INSURANCE: GET COVERED

If you’re riding a moped or motorbike, it needs to be insured. It’s not just the smart thing to do – it’s a legal requirement. Get caught without insurance and you could be landed with six penalty points and a fine. You could even end up in court. The good news is cover for a moped or small-capacity motorbike is usually cheaper than car insurance. According to Comparethemarket. com, the average price of motorbike insurance is £481 per year, compared with £629 for a car. It’s one of the many ways that choosing two wheels rather than four can save you money.

WHAT TYPES OF INSURANCE ARE THERE?

Third party. The most basic kind of cover, and the minimum legal requirement. Third party covers the cost of damage or injury to another person and their property. It doesn’t cover any damage to your bike and won’t pay out if your bike is stolen. Third party, fire and theft. If your bike is nicked, or gets damaged by fire, this type of insurance should pay out. Otherwise it offers the same cover as a basic third-party policy. Fully comprehensive. Unless you are on the tightest of tight budgets, this is the type of insurance you want. Not only does it pay out if your bike is stolen or burnt in a fire, it also covers you and your bike if you have a crash or collision, even if it turns out to have been your fault.

WHAT IF I’M COMMUTING BY BIKE?

If you are going to work on your bike, make sure the policy covers ‘social, domestic, pleasure and commuting’ rather than ‘social, domestic and pleasure’.

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It gets a bit more complicated if you are at college or uni. Does heading onto campus for a lecture count as commuting? Different insurers treat this differently, so your best bet is to give them a call.

HOW DO I CUT THE COST OF INSURANCE?

● Limit your annual mileage. If you’re not going to ride far each year, think about a limited mileage policy.

● Increase the voluntary excess. You should also consider increasing the voluntary excess (the amount you pay out yourself if you make a claim), but only if you can afford it.

● Add security kit. Fitting security devices to your bike, keeping it in a garage rather than on the road, and avoiding any modifications will also help keep the cost down.

● Use specialist insurers. Comparison sites are timesavers, but for the best deal, we’d recommended going direct to specialists too. Try Bikesure (Bikesure.co.uk), Lexham Insurance (Lexhaminsurance. co.uk) and Motorcycle Direct (motorcycledirect. co.uk).

What To Look For Affordable Cover

Nobody likes paying for insurance, so clearly when comparing quotes the lowest price is going to be appealing. But price isn’t everything.

Value

When looking at different quotes, don’t just focus on the premium. Think about what you are getting for your money. Are legal services included in the price? Are there other extras, such as membership of motorcycle groups, that might be worth paying a little more for?And if you plan to carry a pillion passenger on the back (and have a licence that allows this), make sure pillion cover is included.

Strong Customer Feedback

Most big insurers will have ratings from real customers on their websites. What do other riders make of them? How helpful are they when a rider needs to make a claim?