Do I need 125cc bike insurance?
Yes, regardless of the bike you own, you must have a valid insurance policy if you want to ride on public roads in the UK. If you’re caught without the right cover in place, you risk facing points on your licence, fines, your bike being seized by police, and higher insurance premiums when you do take out insurance.
What insurance do I need for a 125cc motorbike?
There are three types of cover you can choose from for your 125cc motorbike insurance:
Third party only (TPO)
Third party only insurance covers the cost of any injuries or damage caused to other people and their property when you’re at fault for the accident. It’s often more affordable compared to the other two options.
Third party, fire and theft cover (TPFT)
Third party, fire and theft offers the same benefits as third party only cover, but it also includes cover for your bike if it’s damaged by fire or stolen.
Fully comprehensive cover
Fully comprehensive motorbike insurance includes all the same cover as third party, fire and theft, and will also cover any damage caused to your own bike. It’s the highest level of cover you can take out.
How much is 125cc motorbike insurance in the UK?
The cost of your 125cc insurance depends on a number of factors, including your previous riding history, where you live and how you’ll use your bike (i.e. whether for commuting or personal use). As 125s are relatively low powered compared to bikes with larger engines, they tend to be cheaper to insure than other, higher powered motorbikes.
At Bikesure, we compare quotes from a range of different insurers to find a policy that ticks all your boxes – all at an affordable price. With annual policies available from as little as £93 for experienced riders, and cover available from £500 for younger, less experienced riders, we offer some of the most affordable policies on the market.
But don’t just take our word for it; take a look at some of the quotes we’ve given to other 125cc riders in our Case Studies section.
Take David, 33, from Guildford (GU4). He’s owned his Yamaha YBR-125 for a couple of years to cruise around on when it’s sunny. He passed his full category A motorcycle licence a year ago and has a two-year no claims bonus available to use on this policy. David’s rate is just £97.00 for fully comprehensive cover.
Or Francis, 17, from Aberdeen (AB16). He’s just passed his compulsory basic training (CBT) and has purchased a used Zontes ZT 125 to enjoy his newfound freedom and get some experience until he is ready to move onto something larger. Francis’s rate is just £528 for third party cover.
Why is 125cc insurance so expensive?
125cc insurance isn’t inherently expensive, and in many cases it can be quite affordable. However, 125cc owners tend to be relatively young and inexperienced, which can increase premiums compared to those with more experience on the road.
The good news is that many young bikers see a drop in their premium after just one or two years of claims-free riding.
There are many other factors involved with calculating the cost of your 125cc insurance, including where you store your bike at night. For this, a secure location like a locked garage is best, though not always possible.
Your location can also play a significant role in the cost of your cover – as motorcycle thefts are more common in cities such as London and Nottingham, this can drive up your premium if you live in one of these areas.
If you’re struggling to get affordable insurance on your 125cc motorbike, speak with us directly and we’ll see what we can do. We regularly unlock new deals and can compare quotes from schemes that aren’t on the comparison sites, so can often get you a good deal.
How can I get affordable motorbike insurance for my 125cc?
There are a number of ways you can save money on your 125cc bike insurance:
- Pay a higher excess: this is the sum you agree to pay in the event you need to make a claim. If you’re able to, paying a higher excess will usually reduce your insurance premium. However, it’s important to ensure you can afford to pay the higher excess should you need to make a claim before you increase this.
- Take extra riding qualifications: passing extra qualifications can help prove that you’re a safer motorcyclist, leading to more affordable cover.
- Upgrade to a full licence: even if you only want to ride lower-powered bikes like a 125cc, passing your full bike licence can often lower your premium.
- Upgrade your bike security: fit extra insurance-approved bike security to your motorcycle in order to reduce the risk of your bike being stolen or lost.
- Build up your experience on the road: for every year of claims-free riding, you can build up a no claims bonus (NCB). As a general rule, the longer you’ve been able to build up an NCB, the more affordable your cover is likely to be.
- Take out short-term cover: if you only ride your 125cc bike seasonally or you’re going abroad on a short trip, it can be more cost-effective to take out short-term insurance instead of an annual policy.
- Insure multiple bikes with us: own multiple bikes and need to insure them? We offer multi-bike insurance, which provides you with discounts when you insure two or more bikes with us.
Why choose Bikesure for 125cc motorcycle insurance?
Whatever 125 you ride, whether it’s a Lexmoto LXR 125 or a Yamaha YBR-125, you’ll be looking for a bargain on your insurance cover. At Bikesure, we can cover every type of 125cc bike imaginable and can tailor the policy to the exact needs of you, your budget, and your machine.
There are many benefits and optional extras available with our 125cc motorbike cover. Here are just a few:
- Choose between third party only cover, third party, fire and theft, or fully comprehensive cover
- Cover available in Europe and further afield
- Motorbikes with modifications and customisations covered
- Agreed value option for custom and modified motorbikes
- Easy payment options available including direct debit – even for 17 year olds (subject to the instalment plan being taken out by a parent/guardian)
- Legal cover up to £100,000 included as standard
- Riders with motoring and criminal convictions covered
- Insurance to ride any bike from £29.99
- Helmet and leathers cover from £29.99
- Keycare insurance cover from £19
Get 5-star-rated insurance
We’re rated 5 stars by Defaqto. What does this mean? It means independent experts have reviewed our motorcycle insurance and have concluded that it’s worthy of the company’s highest accolade. This means you can rest assured that you’ll receive “an excellent product with a comprehensive range of features and benefits” from us.
Is 125cc motorbike insurance right for me?
Owning a 125cc motorbike is one of the easiest and most affordable ways of getting on the road, especially for those who have only passed their CBT. We can cover learners, young and new riders, as well as A1, A2 and category A licence holders.
125cc bike insurance for learners
Once you’ve passed your CBT, you can get a 125cc motorbike on your provisional licence without any fuss – so long as you use L-plates while you’re riding. For many bikers, a 125 is all the power they need and many will remain on a CBT licence for decades. We can cover learners with our 125cc insurance.
Insurance for young riders
As you can ride a 125cc motorbike once you’ve turned 17 and passed your CBT, one of these nippy little bikes is a great option for riders looking to get experience on the road at a young age. We can cover riders 17 and above.
A1 licence holders
If you’ve completed your A1 licence, you can ride your bike without the L-plates and are allowed to travel on motorways too. Whatever your situation, we can provide you with 125cc insurance.
A2 and category A licence holders
Even if you’ve passed the A2 or got a full A licence, you might find that you prefer riding a 125cc, enjoy the cost-saving aspect, or it’s got enough power for your needs. You might also keep a smaller 125cc bike alongside a bigger bike for commuting purposes. In this case, we can provide cost-effective cover.
CBT insurance
If you take your CBT on a bike belonging to a training centre, you will be covered by the centre’s insurance. However, if you take the training course on your own 125cc bike, you’ll have to sort out your own insurance, which we can provide. The minimum requirement is third party only cover.
What’s not covered by 125cc motorbike insurance?
As a specialist insurance broker, we can provide a quote in almost all scenarios. Even if you’ve modified your 125cc or you’re planning on attending track days with it, we can usually help, though these types of cover are often added as optional extras to your policy.
Note that most 125cc motorbike insurance policies exclude the carriage of passengers as standard. However, this is available if you have a full licence and no longer need to use L-plates – simply let us know if you require pillion cover and we can add this to your policy.
And if someone else is borrowing your bike, they won’t be covered as standard; it’s usually best for them to take out separate short-term cover to protect your no claims bonus.
What extras can I add to my 125cc bike insurance?
We offer a number of optional extras which you can add to your insurance policy. This allows you to tailor the cover to meet your needs. We also offer a number of comprehensive protection packages, which are a more affordable way of getting a number of optional extras such as helmets and leathers cover, legal cover, and breakdown cover.
Alternatively, you can pick and choose from our full range of extras:
- Helmets and leathers cover: we offer two tiers of cover for your protective gear: £1,500 worth of cover for just £35, or £3,000 worth for £42.
- Breakdown cover: with a network of over 1,800 breakdown and recovery specialists, we can help you at the scene of the breakdown. This includes trips of to 60 days in Europe.
- Licence defence: this helps cover the cost of legal fees if needed. We also provide you access to a specialist helpline operated by motoring law experts.
- Ride any bike cover: if you regularly ride other bikes, this provides you with fully comprehensive cover even on bikes you don’t own.
- Keycare: if you’ve lost your keys, they’ve been stolen or are locked inside your house, keycare can help recover the costs involved with replacing them.
- Excess protect: if you’ve made a claim on your insurance, this policy can help you recover the cost of your excess.
- Gadget cover: this covers all your portable devices, including your mobile phone, laptop, sat nav, games console and camera.
- Travel insurance: we offer cover for single trips and multiple trips.
Can you cover all types of 125cc bikes?
Yes, we can cover all types of 125cc bikes, from popular models to the more unusual bikes.
125cc motorbikes
Prefer the styling of a motorcycle over a scooter? Whether you’ve opted for a sporty-style or retro-style 125cc, we can offer insurance on all sorts of 125cc motorbikes.
125cc scooters
If you prefer the step-through frames that scooters have to offer, we can cover you. These are great little bikes for commuters and dailing riding, as well as for younger riders who are just starting out on their biking journey.
125cc mopeds
It’s important to note that a 125cc moped is a misnomer, as the DVSA only considers a bike to be a moped if it is no more than 50cc and produces under 4kW (5bhp). But we’re able to cover automatic 125cc scooters as well as geared motorcycles and scooters, and also have policies for mopeds too.
Which 125cc bikes can you cover?
With over 30 years of experience covering all types of bikes, we’re well versed in finding suitable policies for pretty much any 125cc model. Whether you’ve modified your bike or you’ve chosen a classic, speak with us. Just some of the models we can cover includes the:
- Keeway Superlight 125
- Lexmoto LXR 125
- Aprilia RS 125
- Benelli TNT 125
- Honda CB125R
- Honda CB125F
- Honda CG125
- Honda PCX125
- Vespa GTS 125
- Yamaha MT-125
- Honda XL125V Varadero
- Kawasaki Ninja 125
- KTM 125
- KTM 125 Duke
- KTM RC 125
- Yamaha YBR 125
- Vespa PX 125
FAQs
What is a 125cc motorbike?
A 125cc motorbike has an engine chamber of 125 cubic centimetres. The size of the engine chamber affects the power that can be generated. A 125cc engine is modest and therefore relatively lower powered.
Why choose a 125cc motorbike?
125s come in all shapes and sizes – the only real similarity between them being that they are all 125cc. From scooters to cruisers, replicas to enduros, whatever style of bike you like, you can find an affordable 125cc model to suit.
Can I take a passenger on a 125cc motorbike?
You are prohibited from taking a passenger on a 125cc motorbike unless you have appropriate pillion passenger cover. You can only get this if you are fully licensed.
Can you insure a 125cc without a CBT?
As long as you’re not intending to ride your 125cc bike before you pass your test (unless you’re using it to take your CBT, in which case you’ll need insurance for that), we’re happy to provide you with cover for your motorbike. We offer laid-up insurance for motorcycles that aren’t being used, which can cover your bike against fire and theft while it’s in storage.
If you’ve recently purchased a bike and your training is in a matter of days or weeks, the best options are to either get it delivered to you, hire a van to transport it, or find someone with a CBT or full licence to ride it home for you.
If you choose to hire a van, you might want to still consider taking out insurance while it’s being transported in case the worst happens – in such cases, we can help you get covered. And if a friend or family member is riding it home for you, they will need short-term insurance, which can be taken out under their name.
Note that if you want to use your new bike for the CBT, you cannot ride it to the test centre and will have to transport it using one of the options above.
Can I ride a 125cc motorbike on a motorway?
This depends.
If you are riding a 125cc motorcycle with a CBT licence, you cannot ride on the motorway as you do not have a full motorcycle licence. It is illegal for a rider to ride on the motorway with L-plates and an incorrect licence and you could face a hefty fine or punishment for this.
That being said, you can ride a 125cc motorbike on the motorway if you have a full licence.
Can I ride a 125cc motorbike on a car licence?
Yes, you can ride a 125cc motorbike on a car licence, but you also need to pass your CBT before you’re allowed to ride legally. When you pass your CBT and display L-plates you will be able to ride for two years, at which time you will have to retake the training. If you want to ride a larger, more powerful motorcycle you’ll need to take your motorcycle test.
Which 125cc motorbikes are the most affordable to insure?
As a general rule, the less sporty and valuable your bike, the more affordable it’ll be to insure. For instance, standard commuter bikes like the Honda CB125F or the Yamaha YBR125 are often fairly affordable options, as well as scooters like the Honda PCX125 or Yamaha NMAX 125.
125s from the likes of Chinese brands, such as Lexmoto, Sinnis and Keeway, often tend to be more affordable to buy and therefore more affordable to insure.
If you’ve already got a bike in mind, it’s a good idea to get a quote from us even if you haven’t bought the bike yet, so you can get an idea of how much your premium will be.
Content from our experts
- 14 of the best 125cc motorbikes
- The best commuter motorcycles for daily riding
- How fast do 50cc and 125cc scooters go?
- The best Chinese 125cc motorcycles
