Insuring an MP3: motorcycle, scooter or something in between
An MP3 has three wheels, rides like a scooter and often appears on the registration certificate as a motor vehicle. That duality determines which licence you need and on what rate your premium is calculated.
- Several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
This page in another language: Nederlands
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
- Help with claims
In brief
For a three-wheeled motor vehicle with a live registration, the duty to insure under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM)applies: liability cover must be in place for as long as the registration is in your name and has not been suspended. If you ride without it, a register penalty follows and the Waarborgfonds Motorverkeer recovers a victim's loss from you personally. The general explanation of the forms of cover is on the hub motorcycle insurance.
What matters with this vehicle is the category on part I of the registration certificate. That shows the vehicle type, the engine capacity and the power output, and those details determine both the licence required and the way an insurer rates the vehicle. One company treats a three-wheeler as a motorcycle, with the corresponding no-claims table and step. Another places it in a separate section for quads, trikes and MP3s at a fixed rate and without any build-up of no-claims years. That difference is hard to put right later when you switch.
As for the driving licence, a three-wheeled motor vehicle may in the Netherlands be ridden on a category B licence subject to conditions. Other countries apply different rules, and an insurer covers you only where the rider was entitled to ride. So check before a trip abroad which category is required there. The helmet requirement applies in full. An MP3 is not a light quadricycle (brommobiel).
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare motorcycle insurance.
Independent, personal, sorted quickly
We compare your motorcycle insurance across dozens of insurers, explain where the real differences lie, and arrange the switch from start to finish — without you having to chase it yourself.
Motorcycle insurance
Compare
Get coveredWhy arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
What to look out for
Four points that determine what you pay and whether you are covered.
The registration certificate governs, not the shape
On the application, copy the details literally: vehicle type, engine capacity, power output, date of first registration and identification code. A vehicle registered as a three-wheeled motor vehicle is assessed differently from a two-wheeled scooter with the same engine. An incorrect statement engages Articles 7:928 and 7:930 DCC about the duty of disclosure.
Entitlement is a condition of cover
Virtually every policy provides that there is no cover where the rider was not entitled: no valid licence for the category, a licence seized or expired, or a riding ban. Third-party liability cover does pay the victim, because the WAM requires it, but the insurer then recovers the amount from you. For own damage to your own vehicle there is nothing in that case.
No-claims years do not build up automatically
If your policy runs in a separate section for special vehicles, no no-claims years are usually registered. If you later move to a motorcycle or a car, you therefore start at the bottom. So ask in advance whether the step is kept up and included in the national register, and always ask for a cancellation statement when the policy ends.
Use that causes cover to lapse
Excluded are, among others carrying passengers or goods for payment, including meal and parcel delivery, hire or use through a sharing platform, and taking part in competitions, speed trials and training runs on a circuit. Modifications that increase power or are not approved can also cause cover to lapse. Report any use other than private trips in advance.
What does your premium depend on?
- Vehicle category on the registration certificate: motorcycle or special vehicle section
- Engine capacity and power: the heavier versions carry a higher rate
- Age and experience of the driver: years holding a licence count
- Place of residence and storage: theft figures per area and where the vehicle is kept
- Cover chosen: third-party liability, third-party, fire and theft, or comprehensive cover
- No-claims years and excess: in so far as your policy keeps a step
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| You hit a cyclist crossing the road who breaks a collarbone | Yes | Yes |
| The three-wheeler tips over as you set off because the tilt lock is still engaged | No | Yes |
| The vehicle is stolen from a car park at the station | No | Yes |
| A branch falls on the MP3 parked behind the house during a storm | No | Yes |
| The leg cover and the top box are damaged beyond repair in that fall | No | Provided that |
| The drive belt snaps while you are riding | No | No |
With no other party there is nothing to recover, and that is exactly where the difference between third-party, fire and theft and comprehensive begins.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
May I ride an MP3 on a category B licence?
In the Netherlands a three-wheeled motor vehicle may be ridden on a category B licence subject to conditions; age and power output play a part in that. For your own example, work from the category on the registration certificate and from the RDW's current rules. If you ride abroad, check the requirements there in advance, because without entitlement there is no own-damage cover.
Is an MP3 a motorcycle or a scooter to the insurer?
That varies per company. Some insurers place three-wheelers in the ordinary motorcycle section, others in a separate section for special vehicles with a rate of its own. The consequence lies mainly in how the premium is built up and in whether you build up no-claims years. We therefore apply to several companies and compare not only the premium but also that rating.
Can I suspend the vehicle in winter?
Yes. On suspension the duty to insure under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) lapses, but the vehicle may then not stand or be ridden on the public road. Bear in mind that theft and fire cover usually lapses too if you end the policy. If you want to stay protected against that, choose storage cover rather than full termination.
Do my car no-claims years count?
Sometimes, but not automatically. A number of companies accept years from another vehicle category or grant an introductory discount based on your car policy. Using the same years twice is not permitted: once you use them on this vehicle, you cannot also leave them on the car. Have it calculated in advance which split works out best for you.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare motorcycle insuranceThe main page
- Insuring your Honda motorcycleDriving licence category, accessories, imports
- Choosing motorcycle insurance that suits your motorcycleForm of cover, licence category, modifications
- Insuring your MP3 against theft and damageTipping over, lock certificate, accessories
- Insuring your KTMRegistration or off-road, modifications, transport
- Insuring your motorcycleThird-party liability compulsory, own-damage cover, theft protection
- Honda motorcycle insuranceModel variation, theft, security
- Insuring a self-employed professional's motorcycleBusiness use, your own injury, storage