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Bike Insurance for the New Biker - Aug 2013

So with a new bike I also need insurance for it. 

From what I have heard said I am guessing at a figure of around the £300 mark for someone like me. A err gulp tremble...a middle aged woman...ewwww middle aged, that gives me images of slippers and rollers and knitting for grandchildren...shudder. Surely a biker chick on her first bike adventure can not be middle aged. But no alas it is true, the fact as far as the truth is and as far as insurance in concerned is I am a middle aged woman with no experience (of riding bikes) and therefore no no claims bonus for the bike.

I know you young kids out there will be saying £300 what you moaning about, but look it is like this, you got to get some ups ok with the many downs of getting older and cheaper insurance is one of the few highs. £300 is still a fair wack on my wages so I carefully scour the various comparison sites to find the best deals. 
My initial guess is confirmed with prices of around £301 to £320.

Now a little word about price comparison sites and insurance in general. BE CAREFUL. In my own opinion I would never just click on anything that says get insurance now and do it all solely on-line. I'll tell you why. Because I used to be an insurance clerk (yeah I know boo hiss but I did leave fairly quick because I hated it so much) and I had first hand experience how the insurance companies would just love to declare your insurance invalid in the event of a claim. They can do this for a variety of reasons from not declaring any modifications your vehicle may have to under estimating your annual mileage. So be wary and be careful. The onus is on you and not the insurance company to ensure all information is correct. So my advice is to use the comparison sites for a tool to give you a rough idea of prices and then phone say the top three or so cheapest companies direct and ask them to go through the policy with you to double check all information is correct and complete.

It is something I always do myself and on this occasion it proved to be just as well once again. On the form on the comparison website it asked whether I had a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) certificate or a full motorcycle licence and for the date I had either completed my CBT or passed my test. I said no as I had neither and left the dates of completion therefore blank. I phoned the first company direct only to learn they would not cover anyone without at least a CBT certificate. So you see it did not matter that I had said no on the quotation form I still ended up being given a incorrect quote. If I had gone straight ahead and took out this quote without checking first and had an accident on my bike while taking my CBT guess what...I would have had invalid insurance. A quotation is not a fixed agreement the actual insurance and it's documentation is the binding agreement so be sure to check yours carefully. 

Also be very careful if you say you bike is garaged because once again what is considered a garage will vary from insurer to insurer so check your individual insurance company's definition. For some only a brick built structure will be classed as garaged while others a metal shed will suffice. You also need to note at what time your policy stipulates when your bike needs to be garaged on your property. Some will have set times such as 10pm to 6am which is fairly reasonable. While other will demand it is garaged at all times.  Believe it or not this would mean that if you left your bike in your garden while cleaning it and it got stolen from your garden...yep you got it... you would not be covered. So I say it again BE CAREFUL. Do not give your insurance any possible chance of claiming your insurance invalid.

The same no CBT no insurance was the case with the next two quotations. I eventually found an insurance company, Just Motorcycles, a sub division of Carole Nash, who would cover me for my CBT on my bike but on the proviso that I would obtain a full CBT within 30 days of the start on the insurance and at a the higher than expected price of £378. Well it was as good as I could find so the deed was done. But my plans were blown out of the water. I was going to practise, practise, practise on my bike until I felt confident enough to take the CBT. Now I had 30 days to get it and that was pressure I did not want. The clock was ticking and I did not even have my bike yet. Aarrgghh     

Reader's Comments

rick said :-
Hi sharon. Have you tried bike sure. Kath got fully comp for £122. Could be that its a 1985 bike though
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
said :-
Hi Rick, Bike Sure would not insure me as I have yet to pass my CBT. But seeing Kath's quote was so cheap I ran through a quote with them as if I had my CBT. And the total was.......£398. Serves me right having such little legs I had buy a new bike to get it to fit!!
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC

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