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I can't apply for a quote on line because I don't have the bike details yet. I also have to think about what might happen in the unfortunate event of an accident. I don't want to give the insurance company any excuse to avoid the policy in the event of an accident.
As Italsure is willing to issue cover, that appears to be the safer option at this stage, although it is quite an expensive one. Norwich Union have also confirmed in writing that they would cover me, but when you try to obtain a quote on line on their website, one of the conditions is that you must be a resident of UK (from memory you must have resided in the UK for at least 12 months). I have contacted some dealers too in the UK about this insurance business, but they seem to have no clue whatsoever about it. Incidentally, I was reading an article yesterday in which it was reported that uninsured driving in the UK has reached epidemic proportions. |
Ebike don't ask about the residency thing
Ozzie,
Try a quote for a Suzuki GSXR750, 2008 model, registration KY08YLO. (It belongs to the MCN - a bike newspaper; you can make them an offer for it! Worth about £8200). Alternatively, look on ebay for the details of a bike that you want to buy and get a quote for that one. That should prove if you can get a quote; if you have a quote, then you have satisfied their system of questions, therefore the ins would be valid. Most if not all dealers in the UK are hopeless: spotty faced kids who don't know what day it is and have no decision-making authority, or some "faceless" business guy who is a professional salesman: this week bikes, next week cars ........ Yes, illegal everything is the name of the game in terms of vehicles etc etc. Those who are legally on the road are paying for it via increased insurance premiums. |
There has to be a business opportunity here for some enterprising bike riding, car driving, campervan sleeping Brit to offer an address service for buying insurance - 30 quid for re-addressing a letter or two? Its gotta be cheaper than all the farting around that goes on at present.
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I see a great niche market for any enterprising mind to start a new insurance company just to cover visiting riders.
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Bike insurance for OZ people
Seeing as I started this thread aways back I have been following it with interest. I now have an inbox full of rejection letters but maybe a wee bit of a break through.
I received this from Alessie, (and I hope this doesn't cross any confidentiality borders, quote "We are able to offer you Third Party Liability insurance valid for Europe and all countries of Africa at a premium of Euro 1414,- for a period of 12 months. We can understand that you would prefer to have full coverage for a new Triumph Tiger; however, we cannot yet be sure that we shall be able to offer this type of insurance, since the model is on the "ineligible list" of the particular company that is willing to offer full coverage for motorcycles. We shall have to send a completed application to our underwriters and ask them to consider this as an "exception". There is always a chance that they will accept. Un Quote How does this rate compare to what some of you folks in the UK/EU or further a field have been able to get. At least I know my plans are still on track. Cheers Wilky Down Under Down Under |
Dont know if they still exsist but mitchel and partners a london based firm used to be very good, they might be worth a try.
As far as non residents driving in the UK the sad fact is that a large percentage are doing so illegally. great when they crash into you. I wouldnt cancel a trip because of this just join the masses if all else fails dont bother with insurance. buy a good lock and ride safe. Its a real shame that we dont use your system with the third party cover as standard it would save a lot of trouble. |
Wilky, check well with Alessie giving them all details. I received a negative response from them for my own scenario, which was an Aussie buying a bike in the UK and riding within the UK borders and not continental Europe. Your situation might be different.
In any event, I have now received confirmation from Italsure that they will insure me (too late I am afraid, I will tour OZ instead this year). Cheers |
Still insurance
The subject of insurance just keeps getting weirder. This is the response from Italsure.
Quote, We have a US scheme that would work for you as a non-European however it will not work for a European reg bike. The people we have who take it up usually ship their bikes. The alternative is someone like Adrian Flux in the UK, but you will not get the period cover from them. If you decide to ship a bike, the AIU scheme would be US$2,912 for the year, this would take you down to Morrocco (and possibly Western Sahara, is that not still technically Morocco. From there that will be border liability insurance and we can get excess if that concerns you. The only alternative is an AXA travellers scheme that is 3rd party only and very expensive at about $2,100. Un quote It looks like we will run with Alessie. Has anyone tried Adrian Flux? Cheers Wilky 2 Months to go and then we are off to West Australia on the first leg of our possibly RTW journey. |
Adrian Flux and Carole Nash always seem to be the best brokers over here. Id guess if anyone can find a policy to cover you then they will.
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cheaper
Hi Wilky,
I was looking into the prices of doing exactly what your looking to do back in 2003. At the time it was cheaper for me to buy the bike in Aus and get it shipped by sea to Europe. Then get the bike shipped back to Aus at the end. It was easier and cheaper especially given the exchange rate at the time (1AUD = £0.38). It seemed at the time completely stupid. When I eventually got over here some bloke told me that insurance companies bound by some organisation would/could only insure EU citizens and residents. I'm not 100% sure if its true or not. Additionally Check the republic of ireland some of the insurance companies there are easy going and they speak english too (which I assume helps). Regards, Jimmy. |
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I am yet another aussie in exactly the same position! I am riding around Europe this Northern summer on a bike I have bought in the UK. However I have emailed Stefan at Knopf Tours about whether the green card insurance he provides covers the UK, and he has assured me that it definitely does. This was both a few months ago before I bought the bike and last week when I was organising the insurance. I questioned him specifically about a bike bought in the UK by an Australian, and again he reassured me. Confusing, might be worth checking with Stefan again. Note this only for green card insurance and not comprehensive/theft/fire etc. Hope it works out, Damien |
Guys, I know it might sounds weird, but it seems to me that if you buy a bike in the UK and ride within the UK and not also continental Europe, getting the basic legally required third party insurance (the quivalent of our CTP in OZ) is much more difficult. It looks like the key to the problem is to obtain cover as if you are going to tour Europe regardless as to whether or not you are going to do it.
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I can see the logic!! ..........
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But, on the other hand, if you are dealing with UK based brokers (and not the insurers because they rarely, if ever, deal directly with Joe Soap public nowadays) then you will get someone or other on the end of the phone who does not know what day it is, nor cares frankly because they are employed in a call centre on a temporary contract. All of this applies to the basic EU requirement for "third party" cover - the legal minimum to put a bike on the road. |
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Buen viaje |
No, that one is actually true, there are more cases of France ignoring European Directives than any other EU state, it's one of the things I like about living here to be honest.
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