Insuring a motorcycle, moped or scooter is a little different from insuring a car. Compare what to look for in a policy, how to get a quote, how to make a claim and how premiums work.
Compare motorcycle insurance companies
How can I get cheap motorcycle insurance?
As a young or inexperienced driver, it’s an unfortunate reality that you’ll have to pay more on your premiums. And if you’ve already purchased your bike, you might not have a choice in how much you’ll pay for that model. However, there are some ways to help reduce your premiums.
Choose a bike with a less powerful engine. Larger and more powerful engines are more expensive to insure.
Keep your bike in a secured garage. This reduces the likelihood of your bike getting damaged.
Drive safely. Do your best to avoid accidents to build up a no-claims history.
Reassess the value of your bike. For example, if you’ve insured a brand new motorcycle, then it might be over-insured two years later, and you may be paying too much for coverage.
Pay premiums annually. Many insurers will charge less overall for premiums paid annually rather than monthly.
Get discounts. You may be entitled to a range of discounts, including loyalty bonuses, no claims bonuses, discounts for signing up online, multi-policy discounts and others.
Adjust your coverage. You could be paying extra for policy options that you don’t need or won’t use.
What insurance do I need for my motorcycle?
Bodily injury liability
Covers costs from injuries you cause to another person, including immediate medical aid, legal help, health care, funerals and pain and suffering.
Covers damages you cause to someone else’s property/vehicle. It does not cover damage to your own bike. For that, you’ll need collision and/or comprehensive.
Covers damage to your motorcycle from things like natural disasters, terrorism, explosions and fire, glass damage, falling objects, vandalism, damage from animals and theft.
Covers costs for property damages or bodily injury caused by an uninsured or uniderinsured driver if their insurance can’t pay enough or if they don’t have insurance.
Consider the extras available in a policy. These additional benefits may be available to you based on the specific policy and level of coverage you have. For example, accessory coverage for motorcycles or custom parts and equipment (CPE) coverage includes coverage for helmets, sidecars, antennas, trailers, custom paint or exhaust and trike conversion kits.
Some extras may include:
Do I need motorcycle insurance?
Yes, motorcycle insurance is required unless you live in Florida, Montana and Washington. Each state has different motorcycle insurance laws based on the engine size and other factors. If your vehicle has an engine smaller than 50cc or top speeds below 30 mph, it’s likely classified as a moped or scooter. Bikes with an engine over 50cc will be classified as a motorcycle.
Even if you live in one of the states that doesn’t require bike insurance, it’s typically a good idea to buy insurance. Insurance will help protect you in case of an accident, especially if the damages after an accident are more than you can pay.
In addition to your age, level of coverage, riding history and how high or low your deductible is, these factors can affect what you’ll pay for coverage:
Newer, more expensive and more powerful bikes will usually cost more to insure than older, cheaper and less powerful models.
You could get a discount on your premiums by not making insurance claims. If you’ve made a claim on your motorcycle insurance in the past, insurers will classify you as posing an increased likelihood of making a future claim.
Weekend warriors could save money on usage-based or mileage-based insurance, so you only pay for coverage for the miles you ride. Make sure not to over- or underestimate your annual mileage when purchasing coverage.
If you’re an experienced rider with an unblemished claims history and you’re the only person riding your bike, the cost of your coverage should stay low. But if you want your policy to also cover a 22-year-old rider with a speeding conviction and several previous insurance claims, expect your premiums to skyrocket.
Theft is more likely if you live in an urban or high crime area, which could increase your rate.
For example, securing your bike in a garage when it isn’t being ridden should lower your premiums.
Bikes with alarm systems are less likely to be stolen, so you could get an anti-theft discount.
Expect a premium increase if you add performance enhancements to make your bike faster or more powerful.
How do I get scooter and moped insurance?
Moped and scooter insurance are widely available. Motorbike insurance premiums are determined by the vehicle’s engine capacity, so less powerful mopeds and motor scooters have lower insurance premiums than higher-end motorcycles.
Is the scooter or moped less than 225cc?
Compare scooter insurance policies by knowing what kind of engine yours has. Mopeds typically have a very low engine capacity and are almost always less than 225cc, while most but not all scooters are.
225cc and under is the lightest class of motorcycles, and this category of moped or scooter will lower your insurance premiums more than standard motorcycle insurance.
Before insuring your motorcycle, be aware of its nuances and what you can do to save money on your premiums. Check out all your car insurance options to ensure you’re getting the right coverage for your situation.
Your questions about motorcycle insurance answered
You can choose from comprehensive, third party fire and theft, and third party-only motorcycle insurance. Specialist policies are also available for vintage bikes, mopeds and scooters.
Yes. This is crucial, as it will impact your premium and could also influence an insurer’s decision on whether or not to offer you coverage.
Many insurers will offer you payment options to suit your budget. You can typically pay for your coverage with a lump sum, or spread payments out monthly or over six months to make them more affordable.
You can get coverage for using your motorcycle for business purposes like riding to meet clients or delivering packages — but you’ll need to inform your insurer exactly how your bike will be used before you can be approved for coverage.
You could get a discount on your motorcycle insurance premium by not making insurance claims. This acts as a reward for your good driving. You might need to stay loyal to your insurance provider for a few years before this kicks in.
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