Motorcycle Insurance & Tax
To Ride a Motorcycle or Scooter/Moped in a public road you must have Motorcycle Insurance and Tax
Motor Tax (road tax)
You must display the ‘tax disc’ on the Motorbike. The fee varies with engine size.
The classes are…
- Not over 75cc
- Over 76cc up to 200cc
- Over 201cc up to 9999cc
When you apply to renew your motor tax you must produce…
- A valid certificate of insurance
- A motor tax renewal form
Motor Tax for Motorcycles in comparison to cars tax is inexpensive. At the time of writing this the maximum was €82 annually.
Motorcycle Insurance
It’s illegal to ride a Motorcycle on the public road without insurance. Insurance costs depend mostly on your age, the size of the motorbike, the area where you live and your previous riding history – different types are listed below;
Third party is the cheapest and legal minimum type of insurance cover. The ‘third party’ is any person you might injure or property you might damage. YOU are not covered for injury to yourself or damage to your Motorcycle.
Third party fire and theft is the same as third party but it also covers you for your Motorcycle being stolen or damaged by fire.
Comprehensive is the best, but most expensive insurance. Apart from covering other people and property from injury and damage this covers damage to your Motorbike if damaged in an accident. It also covers some personal injury to rider.
The cost of insurance varies with
- your age – the younger you are, the more it will cost
- the power and capacity of the engine – the more powerful usually the more expensive
- where you live – cities tend to be more expensive than rural areas
Engine-size groups for insurance purposes can vary from one insurer to another so it pays to shop around.
Exactly what is and what isn’t insured can also vary from company to company so read the small print and ask your insurer or broker.
The certificate of insurance. This is a short and simple document which certifies
- Who is insured
- The type vehicle covered
- The kind of insurance cover
- The period of cover
- The main conditions
Sometimes a broker will give you a temporary certificate or ‘cover note’. This is issued while you’re waiting for your certificate and is proof of insurance.
Keep the certificate safe and produce it
- If a member of an Garda Siochana ask you
- When you apply to renew your motor tax
The policy document. This contains the full details of the contract between you and the insurance company. It’s usually written in legal language. Ask your broker or the insurance company to explain any details which you don’t understand.
You can find information on ways of reducing your insurance by getting an insurance assessment and by sitting undertaking the RoSPA Test