Young riders moped and motorbike insurance

As a young rider, your age goes against you when it comes to finding cheaper motorbike insurance. This is especially true if you’re looking for moped insurance for 16-year-olds who are just getting started. But there are some things that could help cut the cost of your premium:

• Choose a bike with a smaller engine – a less powerful bike with a lower top-end speed is considered less of a risk, than a more expensive model with a larger engine. For example, getting 50cc moped insurance can be cheaper than 125cc motorbike insurance.
• Storing your bike safely overnight on a driveway and off the street could reduce the risk of theft or damage – which could mean a cheaper premium.
• Consider taking a motorbike training course – some insurance providers offer a discount to riders who’ve taken an accredited riding safety course.
• Don’t make any unapproved modifications to your bike that could increase its speed or value.
• Keep the miles down – the less time you spend on the road, the lower your risk of having an accident.
• Increase your voluntary excess – this could reduce the cost of monthly insurance payments. Just make sure you can afford the higher excess if you need to make a claim.
• Adding an older, more experienced rider to your policy could help you get a lower premium. Just make sure you’re named as the main rider if you use the bike most of the time. Otherwise, you could be charged with fronting, which is a type of fraud.
• Only pay for what you need – adding unnecessary extras can hike up your premium. For example, there’s no point in paying for pillion cover if you don’t take passengers.
• Shop around – by comparing a range of quotes you’ve a better chance of finding the cover you need, at a good price.

If you ride on public roads, even with a provisional licence, you’ll still need to have moped or motorcycle insurance.  
 
If you’re taking a course at a professional training centre, you may be covered by their insurance. Make sure you check before you begin.

Most motorcycle or moped insurance policies don't cover helmets and protective riding gear as standard. But in most cases, you'll be able to add helmet and leathers as an optional extra.

Helmet and leathers cover typically includes:

• helmets 
• leathers 
• protective clothing 
• motorcycle gloves 
• motorcycle boots

Considering how expensive helmets and riding gear can be to replace, it could be worth paying for the extra cover. Depending on the policy you choose, you could get cover for up to £1,000 for your riding gear.

There are different types of motorbike licence for people of varying ages, experience and types of bike.  
 
First, you’ll need a provisional Category A licence – this just tells the DVLA that you’re a new rider. You’ll then need to take a theory and practical test for each licence.

• If you’re 16 or over – AM Moped licence: This means you can ride a motorbike, moped or scooter up to 50cc.
• If you’re 17 or over – A1 Motorcycle licence: This means you can ride a motorbike or scooter up to 125cc.
• If you’re 19 or over – A2 Motorcycle licence: This means you can ride a motorbike up to 500cc engine size.
• If you’re 21 or over – Unrestricted A Motorcycle licence: This means you can ride any size and power of motorcycle or scooter.

If you’re 17 or over, you can ride a bike up to 125cc after you complete your Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), without the need to take your full licence. That is, as long as you have L-plates on the bike.  
 
This can mean a slightly more expensive insurance premium though, because as long as you’re on a provisional licence, you’ll be classed as a learner rider.

To find the right motorbike insurance quotes for you, we’ll need some details about you and your bike. These may include: 
 
About you 

• name 
• address 
• marital status 
• job 
• email address 
• riding history – whether you have a full or provisional licence and how long you’ve been riding for, including any claims or driving convictions

About your bike 

• make and model 
• registration number – if you haven’t bought it yet or can’t remember the reg, you can select the type of bike manually using our lists 
• the year it was manufactured 
• any modifications after manufacture 
• the value of your motorcycle
• the date you bought it

If you haven’t yet bought a bike because you haven’t made up your mind about the right model, it’s still worth comparing your options. You’ll be able to see what impact your potential choice could have on your insurance premium, and factor this into your annual running costs.  
 
To see more about the most popular motorcycle makes and models, check out our Motorbike Manufacturers page.