Motorcycle Tax Calculator
Work out exactly how much UK road tax your motorbike will cost. Enter your engine size, vehicle type, and preferred payment plan to see your annual, 6-month, or Direct Debit VED total.
Calculate Your Motorcycle Tax
Enter your bike’s details below. The calculator identifies the correct DVLA engine-size tax band and breaks down exactly what you’ll pay under each payment option.
VED Rate Solver
Find your motorcycle’s tax band and total cost for the year
Motorcycle Tax Quick Facts
Essential insights into UK motorbike VED
Understanding Motorcycle VED
Motorcycle tax is simpler than car tax because it depends on just one variable: engine size. Here’s how the DVLA works out what you owe.
Find Your Engine Capacity
Check your V5C registration document (log book) for the exact cc figure of your motorcycle, motor tricycle, or electric bike’s motor equivalent.
Match It to a Tax Band
The DVLA groups motorcycles into four cc-based bands. Electric motorcycles are automatically placed in the lowest band regardless of their power output.
Choose a Payment Plan
Pay the full year upfront, spread the cost over 12 monthly Direct Debit payments, or, for bikes over 400cc, split it across two 6-month payments.
Tax and Ride Legally
Once paid, your tax is linked automatically to your number plate on the DVLA system — no paper disc is required, but you must renew it before it expires.
UK Motorcycle VED Bands
Current DVLA Vehicle Excise Duty rates for motorcycles, based on engine size and payment method.
| Engine Size (cc) | Single 12-Month Payment | 12-Monthly DD (Total) | Single 6-Month Payment | 6-Monthly DD (Total) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not over 150cc | £20 | £20 | N/A | N/A |
| 151cc – 400cc | £44 | £44 | N/A | N/A |
| 401cc – 600cc | £67 | £67 | £36.85 | £35.18 |
| Over 600cc | £93 | £93 | £51.15 | £48.83 |
Motorcycle Tax FAQ
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about UK motorcycle Vehicle Excise Duty.
Unlike cars, which are taxed on CO2 emissions, UK motorcycles are taxed purely on engine size (cc). The DVLA groups bikes into bands, and each band has a fixed annual Vehicle Excise Duty rate regardless of the bike’s age or value.
A motorcycle with an engine size of 150cc or less falls into the lowest VED band, which is the cheapest rate the DVLA charges. Most learner-legal 125cc bikes fall into this same lowest band.
Yes. Electric motorcycles and tricycles are no longer exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty. They are now taxed at the annual rate for the smallest engine size band, which is currently the lowest VED rate available.
Yes, the DVLA allows motorcycle tax to be paid by monthly Direct Debit spread across 12 payments, or as a single upfront payment. A 6-month payment option is also available, but only for engine sizes above 400cc.
Riding an untaxed motorcycle on public roads is a legal offence in the UK and can result in a fine, penalty notice, or the vehicle being clamped or impounded by the DVLA, unless it has been declared SORN and kept off the road.