Insurance and Riding a Bike back After You've Bought it

[0l0dom0l0]

What's the drill these days with riding bikes back after you've bought them?

The scenario is... drive down to look at a bike with a mate who has a full license and insurance to ride other bikes 3rd party. The bike we are going to look at is insured by the seller.

If I decide to buy the bike and put it in my name there and then, is my friend covered to ride the bike back legally?

Because, the bike is insured by the previous owner so that means he's covered right?

The bit I'm concerned about is that if the ownership of the bike is transferred, is the insurance the seller had on the bike then invalid?

Practically, there are easier ways around it but the bikes 160 miles away. if I can go look at it and buy it there and then with a friend who could ride it back legally it would make my life a lot easier.

What are peoples thoughts and experiences with this?
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CBT Passed: 30/08/2009, Theory Passed: 31/08/2010, Mod 1 Passed: 6/9/2010, Mod 2 Passed: 13/09/2010. Restriction ended 13/09/2012.

Bikes: 2007 Derbi GPR 50, 1998 Yamaha Fazer 600 (written off), 2002 Yamaha Fazer 600, 1994 CBR 600F, 2003 Triumph Daytona 600, Kawasaki ZX6R J1.....Current: 2006 Yamaha FZ6, 1998 Suzuki TL1000R and a Honda VFR 400 NC30.

[MattJ]

What you want to do is fine.

Last year I bought a bike off a bloke nearby, I went with my dad and brother in the car. At the time my brother could ride other bikes on 3rd party with permission from the owner. Went down, gave the man his money, did everything on the V5 and my brother rode it home.

You don't have to be the owner of the bike to be insured on it, so when my brother rode it home, the person we bought it off was still insured, therefore my brothers insurance was valid.

Ownership doesn't affect the insurance. EDIT: As long as the person doesn't cancel their insurance immediately you should be fine.

[TheDonUK]

I tend to get quotes before hand, possibly with reference numbers and buy the insurance outside where im buying the bike from, so technically insured from that point.

[goto10]

If you're using the seller's insurance and your own 'any bike' policy, then it's 3rd party only and also at the seller's risk. E.g. if you smash into a car your bike won't be covered (at all) and the seller's insurance would have to pay out for the damage to the car.
If I sell a bike I certainly don't allow the buyer to risk my policy after they've bought it!
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'12 NC700S & '12 CB600F Hornet [Stolen by some dickless twat] Suzuki GT500 shed

[0l0dom0l0]

[MattJ]

goto10, surely if his friend is insured for 3rd party, as long as there is existing insurance on the bike, if he has a crash where he is at fault, that's surely his friends insurance that will pay? As it is his 3rd party insurance. Or am I missing something here.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Not all policies require the vehicle to have its own policy for the insured 3rd party cover to apply. Although in such a situation you get the possible hassle of the bike not being insured and not being ridden which may or may not be legal depending on what a court decides counts as being used on the road.

[0l0dom0l0]

[MattJ]

Tell your mate not to crash.

Have you considered hiring a van?

[iooi]

[0l0dom0l0]

[0l0dom0l0]

[Kickstart]

Hi

That bit comes down to the individual policy. Check the insurance documents and make sure they are on your friend should he get pulled up.

Whereabouts is the bike? Might be possible to get someone to store it until you have it all sorted.

Might also be possible to insure if online when you pick it up (although technically you are not insured until the certificate is delivered, so make sure who you insure with gives a certificate by email or an acceptable online one, not just takes you money and posts you one a few days later).

All the best

Keith
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[0l0dom0l0]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Not that far from me, so if you get caught short then I could possibly pick it up on a trailer and store it

All the best

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

[0l0dom0l0]

[Rogerborg]

Get your mate to check his policy documentation. It may or may not require that the bike be covered by another policy. Don't assume, verify.

There is absolutely nothing in law preventing multiple policies running on the same vehicle at the same time, or requiring you to cancel a policy on a vehicle that you've sold. It may be a term of your contract with your insurer, but again, if it's not in writing, they can jog on.

However, I'd cancel in a heartbeat the instant I sold on a vehicle to limit any possible exposure to liability. If Joe Bloggs rides off on my bike and turns out not to have his his own insurance, stacks it, and my insurer is obliged to cover his 3rd party liability because I didn't cancel, then they could come after me because I failed to limit their liability. So when I tell you that I won't cancel until you've told me that you're safely home, ask yourself whether I'm just saying that to get your money. Consider that I'm a Scotch.

You should be fine in terms of getting tugged on the way home, since even if the ex-owner does cancel the instant you're out of sight, it's unlikely to come off the MID straight away. But insure it yourself if at all possible, especially if you're planning to go fully comp, since your mate will only have 3rd party cover.

Technically you're not insured until the policy document has been "delivered", but in practice if you have the insurer's details and a policy number, Plod will chase it up before nabbing your vehicle, even if you're not on the MID yet.

[UPDATE] Oh, right, what Keith already said.
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[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

On my policy the other bike doesn't have to be insured. I can ride any other bike with the owners permission.
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[R6Armadillo]

When I brought my last bike my insurance let me insure the new one for a week for about £30 which was the best option and was done over the phone in the sellers house.
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When Eric eats a banana, an amazing transformation occurs. Eric is Bananaman. Ever alert for the call to action.

[0l0dom0l0]

[P.addy]

I've always asked them to leave the insurance on so I can "get back" and they never seem too bothered, like 2 hours isn't that big a deal.

If its uninsured I'll insure it though, my policy to ride other bikes requires a policy to be in force.

[pinkyfloyd]

[Rogerborg]

[P.addy]

[grant965]

just do what i do, get quotes before you go, then if you decide to buy ring and pay for insurance there and then. Simple as
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Ex bikes: 05 Suzuki En 125, '98 Yamaha Thundercat, '08 Honda cbr125, '05 Kawasaki z750, '03 Triumph Daytona 600, '91 Kawasaki ex250, '03 Hyosung Comet 125
Current Bike: '02 Suzuki TL1000R