London motorbike insurance - ungaraged

Bobbsy,
I also live in London, bike parked off street chained to the floor.
I swapped my 1200 GS for a new 650 V Strom last June.
Was amazed when my insurers, Devitt, would n't insure it.
I thought the smaller bike would be less of a problem.
Bennetts sorted me out & the premium was about £50 less than the GS fully comp.
Are you under 25 ?

My old bandit was insured through devitt, they weren't able to offer a renewal quote as the underwriter has changed their policy and would no longer insure bikes in London.
 
another unlucky Londoner...

My old bandit was insured through devitt, they weren't able to offer a renewal quote as the underwriter has changed their policy and would no longer insure bikes in London.


Long story short...only MCE would offer 'fire and theft' cover for my 2011 F650GS. No issues in the last 5 years with BMW/Devitt, who would cover even for on the road parking...

So it is either I go for 3rd party cover only (Carole Nash has offered the best deal for £270) or I go with MCE (£150!) and end up not getting anything anyway in case it is stolen (with all their excessive excesses and reputation...)

Possibilities are endless of course; move out of London, sell the bike, commit suicide etc. etc. :blast
 
Thanks again for advice. No, well past 25 these days ! 11 years NCB, no points, no convictions, never made a claim. Bennetts wont quote for me now.

I've cancelled the new bike purchase - sticking with the 2010 as couldn't justify the new one with third party only...

I feel your pain. I also live in London and my renewal from Bennets just came through for my 2006 1200 GS this weekend and it's more than double what I paid last year and that's with the bike being garaged and 11 years NCB, no points, no convictions, never made a claim either. Insurance prices have gone crazy in the last year.
 
I feel your pain. I also live in London and my renewal from Bennets just came through for my 2006 1200 GS this weekend and it's more than double what I paid last year and that's with the bike being garaged and 11 years NCB, no points, no convictions, never made a claim either. Insurance prices have gone crazy in the last year.

Well, did you actually feel the pain? What were other prices when you compared them?
 
Well, did you actually feel the pain? What were other prices when you compared them?

Haven't felt the pain yet but I'm fully expecting to. The renewal only arrived on Saturday and I have until 22 April to do something about it but seeing as the renewal quote is more than double what it was last year I'm assuming the worst. I'll let you know if I am surprised with a cheaper quote than last year....I'm not holding my breath though.
 
Be happy. The rise in London premiums is helping insurers to keep the premium for Old Ken Bikerman in Devon with his 1987 BMW, garaged and 1000 careful miles a year (no pillion) and IAM pass (1968) down to 82p.
 
Insurance prices have gone crazy in the last year.

Really ? or have they become more realistic.

I paid £350 fully comp insurance for my BMW R65 (650cc twin) back in 1980..

The 2018 equivalent would be £1049.34.
 
Really ? or have they become more realistic.

It's subjective then isn't it? What's realistic for some may be viewed as crazy for others. I view it as crazy when folks struggle to get insurance when nothing for them has changed from the previous year, other than they have an extra years of no claims bonus, but insurance companies raise their prices so high the punter is priced out of the market. I view it as crazy when I am asked to pay more than double what I paid last year including that additional year of no claims bonus.

You have a better memory than me as I can't remember what my insurance cost was back in 1980 but comparing prices from nearly 40 years ago to today is pointless. What are you paying in 2018 to insure your bike?
 
I agree with you lagauk. To have an unblemished riding history, and a mountain of security keeping to bike stationary at home, and to be unable to find insurance for a bike is a bit nuts in my view. I do wonder how any London bike dealers will be continue given these changes.

FWIW, I stayed with my 2010 F800 rather than buy the new version, and am dreading my Sep renewal. I did go with MCE last year with a whopping big excess.
 
It's subjective then isn't it? What's realistic for some may be viewed as crazy for others. I view it as crazy when folks struggle to get insurance when nothing for them has changed from the previous year, other than they have an extra years of no claims bonus, but insurance companies raise their prices so high the punter is priced out of the market. I view it as crazy when I am asked to pay more than double what I paid last year including that additional year of no claims bonus.

You have a better memory than me as I can't remember what my insurance cost was back in 1980 but comparing prices from nearly 40 years ago to today is pointless. What are you paying in 2018 to insure your bike?
The reason I can remember what my insurance was back in 1980 is the high cost. The bikes value was £2148.
I pay £480 a year insurance. That's covering 7 bikes. My insurance increased from the previous year, I don't expect or assume it to drop in price year after year when values of bikes increase absurdly every year and no one bats an eye lid.
 
I'm not disagreeing completely with you Steptoe and I certainly don't expect the cost of insurance to go down. After all, the scam artist insurance companies are there to make a profit and I don't begrudge a reasonable increase or a more unreasonable one when there has been a claim but raising prices so high that many can't afford it or even refusing to cover certain bikes or locations is plain crazy as I said before.

One of my friends was quoted nearly £2000 for a Suzuki 1000 TL. Serves him right for having that shit bike if you ask me but it is grossly unfair on him. He did manage to get it down to around £690 and he's still looking around. My own renewal although doubled from last year is still affordable but I question why it has gone up so much for no apparent reason.

The value of bikes is increasing absurdly every year, as you say, but we can choose to buy them or not as the case may be. With insurance, if we want to remain legally compliant, we don't have the choice to not have it. The only choice we have is to shop around for the best price we can get but given insurance companies play a closed shop game it's no surprise that premiums go up everywhere although some insurers are a lot worse than others.
 
Be happy. The rise in London premiums is helping insurers to keep the premium for Old Ken Bikerman in Devon with his 1987 BMW, garaged and 1000 careful miles a year (no pillion) and IAM pass (1968) down to 82p.

Hahaha thanks Wapping. :beerjug: I feel so much better now in knowing I am helping out those poor souls :rob not living in the big smoke.:blast
 
Hahaha thanks Wapping. :beerjug: I feel so much better now in knowing I am helping out those poor souls :rob not living in the big smoke.:blast

But you London boys earn double us straw eaters, so by default you can afford it,....
 
But you London boys earn double us straw eaters, so by default you can afford it,....

That would be nice...if only it were true :nenau


And their house values double on a weekly basis yet still they're moaning. :comfort

I know it's terrible isn't it :D. Wish I could take advantage of that but I can't coz the bloody house prices have doubled again and I can't afford to move :banghead:
 
I just got a letter from Bennetts saying they couldn't offer me a renewal this year based on my London postcode (2001 r1150gs).
Based on recommendation here, I just got a quote from mceinsurance.com for £210 - less than half what I paid last year, but with a £1350 excess. I suspect it is basically worthless as insurance, but at least I am legal.
 
I always bitch about insurances, I guess it is fair to not bitch when I'm happy with them.

Just renewed both my bikes with MCE. Paying about the same amount I paid last year, same (very high) excess on one of the bikes.
Cannot complain so far.
 
As far as I can tell they get a dart board, throw a few darts blindfolded and that's your quote. Years ago I move from Ruislip (West London) to Rochdale. Bike went from being kept in the front garden to a brick garage and my insurance doubled ! When I tried for cover in Europe and Morocco it was a nightmare, even got a firm saying I could ride anywhere (Gaze, Somalia, Afghanistan you name it) then when I gave them my postcode - OL..... oh sorry sir we don't cover the OL postcode (Oldham). Seems I live in the worlds most dangerous place for theft, who knew.
 
Insurance Hike.

Well my renewal's just jumped up £120.
It's gonna be TPF & T from now on.
Robbers.
 


Back
Top Bottom