CHEAPER MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE is something that most of us are after. For some of us, it's actually laughably cheap. But for others its a very painful hit in the wallet and can either put a rider off the road completely, or see that rider simply riding without insurance. Not advisable. Generally, people completely misunderstand insurance. They tend to think of it as a money pot where everyone simply puts money in, and which some unfortunate people take out. Which is true up to a point. But it's not that simple. Insurance is gambling, that's all. The insurance firms are betting the consumer that their house won't burn down, or that they won't die on holiday, or that they won't crash their car or motorcycle. To make that bet, the consumer has to talk to an insurance broker who will ask searching questions about the applicant's lifestyle, choice of bike, criminal and personal history—and naturally the broker will want to know how and when the bike will be used. And then there's the thorny question of age. When the questions are answered, the broker presses some buttons and a computer tries to figure out how dangerous the applicant is. Or, conversely, how safe. Then the answer pops out and the broker passes on the good or bad news. If the premium is acceptable, the applicant hands over some money and the insurer crosses his or her fingers. With luck, nothing bad will happen to the consumer between taking out the policy and renewing it. But if it does, and if the consumer makes a successful claim, the insurance company will dig into its pockets and pay out some money. That could be big bucks, or just tiny bucks. It depends on the circumstances. So to get cheaper insurance, you have to lower your risk. The type of bike, your age, where you live, how you plan to use the bike, how many speeding tickets you have (if any), how healthy you are, how old you are, and so on. Everything you do in life has a consequence. And everything affects everything else. What you need to do is convince the broker that you're a good risk. Just stay focussed on thinking about it from the broker's and computer's point of view. Then ask yourself what kind of risk you are. Of course, what you probably want here is a secret back door to an ultra shrewd under-the-table broker who can somehow overlook your personal risk and fix this particular game in your favour. And you might find such a person, but we wouldn't ever go there. Fact is, insurance firms are highly competitive. They all want your money, so they're all trying to get their premiums down to the lowest possible level. They don't work in cahoots—at least not in any formal way, and not for long. That means that although they have different criteria and operate different computers, they're all trying to get a grip on your wallet. Your job, as a consumer, is to shop around. People do weird things. Computers too. Sometimes the premiums will seem laughably high. Sometimes not. We've been quoted by one insurer as much as £1500 for four old British bikes, only to have another insurer reduce that to around £400, and another drop that to around £200. As a generally rule, if you want lower insurance do these things: Be older Live somewhere quiet and peaceful Ride a small capacity motorcycle Be married Get some good riding history Have a good credit record Behave yourself on the road Have a job that insurers like (and be ready to have insurers change their minds about that job) Take an advanced riding course Use your bike for leisure purposes only Own a car as well Be a home owner Have a couple of kids Be healthy Own a garage Keep your bike in that garage Fit a variety of anti-theft devices There are of course many other things you can do, and when you speak to an insurance company they'll ask you questions and that will tell you in which corners of your life they're pointing the torch. The bottom line is that if you want to insure cheaper, live better. And if you want to know exactly what better is, your insurance broker will, one way or the other, clue you in. Specialist insurers Beyond that, look for a specialist insurer. So if you're into custom bikes or adventure bikes, try a firm that advertises its interest in these areas. That firm might not give you a better deal, mind. Often, the firm specialises simply because it sees a gap in the market and believes it can squeeze in their and suck up a few customers. Then again, some specialist firms simply have a greater understanding of a given market and program their computers accordingly—or, at least, the underwriters do. Who are the underwriters? These are the guys who stand behind the brokers pulling the strings. The broker is simply a go-between. So if you want cheaper insurance, you need to look at the totality of your life. Where can you "improve" it? How can you tweak it? What can you do to look better on paper? Crack that one, and you're quids in. And remember this too; at any one time an insurance company is making thousands or tens of thousands of bets with consumers. And ultimately, although the insurance firm will lose many bets, it will also win the big game. If it doesn't, it won't make a profit and it will be out of business. Does that answer your question? 
Check this page for more helpful and quality advice on motorcycle insurance | 
