The Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) is pleased to confirm the appointment of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance as its new insurance provider – a move that brings increased value and strengthened protection for riders, organisers and officials across motorcycle sport.
The change comes into effect from 1 November 2025 and follows an extensive two-year review of safety management and insurance arrangements across all ACU-permitted activities.
Through this important work, the ACU has updated its risk assessments to align with Health and Safety Executive guidance and established a closer collaboration with its long-standing insurance broker, Lockton. This has enabled the ACU to gain unprecedented access to the insurance market and leverage its unique position as the national governing body for British motorcycle sport.
An insurance partner day, held in March and organised by the ACU and Lockton, attracted 11 major insurers and, for the first time, gave the ACU Board an opportunity to present the organisation and explain its sporting and regulatory activities. Several of the potential insurers have subsequently visited ACU events to see the ACU’s standards and procedures in action, signifying a positive shift in how motorcycle sport is viewed and supported by the insurance industry.
A competitive renewal process followed, with four companies submitting formal proposals to work with the ACU – a marked change from previous years, when options were limited and pricing pressure high due to limited interest or appetite from the insurance market.
Matthew Edwards-Wear, CEO of the Auto-Cycle Union, said: “On the eve of our last renewal, we were facing a significant premium increase with only one insurer willing to quote for the business. That’s something we had to change and were committed to addressing ahead of this renewal.
“Following a lot of hard work around our risk management activities and industry engagement, we’ve seen genuine competition return during the ACU’s renewal period. That tells us something important: motorcycle sport in the UK is not only viable, but insurable. That’s a real turning point and the package of benefits that comes with that will be felt at every level of the sport.”
For competitors, personal accident cover will now provide hospital benefit after 72 hours in hospital rather than 14 days. For officials, the policy offers strong support ranging from fracture care and physiotherapy to a significant payout in the event of an ACU official being fatally injured while signed-on and on duty at an ACU event.
Organisers also stand to benefit from the partnership with Berkshire Hathaway. All ACU-permitted events will now carry £40 million public liability cover as standard – a significant uplift from the previous two-tier system – and personal accident cover will now be included within the rider licence. This will reduce the amount organisers declare post-event and free up budget that can be used elsewhere.
The ACU, through its Captive Insurance, is also unique in UK motorcycle sport, providing further opportunities and resilience for the organisation going forward in what can be a volatile market.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to transition the ACU into an organisation that has a secure, long-term future, we pledged to help organisers manage and reduce their costs. This new insurance agreement will support that important mission because organisers are at the heart of everything we do,” Tim Lightfoot, ACU President, added.