car insurance.

Explore car insurance
Motorbike insurance icon

Bike-style trikes feature:

  • An open body
  • Handlebars
  • A motorbike chassis

Examples of motorbike trikes include the Harley Davidson Freewheeler and the Yamaha Niken GT.

For a bike-style trike, you’ll need motorbike insurance.

Explore motorbike insurance

Can I get insurance for a modified or self-built trike?

Yes, if your trike is modified, or is a custom build, you can still compare insurance quotes for it.

If it’s a factory model that’s been modified, you’ll just need to declare what modifications it has when you get a quote. You may have to pay a bit more to insure it, but you should still be able to find a range of insurers willing to cover you.

If it’s a custom build or is heavily modded, you’ll need to make sure it’s registered with the DVLA before you can compare quotes. If it isn’t, it may need to be approved through the Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) scheme. Once it’s registered, you can get a quote. Just bear in mind that you may find fewer insurers willing to cover a custom-built trike.

Learn more about modified trike insurance

Compare trike insurance quotes

What does trike insurance cover?

What your trike insurance covers depends on the level of insurance you take out. There are three levels to choose from:

  • Third-party only
  • Third party, fire and theft
  • Fully comprehensive
  • Third-party only covers other people, their vehicles and property if you injure or damage them in an accident. It won't cover any damage to your own trike though.
  • Third-party, fire and theft gives you everything you'd get with a third-party only policy, but adds in cover for your own trike if it's damaged by fire, or is stolen.
  • Fully comprehensive gives you all of the above, as well as full cover for your trike if it's damaged or written off in an accident.

How much is trike insurance?

Average cost of insurance:.

car insurance

£776*

Motorbike insurance

£320**

*Confused.com Q2 2023 price index data, average cost of fully comprehensive car insurance.
**Confused.com data Q2 2023, average cost of fully comprehensive motorbike insurance.

For car style trikes, the average cost of a fully comprehensive policy is the same as for any other type of car at £776*.

For bike style trikes it’s lower at £320**.

It isn’t just the type of trike that influences what you pay, though.

Your insurance is affected by other factors too, including:

  • Your age
  • Your driving history
  • Your no claims bonus
  • Your trike’s insurance group
  • Any modifications your trike has

*Confused.com Q2 2023 price index data, average cost of fully comprehensive car insurance.
**Confused.com data Q2 2023, average cost of fully comprehensive motorbike insurance.

What our motorbike insurance expert says

"If you have a self-built or heavily modified trike, you’ll still be able to find cover. But you’ll need to make sure it's registered with the DVLA first. Once that’s done and it has a registration number, you'll be able to compare quotes. We’ll do the rest to help you find great cover at a great price."
Louise Thomas, Motor Insurance Expert at Confused.com
Motor Insurance Expert Confused.com logo

How to get the best trike insurance quote

What you pay for your trike insurance depends on many things that are out of your control, like your age and driving history. But there are some factors you can control to bring the cost of your cover down.

Have a car licence: If you don’t already plan on getting a car licence, getting one just to save on your trike insurance isn't ideal. But if you’re on the way to getting one anyway, waiting until you pass to insure your trike is a good idea. Our data shows that customers with a car licence paid £336* less for their motorbike insurance, on average, than those with a bike-only licence.

Add pillion cover: If you have a bike-style trike, adding pillion cover to your motorbike insurance policy can be a quick way to save. Our data show that policies with pillion cover selected cost 52% less on average than policies without it.

Try multi-bike or multi-car policy: While they work slightly differently, both multi-bike and multi-car policies can help bring your cover costs down. Insuring several vehicles on one policy often works out cheaper than insuring them all individually. You’ll also have less admin to deal with, and less paperwork to keep track of, so they can be useful time savers too.

Pick the right cover:Third party policies may cover less, but this doesn’t mean they cost less. In fact our data shows the opposite. Fully comprehensive motorbike policies, despite covering far more, cost £320 on average. Third party policies cost £572 on average, £252 more.

Get more tips on how to save

What extras can I add on to my trike insurance?

Some insurers offer extras you can add to your policy for a fee.

Useful extras for trike riders include:

Breakdown cover, which is available as either car breakdown cover, or motorbike breakdown cover. Both car and bike types are available in a variety of levels, meaning you should be able to find a policy that’s as comprehensive as you need it to be.

Motor legal protection, which can help you cover the cost of any legal expenses you incur if you’re involved in an accident or other incident that ends up in court.

Pillion cover, which insures you to carry a passenger on your trike. Most motorcycle insurance companies don’t cover passengers as standard.

Leathers and helmet cover, which insures the riding gear you’ll need for a bike-style trike. It can help pay for repairs or replacements if they get damaged following a claim.

Compare trike insurance quotes

Why choose Confused.com?

We founded the first comparison site way back in 2002.

Since then, we’ve helped millions of people get a better deal on their insurance. And we’ve no intention of stopping now.

Need more reasons to choose us? Try these:

  • We’re 100% independent and aren’t owned by an insurance company. The prices we show you are the best ones we can find for you. Thats it.
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Learn more about us and how we operate.

Need more help with your trike insurance?

Will my trike insurance cover me for driving in Europe?

In most cases yes. The majority of car and motorbike insurance policies we compare quotes for will cover you to drive in Europe for up to 30 days.

You’ll normally be covered for any country within the EU, as well as non-EU countries like:

  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Iceland
  • Norway
  • Andorra
  • Liechtenstein
  • Serbia
  • Switzerland

Some insurers may charge you extra for European cover, but this is unlikely. If you’re driving further afield, your insurance may not cover you, so it’s worth checking with your insurer before setting off. You may need add ons like an international driving permit and additional insurance.

Learn more about driving through Europe.

What else do I need to ride a trike?

Aside from a valid trike insurance policy, you need to make sure:

You’re not legally required to wear a helmet when you ride a trike - that only applies to mopeds and motorbikes. But it’s still a sensible idea to wear a helmet whenever you’re on the road for all-around protection.

The same goes for leathers and other protective gear - if you’re exposed to the road, it’s a good idea to wear as much protection as possible.

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