Motorbike No Claims Discount

Biker Insure's guide to understanding your NCD

A No Claims Discount (NCD), also known as a No Claims Bonus (NCB), is one of the most important ways to reduce the cost of your motorbike insurance. The more years you ride without making a claim, the bigger the discount insurers are usually willing to apply to your premium.

We explain how the NCD works for motorcycle insurance, how to prove it, when you can lose it, and whether protecting it is worth the extra cost.

What is a no claims discount?

A no claims discount is a reward insurers give to riders who haven't made a fault claim on their motorbike insurance policy for 12 months or more.

Each consecutive year a rider holds insurance without claiming (or having a claim made against them) typically earns one additional year of NCD. This builds up over time, and can significantly reduce the price of your policy.

You’ll sometimes see the term No Claims Bonus (NCB) used instead. There’s no difference - they both refer to the same thing.

How does a no claims discount work on motorbike insurance?

When you take out, renew or compare a motorbike insurance policy:

• The insurer/comparison site will ask how many years of NCD you’ve earned
• That figure is used as a pricing factor when calculating your premium
• The higher your NCD, the lower your premium is likely to be

NCD only builds up while you have continuous motorcycle insurance in place, and don’t make a claim.

There’s no industry-wide standard for how much discount each year gives. Each insurer will set their own scale, but most cap the NCD somewhere around the 9 year mark.

Even if your discount stops increasing after the cap, the years themselves still matter if you later make a claim.

How much does a no claims discount reduce my premium by?

The value of an NCD varies between insurers, but as a general rule:

• The biggest price drops happen in the first few years
• Each extra year after that gives smaller incremental savings
• Riders with 5+ years NCD are usually seen as lower risk

NCD isn’t the only factor insurers use. Your bike, mileage, postcode, storage and riding history still matter, but the NCD remains one of the strongest pricing signals.

What proof of no claims discount do I need?

If you switch insurer or take out a new motorbike policy, you’ll normally be asked to provide proof of your NCD.

Most insurers will allow 14–21 days from the policy start date to send this in.

You'll usually need to provide details of your previous insurer, the policy number and expiry date of the policy - plus the number of bonus years earned.

Accepted proof usually includes:

• A renewal invitation from your previous insurer
• A cancellation notice from your previous insurer
• A letter titled “Proof of No Claims Discount”

Your proof must:

• Be in the policyholder’s name
• Clearly state the number of NCD years
• Be dated within the last 2 years
• Relate to a motorcycle policy (not car or van)

Proof that's not usually accepted

• Certificate of motor insurance
• Statement of fact or schedule
• Proposal forms
• Policies where the motorcycle is company owned
• Car, van, or fleet insurance NCD

If proof isn’t provided in time, insurers may remove the discount, increase the premium, or cancel the policy.

How long does a no claims discount last?

Most motorbike insurers will accept an NCD that is up to 2 years old after the last policy ended, although some may allow up to 3 years.

If you go uninsured for too long, you may lose your accumulated motorbike NCD and have to start again.

Can I lose my no claims discount?

Your no claims discount can be reduced or lost if:

• You make a claim where you are at fault
• Your bike is stolen and not recovered
• Your claim and costs cannot be recovered from a third party
• You make multiple claims in a short period
• You're uninsured for more than the accepted time limit

How many years you lose depends on the insurer. Some reduce NCD by 2–3 years after one claim; others may remove it entirely.

What about non fault claims?

If another driver is fully at fault and your insurer recovers all costs, your NCD is usually unaffected. However, you must still declare all claims, fault or non-fault, when getting quotes.

Can I protect my no claims discount?

Most insurers will offer the option to protect your NCD. You'll usually need 4 or more years of NCD built up to access this, and in most cases will pay a higher premium for the protection.

Protected NCD means your discount is either kept or only partially reduced after a claim. There’s usually a limit on how many claims you can make in a certain period before it’s affected.

NCD protection can usually only be added at the start of a policy, not as a mid-term adjustment.

Is NCD protection worth it?

Whether NCD protection is worth it depends on your circumstances:

• How many years of NCD you have built up
• How expensive your insurance would be without the NCD
• The cost of protection versus potential future savings

For riders with a lengthy NCD, protecting it can make sense - especially if losing several years would cause a big premium jump

When comparing, it's easy to work out how much NCD protection is adding to your premium by toggling "protect no claims" in the adjust cover options on the quote summary page.