Motorbike Insurance Types: What’s Right For You?

Choosing the correct motorbike insurance policy can be confusing, especially with so many options and levels of cover available.

If you’re looking to buy a motorbike or need to renew the insurance on a bike you already own, you need to understand your options to ensure you have the appropriate cover in place.

Here, we explore the various motorcycle insurance policy types and what they mean in practice to help you choose the right one for your bike.

Do you need motorbike insurance?

Insurance is a legal requirement if you ride your motorbike on the road. Being caught riding your motorbike without insurance could mean a fine of up to £300 and at least six penalty points on your licence. You may even end up in court, where you could lose your license, have your bike seized by the police, be charged an unlimited fine, and even face jail time if you were involved in an accident where third parties suffered injuries.

The only exception is if you have declared your bike off the road and have a SORN (statutory off-road notification) to prove it.

As a minimum, you must have third-party cover in place. This will insure you for any harm to another person, their vehicle, property, or animal. A third-party only (TPO) policy will not cover any damage to your bike.

What types of motorbike insurance are available?

When searching for motorbike insurance policies, you should consider how you use or plan to use your motorbike. This will affect the cost of your insurance, by ensuring that you have adequate cover in the event of an accident. If you do not fully disclose how you use your motorbike, you may not be covered in the case of an accident.

The four main types of motorbike insurance are:

Social, domestic and pleasure

This type of insurance covers you for leisure purposes, i.e. journeys made to visit friends and family or rides out, whether to the shops or just for fun.

Social, domestic, pleasure and commuting

This cover protects you for the purposes outlined above, as well as getting to and from work, including if you ride to a train station and travel onwards.

Business use

You are insured to travel between different offices and visit customers under business use. In some instances, you can extend business cover to include additional riders, such as employees or colleagues, should they need to use your bike for business purposes.

Dispatch riding

This type of cover protects you if your job involves picking up and delivering things like food, parcels, or documents.

What level of motorbike insurance do you need?

Once you decide which type of motorbike insurance is most suitable for you, you need to consider the level of cover you require.

Third-party only (TPO)

Third-party insurance is the minimum legal requirement and covers compensation for injury to other people and their belongings in the event of an accident. As the minimum level of cover, third-party policies may be cheaper than higher levels of insurance. In some cases, insurance providers may charge more for third-party cover as higher-risk riders may be more likely to take out these policies.

Third-party only insurance does not cover damage or injuries you sustain during a crash, so you might consider something more comprehensive if you want to be fully covered.

Third-party, fire and theft (TPFT)

One step up from third-party only cover is third-party, fire and theft. TPFT insurance means that anybody else involved in an accident where you were the at-fault party can claim compensation, but you can’t.

You can, however, make a claim if your bike is stolen or damaged by fire.

Fully comprehensive insurance (fully comp)

Comprehensive motorbike insurance is the highest level of cover you can buy. It protects you and your bike if an accident is your fault, covering repair costs and allowing others to claim compensation if they sustain injuries or suffer damage to their vehicle and belongings.

Comprehensive cover usually covers your own medical expenses if you were the innocent party in an accident.

If you decide to get a motorbike on finance with Moneybarn, you must have comprehensive insurance cover in your name.

Motorbike insurance add-ons

As well as selecting the appropriate level of cover for you and your bike, you can add extra cover to your policy.

This can include things such as:

Legal expenses cover

Also known as legal protection insurance, legal expenses cover helps you to pay the costs of legal assistance should you need it.

There are two different types of legal expenses cover:

Before the event cover helps you with legal action you may have in the future, rather than disputes you’re already involved in
After the event cover protects you from paying legal fees if you lose a case you are pursuing or about to pursue

Personal accident cover

Adding this cover to an existing policy qualifies you for financial support, even if an incident is your fault. Personal accident cover usually pays out if you or a passenger passes away or suffers life-changing injuries due to a crash.

Helmet and leathers cover

Protective clothing for your motorcycle can be expensive, so at an extra cost, you can access financial help to replace your riding gear damaged in an accident.

Pillion insurance

Regardless of how often you carry passengers on your bike, you will need pillion insurance if you intend to have anyone on the back of your motorbike.

Carrying a passenger on the back of your motorbike is a big responsibility, as it changes how the bike handles and brakes, which can increase the risk of accidents and injuries.

Is pillion cover included in motorbike insurance?

Standard levels of motorbike insurance typically only cover the rider. So, if you want to carry a passenger, you’ll need pillion cover. Carrying passengers without pillion cover could invalidate your insurance policy, and you may be responsible if they are injured.

Does motorbike insurance cover you in the event of a breakdown?

Motorbike insurance does not typically include breakdown cover as standard since many insurers tend to consider this an add-on.

You typically have the option of purchasing breakdown cover through your insurance company or from a separate provider. Although it comes at an additional cost, breakdown protection can prove incredibly useful, especially if you plan on riding long distances, in remote areas, or late at night.

What affects the price of motorbike insurance?

As with any insurance policy, several factors impact how much you might pay to insure your motorbike. Everyone’s circumstances are different, but some factors that could affect the cost of your insurance include:

The price of your motorbike: more expensive bikes tend to be more costly to insure as the price of repairs will be higher.
Your age and level of riding experience: according to Compare The Market, insurers typically view younger riders as riskier because they have less experience, meaning younger or inexperienced riders may have higher premiums.
The level of cover you need: generally, the more comprehensive your insurance policy, the more expensive it will be.
Your credit rating: if you pay for your motorbike insurance monthly, your credit score could affect the cost of your insurance. Some insurers consider people with bad credit scores are more likely to make claims on their policies or be less reliable when repaying debts.
Where you live: certain locations have higher crime and accident rates, meaning the likelihood of you making a claim may be greater.
Whether you plan on using your motorbike for commuting: if you ride your bike to and from work, you’re more likely to be involved in an accident. This is because, during rush hour, there are more drivers on the roads, so the likelihood of an accident taking place increases.
Your voluntary excess: this is the amount you volunteer to pay in the event of an accident. Increasing your voluntary excess can help reduce the cost of your motorbike insurance premium.

More from Moneybarn

If you’re currently in the market for a new motorbike, whether it’s a present to yourself or your current bike is getting old, find out more about our motorbike finance. This way, you can get the new or used motorbike of your dreams without paying for it in one lump sum.

Representative 35.5% APR.

Finding a new motorbike can be difficult, so we’ve created dedicated guides on the various finance options for the different types of motorbikes.

FAQs about the different motorbike insurance types

Do motorbikes have insurance groups?

Yes, like van and car insurance types, there are three levels of motorbike insurance. These are:

Third-party only is the minimum legal requirement that only covers other people if they or their property are damaged in an accident caused by you.
Third-party fire and theft insurance covers your bike if it is stolen or damaged as part of a fire and other people if they or their property are damaged as part of a crash.
Comprehensive insurance is the highest level of insurance and protects you and your bike if an accident is your fault, including repair costs. It also allows others to claim compensation if they are injured, or their vehicle or property sustains damage due to an accident you have caused.

Can you put your motorbike on your car insurance?

You can combine your car and motorbike insurance policy through certain insurance companies. You’ll still be able to select the specific level of cover you need for your car and bike; however, the cover will be the same level for each vehicle.

Is motorbike insurance cheaper with a full licence?

The cost of motorbike insurance varies depending on several factors, including the type of licence you hold. Holding a full licence does not automatically mean your insurance policy will be cheaper. Sometimes, it may be more expensive, for example if you want to purchase insurance for a more powerful bike.

Do you need compulsory basic training (CBT) for bike insurance?

No, you don’t need to have completed your CBT to insure your bike; however, you do need to insure your motorcycle to pass your CBT. You don’t need to have completed your CBT to ride a motorbike, but you will be limited to mopeds up to 50cc.

What is personal accident cover on motorcycle insurance?

Personal accident cover qualifies you for financial support, even if an accident is your fault. This type of cover usually only pays out if you or a passenger passes away or suffers life-changing injuries due to a crash.

Choosing the correct motorbike insurance policy can be confusing, especially with so many options and levels of cover available.

If you’re looking to buy a motorbike or need to renew the insurance on a bike you already own, you need to understand your options to ensure you have the appropriate cover in place.

Here, we explore the various motorcycle insurance policy types and what they mean in practice to help you choose the right one for your bike.

Do you need motorbike insurance?

The only exception is if you have declared your bike off the road and have a SORN (statutory off-road notification) to prove it.