What is Third Party Fire & Theft motorbike insurance?

Third party fire and theft motorbike insurance is the middle tier of motorbike insurance. It builds on the level of cover provided by a third party policy by adding coverage for theft and fire damage to your bike. It doesn't include any of the benefits that come with a more extensive comprehensive policy.

What does third party fire and theft motorbike insurance cover?

Third parties

The "TP" part of the cover refers to other individuals and road users, and will cover your liability to them and their property in the event of an accident that has been caused by your riding. If someone elses vehicle or property is damaged, or injury or loss occurs as a result of an accident caused by you, then your insurance company should pay damages to the other party.

Third party fire and theft cover adds to the basic third party element by also insuring you for:

Motorcycle fire

In the (fairly unlikely) event that your motorbike is damaged or destroyed by fire, your TPFT insurance should cover you for any losses, whether the fire is caused by arson or starts accidentally.

Motorcycle theft

Probably a more pressing concern for most bikers is the risk of having your motorbike stolen. Under a TPFT policy, your insurer should pay for a replacement (equivalent value) motorbike if yours is stolen, or provide compensation to repair any damage caused by an attempted theft.

Remember that your insurer might not pay out if there is evidence that your motorbike is stolen due to your negligence (i.e. if you leave the keys in the ignition), so you should still take reasonable steps to prevent the theft of your motorcycle.

What doesn't third party fire and theft motorcycle insurance cover?

Althought the coverage is more extensive than third party only, you won't enjoy any of the benefits of a comprehensive policy.

This means that although other people and their property will be covered in the event of an at fault accident, you and your bike won't be. You will need to pay for any damage sustained to your own motorcycle, any injuries, and any losses that you might incur.

It's important to understand that the third party element doesn't provide any protection for you or your motorbike in an accident that's your fault.

If you're in an accident that you have caused, damage to the other party and their vehicle will be covered, but injury or damage sustained to you or your motorcycle won't be.

You'll also need to fund the cost of repair or replacement if you have an accident where nobody else is involved - for example if you misjudge a corner, came off on a patch of ice, or topple your bike when manoeuvring in a car park.

If the accident isn't your fault then you should be able to claim for injury to you or damage to your bike from the other party's insurance. Remember that this will require either proving that the accident was caused by them, or an admission of fault.

How does the price of a third party fire and theft motorbike policy compare?

As the middle tier of cover, you might have a reasonable expectation that the price of a third party fire and theft motorbike policy will fall somewhere in between the other two cover options.

Unfortunately, the pricing of motorbike insurance isn't always straight forward, and is all about risk. Some insurers will see certain bikers as a higher risk if they choose a third party fire & theft policy over a comprehensive one. This may due to a historical correlation of riders buying TPO policies being more likely to make a claim than bikers with comprehensive cover.

The price of your TPF&T policy really depends on your individual circumstances and the kind of bike you ride. There's only one definitive way to determine the relative cost of a third party fire and theft policy, and that's by getting a quote.

You can easily switch between the cover options after you have received your initial third party fire and theft quote to see how the price compares to fully comp or TPO, and then make a decision based on your own requirements.

What affects the cost of a third party fire and theft motorbike policy?

No matter what level of cover you opt for, the price of a motorbike insurance policy is calculated using multiple factors, including but not limited to:

• The type of motorcycle you ride
• Where you keep the bike, and security measures
• Your age and where you live
• Your occupation
• Your claims and riding history
• How you use the bike
• The amount of voluntary excess applied
• How many years No Claims Bonus you have

Because a third party fire and theft policy will need to provide compensation in the event of a fire or theft, the weighting given to the type and value of your bike is likely to be higher than with a third party only policy. In other words, in order to add fire and theft cover, it's likely that prices will increase in relation to the value of your motorbike.

If you have an expensive motorbike, you'll usually pay more for the additional cover than if you were riding around on a low value bike but still wanted the fire and theft cover.

Find out how much third party motorbike insurance costs for you and your bike by getting a quote at Biker Insure today:

Third Party Fire & Theft Motorbike Insurance FAQ:

*51% of consumers who received a quote for Motorbike Insurance through this service provided by Seopa Ltd. in February 2024 were quoted less than £238.63. The price you could achieve is dependent on your individual circumstances.