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Cheap Motorbike Insurance for New Riders (UK 2026)

New riders pay a median of around £1,039 a year for comprehensive motorbike insurance in the UK in 2026, though learner cover on a 50cc or 125cc starts from about £430 and a 17-year-old on a geared 125cc often pays £1,400–£1,800. The good news: no group of riders can cut their premium faster. Passing your full test, choosing the right first bike, securing it and building no-claims years can take a 125cc premium from roughly £1,600 down to about £430 within a few claim-free years. Here is exactly how new-rider prices fall, and the levers that move them.

How to cut it → All specialist cover
Typical motorbike insurance costs

Independent research from our UK cost index — sourced from ABI and Confused.com published data.

~£1,039
young-rider median, comprehensive (2026)
−73%
CBT learner to 5-yr no-claims (125cc)
A1/A2 test
the biggest single lever on price
Direct Answer

What new riders pay — and why it falls so fast

A new rider has no riding history and no no-claims bonus, so insurers price the first policy at the top of the range. In 2026 the median comprehensive premium for a young or new rider is about £1,039, with third-party, fire & theft nearer £841 and third-party-only around £937 — note that the most basic cover is not always the cheapest for new riders, so always quote all three. Learner cover on a small bike can start from about £430, while a 17-year-old on a geared 125cc typically pays £1,400–£1,800.

The reason this page focuses on getting cheap cover rather than headline prices is that new riders have the most room to move. Every claim-free year, a full A1 or A2 licence, the right first bike and good security compound into a fast-falling premium. This guide is about those levers — for prices by engine size see our cheap motorbike insurance guide and motorbike insurance cost breakdown; for pre-test learners see learner (CBT) insurance; and for small-bike detail see 125cc insurance. Here is how a 125cc premium typically falls as a new rider gains experience:

New rider motorbike insurance: how the premium falls with experience — 125cc, UK 2026
Passing your full test and building no-claims years is the fastest route to cheap cover — a claim-free 125cc rider can pay a third of the CBT-learner price within a few years.
CBT learner£1,600 Just passed (A2)£1,180 1 year no-claims£900 2 years no-claims£720 3 years no-claims£600 5 years (experienced)£430

Sources: Confused.com / GoCompare 2026 young-rider medians (comprehensive £1,039); 17-year-old 125cc typically £1,400–£1,800; experienced-rider cover from about £430–£500. Composite curve by Car Insurance Expert for a 125cc rider building no-claims years, comprehensive cover.

StageTypical riderTypical premium (125cc, comp)
CBT learner16–17, on a CBT, no experience£1,600
Just passed full testPassed A1/A2, 0 no-claims£1,180
1 year no-claimsFirst claim-free year banked£900
2 years no-claimsBuilding a bonus£720
3 years no-claimsEstablished rider£600
5 years no-claimsExperienced, full bonus£430

Sources: young-rider comprehensive median £1,039, third-party fire & theft £841 and third-party-only £937 (Confused.com / GoCompare market medians, 2026); 17-year-old on a 125cc typically £1,400–£1,800; 125cc all-rider median £586; experienced-rider cover from about £430–£500. The curve is a Car Insurance Expert composite for a 125cc rider building no-claims years, comprehensive cover; your own drop depends on postcode, security and staying claim-free. Full cost-by-engine data: see our cheap motorbike insurance guide. Refresh: November 2026.

How To Cut It

Seven ways new riders get cheap motorbike insurance

New riders control more of their premium than any other group. These are the levers that move the price most, roughly in order of impact:

  1. Start on the right bike. A 50cc moped or a low-group 125cc commuter is far cheaper than a sports-styled or high-value machine — bike choice is the single biggest thing you control.
  2. Pass your full A1 or A2 test. Moving off a CBT to a full licence can cut 20–30% because you are no longer treated as the highest-risk category.
  3. Build a no-claims bonus. Every claim-free year compounds; a 125cc rider can more than halve their premium within three years just by staying claim-free.
  4. Garage it and secure it. A locked garage or driveway plus a Thatcham-approved lock, chain or tracker can knock 10–15% off and deters the thefts that push young-rider prices up.
  5. Consider a black box. Telematics policies reward smooth, low-mileage, daytime riding and are often the cheapest route for a brand-new rider.
  6. Cap your mileage honestly. If you only commute, a lower agreed annual mileage lowers the premium — but never under-declare, as it can void a claim.
  7. Compare all three cover levels. Comprehensive is sometimes the same price as third-party-only for new riders, so always quote comprehensive, TPFT and TPO before you buy.
Where To Buy

Specialist new & young rider bike insurers (UK 2026)

Mainstream car insurers rarely quote well for new riders. These UK motorcycle specialists and brokers focus on learners, young and newly-qualified riders and often price them far more keenly:

  • Lexham — specialist scooter and young/learner rider insurer; strong on 50cc–125cc and CBT cover.
  • Bennetts — large UK bike specialist with young-rider and learner policies and a rider rewards scheme.
  • Carole Nash — established motorcycle broker offering multi-bike and new-rider cover with built-in benefits.
  • Devitt — new-rider and learner CBT cover with a focus on security discounts.
  • Bikesure — budget broker with 125cc and new-rider options, and non-standard risks.
  • The Bike Insurer — comparison service that places new and young riders across a wide panel.
  • Adrian Flux — broker for new and non-standard riders, with telematics options.

Listing is informational, not a recommendation or a quote — Car Insurance Expert does not sell insurance. Always compare the exact cover basis, mileage terms and excess before you buy.

Common Questions

Cheap motorbike insurance for new riders: FAQs

New riders typically pay more than experienced ones because they have no riding history or no-claims bonus. In 2026 the median comprehensive premium for a young or new rider is about £1,039 a year, learner cover on a 50cc or 125cc can start from around £430 to £500, and a 17-year-old on a geared 125cc often pays £1,400 to £1,800. Your exact price depends on your age, postcode, the bike and where it is kept overnight.
First-time cover is expensive because insurers have nothing to price against: no claims history, no no-claims bonus, and most new riders sit in the youngest, highest-risk age band. New riders also statistically have more accidents in their first year on the road. As you build claim-free years, pass your full test and add a no-claims bonus, the premium falls quickly, often by a third or more after two or three years.
A 50cc moped is usually the cheapest to insure because it is limited to about 28 mph and sits in the lowest risk group, with new-rider cover from around £430. A 125cc costs a little more, from roughly £690 for a scooter, because it is faster and more likely to be stolen or crashed. For most new riders the extra cost of a 125cc is worth it for the usable performance, but a 50cc is the rock-bottom option.
Yes, often significantly. Riding on a CBT alone is treated as the highest risk, so passing your full A1 or A2 test is one of the biggest single levers on price and can cut a premium by 20 to 30 percent. A full licence tells the insurer you have passed a formal test and can ride unsupervised without L-plates, which lowers their expected claims cost.
Yes. You can insure and ride a moped or a 125cc on a CBT certificate, which is what most 16 and 17-year-olds start on. CBT-only cover usually costs more than cover for a full-licence holder because newly trained riders have the least experience, but it is fully legal for up to two years, after which you must pass your full test or retake the CBT.
Low-powered, low-value bikes in the smallest insurance groups are cheapest: a 50cc moped, a basic 125cc commuter scooter or a small naked 125. Avoid sports styling, high-value models and anything easily stolen. Keeping the bike in a locked garage and fitting a Thatcham-approved lock or tracker cuts the price further whatever the bike.
It can be. Telematics or black box motorbike policies track how and when you ride and reward smooth, low-mileage riding with a lower premium, which suits new riders who would otherwise pay the youngest-rider rate. If you ride carefully and not late at night, a black box policy can be one of the cheaper options; heavy or late-night riding can push the price back up.
Counter-intuitively, third party only is not always cheapest for new riders. Because higher-risk riders sometimes pick the most basic cover, insurers can price third-party-only policies higher: in 2026 the median comprehensive young-rider premium is about £1,039, only a little above the £937 third-party-only median. Always quote all three levels, because comprehensive can cost the same or less while covering your own bike too.

Our sources

  • Confused.com / GoCompare (2026) — young-rider comprehensive median £1,039, third-party-only £937 and third-party fire & theft £841; 125cc all-rider median £586; young-rider guidance. GoCompare young riders
  • Asda Money / market data (2026) — 17-year-old on a 125cc typically £1,400–£1,800, and the drivers of new-rider pricing. Asda Money new riders
  • The Bike Insurer / Bikesure (2026) — engine-size baselines and cover from about £430–£500 for new riders (125cc from £93 for experienced riders). The Bike Insurer
  • gov.uk — ride a motorcycle or moped — CBT, L-plate and A1/A2/A licence rules that shape new-rider pricing. gov.uk licence rules
  • Bennetts / Lexham (2026) — young and learner rider product data, security discounts and the value of a full test. Bennetts young riders
  • Car Insurance Expert composite quote sample — 2026 new-rider premiums scaled by experience and bike class from the sourced medians.

Reviewed by the Car Insurance Expert editorial team

Written and fact-checked by the Car Insurance Expert editorial team (specialist motor-insurance research). Methodology: figures are compiled from Confused.com, GoCompare, Asda Money, Bennetts and Lexham 2026 young and new-rider data plus gov.uk licence rules, with the 125cc experience curve modelled from the sourced medians; we do not sell insurance or take quotes on your behalf. Questions or corrections: editorial@carinsuranceexpert.co.uk.

Last updated: 3 August 2026 · Next scheduled review: 3 November 2026

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