Knowing that by law you have to have insurance to be able to ride a motorcycle on the public highways in the UK may one thing, trying to plough your way through the insurance policies technical jargon and abbreviations is another!

It is estimated that over 75% of people never actually take time to read the small print of their policy and as such do not know the terms, conditions or restrictions which have been applied. Unfortunately the unscrupulous insurers rely to a certain degree on this fact and offer what appear to be great bargains and low cost insurance, it is not until you make a claim that these aspects are brought to your attention.

Most insurance companies will say that they do not hide any facts, everything is included and it is the responsibility of the policy owner to understand what they have bought. Whilst this may be true it may be useful if you knew what some of the terms and wording used actually means in layman's terms.

The younger generation may be used to text talk but would they know what TPO, or NCD means when seen on an insurance policy?

Reputable insurers will often use the full meaning and then in brackets put the abbreviations which will then be used further within the policy. This is the standard method used with English punctuation in the written word, and while there are an alarming number of young people leaving school at 16 years old and therefore legible to ride a 50cc scooter which is restricted to 30mph, the chances of them being able to decipher and understand an insurance policy may be somewhat daunting. As such they are simply unaware of what they are covered for and what they are not.

The reputable insurance companies will always offer the opportunity to phone and speak with one of their consultants, which is the ideal opportunity to ask questions and be sure of what you are buying and the amount of cover the policy gives you.

You will be given two options, one is to insure the bike and the other is to insure the rider. Unless you have a full motorbike license you will not be able to ride anyone else's bike, aspects such as these should be discussed during your phone call if you are unclear.

If you find an insurance offer which is considerably lower than any other you have found, rather than thinking you have won the jackpot, make sure you are getting sufficient cover by phoning and checking anything you don't understand. Err on the side of caution if there are only mobile phone numbers displayed, as these companies may not be offering you the best deal after all.

TPO means Third party only and this is the basic level of insurance you need to ride on the roads. If you want to also insure your bike against fire and theft you will need TPFT cover, Third party, fire and theft.

FC does not mean football club in the insurance world! It stands for Fully Comprehensive, which is the highest level of insurance which provides cover for you, your bike and any third party irrespective of whether you caused the accident or not.

Cheap scooter insurance is available and offered by many insurers, you will just need to make sure you understand what they are offering before making your decision to purchase.