Insurance

COVERED UP Follow these tips to find the right cover at the right price

Nobody likes paying for insurance. It’s something everybody must have, but we all hope to never really need.

The good news is that motorbike insurance is usually cheaper than car insurance. According to Compare the Market’s data, covering a car costs an average of £688, but a yearly premium for a motorbike is £390.

There are all sorts of ways you can drop the price of cover without compromising on quality, but you need to make sure you find a policy that suits your needs.

TYPES OF INSURANCE

Broadly speaking, you have the same choices as when insuring a car. There’s third-party cover, thirdparty, fire and theft, and fully comprehensive. We’d

“THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF WAYS TO DROP THE PRICE OF COVER WITHOUT CUTTING QUALITY“

recommend fully comp every time, as it covers repairs to your bike if it’s damaged or written off and needs replacing. There’s a good chance a fully comp policy will include injury cover too.

There are a few things that won’t be familiar from arranging your car insurance. One is pillion cover. Whereas your car insurance allows for carrying passengers, you need to make sure pillion cover is included in your insurance package if you plan to take someone on the back of the bike. This insures pillions against personal injury. It’s also worth remembering that you can’t ride with a pillion passenger by law if you’re still riding on a provisional licence.

LEISURE RIDING AND COMMUTING

Bikes are great for commuting, slashing journey times compared with sitting in a car that’s stuck in traffic. If that’s one of your reasons for choosing two wheels, make sure your policy covers ‘social, domestic, pleasure and commuting’. If you’re going to use your bike on business – perhaps making the odd delivery – then you’ll need cover for business use as well as commuting.

On the other hand, if you always take the train to work, a ‘social, domestic and pleasure’ policy will cover everything you need.

COMBINED POLICIES

As well as the pain of seeing a few hundred notes disappear from your bank account, nobody enjoys the hassle of arranging insurance. You can make life easier by choosing combined car and bike insurance, such as the Six Wheel Insurance cover offered by Carole Nash (carolenash.com).

If you don’t mind putting in some effort, though, it pays to get several quotes from specialists as well as using a price comparison site. The likes of Bennetts (bennetts. co.uk), BikeSure (bikesure. co.uk), and Motorcycle Direct (motorcycledirect.co.uk) specialise in cover for motorcyclists.. HOW TO CUT THE COST OF COVER

1. Choose your bike

carefully. The fastest and most powerful bikes cost a lot to insure, so as a rule a standard or adventure machine won’t be as pricey as a top-end sports bike.

2. Limit your mileage.

If you’re biking for fun rather than commuting, then you won’t cover a huge mileage each year. Choose a policy with a realistic mileage limit to cut the cost.

3. Avoid modifications.

Generally speaking, a standard-spec machine will cost less to insure than one that’s modified, especially if the mod makes the bike quicker or more valuable.

4. Improve your

skills. Becoming a better rider is a really satisfying process, and qualifications like BikeSafe and the Enhanced Rider Scheme can lead to discounted premiums.

5. Secure your pride

and joy. Keep your bike in a garage or lockup, and fit an alarm or immobiliser.

6. Cut out extras.

Don’t pay for things like pillion cover if you are never going to take a passenger. 7. Pay annually. Monthly payments usually include interest, so work out more expensive than paying in one go.