Why the premium skyrockets
On motorbikes, age and licence seniority weigh even more than in cars: the accident rate for a young rider with a recent licence is among the highest insurers handle, and motorbike injuries are more serious and more expensive to compensate than car injuries. The result: surcharges that can double the premium compared with a 40-year-old on the same bike.
Add engine size to that: jumping from a 125 to a mid-to-large displacement bike with little experience multiplies the price — and some insurers simply refuse to quote certain combinations of age and bike.
The 125: the smart way in
125cc bikes are the sweet spot to start with: you can ride them with an A1 licence or with a car (B) licence held for three years, premiums are among the lowest in the motorbike market, and every insured year builds history that will lower your next policy.
That history is gold: when you move up to a bigger bike, arriving with two or three claim-free years of motorbike insurance puts you in a different price bracket. Starting on a 125 is not just prudence — it is premium strategy.
Covers and deductibles that lower the price
On a low-value bike, third-party with roadside assistance is usually the rational combination: own damage is expensive to insure and the bike is worth little. If the bike is new or financed, consider theft cover — motorbikes are among the most stolen vehicles — and a deductible on own damage, which cuts the premium nicely if you are careful.
And the classic that works on bikes too: annual payment instead of instalments, real mileage and declaring where the bike sleeps — a locked garage lowers the price, and on a motorbike it shows more than on a car because of how heavily theft weighs on the premium.
Comparing matters more than in any other insurance
Appetite for young riders varies enormously between insurers: the same combination of age, licence and bike can cost double or half depending on the company, because each one decides which profiles it wants to insure and which it penalises. For young riders, comparing is not just another trick — it is where nearly all the savings are.
How to get it
Tell us your age, licence, bike (or the two or three you are considering buying) and usage, and we will get you real prices across more than 20 insurers — including the ones that treat young riders best. Free, no obligation, and before you buy the bike, because the insurance should be part of that decision too.