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UK Motorcycle Insurance 2006

Published by: Datamonitor

Published: Dec. 21, 2006 - 56 Pages


Table of Contents


CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 9

What is this report about? 9

Who is the target reader? 10

How to use this report 10

CHAPTER 2 MARKET CONTEXT 11

Introduction 11

Competitive pressure in the motorcycle market kept growth low in 2005 and 2006 11

Competitive pressures kept premium rates flat in 2005, but a small increase in the number of vehicles helped secure modest GWP growth 11

High levels of competition continued in 2006, further subduing GWP growth 12

The two main drivers of GWP growth, premium rates and vehicle numbers, pulled in different directions in 2005 13

Motorcycle premium rates were mainly flat in 2005, and declined further in 2006 13

The motorcycle parc is growing steadily, maintaining overall market growth 13

The motorcycle parc is getting older, as the number of new registrations falls 15

Powerbikes dominate the motorcycle parc, with the smallest vehicles being second most popular 17

The Honda CBR 1000 RR was the most popular bike in 2006 19

CHAPTER 3 CLAIMS 20

Introduction 20

Motorcycle claims inflation is driven by personal injury costs, repair costs, and motorcycle theft rates 20

Personal injury claims costs are the primary driver of claims inflation, while repair costs and theft rates play secondary roles 20

Fraud plays a role, although it is not considered to be a driver of claims inflation 20

Both the number and rate of motorcycle casualties have fallen since 2001, with beneficial consequences for personal injury costs 21

Stricter pass rates in motorcycle tests contribute to safer riding standards 23

It is not the number of personal injury claims but their cost that is a problem for insurers 25

The number of motor personal injury claims increased by 7.5 per cent in 2004/5, but overall numbers have not changed significantly in the last five years 26

Motorcycle theft numbers grew between 2001 and 2003, but frequency of theft decreased as vehicle numbers rose 29

New bikes of less than 125cc are most at risk from theft 29

Insurers have adopted a number of strategies to combat claims inflation 29

There are a number of initiatives focused on reducing private motor claims costs, and a few are for motorcycle insurance specifically 29

Rehabilitation is increasingly seen as an important strategy in controlling costs 30

Rapid treatment care could save on bodily injury claims costs 30

Insurers set up repair networks to combat garage costs 31

Tracker debuts a motorcycle product but most insurers see little impact, due to high costs to the public 31

CHAPTER 4 COMPETITIVE DYNAMICS 32

Introduction 32

New entrants to the motorcycle market are scarce but existing players looking to write more business in this sector have kept competition levels high 32

New entrants to the motorcycle market have been rare in recent years 32

Competition levels were high in 2005 due to mid-sized players looking to increase their exposure to motorcycle insurance 33

In 2006, the biggest players were the main source of competition 33

Some insurers targeted market share in 2005, while others suffered due to increased competition 33

Some players grew their motorcycle books in 2005 33

Five players saw their motorcycle books come under attack in 2005 34

Specialist brokers remain the main distribution channel in motorcycle insurance and have a strong influence over the market, while other distribution channels play secondary roles 38

The direct channel has made little headway in the motorcycle market 38

Motorcycle manufacturers and dealers form an important part of the distribution picture 38

However, brokers remain secure in their dominance of the motorcycle insurance market 39

The amount spent on motorcycle advertising fell in 2005, as some manufacturers reduced their advertising budgets significantly 41

Brokers dominated advertising spend in 2005, with motorcycle manufacturers spending less than in 2004 41

Devitt and Bennetts spent by far the largest amounts on advertising in 2005 42

CHAPTER 5 THE FUTURE DECODED 45

Introduction 45

Motorcycle GWP is expected to display short-term stagnation, followed by steady increases 45

The motorcycle market is forecast to reach a value of £230 million in 2011 46

Premium rate decreases kept GWP growth subdued in 2006 46

GWP growth is forecast to rebound in the second half of 2007 as competitive pressures ease 47

Future GWP growth will increasingly rely on premium rate increases 47

The industry fears that an EU Directive will have a negative effect on the growth of the motorcycle market 48

CHAPTER 6 APPENDIX 50

Supplementary data 50

Definitions 51

Research methodology 52

Primary research 52

Secondary research 52

Competitor data 53

GWP versus GEP reporting 53

Future readings 54

Relevant links 54

Datamonitor's custom research capabilities 54

SPP writing team 56



List of Tables



Table 1: Motorcycle, private and total motor insurance GWP, 2001-6e 13

Table 2: Licensed motorcycles by taxation class as a proportion of total vehicle stock, 2001-5 15

Table 3: New registrations of motorcycles and all vehicles, 2001-5 16

Table 4: Motorcycle parc by engine size, 2001-5 18

Table 5: Top 10 new motorcycle registrations by brand, year to date, October 2006 19

Table 6: Motorcycle parc, motorcycle casualties and casualty rate, 2001-5 22

Table 7: Road accident casualties in the UK, 1995-2005 23

Table 8: Number of motorcycle tests and pass rate, 1995/6-2004/5 25

Table 9: Number of motor personal injury claims, 2001/2-2004/5 27

Table 10: Average cost of a motor personal injury claim, 2000-4 28

Table 11: Motorcycle premium income by competitor, 2001-5 37

Table 12: Top motorcycle insurance brokers by GWP and policy numbers, 2005 40

Table 13: Top 10 motorcycle insurance advertisers, 2004-5 44

Table 14: Top 10 motorcycle insurance advertisers by medium, 2005 44

Table 15: Motorcycle GWP forecast, 2001-11f 48

Table 16: UK motorcycle competitors by market share, 2001-5 50

Table 17: Top 10 motorcycle insurance advertisers, 2004 51



List of Figures



Figure 1: Motorcycle GWP growth rebounded in 2005 from the fall seen in 2004 12

Figure 2: Growth in the motorcycle parc slowed in 2005 14

Figure 3: After a sharp contraction in 2004, new registrations leveled off in 2005 16

Figure 4: The motorcycle parc remains split between power bikes and small bikes 18

Figure 5: The motorcycle casualty rate is falling as a proportion of the motorcycle parc 21

Figure 6: The proportion of candidates passing their motorcycle test has fallen over the last decade 24

Figure 7: The number of motor personal injury claims increased in 2004/5, however there has been little change overall between 2001/2 and 2004/5 27

Figure 8: Equity Red Star remains the largest player recovering some market share in 2005 36

Figure 9: Manufacturers have a wide range of insurance offerings 39

Figure 10: Devitt and Bennetts spent far more on advertising than the rest of the market in 2005 43

Figure 11: Key to the relative importance of forecast variables 45

Figure 12: Assumptions for motorcycle GWP forecast 46

Figure 13: Growth in GWP is forecast to be steady after 2007 47

Figure 14: Datamonitor's core consulting capabilities 55



Abstract

Introduction
The UK motorcycle insurance market experienced significant competitive pressures in both 2005 and 2006. This report examines the reasons behind this competitive situation, as well as providing information on GWP, premium rates, and vehicle number growth. It also provides a GWP forecast up to and including 2011, making it essential for those with an interest in the motorcycle insurance.

Scope
Detailed competitor analysis, comparing the relative performance of all the major and emerging market players
Discussion of the highly concentrated distribution channels
Market forecast based on industry interviews and Datamonitor analysis
Highlights
The motorcycle insurance market was worth £187 million in 2005, representing an increase of 2.5 per cent compared to a value of £183 million in 2004. This growth marks an improvement on 2004's poor performance, when GWP decreased by 6.2 per cent.

In 2005 some mid-sized players were pricing for growth in an attempt to catch up with market leaders Norwich Union and Equity Red Star. 2006 saw the big players turn the tables on the market, as they sought to regain market share and assert their dominance.

Due to the need for specialist sector knowledge, and the proliferation of a more diverse set of risks, brokers play a more significant role than direct distributors. Among specialist motorcycle intermediaries, Carole Nash and Bennetts are the two biggest names.

Reasons to Purchase
Gain insight into market conditions through analysis of key trends and issues effecting current and future market performance
Compare competitor performances and strategies using current and historical data
Plan ahead with Datamonitor GWP forecasts based on industry interviews and in-house analysis


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