kennedys service center

Motorbike insurance prices have been rising consistently for years now and they show no signs of slowing down. Premiums are at an all time high which makes you wonder what the improved security has done for riders. With the increase in awareness, the average bike rider now takes much more care in the way they ride and store their motorbike. It’s only natural to question why the average cost of a policy is rising quicker than inflation.

Vehicle crime has decreased in all areas of England and Wales according to figures from the various forces throughout the country. The only exception is the Metropolitan police who experienced a 0.2% increase in overall motor related crime. So why then, are the decreases in costs not passed on to the consumer?

It’s understandable that figures are prone to fluctuation and when it comes to reporting statistics some manipulation comes in to play. This is even more prevalent following or leading up to government elections. Every administration likes to report figures that are observed through rose tinted spectacles.

We have to go back about as far as seven to ten years so that we can get a better picture of the growth rate in crime. In the year 2000, an estimated 38000 motorbikes were stolen in England and Wales that were on the PNC or police national computer. This only takes in to account the bikes that were registered with the DVLA.

The numbers at the time meant that there were twenty five out of every one thousand registered bikes stolen. That’s 2.5% of every road legal motorcycle which is an amazing statistic by any standards. The question is how did things progress from there? Well things got a lot worse when in 2001 the percentage rose to 3.9% or 39 in every thousand motorcycles stolen.

In 2003 Police forces proudly that motorcycle crime had fallen from 39 to 37 in every thousand registered bikes suffering from criminal activity. The public hear all over the news that crime rates are falling but in actual fact the rate had risen almost 50% in3 years. Now we can begin to get a true picture of what has been going on within the motorbike insurance industry.

With all this in mind it’s fair not to look at the motorbike insurance providers as the real criminals. A lot of the time they are operating to the best of their ability. If every motorcycle rider took more care and responsibility for their bike then the policy prices will eventually reflect the underwriting costs.