Renewing your motorcycle insurance has never been so expensive. In 2026, those who take out or renew motorcycle liability insurance will find themselves faced with much higher premiums on average compared to last year. The average increase is 21% in twelve months, with an additional outlay of almost 110 euros. A drain that affects all motorcyclists, regardless of the type of vehicle but which can be partially stemmed, as long as you do not passively accept your company’s quote.
The new survey by Altroconsumo takes stock of the situation and reveals some “tricks” for saving money.
One of the elements that most affects the premium is something we cannot act on: the place of residence. The analysis compared four large Italian cities and the results are surprising. Taking Milan as a base, the cheapest of the sample, those who live in Rome pay around 60% more and those who live in Palermo 71% more. But Naples is the most extreme case: premiums can exceed those in Milan by 100%, literally costing double for the same vehicle and the same insurance profile.
For traditional petrol motorbikes, in all cases examined, the average premium of the 16 companies exceeds 1,000 euros. A Honda SH 125 in Milan starts from around 1,080 euros on average, but can reach over 2,100 euros in Naples. A Honda Transalp XL750 follows a similar pattern.
The good news is that the market presents huge differences between one offer and another. Those who take the time to compare can take home an average saving of 42%, equal to almost 700 euros. The most striking case comes from Palermo: for Transalp, the gap between the lowest offer and the market average exceeds 1,200 euros, more than a third of the price disappears simply by choosing the right company.
Does electric cost less to insure?
Those who have already made the leap towards zero-emission two-wheelers also find a small advantage in insurance terms. The electric models examined are on average less expensive to insure than the petrol ones, even if we are far from accessibility: in six out of eight cases the average premium still exceeds the 1,000 euro threshold.
In a direct comparison between 125 scooters, the most widespread category in the city, the electric one is more convenient in all the places analysed. In Milan, insuring the petrol Honda SH 125 costs on average 23% more than the electric Seat Mó 125; in Rome 18% more, in Palermo 19%. In Naples the gap is reduced to 8%, but still remains to the advantage of the electric.
Even among electric motorbikes, however, the comparison between companies makes the difference: the average potential saving is 45%, almost 600 euros. In Milan, for the Zero DSR/X, the cheapest proposal was just over 370 euros against an average of almost 790.
The most convenient rates city by city
In Milan, which confirms itself as the cheapest place, the best opportunities come from the electricity sector: Linear offers the lowest policy ever for the Zero DSR/X at just 377 euros, while Vittoria insures the Seat Mó 125 scooter for 405 euros.
Moving to Naples, although the average premiums are the highest in the country, you can save by choosing Reale Mutua for the petrol models (1,708 euros for the Honda SH 125) or by relying again on Vittoria and Unipol for the electric versions.
Finally, the most striking saving is recorded in Palermo: here the ConTe company allows the cost of a Honda Transalp to be reduced to just 621 euros, against a city average of 1,880 euros, confirming itself, together with Prima, among the most advantageous options for those trying to counteract the price increases of 2026.
In Rome, where average premiums are significantly higher, it is possible to save by choosing Reale Mutua for the petrol models (959 euros for the Honda SH 125) or by relying on Prima and Linear for the electric, with rates starting from 644 euros for the Seat Mó scooter and 662 euros for the Zero DSR/X respectively.
Motorcycle in the garage: do you still need insurance?
A topic that concerns many owners of seasonal or little-used motorcycles. If the vehicle is stationary, does it still need to be insured? In almost all cases, yes. The underlying legal principle is that a vehicle suitable for transport can cause damage even when stationary: a fire can occur, an accidental movement can occur.
The insurance obligation lapses only in very specific situations, where the vehicle is documentedly and definitively unusable. However, those who know they will not use the motorbike for a specific period can consider suspending the contract, thus avoiding paying for months of inactivity.
How the investigation was conducted
Altroconsumo’s analysis examined the quotes of 16 insurance companies, built around a well-defined typical profile: 45-year-old insured, employed, with a new vehicle purchased in merit class CU 01, no previous claims, estimated annual mileage of 7,500 km and stored in a private garage.
Four models were evaluated: two petrol models (Honda SH 125 and Honda XL750 Transalp) and two electric models (Seat Mó 125 eScooter and Zero Motorcycles DSR/X) in the cities of Milan, Rome, Naples and Palermo. The estimates were collected via the Altroconsumo Connect platform and compared with those of the same period of the previous year.
