Gear up for cover - Motorcycle racing

In addition, motorcycles also vary from engine size to style, from a 50cc moped to a super bike with an engine size in excess of 1,000cc.

Of the aforementioned motorcycle sports, loadings apply only to drag, enduro, ice and speedway racing. Of these, drag racing has the highest loading with an additional £3 for every £1,000 of life cover.

If an applicant takes part in circuit racing, which may or may not include the TT, using a motorcycle with an engine size lower than 350cc, then a smaller loading will apply.

All motorcycle sporting activities are usually excluded from critical illness cover and income protection. So what do underwriters need to know when considering terms?

■ The type of racing the applicant is involved in

■ The frequency of participation – the more often they race, the greater exposure they have

■ The level of involvement, including whether international racing, Grand Prix and/or Championship racing, and if they take part in the Isle of Man TT

■ Engine size – the bigger the engine means the faster a rider can travel and typically, the faster a rider can travel, the more dangerous it becomes.

Finally, there is one motorcycle pastime that has not yet been mentioned which happens on a racing circuit: the ever popular track days.

These give an opportunity for an individual with a motorcycle to ride it legally above the UK maximum road speed limit, which has certainly been increased since the 1903 Motor Car Act.

Typically, track days are organised events on race circuits, but are not classed as races and as such they do not normally attract a loading on life cover or a restriction on critical illness cover.

But the underwriting information highlighted above is still required before offering terms. While a track day once in a while is not an issue, two or more events every weekend may be another story.  

Andrzej Serwadczak is an underwriter with Zurich UK Life