Advice needed - 1250 GSA TE basically uninsurable? (£4k+)

[Gryph]

Hi Folks, need some help with insurance broker recommendations / specialists ect.

I've agreed to go ahead today on a very clean R1250GSA TE in ice grey with all the bits, (perhaps naively without checking insurance, expecting it to be broadly similar) and for the life of me can't seem to return a quote this side of £4,400 with Bennetts.

This isn't a first bike blunder - approaching 40, clean license for 15+ years, sensible location, never made a claim, and after taking a riding break back up to 8 years NCB with a 2005 Ducati 749S and now a 2015 R1200R LC currently insured at just a hair over £500/year fully comp with all the addons, but as soon as I put the GSA in I can't return anything lower than the above £4.4k plus for fully comp, and £1100+ third party only which feels a bit silly to say the least.

I understand there'll be a jump going from the R1200R to the R1250 but is there something I should be aware of about these bikes in particular? Are they a target ect? I've tried the usual suspects (Bennetts, CompareTheMeerkat, TheBikeInsurer) and even BMW weren't able to quote on the GSA, but as soon as I go back to the R1200R they're back to around the 500 mark.

Any advice / other names to try outside of the usual suspects very much appreciated, otherwise there may be a "for sale" ad in the near future! I'd like to think there must be smaller firms out there with sensible heads?

TiA, Gryph

 

[ymfb]

I’ve just been on a similar quest, but not as bad as yours. I ended up with Bikesure, with a multi bike policy

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Hi Folks, need some help with insurance broker recommendations / specialists ect.

I've agreed to go ahead today on a very clean R1250GSA TE in ice grey with all the bits, (perhaps naively without checking insurance, expecting it to be broadly similar) and for the life of me can't seem to return a quote this side of £4,400 with Bennetts.

This isn't a first bike blunder - approaching 40, clean license for 15+ years, sensible location, never made a claim, and after taking a riding break back up to 8 years NCB with a 2005 Ducati 749S and now a 2015 R1200R LC currently insured at just a hair over £500/year fully comp with all the addons, but as soon as I put the GSA in I can't return anything lower than the above £4.4k plus for fully comp, and £1100+ third party only which feels a bit silly to say the least.

I understand there'll be a jump going from the R1200R to the R1250 but is there something I should be aware of about these bikes in particular? Are they a target ect? I've tried the usual suspects (Bennetts, CompareTheMeerkat, TheBikeInsurer) and even BMW weren't able to quote on the GSA, but as soon as I go back to the R1200R they're back to around the 500 mark.

Any advice / other names to try outside of the usual suspects very much appreciated, otherwise there may be a "for sale" ad in the near future! I'd like to think there must be smaller firms out there with sensible heads?

TiA, Gryph

Watercooled GS/GSA are some of the most desirable bikes to steal
Your R1200R isn’t
If you live anywhere near a city then insurance will be high

 

[Gavla04GS]

Hello Gryph,

Just been through annual renewal, Sportsbikeshop Insure worked for me. MCN Compare could be an option and ultimately I ended up with (as have others) Hastings Direct.

 

[clutchspring]

Give Hastings a call , I found them very reasonable and very easy to deal with .
My premium has gone down £30. from last year and now paying £160 for my gs valued at10,500 fully comp with legal cover.
Hope you get sorted.

 

[Zoton]

That's crackers money. Must be better deals out there.
I only paid 600 quid for a new GSA with Bennett's.

 

[EVskiy]

Does @Gryph live anywhere near M25 or even inside the M25, if not near or in the big “theft hotspot” city? That’ll be the reason. 1200-1250 GS/A are the most desirable and stolen motorcycles.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Does @Gryph live anywhere near M25 or even inside the M25, if not near or in the big “theft hotspot” city? That’ll be the reason. 1200-1250 GS/A are the most desirable and stolen motorcycles.

He hasn't declared his location?

My feeling is that he's high risk, based on
Postcode area
Security
Type of bike
Garage or no garage

Maybe the insurers don't want his business

 

[DJ123]

He hasn't declared his location?

My feeling is that he's high risk, based on
Postcode area
Security
Type of bike
Garage or no garage

Maybe the insurers don't want his business

His profile shows as Cardiff.....

 

[leadfarmer]

I think Cardiff is outside the M25

 

[er-minio]

Does @Gryph live anywhere near M25 or even inside the M25

He hasn't declared his location?

Cardiff it seems, or nearby.

Have a friend with a 1250 in London and he is considering selling the bike because it is uninsureable. Total cost is so high for him that it would be cheaper to hire a GS each time he wants to go for a ride.

The only answer is keep shopping around.
But I suspect we are reaching a tipping point on some bike models.

I had some issues as well, and my GS is a tatty 18 year old bike valued next to nothing.


It would be interesting to see if there is some political/govt action or review of what is happening (I suspect the impossible to insure Range Rovers have more headlines than motorbikes) soon.

 

[Santa-2512]

Give Hastings a call , I found them very reasonable and very easy to deal with .
My premium has gone down £30. from last year and now paying £160 for my gs valued at10,500 fully comp with legal cover.
Hope you get sorted.

Where do you live and what insurer ?? and is it a limited mileage policy, what mods / security

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

His profile shows as Cardiff.....

That’s done it then

 

[Bigcats]

One word

Garage

 

[KMD]

I think Cardiff is outside the M25

What are you….some kind of geography teacher now ?

 

[Neil W]

Hi Folks, need some help with insurance broker recommendations / specialists ect.

I've agreed to go ahead today on a very clean R1250GSA TE in ice grey with all the bits, (perhaps naively without checking insurance, expecting it to be broadly similar) and for the life of me can't seem to return a quote this side of £4,400 with Bennetts.

This isn't a first bike blunder - approaching 40, clean license for 15+ years, sensible location, never made a claim, and after taking a riding break back up to 8 years NCB with a 2005 Ducati 749S and now a 2015 R1200R LC currently insured at just a hair over £500/year fully comp with all the addons, but as soon as I put the GSA in I can't return anything lower than the above £4.4k plus for fully comp, and £1100+ third party only which feels a bit silly to say the least.

I understand there'll be a jump going from the R1200R to the R1250 but is there something I should be aware of about these bikes in particular? Are they a target ect? I've tried the usual suspects (Bennetts, CompareTheMeerkat, TheBikeInsurer) and even BMW weren't able to quote on the GSA, but as soon as I go back to the R1200R they're back to around the 500 mark.

Any advice / other names to try outside of the usual suspects very much appreciated, otherwise there may be a "for sale" ad in the near future! I'd like to think there must be smaller firms out there with sensible heads?

TiA, Gryph

When I bought my 2018 model r1200gsa basic new in late 2017 the insurance hiked up with CN by a large lump for the final 6 months of the policy, this was allegedly because it was a Basic specced up to almost TE standard but without ESA.
Was very p*ssed off so contacted the actual Insurance company rather than the agent who said there was no way it should be so high and it reduced greatly on renewal when I informed CN. Since then I used Bemoto and it made no difference when I bought a new R1250GSA Triple Black Basic in 2021.
I have a 5 bike multipolicy covering the R1250GSA, a KTM 1090 Adventure S, R1150GS , Katana 1100 and a CCM on my policy for the price you quoted for your R1200R .
Try BEMOTO as their employees seem much more clued up than most of the Insurance Agencies chimps

 

[leadfarmer]

What are you….some kind of geography teacher now ?

Always happy to share my wisdom

 

[MotoRevive]

Give Hastings a call , I found them very reasonable and very easy to deal with .
My premium has gone down £30. from last year and now paying £160 for my gs valued at10,500 fully comp with legal cover.
Hope you get sorted.

I second that. I bought a Husqvarna 350 and almost no insurer would touch it apart from Hastings. And at a very reasonable price.

Out of interest, I just did an online quote for my old Africa twin and it was only £90. 30% cheaper than Bennetts, Carol Nash etc.

 

[G&T]

You know that saying, “If you only had 6 months to live, what would you do?”

Well, I can tell you I wouldn’t be phoning around insurance companies...

 

[wessie]

anywhere in the M4 corridor is not liked by insurers