Motorcycle Insurance: Everything you need to know

When you come to insure your motorbike there are a number of possible options, and your riding style and type of bike are going to influence which is the best for you.

Compulsory third party

This form of insurance is compulsory, you need to have it to register your bike. It covers injury to other people, and in some cases covers some other things as well. This is a very minimal form of insurance, and is not generally recommended.

Third party property

This is generally recommended as the minimum level of insurance and is fairly cheap. This covers damage to a person’s property (as such as their car or bike) in the case of an accident where you are at fault.

Third party, fire and theft

This option isn’t offered by many places in Australia, but it provides cover for everything except damage to yourself and your bike. As the name suggests it also covers damage to your bike by fire and theft.

Comprehensive

Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your own bike as well as others and is the highest form of motorbike insurance. It can be extremely costly, but is definitely worth considering.

A warning

Those category outlines are generally the way the various forms of insurance are applied, however, some insurers have different classifications, or may expect you to pay extra to buy extra optional insurance. Before you buy motorbike insurance make sure that you understand the policy properly.

Finding the best insurance

In order to find the best insurance you can contact the various insurance companies in Australia and get an insurance quote. The easiest way to find the number of such companies is to look it up in the Yellow Pages. If you have a vintage bike it can be worth considering insuring it with a vintage specialist, who often offer specially tailored packages.