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History of Bike Insurance

It's hard to believe, especially from the view point of today's safety obsessed society, that motorcycle insurance is only just coming of age.

Motorcyclists are now being recognised, properly so of course, as a group of road users that deserve some respect and recognition. For so long seen as the second class citizens of the road, bike riders now have a whole infrastructure geared towards their needs. And this is very evident in the field of bike insurance.

In the good old days bike insurance was a bit of a haphazard affair, with few options in terms of pricing and cover, mainly because motorcyclists were regarded almost as the rebels of the road; a lawless group who by the mere fact of riding a bike, were challenging society.

This image was obviously not helped with Hollywood's view of bikers as all Hells Angels, heavily bearded with open face helmets with Viking horns and massive beer bellies. And these guys lived in an anarchic feudal system with their own laws and customs, riding beast-like Harley Davidson's throughout U.S towns and terrorizing the locals.

And in 1969 the film Easy Rider became a cult success, not only amongst the biking community, but also amongst many who envied the adventures of the two bikers - played by Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda - who make a life changing ride from Los Angeles to New Orleans for the Mardi Gras. For those stuck in a humdrum existence of a conformist economic-driven society, the motorbike epitomized escape, freedom and fun.

But there were no scenes when Hopper and Fonda discussed the merits of a particular insurance policy and what would happen to their no-claim bonuses if, while under the influence, they rode their choppers off a mountain side.

So for years, motorcycling was not about a form of transport which got you efficiently from A to B with the minimum of fuss; no riding was a statement, a form of rebellion that scoffed in the face of the obvious dangers of riding a two-wheeled, powerful machine that could outpace a car within seconds.

So early bike insurance policies reflected this sense of danger and individualism, and were expensive, as it was expected that riders were set upon a path of destruction and early death. So early premiums were often outrageous, causing many bikers to perpetuate the lawless myth by going uninsured, as it was simply cheaper.

And this situation wasn't helped by the fact that the first companies to offer bike insurance, were car insurance companies. They didn't really like bikers that much, looked at the grim accident statistics (ironically, conveniently ignoring the fact that inattentive motorists are one of the biggest causes of bike accidents), knew there was a lack of training and also ridiculed the bike test (get on, ride around the block and if you're still alive, you've passed).

But gradually things began to change for the better, especially during the 1970' and 1980s, when bike training became more common and helmet wearing became the law (in the U.K., 1973). Minimum motorcycle age raised to 17 in 1971, mopeds restricted to 30mph in 1977 and two part motorcycle test introduced in 1982, are some of the noteworthy milestones.

And with increasing legislation and greater bike safety generally (better gear), came a greater understanding from insurance companies of the real motorcycling environment. Many insurance companies then started to take insurance seriously, often forming specialist companies, or divisions, which only handle motorcycle insurance. This has brought down premiums and increased options, creating a fairer, cheaper and more sophisticated market for the biker.

And for those that make a genuine effort to improve their riding ability - through such schemes as BikeSafe - then insurance can be even more cost-effective.

Now, motorcyclists are no longer second class citizens of the road and a whole industry now supports this popular form of transport. And, it would be nice to think that although the guys in Easy Rider might not have flipped through an insurance document with great enthusiasm, even they couldn't help but approve of the greater acceptance of bikers and their rights. Well, lets hope so anyway!

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