Aside from this, bike insurance is a basic legal requirement for all motorcycles on UK roads and, nowadays, with speed cameras on both ordinary roads and motorways, it is not worth the risk of riding without insurance cover. If and when you are captured on camera, the number plate information on your bike will be checked using a database, to see if your vehicle is insured. Those caught riding without bike insurance are subject to penalty points on their licence and/or stiff fines – making it far more costly in the long run than paying to get insurance. Furthermore, should you amass 6 or more points on your licence within a two-year period of passing your test – a very likely scenario if you choose to ride an uninsured vehicle – you are liable to lose your licence altogether. Whether you utilise the motorbike for work purposes, or purely for personal reasons, this is a serious loss to incur.
Then there is the issue of financial protection to consider. While insuring your bike will involve an initial monetary outlay, it is possible to secure a premium quite cheaply, with overall prices varying depending on whether you want ‘third party only’ insurance, ‘third party fire and theft’, or ‘fully comprehensive’ cover. To fulfil the legal requirements, the basic ‘third party’ bike insurance is all you need; however, if you want to be protected in the event of damage or theft, you need to pay that bit extra for ‘third party fire and theft insurance’. Nonetheless, thanks to the number of companies offering bike insurance, it is possible to secure this at a competitive rate. Many major companies – such as Carole Nash – will give you a quote over the telephone.
Finally, you need to think about your own security and safety as a motorcyclist. The extras available with the policies provided by some companies will cover such areas as legal expenses and optional breakdown cover, to help you to pay for any legal or repair costs you might incur. An example of this is the £100,000 legal protection and breakdown recovery options included in Carole Nash bike insurance policies.
To sum up, if your motorbike is important to you, you will want to guarantee that you are able to continue to use it – or at worst, are financially compensated for its loss.
