Frequently Asked Questions

For motorbikes, if you have a car driving license and passed your test before 1st February 2000, this will enable you to ride a moped or bike that is limited to 50mph and has an engine no larger than 50cc. If you passed your car driving test after 1st February 2000, a provisional motorbike license will be needed. To ride quad bikes on the road, you must be 17 or over and hold a full car driving license. No license is needed to ride quad bikes off road.

You can choose from two main types of motorbike license:

• A standard license (Class A) is granted if you take your test on a bike that has an engine size between 120cc and 125cc and is capable of a top speed of at least 100mph. For the first two years after passing your test, you will though only be allowed to ride bikes up to 25kW with power/weight rations up to 0.16kW/kg.
• A light motorbike licence (Class A1) is granted if you take your test on a bike that has an engine between 75cc and 125cc. This license will allow you to ride bikes up to 125cc with outputs of 11kW.

Compulsory basic training or CBT was brought in to help reduce accidents involving young or inexperienced riders. Today, you must complete CBT if you live in Wales and want to ride on the road. For more information or if you have any queries then Contact us on free phone 0121 679 7265. Our advisors are on hand to help!

There are essentially three types of motorbike and quad insurance. Comprehensive insurance covers you against the loss of your bike or quad or damage to it. If your bike or quad is damaged maliciously, in an accident or by fire, comprehensive policies will cover the cost of repairs, provide a replacement or pay a sum equal to the value of the damage caused. Accident recovery will also be included. In addition, comprehensive insurance covers you against claims made by other people for injury, death or damage. Third party fire and theft insurance protects you against your bike or quad being stolen or damaged by fire. It also covers claims other people may make against you for injury, death or damage. Third party only insurance does not cover you if your bike or quad is stolen. Instead it protects against claims other people may make for injury, death or damage. For more information see our Quad Bike Insurance page.

As one of the UK’s leading insurance specialists, we can provide policies for all types of motorbike and quad bike rider including young riders, newly qualified riders, convicted riders, riders who use their vehicle to commute to work and those who actually use their vehicle whilst at work. We also insure all kinds of motorbikes and quads from mopeds to superbikes and junior quads to high performance sports quads. See our Quad Insurance and Motorcycle Insurance for more information.

Compulsory excess refers to a set amount that will be taken off any settlement you may receive. Voluntary excess can be an amount chosen by you to help reduce your premiums. This will also be deducted before a settlement is paid to you. If, for example, you make a claim for £1,000 but have a compulsory excess of £100 and a voluntary excess of £200, you will actually receive £700.

Yes. We can provide any type of insurance for any motorbike or quad our female customers wish to ride. See our Quad Insurance and Motorcycle Insurance for more information.

Falcon Insurance can insure you to ride several bikes or quads or several people to ride one bike or quad. Unfortunately, we cannot insure a group of people to ride several different bikes or quads. Our multi-bike and multi-quad policies can cover you to ride a number of bikes or quads and are usually cheaper than taking out individual policies for each vehicle. See our Quad Insurance and Motorcycle Insurance for more information.

Yes, we do. You need to make us aware of all accidents you may have been involved in because if you don’t and you need to make a claim, your insurance could be void.

Yes, and any quote we provide will be valid for a period of 30 days. See our Quad Insurance and Motorcycle Insurance for more information.

Your insurance will normally cover you to ride to and from work but if you need to use your vehicle as part of your job, you’ll need to take out insurance that covers you for business use which we can of course provide.

You can choose to pay either in one lump sum or in instalments. Payments can be made with cash, cheque, debit and credit cards. Our friendly insurance specialists will work with you to agree on the best payment option for you.

Simply call us on 0121 679 7265 and we’ll renew your policy in a matter of minutes, allowing for any changes in your circumstances or your vehicle.

A Quadricycle is defined (under the EEC Directive 92/61/EC, superseded to 2002/24/EC) as a vehicle which has a maximum unladen mass of 400kg and has a maximum power of 15kW.

The short answer is NO. In order to conform to the European Whole Vehicle Legislation, the vehicle must be homologated at the manufacturer or importer level. Other registration options are available, for example by registering your ATV as a Light Agricultural Vehicle or a Limited use vehicle, but these methods have restrictions and are intended for legitimate use in Agricultural, Horticultural or Forestry applications.

All you need is full UK driver’s licence or a full Motorcycle licence, if granted before February 2001. Under no circumstances should anyone under the age of 17 operate a road legal quad or a road legal buggy. Click here for more information on Licencing. See our Quad Insurance for more information.

Though there is no legal requirement to wear a helmet whilst operating a road legal quad or off road quad, it is strongly recommended that both driver and passenger wear suitable head and eye protection. A properly fitting helmet can be the difference between life and death in the event of a crash, so you should ensure you spend time sizing up. Make sure the lid is approved according to United Nations Standard ECE 22.05.

The short answer is NO. Unlike in the rest of Europe, four wheeled mopeds are not recognized in the UK.

No. Road-legal quads are not exempt from the congestion charge.

Your quad bike must be fully Whole Vehicle Type Approved in accordance with the latest European Legislation if they are to be used legally in the same way as any normal car or motorcycle without restriction.

Under no circumstances should a person under the age of 16 operate a road legal quad.

Standard unleaded.

There is no mandatory training required to drive a road legal quad. However, as with any motorised vehicle, it is strongly recommended that you read the owners manual thoroughly, take proper notice of the vehicles controls during the dealer handover and undertake a training course on quad bike operation. Contact The European ATV Safety Institute on 01903 816286. See our Quad Insurance for more information.

Please See Section 3, No. 18.

Quads come in a wide variety of models, varying in size and power. Choosing a quad bike that is right for your age and experience level is of great importance. It is strongly recommended that you pay a visit to your local dealer for the best advice and to review the full range of road legal quads and off-road quads available. No one under the age of 16 should operate a quad or ATV capable of exceeding 30 miles per hour or do so without adult supervision.

Security is a must have – at the very least invest in an approved disk lock and chain and don’t forget to always lock your quad bike to something secure. For more information please see our main Quad Insurance page. Prefer to talk to an advisor? Then call us on 0121 679 7265 today!

Private Hire Insurance is commonly referred to as Minicab Insurance. All pre-booked appointments usually taken at the minicab office/base. Public Hire Insurance – Immediate Pickup. Can be flagged down in the street and will always have a taxi light on the roof of the vehicle.

Typical types of vehicles used are Saloons/Estates and MPV’s – used for their size and ease of entry and exit for back seat passengers. It is basically up to your licensing authority as to which vehicle they will agree to plate.

Unlike regular motor insurance, taxi insurance does not come with a ‘driving other cars extension’.

Yes, we may be able to allow an introductory discount if you have earned no claims discount under a private car policy.

Our taxi insurance covers Saloons, Hatchbacks, Estates, MPV’s, Black Cabs & Minibuses.

Normally the same day or maximum of 24 hours

Yes, subject to status

Drivers must be at least 17 years of age and no older than 70 years (subject to terms & conditions)

You can cancel your policy at any time by providing written notice (including the date the policy is to be cancelled and the reason why) and by returning any valid insurance certificate(s) or cover note(s). The cancellation date cannot be back dated and therefore cancellation will only take place from the date the written instruction and insurance document is received. It is to be noted that NO REFUND is given by the insurer where an accident or claim has been reported under the policy during the current year (including unsettled claims). Under these circumstances, the entire premium you owe under your policy (or insurance finance agreement) will become payable.

NO. There are no provisions with our taxi policies to ‘suspend’ or ‘freeze’ the cover.

NO. There are no ‘Days Of Grace’ on any UK motor insurance policies and all cover will cease from the renewal expiry date if the policy has not been renewed (ie. by the payment of an insurance premium).

YES. Failure to maintain your insurance payments will result in the cancellation of your insurance by giving you 7 days written notice to your last known address. Should your policy be cancelled under these circumstances, then cover cannot be reinstated and a new policy will have to be arranged.

Not unless they are named on your Certificate of Motor Insurance. It may be possible to add another driver to your policy.

The majority of local authorities will only issue a private hire or public hire licence to vehicles that do not seat any more than 9 people including the driver. Vehicles that seat more than this are considered to be minibuses; vehicles that carry more than 8 passengers would require a Passenger Carrying Vehicle Certificate and drivers must have Public Service Vehicle Operators Licence.

It is a condition of a motor insurance policy that any person permitted to drive the insured vehicle shall hold an appropriate driving license (ie private hire or public hire license where appropriate) and that the vehicle is used for the specific purpose as outlined in the relevant vehicle license issued. If you do not comply with such rules, your insurer will not pay for any accident, injury, loss, damage, liability or consequential loss unless the insurer is required to do so by a relevant road traffic law (ie. injury to third parties). In such circumstances where the insurer has to deal with a third party injury claim due to RTA law, then the insurer may decide to recover their outlay from the policyholder in person should they see fit.

We have specialist schemes available for taxi drivers with no taxi no claim bonus. If you have no claim bonus on a private car we will take this into account and apply a discount allowing us to offer you a competitive quotation. We also have heavily discounted schemes available for taxi drivers who have been driving a rental taxi or on somebody else’s policy and can obtain proof of this. As a young company ourselves, we are aware that everybody has to start somewhere and have very competitive schemes for new badge holders.

Here in the UK, it is a legal requirement to hold a minimum level of insurance to use your vehicle on a public highway. This type of insurance is commonly referred to as Private Car Insurance. If you will be using the vehicle to carry passengers for hire and reward not only will you need to be licensed by your local authority but you will also have to purchase Taxi Insurance – Taxi Insurance will sometimes be referred to by the following terms: Taxi Insurance, Private Hire Insurance, Public Hire Insurance, Hire and Reward Insurance, Minicab Insurance or Black Cab Insurance.

The choice of cover is yours, we will be able to offer you: Comprehensive, Third Party Fire and Theft or Third Party Only.

We understand that your taxi is your livelihood and without it, you simply cannot work. We, therefore, can supply you with a plated courtesy vehicle so you can continue working in the event of a claim. We can also supply taxi breakdown, Excess Buy Back, public and employer’s liability insurance at very competitive premiums. Ask an advisor for more information.

If it is acceptable to your local authority, this can be referred to the underwriters.

Yes. Although this may increase the amount that you pay for Insurance

No, but we can offer multi-vehicle polices for up to 4 vehicles and fleet policies with 5 or more vehicles.

Public Liability Insurance can be required by your local authority. Some insurers provide this with your Taxi Insurance policy and if not we can arrange separate cover at a small additional policy premium.

Public liability protects you and your business against claims brought against you by other people. It covers you for any injury to any other person or damage to their property while you are going about your business activities. The cover also extends to cover products supplied by you in your business. A cover is available from three choices of £2m, £5m or £10m.

Public Liability is not a legal requirement but it is good business practice. Local authorities will generally demand a minimum level of £2 Million for works to be undertaken at their premises or on their behalf.

Employer’s liability insurance covers you if any of your employees have an accident at work and making a claim against you. Employer’s liability helps meet the costs of compensation or legal fees for employees who are injured or made ill at work through the fault of the employer. It is important to bear in mind that these compensation and legal costs must be met by the company even if it is closed or goes into liquidation. Sometimes private cases are brought up if a business cannot supply the funds to meet these requirements. This makes employers liability insurance very appealing even if you do not fall into the category of legally requiring it.

It is a legal requirement to hold employers liability insurance following legislation passed by the government in 1969. The following rules dictate whether employer’s liability is required: If you are not a limited company, the employer’s liability is required whenever you have staff – that is people who work for you excluding business partners or family members. Labour-only subcontractors are considered to be staff. These include any person working under your guidance and using your tools and equipment. If you are a limited company consisting only of yourself, and manual and clerical staff, where you own more than 51% of the business, then employers liability insurance is not required. If you are a limited company consisting only of yourself, and manual and clerical staff, but own less than 51% of the business then employer’s liability insurance is required. If you are a limited company with more than one person then employer’s liability insurance is always required.

Falcon Insurance is a very competitive taxi insurance broker, covering the whole of the UK. We are a specialist taxi insurance broker and our team do nothing else but work closely with taxi drivers, taxi companies and taxi offices.

A motor fleet insurance is a policy that will cover multiple vehicles generally two or specified vehicles of any type on a single policy. If you have two or more vehicles it’s likely you’ll save both time and money if you have a fleet policy. We have a specialist fleet team who deal with a variety of private and corporate fleet policies. The one key thing about taxi fleets is that no two fleets are the same. Your fleet is unique. And, whether you’ve got 2 cars or OVER 100, there’s one thing for sure: there’s no other fleet like it on the road.

Many people run more than one vehicle and may be looking to expanding your vehicles numbers. Fleet insurance can be in most cases a better and more cost-effective option for generally 5 or more vehicles but we can over as few as 2 vehicles on a multi-vehicle policy. This will give a common renewal date for all the vehicles, allowing you to make a single payment, making administration easier and possibly making the cost more affordable. Even if all the policies are not due at the same time we can add the vehicles as they become due for renewal to your fleet policy.

We offer the following types of Fleet Insurance Motor Fleet Insurance Taxi Fleet Insurance Van Fleet Insurance Commercial Fleet Insurance

If you currently have a fleet policy that is due for renewal – your current insurer should be able to provide your fleet insurance claims experience. This is a must in order to get an alternative fleet insurance quote from elsewhere. If you do not currently have a fleet policy and the vehicles are all rated on individual policies- then we will need as much information as possible for example – No Claims Bonus or equivalent company driving experience, driving restriction required on each vehicle.

At Falcon we would not recommend this, a fleet policy should be tailored to your individual needs. Falcon Insurance have dedicated and experienced fleet insurance personnel who will be happy to assist you and provide a competitive fleet insurance quotation. You can either have us call you by submitting a call back request or contact us by phone on 0800 221 8272

The major benefit of a motor fleet insurance policy is that a whole host of different vehicles can be covered on the same policy. We have access to many facilities to cover a whole host of uses from Car Fleet Insurance, Minibus Fleet Insurance, Van Fleet Insurance, Lorry Fleet Insurance, Taxi Fleet Insurance, Haulage Fleet Insurance, Tipper Fleet Insurance, Courier Fleet Insurance, and provide mixtures of each- call us today to see how much we can save you!

The majority of fleet insurance policy holders are businesses. Any type of business can be covered, haulage, plant hire, vehicle hire, construction, builder merchants, retailers, wholesalers, solicitors, doctors taxi operators etc. Why not call us to see if we can help you!

All UK Fleet insurance policies will give you the same covers as standard motor policies: Comprehensive Fleet Insurance Third Party Fire and Theft Fleet Insurance Third Party Only Fleet Insurance

Fleet insurance is tailored around the individual needs and everyone is different. The driving restriction is a blanket cover for every vehicle on the fleet or restricted on certain types of vehicles so you can have- named and approved drivers or from Any Driver over 17 years of age. The more open the driving the higher the cost is likely to be for the policy so consider carefully if you are able to restrict driving to Named and Approved Drivers only or Any driver over 30.

If you are looking for Fleet Insurance, call us now on 0121 679 7265 or come in to our office located in Suite 10, Chamberlain Building, 36 Frederick Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham B1 3HN or visit our main Fleet Insurance page.