I work in the print trade and spend a lot of time on the road, usually over 30,000 miles a year. I could work a lot more effectively by travelling by motorbike, but before I raise it with my boss (also a biker) I want to know if I can legally chop my company car in for a company bike.
Answer
You can, and It will save you a small fortune in personal tax. Your firm’s health and safety people should have some input into the kit you ride in, but if you have CE-approved kit and a decent type approved helmet, then it’ll be no problem.
As a basic tip, bikes are taxed as a benefit in kind at a flat rate. I can’t give tax advice but our employed solicitors have found it beneficial to take a company bike. They don’t get offered company cars!
Beyond the legal issues, I’d say this: look for a bike with a shaft drive and big service intervals. Chain adjustment every week gets tiresome, which is why my Ducati Multistrada got chopped in for a shaft-drive Triumph Explorer.
Andrew Dalton
RiDE Magazine January 2014