Learner motorbike insurance (CBT) UK 2026

What learner motorbike insurance costs on a CBT in 2026

A CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) certificate lets you ride a 125cc motorcycle up to 11kW on L-plates for two years before you must pass the full test. Because CBT riders have no bike test, no no-claims discount and are usually young, insurers price them as the highest-risk motorbike segment. The realistic 2026 range for a fresh-CBT 125cc comprehensive policy is £600–£1,200 a year, with the UK young-rider median around £1,039. Age is the dominant lever: a 16–17-year-old sits near £980–£1,180, while a 25-year-old learner often pays under £400 and a 40-year-old learner under £200. Mainstream comparison sites can quote it, but specialist motorcycle brokers — Lexham, Bikesure, Devitt, Bennetts — usually price CBT-stage riders more keenly. For the wider picture across all engine sizes and licence types, see our full motorbike insurance cost guide for 2026. Here is how the typical premium falls by rider age:

Cover tiers, the TPFT quirk and where to buy CBT cover

Motorbike insurance has the same three tiers as car cover, but for young CBT riders the price order is counter-intuitive. NimbleFins 2026 young-rider medians put third party, fire & theft (TPFT) at around £841 — cheaper than both comprehensive (£1,039) and third party only (TPO, £937). TPO looks like it should be cheapest, but insurers treat riders who actively choose the bare-minimum tier as higher risk, so it is frequently the most expensive for a 17-year-old. The practical takeaway: always quote all three tiers — on a cheap 125cc, comprehensive is often only marginally dearer than TPFT and is usually the better buy.

• Comprehensive — median ~£1,039 (young rider). Covers your own bike damage, theft, fire and third-party. On a low-value 125cc the gap to TPFT is small; usually worth it.
• Third party, fire & theft — median ~£841. Often the cheapest tier for teens. Adds fire and theft protection — valuable given scooters and 125s are theft targets.
• Third party only — median ~£937. Legal minimum, but frequently priced above TPFT for CBT riders. Rarely the smart choice.

Mainstream comparison sites list CBT-stage 125cc cover, but specialist motorcycle brokers usually price learners more sharply because they underwrite two-wheelers all day:

• Lexham Insurance — has specialised in learner and CBT-qualified riders since 2000; dedicated 125cc and learner-rider schemes.
• Bikesure (Adrian Flux) — the UK's largest specialist motor broker's bike arm; covers learners, young/new riders, SORN and short-term.
• Devitt — repeatedly found among the cheapest for smaller-engine scooters and 125cc bikes on price and excess.
• Bennetts — established 1930; young-rider and multi-bike schemes, panel of major motorcycle insurers.
• Comparison sites — Compare the Market, GoCompare and Confused.com all quote learner/CBT 125cc and are worth running alongside a specialist.

Biggest saving levers for a CBT rider: declare a locked garage or secured off-street parking (typically the single largest discount), keep annual mileage low, pick a low-group commuter 125 (Honda CB125F, Yamaha YBR125, Lexmoto rather than a sports-styled 125), pay annually rather than monthly, and buy comprehensive rather than defaulting to TPO. Never fabricate your address, overnight parking or main-rider details to cut the quote — that is fronting/misrepresentation and voids the policy.

Learner motorbike insurance (CBT) FAQs