Bike Insurance when abroad

Carpmart

Carpmart

Joined
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Just a tad..
Greetings all

I’m in the process of getting (deposit paid, delivery next week) a Yamaha Tricity 300. It will live permanently in the garage of the Motorhome snd be used as personal transportation for Er-in-doors and myself whilst on European jaunts.

I’m amazed at the insurance quotes! Yes I don’t have ‘biking’ experience (or licence) but it’s nearly twice the cost of insuring the bike compared to my BMW M5. For context, the M5 is a £70k car and the Yam is £7.5k. ☹️

Getting to the major point, it’s says 90 days in Europe only. I need more. There are very few companies (one only so far) who will offer insurance already. Anyone any ideas of specialist brokers I can talk to?

Also, does a MH garage constitute a garage for insurance purposes?

Thanks in advance!
 
Carpmart said:
Greetings all

I’m in the process of getting (deposit paid, delivery next week) a Yamaha Tricity 300. It will live permanently in the garage of the Motorhome snd be used as personal transportation for Er-in-doors and myself whilst on European jaunts.

I’m amazed at the insurance quotes! Yes I don’t have ‘biking’ experience (or licence) but it’s nearly twice the cost of insuring the bike compared to my BMW M5. For context, the M5 is a £70k car and the Yam is £7.5k. ☹️

Getting to the major point, it’s says 90 days in Europe only. I need more. There are very few companies (one only so far) who will offer insurance already. Anyone any ideas of specialist brokers I can talk to?

Also, does a MH garage constitute a garage for insurance purposes?

Thanks in advance!
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Our motorhome garage although locked/alarmed is not seen as sufficient without the bikes being locked whilst in the garage! Ours is insured through our home insurance but not sure of period away - John Lewis Home Insurance
 
Westbarn1 said:
Looks interesting, 239 kilo though! How are you going to get it in/out of your garage?
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Agreed. It's one heck of a size and especially weight to have in a m/h garage. I built a trailer for my son's Piaggio Fuocco 3 wheeled scooter for his 2,600 mile European tour. His wife refused to get on his Kawasaki m/bike.


2016-07-10 Trailer 001.JPG


At least you can ride it on a car licence.
Which insurers have you tried? Footman James, Bennetts and Carole Nash are main bike insurers and worth a try.

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Carpmart said:
Greetings all

I’m in the process of getting (deposit paid, delivery next week) a Yamaha Tricity 300. It will live permanently in the garage of the Motorhome snd be used as personal transportation for Er-in-doors and myself whilst on European jaunts.

I’m amazed at the insurance quotes! Yes I don’t have ‘biking’ experience (or licence) but it’s nearly twice the cost of insuring the bike compared to my BMW M5. For context, the M5 is a £70k car and the Yam is £7.5k. ☹️

Getting to the major point, it’s says 90 days in Europe only. I need more. There are very few companies (one only so far) who will offer insurance already. Anyone any ideas of specialist brokers I can talk to?

Also, does a MH garage constitute a garage for insurance purposes?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
You re probably better off getting a bike licence, it will give you the training you will need and help the insurance and might even save your life.
 
I assume that you are riding this on your car licence as it's classed as a trike. Insurers will be very cautious in insuring a fairly unusual "bike" without the rider having experience, hence the high premiums. Your motorhome "garage" will not be classed as such by insurers.

I am a retired insurance "broker" and motorcyclist, I would have dreaded you contacting me for a quotation 🙄
 
I think the 90 days is per visit rather than total for the year. It is for my little Suzuki. As others have said you need to try specialist bike insurers. We are with Bennets and the premium has always been below £100. I have had a bike licence since 1965, but hadn't rode for 48 years when I got the Suzuki. I went and got some back to biking training before I got on it. Glad I did. I would certainly urge you to get some training before even thinking of taking a machine like that on the road. It ain't as easy as you think, even with 3 wheels. Doctors call men of a certain age who get on a powerful bike after many years of not riding "potential organ donors".

In any event the premium will shoot up for you if you have never ridden a bike or held a bike licence. It may come down a bit if you can show the insurers that you have had accredited training.
 
Your local police force should do a thing called 'Bike Safe'. It's training which includes classroom and on road assessment and it's free. Most insurers will give a discount if you mention it and show the certificate.
 
daveclare said:
Your local police force should do a thing called 'Bike Safe'. It's training which includes classroom and on road assessment and it's free. Most insurers will give a discount if you mention it and show the certificate.
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Wouldnt you need at least CBT for that? I don't think the OP has got anything motorcycle wise?

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Car licence should cover 3 wheeler if wheels are below a certain width apart. But if not yes CBT and direct access test.
 
Carpmart said:
Greetings all

I’m in the process of getting (deposit paid, delivery next week) a Yamaha Tricity 300. It will live permanently in the garage of the Motorhome snd be used as personal transportation for Er-in-doors and myself whilst on European jaunts.

I’m amazed at the insurance quotes! Yes I don’t have ‘biking’ experience (or licence) but it’s nearly twice the cost of insuring the bike compared to my BMW M5. For context, the M5 is a £70k car and the Yam is £7.5k. ☹️

Getting to the major point, it’s says 90 days in Europe only. I need more. There are very few companies (one only so far) who will offer insurance already. Anyone any ideas of specialist brokers I can talk to?

Also, does a MH garage constitute a garage for insurance purposes?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Wow, hat's off to you, I wouldn't buy one of those to learn on. You'll probably drop it a few times while manoeuvring as it's heavy, but you should be OK once moving at a reasonable speed.

I'd buy a 125 to practise on 👍
 
Also don't rely on the 3 wheels holding it up, I've never rode one but the articles I've read say you wouldn't know it's a 3 wheeler.
 
I would definitely advise taking training as riding a motorcycle is a million miles away from driving a car, here are some of the things that you need to take special care with, road surface, even in the dry, stuff like grain spills on the road at harvest time, it’s like riding on ball bearings, wildlife, hit something as small a rabbit and it could be game over, dusk is a time when our furry friends like to wander in front of us, Badgers, don’t even think of the consequence if you hit one.
Car drivers, at every junction, think, “have they seen me”, the list goes on and only proper training will keep you alive.
The pleasure of riding a motorcycle cannot be put into words and for those who ask why? they would never understand the answer.
4 wheels move the body, 2 wheels move the soul 🙂
 
Thanks for all the replies. It seems everyone is concerned with me not having a bike licence. I’ve ridden a bike a bit over the years, admittedly not on the road and I have booked a session on a CBT trainers bike to get some up-to-date experience.

Getting back to the reason for my topic, anyone else know any specific ‘new rider’ insurance companies? Anyone faced the issue of 90 day maximum and resolved? Finally is a MH garage still a garage in the context of insurance. BTW, I understand that in any garage, Motorhome or otherwise, the theft insurance is only valid with appropriate security deployed.

Thanks in advance.

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Tigertom said:
It’s an 80mph machine……………If you truly have no biking experience then for everyone’s sake get some proper tuition.
The high premium might be related to this .🤔
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It’s a personal transportation device (as far as I am concerned) and I won’t be using it to its full speed potential.
 
pandas said:
Our motorhome garage although locked/alarmed is not seen as sufficient without the bikes being locked whilst in the garage! Ours is insured through our home insurance but not sure of period away - John Lewis Home Insurance
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Thanks - I am with John Lewis for my building and content insurance too. Was it just a case of having it as a named item and telling them the same?
 
Carpmart said:
Thanks - I am with John Lewis for my building and content insurance too. Was it just a case of having it as a named item and telling them the same?
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for us they wanted the make, model and value detailed and the added it to our policy as a specified item. It may vary according to what level on cover you have.
 
Most insurance companies insist on a brick built garage. Check the wording though - it's typically that if within a certain radius of home it needs to in the garage if left unattended (some only at night, some also during the day - if it gets nicked whilst you are putting your hose pipe away after washing it on the drive you're not covered!). Away from home is usually fine. So if you can store in a brick garage when in the UK you could be OK in your motorhome garage when abroad. But check the wording carefully. Similarly be careful if you say you're going to put a chain on it - that might bizarrely make your insurance go up, and theft insurance invalid if you don't put the chain on whenever you stop.

As well as the CBT (which is extremely basic - you'll be shocked how little it teaches you as the bar to cross for youngsters to be let out on their own on their first motorised transport), most bike training places will give you one-to-one lessons. Get the CBT, then go out for a ride with an instructor separately. You'll be amazed what a good instructor can teach you in terms of road positioning, safety, observation and bike stability. Most of it is obvious once you've been told - stuff like using the whole width of the road to increase your sight lines around corners, slowing and being in the right gear before a bend so you can gently power through rather than throwing off the stability by braking and changing gear in the middle. The Motorcycle Roadcraft book is worth reading too.

If you're riding two up it's definitely worth learning as much as you can before heading to foreign parts. And it's fun :giggle:

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This an excerpt from my LV policy;

European cover While you’re travelling in EU countries and any other country that follows EU directives, we’ll give you the same level of cover you have in the territorial limits – as long as your motorbike is not abroad for more than 180 days during your period of cover (excluding the Republic of Ireland where this limit doesn’t apply) and your motorbike is registered and normally kept in the UK, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. Note: This cover is automatically provided when travelling to any of the countries listed on your certificate of motor insurance. Please ensure you take your certificate and green card with you as proof of insurance.

edit, who also gave me a free green card for Morocco before the silliness started.
 
Sadly a friend of mine live near a trunk road single carriageway, ex Police motor cycle officer.
At the weekends in Summer mainly he tells me whilst on the phone, hang on another motorcycle on its way to A&E or the slab.
Unfortunately his humour although black is so accurate, and has been said previously it's men of a certain age. Not all caused by speed mostly one of little experience.
Car pulls out from an open bell mouth junction, game over if not predicted.
I rode for many years and more on cycles, would I now definitely not. Coward possibly, pragmatic yes.
Other vehicles present the challenge more so than yourself in many cases.
White lines, drain covers fall into insignificance compared to inattentive ignorant light vehicle drivers lack of awareness and attitude.
Take care they are out to get you.
 
My motorcycle is insured via CAMC, it gives 90 days comprehensive cover in the EU per trip, if you exceed the 90 days it reverts to the minimum cover required by the country you are in so you are still covered to ride, but not for theft etc.
 
Carpmart said:
I’m amazed at the insurance quotes! Yes I don’t have ‘biking’ experience (or licence) but it’s nearly twice the cost of insuring the bike compared to my BMW M5. For context, the M5 is a £70k car and the Yam is £7.5k. ☹️
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Oh wow , your amazed , sorry mate , i'm not ! . This is actually quite common , it's a new policy , and heavily loaded . To be brutally honest , i'm more surprised you actually found cover .

I do have a full ticket , passed in 78 , being riding for years , biggest and last a 500 . Three years ago , i brought a brand new 125 for my motorhome , however i didn't have a current bike policy . Value of the new bike was less than a grand , but the premium was still £220 , with Bennets . That was more than my car , and 3 and a half times more than my 500 , for a bike with quarter the engine size . All three fully comp . Current renewal is £130 , still twice my 500 insurance , but level pegging with the car . I expect that to drop further next year . Exactly the same happened with my 500 , and my 250 before that , they dropped like stones the first year .
Your asking for a new policy , with a new bike , on basically a learner licence , with no experience . I'm guessing you have your wife on the insurance as well , so that's two learners with no experience , your loading is almost certainly maximum . Pay it , and think yourself lucky .
Even with a full bike ticket , i wouldn't expect much difference , though i would strongly advise such a move . I wouldn't expect that to drop much for the next few years . Born again bikers have been a particular problem for years , i can fully understand the doctors donor comment .
I will add a caution here though , check passenger cover . I doubt you will be covered , and you may even find it impossible to get cover .

As for continental cover , my policy covers me for 90 days , in any one trip , which i don't consider an issue . I can't stay any more than 90 days , in 180 anyway .

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One thing to watch out for are restrictions associated with your travel/health insurance.

Some/many will not provide cover for riding motorcycles above 125cc unless your (bike) journey started, and ended, in the UK. This rules out bringing a >125cc on a trailer/in your MH garage unless you’re confident that you wont need to make a claim under your travel/health insurance policy.

The underlying intent of this restriction is to prevent folks hiring large capacity motorcycles overseas but it has the unfortunate side effect of stuffing the likes of us who take our motorcycles overseas as a means of secondary transportation.

Ian
 
bigtwin said:
One thing to watch out for are restrictions associated with your travel/health insurance.

Some/many will not provide cover for riding motorcycles above 125cc unless your (bike) journey started, and ended, in the UK. This rules out bringing a >125cc on a trailer/in your MH garage unless you’re confident that you wont need to make a claim under your travel/health insurance policy.

The underlying intent of this restriction is to prevent folks hiring large capacity motorcycles overseas but it has the unfortunate side effect of stuffing the likes of us who take our motorcycles overseas as a means of secondary transportation.

Ian
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LV premier multi trip travel insurance will cover you for up to 90 days per trip, any capacity bike, providing you have a full licence for the bike and you are wearing a crash helmet and appropriate clothing.
 
ChrisL said:
LV premier multi trip travel insurance will cover you for up to 90 days per trip, any capacity bike, providing you have a full licence for the bike and you are wearing a crash helmet and appropriate clothing.
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That’s good. The wording (below) is different from many I’ve seen.👍

1E103639-0E2F-41D3-A86F-43412B88D13B.jpeg


Ian
 
I did answer the " garage " query in my post. Insurers ask on the proposal form "is the vehicle kept in a locked and secure building" , your motorhome garage will not meet this criteria.
 
I use Allstyles for my bike and scooters. Includes cover for Bosnia and Montenegro. One of scooters being 300cc as well.

I've also used Carole Nash and Bennets.

Just need to specify everything, to make sure you get full cover. Good European recovery is critical if you use it for trip away without motorhome.

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