Learner (CBT) bike insurance

One of the biggest advantages of learning to ride a motorcycle is that (unlike in the car world), at the age of 17, you can get out there and learn to ride and insure a 125cc motorbike on UK roads all by yourself.

After securing your provisional bike license and completing the CBT, you can ride unaccompanied with L-plates for a period of up to two years. Following this two year period you’ll either need to pass your motorbike test, or complete the CBT again.

As with any other kind of motorbike insurance, it is of course a legal requirement to make sure that you are adequately insured before venturing out on public roads.

Learner motorbike insurance is essentially the same as a standard motorcycle policy, but you will need to declare that you are a learner when taking out the cover.

What levels of insurance are available for learner motorbike riders?

As with all kinds of motorbike insurance, there are three levels of cover for learner motorbike insurance in the UK:

Third Party Only - Is the minimum level of cover required when learning to ride. TPO covers injuries or damage to other people, vehicles or property - but not you or your motorbike.

Third Party Fire & Theft - Adds protection if your learner motorbike is stolen or fire damaged.

Fully Comprehensive - Includes the above, but also covers damage to your motorbike or injuries to you. Typically, fully comprehensive policies will pay for a replacement motorbike if yours is written off in an accident.

Counter intuitively, TPO policies are not necessarily always the cheapest for learner riders, and fully comp policies aren't always going to be the most expensive. Because all CBT motorbike insurance policy quotes are based on individual circumstances, it could pay to run a few quotes with different levels of cover to see how your CBT insurance quotes are affected.

This is quick and easy to do at Biker Insure. When you have all the information to hand, it can help make better decisions about which type of cover to choose as you learn to ride.

The comparison process is also exactly the same for beginner riders as it is for those on full bike licenses. You'll just need to select “Provisional UK Motorcycle Licence” in the question asking what kind of license you hold.

How much does learner rider insurance cost?

Beginning to ride a motorbike for the first time and without supervision is undoubtedly a liberating, life affirming experience. It's also something that never really leaves you, and forms the foundation of freedom that bikers still experience throughout their riding careers.

However, this freedom can come at a high price in terms of insurance. A newly unleashed 17 year old, fresh from the CBT test centre, fuelled with enthusiasm and high on adrenaline is something that, unsurprisingly, leaves underwriters feeling a little nervous.

It's this heightened level of risk that means insurance for learner motorcyclists can seem unfairly expensive. Because you’ll be riding unsupervised after your CBT and won’t have the experience of someone who has passed their test, your premiums are likely to be higher. In addition, learner riders are typically young and won’t have had the opportunity to build up much (if any) no claims bonus.

Offset against these considerations when beginning to ride are the relatively low cost, power and speed capabilities of learner legal bikes.

Overall however, insuring your bike before having passed the motorbike test and in combination with your circumstances as a learner rider will mean that your insurance is likely to be relatively expensive.

The good news is that the more brokers you compare, the greater your chance of finding cheap learner motorbike insurance. At Biker Insure it's easy to compare CBT bike insurance. With 25+ brokers on the panel, you only need to enter your information once and you could find the best learner motorbike insurance for your individual circumstances and new riding adventures.

Learner motorbike insurance FAQ

Temporary learner motorbike insurance

At Biker Insure, you can compare annual policies for learner motorbike insurance. However, there are some circumstances where you might need insurance for just a short time.

If you're occasionally borrowing a learner motorbike from a friend or family member for example, you'll still need to make sure you have adequate insurance. It could work out cheaper in some circumstances to take out a temporary motorcycle insurance plan, rather than having the commitment of an annual policy on a learner bike you don't own, and might not need to be insured on for very long.

If you're learning and only need insurance for a short time, visit our temporary learner motorcycle insurance page.

Motorcycle insurance for new riders

If you’ve just passed your test – whether it's for an A1, A2, or a full class A motorcycle licence, then just like for learner riders, finding the most affordable insurance as a newly qualified rider can be a daunting prospect.

When you’ve just spent a lot of money on training, clothing, and a shiny new bike - insurance is probably the final hurdle that you’re going to have to sort out before heading out on the road as a new rider.

New riders – compare for the best deals

As a new rider, you’ll be seen as more of a risk by insurers than bikers with more experience. Not only have you not yet had the chance to build up a decent no claims bonus, but your lack of time holding a motorcycle license and inexperience on the road will mean your insurance quotes are likely to be relatively more expensive.

This doesn’t mean that your new rider motorcycle insurance has to be unaffordable. Thanks to the comparison service at Biker Insure, you can quickly and easily search the market for 25+ brokers who offer cheap motorbike insurance for new riders.

Because you only need to enter your details once for multiple new rider quotes, you might not only save money but also time that could be better spent out on the road honing your new biking skills.

Whether you’re a young new rider, or just new to motorcycling a little later in life, make sure you get the best deal on your motorbike insurance by comparing quotes at Biker Insure today.

Do you have a full bike licence? Don't worry - Biker Insure has you covered. Get a motorbike insurance quote today, whatever bike license you are riding with.