Road users organisation ANWB is stopping insuring electric fatbikes because so many are being stolen that it has become uneconomical.

The bikes, with large tyres and a robust frame, have surged in popularity since moped users have been required to wear helmets. And that, says the ANWB, is one reason for the popularity of the bike among thieves.

In cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht it is no longer a question of whether a fatbike is stolen but when, the organisation says.

“At the moment we are paying out eight times what we are getting in premiums,” an ANWB spokesman said. “We cannot keep this up.”

No new insurance policies will be signed off from September 6 and current policyholders will be warned two months before the expiry date that the insurance will not be extended.

The ANWB said it would continue to monitor developments, such as pricing and bike security, and may change that position in the future.

The problem of theft is not confined to fatbikes, ANWB insurance chief Floor van Workum said. “To avoid having to take this kind of decision more often in the future, we as the ANWB have taken the initiative for an industry-wide system approach to bicycle theft and we are working with others on several fronts on registration, data exchange and security.”

An added problem with fatbikes is that they can easily be modified and souped up, which virtually turns them into a moped.

“We consider the mass customisation and conversion of fatbikes to be a dangerous trend,” Van Workum said.

“As well as the financial liability [souped up fatbikes are not insured for third-party damage] this is also creating dangerous situations on the road. Putting the brakes on this trend will be the starting point when we start looking at conditions for a new fatbike insurance policy.”