UNDERSTANDING MOTORBIKE INSURANCE
WHAT DOES MOTORBIKE INSURANCE COVER?
You deserve peace of mind whilst out on the open road. Our experienced bike insurance team aims to help you find the right policy by comparing quotes from our specially selected panel of insurers. We work hard to provide cover that suits your needs for a range of makes and models.
- EU cover included as standard, up to 90 days per year and 30 days per trip
- Cover up to four bikes with a multi-bike insurance policy
- We’ll compare quotes from our panel of motorbike insurers
WHAT LEVELS OF MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE CAN I CHOOSE FROM?
Choosing Bike Insurance shouldn’t be stressful. So, we offer three tiers of cover, plus a variety of optional extras, so you can choose the policy that delivers the protection you need for your motorbike.
The benefits of your cover will vary depending on the level you choose and who your insurance provider is. Check the terms of your policy for exact cover.
Essentials - our base tier, Essentials covers the fundamentals of motorbike insurance.
Essentials Plus - one step up from our base offering, Essentials Plus includes Motor Legal Protection (up to £100,000) as standard.
Premier - our top tier of cover, Premier goes the extra mile by including everything Essentials Plus has to offer, as well as roadside breakdown cover and up to £1,500 helmet and leathers cover.
WHAT OPTIONAL EXTRAS ARE AVAILABLE?
If your motorbike suffered a breakdown, you’d be able to call for help to get back on the move. Premier tier includes roadside as standard, but you can choose between four levels of cover to suit your needs.
If you have a non-fault accident on your bike, Motor Legal Expenses will offer up to £100,000 of legal expenses in order to recover uninsured losses, such as your excess and loss of earnings. You may also be able to claim compensation for personal injuries. Essentials Plus and Premier policies include Motor Legal Expenses cover as standard.
Including Personal Accident Insurance with your cover means that, if you suffer accidental bodily injury in a motorcycle accident, you’re covered for up to £21,000. The cover safeguards both you and any named riders in the event of specified serious injuries or death.
With Return Your Excess cover in place, you can claim back up to £500 in excess costs per policy period if your bike is stolen, damaged or involved in a fault accident. There’s no need to make a separate claim – if you have Excess Protection, your excess will be automatically reimbursed once the claim on your bike insurance is settled as fault or partial fault.
WHY DO I NEED BIKE INSURANCE?
In short, motorbike insurance is a legal requirement, and you need it in order to be able to ride your bike on UK roads. Third party insurance is the minimum amount of cover you can legally take out for your motorcycle.
Without bike insurance in place, you could get a fine and penalty points on your licence. Not only that, but your bike could also be clamped, impounded or, in the worst cases, completely destroyed. To avoid any of those outcomes for you and your bike, you must take out insurance cover for it.
TYPES OF MOTORBIKES THAT CAN BE INSURED THROUGH BE WISER
Whether you own the latest ride from your favourite manufacturer or a classic cruiser, Be Wiser aim to source cover for all manner of motorbikes, including mopeds, custom bikes, and high-powered motorcycles.
We believe insurance shouldn’t be complicated, which is why we’ll do the hard work to try and find cover for various engine sizes and bike types. The best way to find out if we can offer you the right policy for your ride is to get a quote.
TYPES OF MOTORBIKE INSURANCE COVER
Third party insurance is the minimum level of bike insurance you need to be able to ride on UK roads. It’ll cover damage caused to other road users and vehicles but not damage to your own motorbike.
Third party fire and theft policies offer the same coverage as third-party insurance, but with added protection in the event that your bike is stolen or fire damaged.
Comprehensive insurance offers cover for damage to your own bike, as well as damage to other vehicles in the event of a road traffic collision. With comprehensive cover in place, you can claim for damage even if you are at fault.
WHAT FACTORS AFFECT THE COST OF MOTORBIKE INSURANCE?
Insurance prices are based on various ‘risk’ factors. An insurer will collect details from you and compare them against the most recent statistics to see how likely you are to make a claim.
Annual Mileage and Usage
The more miles you ride, the higher your insurance premium could be. It’s important to be as accurate as possible when providing your annual mileage. Underestimating your mileage could incur fees if you exceed it during your policy. Also, overestimating how many miles you cover could mean paying more than you need to. Checking any previous MOT certificates or using a mileage calculator could help with your estimations.
When you take out your bike insurance, you’ll need to choose a ‘class of use.’ This basically helps to make sure you are compliant with the law and have the level of cover you need for your daily activities.
Classes of use include:
- Social, domestic and pleasure
- Social, domestic and pleasure including commuting
- Business use (various classes available)
Check out our blog to find out more about class of use.
Bike Value and Type
A high value bike is at greater risk of theft and, if involved in an accident, could cost more to repair. That’s why insurance for expensive bikes may come at a higher price.
If your motorcycle has a particularly powerful engine, such as a turbo engine, it could be considered high risk by insurers. That’s because they can reach higher speeds and accelerate faster than other bikes, making them more susceptible to severe accidents.
Your Experience and Age
Whether you’re 17 or older, a lack of driving experience is considered a higher insurance risk.
Security and Where You Keep Your Bike
You should think carefully about where you leave your bike when it’s not being ridden. It’s a major contributor to the overall price of your insurance. Storing your bike on a well-lit driveway or, even better, in a garage is your best option. Parking on a busy road or public car park is risky and could push up the price of your cover.
Multi-Bike Insurance
If you’re the proud owner of more than one bike we offer Multi-Bike Insurance that aims to cover up to four rides on one policy. With just one premium and one set of paperwork to think about, a Multi-Bike policy saves time and could potentially save you money compared to buying separate policies.
ALREADY A BE WISER CUSTOMER?
If you’ve already taken out a Bike Insurance policy through us, please log in to our secure online portal. You can access your policy documents, make changes to your details, upload documents and access policy renewal information.
MAKE A CLAIM ON YOUR BIKE INSURANCE
If you’re involved in an accident and need to make a claim, our helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
WHAT DETAILS DO YOU NEED TO GET AN INSURANCE QUOTE?
To get a quote online through Be Wiser, you’ll need to provide details about yourself, your vehicle, and the level of cover that you need.
Details requested will range from your age, driving history and annual mileage to your bike’s registration, value, security features and modifications. You’ll also need to provide details of where the bike is kept overnight.
Aim to have your bike’s paperwork to hand as it’ll help you provide the details we need to compare insurance quotes.
OUR BLOGS
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Drivers can use their vehicle for a multitude of different purposes, from travelling to the local shops, driving to and from a workplace, to dropping off the children at school etc. Insurance companies condense these uses into specific “Classes of Use” to enable them to charge the appropriate premium for the usage of the vehicle.
Find out about the Certificate of Motor Insurance and why it's so important.
GET A BIKE INSURANCE QUOTE THROUGH BE WISER
We work with some of the UK’s leading bike insurance companies and could help you find a policy that gives you peace of mind.