Insurance question (and poll)

[syl]

My first ever bike insurance renewal is due in a couple of weeks. I've got several online quotes from all the big names and they're all pretty similar in price (around £200 fully comp with legal expenses) so that's a bit of a non-issue. As they're so close I'm sure I could get whichever company I choose to match the best quote anyway.

From reputation, or from your own experiences, which of the big companies would you go with (and which would you avoid)? If you'd go with a less well known of company, for reasons other than it being the cheapest, what is it and why do you recommend it?
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Current bike: Kawasaki Z750S

[Kickstart]

Hi

Motorcycle direct, as they have given me renewals that I have been so happy with that I have not felt the need to try for cheaper quotes elsewhere (and the Bandits insurance dropped 1/3 this year).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[crazymotorbik...]

Hey,
I've always used direct choice. They've always given me great deals on insurance and where excellent at sorting out an insurance claim i had. (B*stard cyclist knocked me off then sued me!!)

This year it cost me 170 quid for my GPZ400r and my gs250T, fully comp and with the option to drive other motorcycles so i'm uber happy.

Other places where slightly cheaper but i stuck with Direct choice due to there customer service.

Cheers,
Shaun.

[0ddball]

Motorcycle direct too. About as cheap as i'm going to get for a bike kept outside in a bad postcode. Plus they work very fast. Twice i have called to tell them of a change of bike (around 1pm) and both times the new documents have been on my doorstep at 8am the next day.

[stinkwheel]

Carole Nash for me.

Free national and European breakdown recovery which takes you and your bike HOME, not just to the nearest garage. Worth its weight in gold (or a good £85 anyway if you wanted to buy it seperately from the RAC or similar)

Documents on the doormat the following day without fail, English speaking call centre advisers who know what a motorbike is. Always found them helpful, even if they couldn't deal with my problem. They don't take the piss when chopping and changing policies if you change bikes halfway through the year. Their policy is that the phone gets answered within 30 seconds of you calling.

They have consistantly offered me a multi bike policy that allows me to add and remove bikes throughout the year for a nominal charge (usually £10-15).

[Syx]

Motorcycle direct - they were by far the cheapest for me.
I used to use eBike, but once I got off the 125 MCD were cheaper.

[_Will_]

Give MCE a call, dont bother doing it online - you can haggle it down over the blower, mce seem to just keep dropping my quotes - they did it without asking this year, i called up, gave the reference and the guy abruptly said 'wait a moment im just gonna get this quote down for you'
Under half the price of ALL the other quotes i recieved
Edit: I phoned a few times just for things like quotes before i had the money to do it and they dropped considerably each time so call randomley i suppose
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Past -Honda qr50 | 2004 Peugeot Tkr s 50| | 1996 Yamaha XJ600s Diversion|

[Resurrection]

[THCi]

Gotta love eBikes 8month = 1 years NCB though, build a max in 40 months.
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Past: GZ 125 K4 Marauder, VL 125 LC Intruder, FZS 600 Fazer. Present: GSF 600 N K3 Bandit, GSX-R 600 X(soon)
"We're not gonna die. We can't die, Bendis. You know why? Because we are so...very...pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die."

[Tarmacsurfer]

Footman James. £113 fully comp on the ZZR, includes european breakdown cover and legal/kit insurances, 3rd party other bikes etc. Helpful local office and happy to add bikes whenever without a huge surcharge.
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I'm immortal. Well, so far.

[Whosthedaddy]

www.insurance2000.co.uk (H and R Insurance services)

They have quoted me happy for the 2 bikes so far, beating the likes of Bennetts and ebike hands down.

The policies have been relatively comprehensive for the TPFT that I have taken out, always been pleasent on the phone and very helpful.

I would recommend that people give them a go for value for money.
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[Rookie]

Carole Nash. They had the best customer service over the phone (probably the best I've ever received from a call centre), a very good level of cover including breakdown, and they were the cheapest too.

[dgk13]

I'm with motorcycle direct, it was the cheapest quote and i'd used them before. Currently handling a claim for me very well!
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Honda powwwwerrrr

[69.9mph]

Carole Nash, although not the cheapest by about a tenner, the free breakdown cover swung it for me.

They made a mistake on my original policy (human error) but after a quick phone call I had the corrected documents a couple of days later. I'd use them again.

[dodsi]

I learnt my lesson about breakdown cover. They give you 25 free miles from who-ever they call out and that includes getting too you.

If you want breakdown cover Join the AA/RAC.

[Blau Zedong]

I've just switched to Carole Nash. £135 for a three bike classic policy, fully comp, unlimited mileage, the breakdown cover etc. Alot more than Footman James offered at the same price. Chuffed? Not half lol.

Oh, odd question to ask but can anyone confirm that the minimum age for a bike to be included on a classic policy is 15 years? I want another old skool Gixxer but I would need to be able to put it on the above policy.
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18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth

[froggeh]

I'm with Express insurance (They had a full back page advert in the 'Ride On' mag that was given to me when I passed my test last month, and the price was better than anything previously...

[JonB]

Motorcycle Direct, almost every time, I would go with them.

Always offering me ridicuously low quotes, usually £50-100 cheaper than the nearest competitor.

Offer me at 18, up to £100,000 in legal costs, UK and European Breakdown cover, which have come in handy twice. Took me home 150 miles on May Day bank holiday with no extra charge. Got third party on any bike with owners permission. Absolutely fantastic sales reps and customer service. You won't find no Indian on the end of the line.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[mrbluesbox]

Im with H+R Insurance Services (0845 130 2800) charged me about £300 to insure my derbi gpr 125 nude fully comp (with excess waiver & leagl cover n all that extra stuff) 3 days after passing my cbt
not bad at all.
if i went 3rd party that went down to less than £200.
<edit>if ya looking round theres a decent comparison site called the www.thebikeinsurer.co.uk that i used to find this <edit>

Gaz.
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I seem to have misplaced my pants...................

[st3v3]

at the moment, i am with 'highways' which wasn't cheap (about £350 TPO on a 125, with a years NCB), but my brother has NO NCB, rides a TS125 and TPO for him was £115, with me as an extra rider.. i am edging to go with them at renewall!

[Trip]

[JonB]

Ring them up. Online quotes are crap anyway.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[SoulRider]

Bennets: Mega expensive and check out their compulsary excess (usually around £600 :O )

Ebikeinsurance: i was with them last year and when i claimed i had 3 seperate companies asking to pick up my bike when it was allready picked up, they never knew what was going on and if anything was done, then without even getting photos and checking the bike (spoke to company that had it) they claimed it a write of. Then tooks ages arguing to get what they agreed on in the first place. Plus their quotes are very expensive if youve had claim.

Express insurance: my current one for my SV, offical suzuki sponsors and gave me really nice cheap quote with loads of extras thrown in for free.
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My Bike Pics

[stinkwheel]

[P4LERIDER]

I've used NCI for my last couple of bikes, generally i ring around and get a few quotes then call them back with my lowest quote & they've beaten it for the last 3 bikes i've insured with them.

Definately worth a try - 08007836026

My current policy they got for me is with equity red star, i had to claim for my dead gixxer through them & i've got to give it to them, it was all sorted & paid out within 5 to 6 weeks