A moped is like any other vehicle on the road and it needs to be insured and taxed and this is also the case for when you’re taking your compulsory basic training (CBT) and getting your licence.
Insurance and Tax for your CBT
Quite often riders will want to use their own moped for the compulsory basic training and this is either because they’ve got the moped as a gift from their parents and can’t wait to get on it, or they believe that they’ll get better experience learning to ride on the bike they own, but in all honesty it’s not really worth using your own bike and this is partly because of the need for insurance.
It’s virtually impossible to get insurance for CBT, and even if you can then it will only actually insure you for the CBT and doesn’t include getting your moped to the training centre leaving the only alternative of pushing the moped all the way there or getting someone to bring it along in their van but is it really worth the hassle?
Virtually all CBT training centres will provide you with a bike which will be roadworthy, taxed, insured, and if you do drop the moped then you won’t have to stress as the centres have this happening all the time so you can relax and not worry about scratching your new moped.
Insurance For New Riders
Once you’ve passed your training and got your certificate then you will be allowed to ride on the road and owning a moped is very much like owning any other vehicle you intent to ride on the public roads.
- It needs to be road legal with a current MOT (if more than 3 years old)
- It needs to be taxed
- It needs L Plates to the front and rear
- It needs to be insured
Do not attempt to ride on the road if your moped doesn’t tick all the points above as you would be breaking the law. Before buying your moped it’s worth getting some quotes from insurance companies for the type of bike you want to buy so that you know the costs before spending any money and can budget accordingly. You wouldn’t want to spend all your savings on a moped and then not be able to afford to ride it!
How Much Does Moped Insurance Cost?
There are a lot of factors that effect insurance quotes including your age, where you live, the bike, and many more so it’s impossible to give an answer to how much insurance will cost you so get on some insurance sites and see what the costs are. You can vary your insurance options by choosing the type of cover you want from 3rd part, fire and theft, through to fully comprehensive and you can also vary the compulsory excess too. Typically though you will find that the cost of insuring a moped is a tenth of the cost of insuring a car for a young driver.
“Running a quote on our comparison service for a typical 19-year-old male scooter driver, the best price comes out at £165 for the year” – Steve Best, product manager for motorcycle insurance at Confused.com
You will also need to tax your moped before you get on the road but luckily this only costs £16 a year for mopeds and is a case of going to the Post Office with your log book, MOT, and insurance.
If you ride on the roads without insurance then you could face points on your licence, and well as fines, and bans, so don’t do it!