There are many things that can affect the cost of your motorbike insurance. Most of them are similar to car insurance, but there are one or two differences:  

• Your age – with age comes experience, and your experience level can make a big difference to the price of your insurance. If you’re particularly young or old, you’ll likely find insurance is more expensive as you’re considered a greater risk.  
• Your bike’s make, model and value – if your bike is an expensive, rare or powerful model, your insurance will usually cost more to cover potential risk and the expense of repairs.  
• Motoring record – if you have previous motoring convictions, you’ll usually pay more. If you’ve built up a no-claims bonus, you’ll typically pay less.  
• Your job – jobs fall into different categories, based on level of risk. If your job involves being out on the road more, you’re a higher risk and you’ll be paying more for business use cover.  
• Where you live – if you live in a high-crime area, you can expect to pay more.  
• Your mileage – simply put, the more miles you clock up, the higher the chance of you having an accident, so expect to pay more.  
• Modifications – if you make any modifications that increase performance or power, you’ll probably find the cost of insurance changes. While some modifications will see the price go up, others may, in fact, bring it down.  
• Security – bikes can be at greater risk of theft, so industry-approved security features can help bring down the cost of your insurance. Examples include Thatcham-approved bike locks, ground anchors and immobilisers.  
• Your voluntary excess – while most insurance policies have a compulsory excess, if you add a voluntary amount it will usually bring down the cost of your insurance. Just be sure that you’re comfortable with paying the extra, in the event of an accident.  
• The level of cover – the type of cover you get will usually impact the cost of your insurance, but don’t assume that the lowest level of cover is always the cheapest. 

Many insurance providers will allow you to include additional (or pillion) passengers as part of your policy. The terms may vary among providers, and you may find your insurance is more expensive if you’re looking to include any pillion passengers. 

Just like insuring a car, many insurance providers will allow you to add an additional rider. Depending on their age and driving experience, this may raise or lower the cost of your premiums. 

You can insure an imported motorbike, but you’ll probably find you have fewer options. Not all motorbike insurance providers are willing to insure imports, because they were made to be sold outside of the UK. You can still find cover, though, so it’s well worth comparing providers to find the right one for your imported bike. 

If you’re planning on riding your bike abroad, you’ll need to make sure you’re fully covered. Some insurance providers include cover for riding abroad (usually within the EU) but you should always check this, along with any limits or exclusions in your policy wording. If you need to take out extra cover, a separate motorbike travel insurance  policy should cover you. 

This is unlikely, but you may be able to find an insurance provider who’ll take your no-claims discount from your car insurance into account. It’s worth comparing providers and finding out more before you agree on a motorcycle insurance policy.