The BSA A7-A10 Forum

Bikes, Pictures, Stories & more => Chat, Offtopic & Everything Else => Topic started by: Greybeard on 13.02. 2021 14:29

Title: Bike insurance
Post by: Greybeard on 13.02. 2021 14:29
My bike insurance is due for renewal. I'm trying to decide whether I should delay renewal. I think I only rode my bike for a local pootle once last year. What are you folks doing about bike insurance?
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: BigJim on 13.02. 2021 16:43
Paying a fortune for 3 bikes and 4 riders. Especially upsetting during lockdown. Am lucky to be able to afford it, my younger self would look on with envy. Go for it GB, the sun's coming out soon and it's legal to shop. Also you'll want some sort of fire or theft cover?
 *countdown* *bash* *good3* *beer*
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: RichardL on 13.02. 2021 16:44
No good gatherings to go to last year, but I got out a little more frequntly than once every two weeks when the weather was good. Basically, just riding normal circuits in the surrounding area to enjoy the feel and remind the bug world who's who. Therefore, I keep my insurance up to date.

Richard L.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Rex on 13.02. 2021 16:54
As said above, whether you're riding or not, theft and fire can strike at any time, and you can bet the day after it lapses some scroat will break in.. *conf*
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: morris on 13.02. 2021 19:31
Can't you get an insurance via a club membership or something?
For both bikes and the Isis I have an insurance through the BEHVA (Belgian Historic Vehicle Association, a bit like FBHVC in the UK)
Yearly BEHVA membership is €27, first insured vehicle is about €72, all others are +€27 each with no limit on the number of vehicles you insure
Note that this is just basic coverage for damage to others, not to yourself or your bike.
There is the possibility to get more extensive cover but of course you'd pay more.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: RDfella on 13.02. 2021 19:33
Can you get a cheaper 'off the road' renewal? I've done that sometimes with cars being restored.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Greybeard on 13.02. 2021 20:36
I hadn't considered the theft from home aspect.

Footman James are asking for £172.36 for the renewal. That includes a £20 arrangement fee FFS!

I have only one bike.

What do you UK chaps pay and who are you with?
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Joolstacho on 13.02. 2021 22:56
Shannons cover my old bikes, 5 of them for about $250pa
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: terryg on 14.02. 2021 08:35
GB it sounds very much like it’s time to shop around. I tried a quick online quote through Peter James this morning and got £114 for fully comp at 1500 miles. I’d expect to do better than that with a bit more work.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Rex on 14.02. 2021 08:40
I hadn't considered the theft from home aspect.

Footman James are asking for £172.36 for the renewal. That includes a £20 arrangement fee FFS!

I have only one bike.

What do you UK chaps pay and who are you with?

Five bikes total value £41500 with Carole Nash for £312.
I was with FJ until I discovered the hard way that their breakdown service is with the RAC, and they (RAC) were happy to leave me and my ancient Royal Enfield broken down by the side of a busy road on a freezing Saturday night from 7pm to "hopefully just after midnight sir, and if that's too long maybe leave the bike and get a taxi home?". Pr*cks.
Taking the ferry journey time out, the CN recovery scheme brought me and a bike home from Normandy in far less time than that.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Billybream on 14.02. 2021 09:04
Another vote for Carole Nash, paid £109.00 for single bike fully comp, agreed value,  with recovery, both UK and Europe. Tried to remove unwanted Europe element, but its standard feature.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: RoyC on 14.02. 2021 09:56
I have just renewed my one bike with FJ for £252.67.

Renewal premium                     =  £ 190.67
Nil reductions salvage retention =  £   15.00
Agreed Value                            =  £   12.00
Excess protect                          =  £   15.00 
Arrangement fee                       =  £   20.00

Total                                         =  £ 252.67

I will soon have another one to fork out for.   *sad2*
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Angus on 14.02. 2021 10:13
I have always found Footman James very expensive, nearly twice other quotes the last time I tried them. I have been with Peter Best, Lexham + one other since I got the A7 back on the road. Last couple of year with Peter James, last renewal 4 bikes, fully comp, agreed value, recovery etc etc. £180.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Black Sheep on 14.02. 2021 10:37
Moved from Carole Nash to Peter James. Saved me about £300... Recovery is with AA. Hope never to need it.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Greybeard on 14.02. 2021 10:51
I have AA, (Automobile Association) membership for my vehicles. For the bike I'd only want recovery. Mind you I'm not looking forward to the inevitable stupidity when despite my insistence that the dispatcher send out a recovery vehicle they send out a chap to attempt to repair the bike followed by another wait for the recovery truck.  *pull hair out*
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: bsa-bill on 14.02. 2021 10:57
my insurance (peter James) was hiked up last renewal time so I did the old comparison thing and switched - I'm now with One call, ( rais I think) 56 quid full comp for one bike, I only insured the one I intend to sell (Covid allowing) the other one is getting pulled down when the weather improves.
I was sorry to leave Peter James as they had stayed pretty good pricewise, so the sudden jump was disappointing but I'm all for switching and taking advantage of first-time buyers offers and if the renewal is to steep then switch again (just make sure everything is as it should be), customer loyalty counts for little these days.
Which reminds me my energy contract ends next month, I've managed to keep my costs the same for the last four years but doubt I do the same this time.

                             
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Greybeard on 14.02. 2021 11:37
I just got a quote from Carol Nash that was £147. I then tried that comparison site, Quotezone and got a quote from Carol Nash of £56.70. No excess charges!
What the heck is that about?
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: bsa-bill on 14.02. 2021 12:17
Quote
What the heck is that about?

It is the way it is, first-time buyers get a good quote to "capture" them, of course, established customers pay for this so you need to be a first-time buyer all the time.

The government cap on energy prices has resulted in fewer good deals for first-time buyers because Energy companies are not able to load loyal customers with the extra to cover those deals - it's a funny old world
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Greybeard on 14.02. 2021 12:59
.... first-time buyers get a good quote to "capture" them, of course, established customers pay for this so you need to be a first-time buyer all the time.
Yes, I get that but I was new to Carol Nash when I got a quote from their website.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: bsa-bill on 14.02. 2021 13:42
Quote
Yes, I get that but I was new to Carol Nash when I got a quote from their website.

Take it - you've been captured twice, they just haven't realised you'd escaped  *smile*
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: bikerbob on 14.02. 2021 14:48
I found out a few years ago how the system works, I had been withe same company for about 10 years for my car when I used a comparison site only to told that I could have same insurance with the same company for £54 cheaper. I rang the company up and eventually got through to a guy who explained how the system worked, he said like most people you are probably under the immpression that when your insurance is due someone in the office looks at your file and checks everything and gives you the best quote. This does not happen everything is automated the powers that be decicide by what percentage the premiums and add ons are going to change and they apply them, no person actually looks at your file this only happens when you make a claim. It will always be cheaper online because you do most of the work answering all the questions.  So each year now I go onto a comparison site and get the cheapest quote then when the renewal comes in if it is within £10 pounds of the cheapest quote then I will renew because I do not have to go through all those questions, but if it is over £10 then my wife does this because she is good at it like all women she has the gift of the gab, she tells them about the cheaper quote then sometimes they will match it or come close to it but if not we will go with the new company. She has found that they will always give you a cheaper qoute if you complain enough but not always what you want. She never tells the existing company what the new quote is only the name of the company and that it is cheaper because on rare occaisions they may give you a quote that is less.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Greybeard on 14.02. 2021 15:11
But this quote via the comparison site is a hundred quid cheaper. It's crazy I tells ya!
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: bsa-bill on 14.02. 2021 16:15
[quote hundred quid cheaper.][/quote]

Double check the terms and cover
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: RDfella on 14.02. 2021 16:48
Was with Carole Nash for years and appreciated the agreed value element, but finally had to give up with their useless customer service. Every renewal contained many mistakes (eg listing my DOT as Minarelli - whatever that is - my vee twin as an A65 etc) and every year I'd ask them to correct the errors - only for them to be there again next year. Eventually I got through on the phone and spent half an hour going through all this with a seemingly helpful fella. Yep, next year same again, so I changed insurer.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Rex on 14.02. 2021 17:22
What we really want is posts about how good the insurance company handled things went we made a claim.
It's not just about paring five quid off the premium, but how good and effective the company was when we needed their services.
I had a Suzuki stolen from outside work and CN paid up in three weeks, which was before the coppers even found it parked up locally having run out of juice.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Butch (cb) on 15.02. 2021 08:25
These days pretty much any insurer is going to be cheaper than the one you're with. I'd been with CN for a few years, in part because it was a hassle to sort out the details on 12 motorcycles to make a change. But last year they came up with a p155 taking £500 for renewal. Switched to Peter James at £350 which seemed fairer to me. Though as people will say, the price of the premium may not be the best measure of an insurer.
Title: Re: Bike insurance
Post by: Angus on 15.02. 2021 10:31
One of the thing I found when changing around was that these people we are dealing with are brokers, the actual underwriter are quite often the same. I changed three times for a much lower premium and the underwriter was the same each time, the paper work was close to identical.