When talking about the cost of riding a motorcycle, it isn’t just the price of purchasing the machine itself that has to be thought about. You have to take into consideration the costs of getting a licence, paying for the bike, insurance, riding gear, fuel, repairs and maintenance, and the tax and MOT. So how much do motorbikes cost? Read on and we’ll break it all down for you.

Motorcycle Licence

First of all, you will need a provisional licence, which costs £34 (or £43 by post) as of 2020/21.

Next up is to get the compulsory basic training (CBT) certificate. The CBT can be completed in a single day and cost anywhere between £100-£150.

Also check for any additional charges such as bike hire or weekend surcharges. Note that if you passed your car driving test before 1st February 2001 you can ride a 50cc moped without the CBT. 

Before booking your test, it is best to take riding lessons, which will maximise your chances of passing the first time and give you the confidence to progress onto a more powerful bike. Costs will vary here, especially if you take an intensive course.

Theory and practical tests will also have to be accounted for. The former costs £23 and the latter £90.50 for both modules (£103.50 on weekends).

Riding Equipment

Before you get on the bike full time, you’ll want to invest in some good quality riding gear, and to get the right level of protection all your kit should ideally be designed specifically for motorcycling.

There is plenty of really good kit out there, and the best does not come cheap. But you do get what you pay for, so do your research. Spend as much as you can afford at this stage, and try things on - you must be comfortable.

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The only legal requirement is to wear an approved helmet, and prices start at around £50. You will also need gloves which start at around £30, boots at around £100, a jacket at around £150  and trousers at around £80. You should also consider a Hi-Viz vest to wear over your jacket.

Deciding your budget will probably be easy, but deciding what type of gear to go for can be more complicated. Not only is there a huge amount to choose from, but riding gear has got quite technical and so there is a fair amount of jargon to get your head around too.

Buying a Bike

The largest initial cost will come from paying for the bike itself. You can choose to go second hand to bring down the cost, but there is still a huge variation in costs as there are so many determining factors such as brand, age, mileage, condition and what the seller thinks it is worth to them. 

Of course, buying brand new will be the most expensive option, and you should expect to pay quite a lot for the well-known makes. But there are many lesser known but worthwhile brands to look at, such as Sinnis Motorcycles, who make bikes especially for beginners.

Finance and lease options are available, and this is an increasingly popular route as it only requires a deposit followed by a set amount of fixed repayments. Some give you the option to pay a ‘balloon’ payment at the end to own the vehicle, while others give you the choice to hand it back and take up a new contract.

Motorbike Insurance

To ride legally on the road you must fully insure your bike each year.

Buying the bike will be the largest single outlay you’ll have to account for, but insurance is something that must be factored in as a repeated cost, and for some it could be quite expensive.

Do your research online and get a few quotes before committing to a policy. Ensure it is the right one for your bike and break it down into monthly payments if that makes it more manageable.

Where you live will have an impact on the price, for example, if you live in the centre of a city where bike theft rates are higher, this could mean the insurer charges you more.

Off-street parking can also make a big difference too, bringing down monthly repayments. Consider including helmet and clothing cover if you have forked out on expensive gear. 

Maintenance, Servicing and Repairs 

There will be some other ongoing costs that can’t be avoided when owning a motorbike.

How much maintenance is needed will depend on the machine you own and how it is treated over time. If you have an annual service done expect to pay between £150-£300 for a standard service. But it could be more for a major service, and depends on the bike, the extent of checks being carried out and the amount of work that is necessary.

If you choose to carry out the maintenance yourself this will be cheaper, but you must be fully aware of what needs to be done and when, and you need to make sure everything is done correctly and safely. One thing to be aware of here is that if the bike is sold at a later date, it looks more impressive to have dealer or garage stamps in the logbook and will improve perceptions about the quality of the bike and therefore the price.

Another cost that ties into maintenance is the MOT. Like insurance this is a legal and annual requirement, and applies to every bike when it is three years old. The cost for an MOT is £29.65 as of 2020/21.

Of course, you may experience unexpected faults or issues that need to be fixed by a professional mechanic. This is hard to cover in terms of predictive costs, so it isn’t a bad idea to have some small savings set aside (if possible) for this sort of thing.

Brand new bikes will come with a warranty, so you will be covered for a period, whereas second hand bikes are more likely to have repair expense requirements in the short-to-medium term.

Fuel costs

The money you’ll spend on petrol will depend on the type of bike you have and how often and far you ride it, and of course the price of the petrol itself. The average bike owner will spend anywhere between £400-£500 a year on petrol.

Of course, much depends on the fuel efficiency of the machine and how you ride it, and also how well you maintain it as there are a number of things that affect the bike and may prevent it from burning fuel at optimum levels. Petrol is an unavoidable cost, and has to be factored in.

Other Costs

If you want to register a new motorbike there is a one-off fee of £55 and this is normally done by the dealer and incorporated in the price of the bike. If you sell a bike there is no fee involved in transferring ownership.

And of course, there is road tax, another annual cost that can be spread into monthly payments, and costs £20 for a one-off payment on a bike up to 150cc up to £97.65 for a bike over 600cc spread over 12 months. 

Riders who live in London do not have to worry about paying the congestion charge. However, from September 2020, motorbikes and mopeds that do not meet minimum emissions standards after travelling into the Ultra Low Emissions Zone in London will be subject to a daily £12.50 payment. You can check if your bike is exempt here.

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