Cover for bikes with small engines, commonly associated with first-time bike users.
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:
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.
The average price of comprehensive motorbike insurance is £362**.
Motorcycle insurance tends to get cheaper as you get older. From an insurer’s point of view, older riders tend to be more experienced and are less likely to have an accident. But age is just one of multiple factors that affect the price of your insurance.
**Confused.com customers paid £361.93 on average for comprehensive motorbike insurance in October 2023.
Average cost of motorbike insurance+.
Comprehensive insurance
£362
Third-party, fire and theft
£482
Third-party only
£565
+Based on average premiums paid by Confused.com customers, October 2023
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) 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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Motorbike insurance companies look at several factors to give you an insurance price. Some of the bigger factors include:
Most insurance companies cover modifications that don’t affect performance under a standard policy.
If this is the case, your insurer should provide a list of modifications you don’t have to tell them about on their website. You must declare all other modifications to the insurer. This could make your insurance costs go up.
For more information, take a look at our guide on modified motorbike insurance.
You can tax your motorbike online, by phone or by visiting the post office. You'll need your V11 form and your MOT if you're taxing it at the post office.
You should be able to cancel your motorbike insurance policy at any time, but you might have to pay an admin fee. Here's what you need to know.
Nothing beats the freedom of taking your wheels out for a ride on the continent. Take a look at our tips for a touring Europe on a motorcycle.
We take a look through every step of becoming a biker - from getting your motorbike licence to taking your theory test, passing your CBT test and beyond.
Claiming on your motorbike insurance can sometimes be confusing, so we're here to help. Here's how you make a claim on your motorbike insurance policy.
We look into insuring your 125cc motorbike: What you need before you start riding, and the pros and cons of riding on your provisional licence.
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