BIKE SWAP: My bike in Colorado, USA for your bike in Australia/New Zealand
 

Hi, I own a BMW GS650 that is kept in Denver Colorado, USA. Most of the time my work keeps me traveling and away from home. My friend watches my bike while I am away but she barely rides it. It is set up for touring with a Garmin Zumo 660 GPS, Pelican hard cases and a large tank bag.

However, I am currently living in Asia and I would love to spend a few weeks vacation riding in Australia/New Zealand/Tasmania. Renting a decent bike is cost prohibitive for several weeks. It is unlikely that I would get more than one month off from work so buying and reselling a bike is not attractive.

So is anyone interetsed in a bike swap? You can visit Colorado whenever you want and use my bike. Denver is at the foot of the Rocky Mountains and there is a ton of great riding, camping, and touring in the mountains.

In exchange, at some future date in 2012, I would come to your location and borrow your bike and do some touring. I am not sure of my schedule so hopefully you can be flexible.

Post up if this might be of interest to you. I would also be curious if others have done something like this and what their experiencing was like. My biggest unknown is how to handle insurance.

Keep me in mind as a possibility. I have a KLR650.

Cheers.

Rob.

Insurance shouldn't be a problem as (at least in Western Australia) the bike is insured and not the rider. Provided you have the owner's permission then you are covered. I would expect you to make some sort of compensation if you do have an accident and damage the bike to cover all those little things the insurance weasel their way out of.

Let me know if you're headed to Perth.

I've got a DR650 in NZ if you like, rode it in the states/mexico and wont be using it for awhile.... Insurance shouldnt be a problem. Where are you in asia? I'll be in around SEA Nov/Dec/Jan

gazz's Photos

Insurance
 

When I left my motorcycle with my friend, she tried to get insurance for herself so she could ride it while I was gone. Her insurance company refused to insure her to ride a motorcycle that she did not own. The only way she could get insurance for the bike was to reguster it in her name. So technically she owns the bike, not me.

I had similar trouble when I tried to let a work colleague borrow my car that I keep in CO. My colleague is also an American who has maintained insurance coverage even though she only spends a small amount of time in the US. She tried to get coverage for herself to drive my car and her insurance company also refused since she did own the car.

American companies suck so perhaps you will be fine if you have coverage from your company in Australia/NZ.

I am currently living in Nepal through the end of the year. I am not sure where work will send me next but it is likely to be in some part of Asia. Worst case is Afghanistan but I am hoping for something nicer. Either way I won't be riding much in the US. Taking a break in Oz/NZ sounds like a great vacation to look forward to! :thumbup1:

Here is a reply i got from Progressive Insurance (USA) who i used for my own bike when i was in the USA....with my NZ licence

I am a New Zealand citizen and am wanting to visit colorado and ride a friends motorcycle, do you offer a policy which would cover this?


We would be able to offer you a policy; however, if your friend already has an insurance policy for this motorcycle, I would suggest that you be added as a rated driver and then removed once you will no longer be riding and return home. However, If your friend does not have a policy we can offer you a quote. Please know though that your friend will need to be listed as a rated driver on your policy since he owns the vehicle, in order us to offer you a policy.

Aimee C.
Progressive Internet Representative
Car Insurance: Auto Insurance & Online Insurance Quotes - Progressive