Seeking Break Down + Recovery for old banger

Boxerboy55

Boxerboy55

Well-known member
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Jan 11, 2007
Messages
3,266
Reaction score
755
Location
Central Scotland - no more far away
I've been paying StartRescue for many years and only called them for first time last October when I had a non-start event in Skye (but it eventually fired up and I rode it home).

However, now they will not renew my policy because my bike is TOO OLD. Bastards.

Any good ideas for rescue cover for an 11 year old bike?

I wasn't planning to buy a new(er) bike just to acquire rescue cover.


1779970613363.jpg

1779970898551.jpg
 
Do you want UK only or to include Europe?
One option is to add breakdown to the bike policy such as offered by C Nash
Another option is a bank account with personal cover without age limit like Nationwide

I just stuck the reg plate of my old Seat Ibiza, VU13 OMZ, into Moneysupermarket and it gives me annual Euro cover quotes just under £100 with RAC and a lot lower with companies I do not know. Clicking through to the Eversure policy it does not give a time limit for the "registered vehicle" but does have an age limit of 15 years if you add UK personal cover.
Just check the T&Cs carefully as some like the RAC limit you to 3 claims per year and some have excesses. There is also the clause that they will decline to ferry a broken bike back to the UK if it is worth less than the cost of transport. They give you a cheque and a Ryanair ticket home.
 
We had it on a 10 plate Renault traffic with Brittania Rescue. Never a problem.
 
Might I also suggest Auto aid, for UK breakdown cover.
My bike is 18 years old and cover no problem.

The AutoAid Breakdown Service is a motor vehicle breakdown and recovery plan designed to get you and your vehicle on the move again after a breakdown.The AutoAid Breakdown Service covers you and, where we have agreed to include them, your spouse, civil partner or common law partner, no matter which vehicle you or they are driving providing the driver is legally entitled to drive the vehicle, and the vehicle meets our eligibility criteria.

www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk

Home - AutoAid Breakdown

AutoAid Breakdown provide UK Car Breakdown and Recovery services, from just £66.14 per year and we have add-ons like Legal Partner Cover too!
www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk
 
Last edited:
Gavla04GS said:
I suggest Compare Breakdown Cover which does what it says, on your behalf and you select options that suit, I don’t need European Cover or homestart
Click to expand...
I’ll be using that when I take the MX5 into Europe next month. I have 4 vehicles on a breakdown policy with Autohome at about £14 per month. Been with them for many years and on the odd occasion I’ve needed them (in the UK) they have been first class. But they won’t cover the MX5 for European risk due to its age. I’m having to buy a separate policy for it elsewhere. I seem to recall last time I checked on that link it came back with about £120 for annual, multi trip cover, with excess.
 
Berin said:
Make sure you check the cover though- some of the RAC polices only allow one call out “per period”
Click to expand...
mine says six call outs per year ,and i paid sixty quid for the year ,it covers all my bikes and my car and any other car i am in,think its called a personal cover ,i thought it was realy good value ,as it does say they will recover me back home if it carnt be fixed by the roadside,in the last few years i have never needed it ,but saying that ha ha
 
My GSA is 21 years old
Got recovered in France 🇫🇷 last BH Monday
Put up in hotel for a night and fixed by me the next day, when the Motorrad dealer in Amiens re-opened on the Tuesday
Bike recovered the day before and taxi’s here & there
Couldn’t fault the Europ Assist via Opteven
It was simply stunning

====

I’ve highlighted the cover provider.

Richard
 
fizzer said:
mine says six call outs per year ,and i paid sixty quid for the year ,it covers all my bikes and my car and any other car i am in,think its called a personal cover ,i thought it was realy good value ,as it does say they will recover me back home if it carnt be fixed by the roadside,in the last few years i have never needed it ,but saying that ha ha
Click to expand...
That sounds a good deal! When I had RAC it was their personal policy, but the Euro cover only covered 1 call out per year. It was also very expensive.

I’ll have another look as we are off on the GS basics later this year
 
I had some technical issues with my GS before heading to Spain in April so, out of pure paranoia, I signed up for an EU roadside/recovery assistance with BMW (a friend suggested them).

My GSA is 2007.
The premium is ~150 quid and covered all year, compare to another quote with Aviva for 180 quid single trip.

I didn't go too much into the details, but given the residual value of the bike I will assume that no-one will recover the bike from abroad if stranded (I'd happily cover that myself) though... but I wanted at least repatriation/transport for myself covered.

Bike was perfect during the trip, of course.
 
er-minio said:
but given the residual value of the bike I will assume that no-one will recover the bike from abroad if stranded
Click to expand...

Indeed. If the value of the vehicle is less than the recovery cost, then many (most) recovery insurances will not repatriate the vehicle.
 
Keeping a few grand aside to bring the/a bike back home and have a different type of insurance for your own repatriation/travel costs might be a decent option then. But maybe premium costs would be the same as a full policy, and not worth the faff.
 
Last edited:
OK, I wasn't explicit at step 1.

StartRescue WILL cover me for UK only.

They refuse to cover a bike over 10 years old for Europe.

So I'll have to find either a new company to cover everything or stay with StartRescue for UK - they do appreciate my loyalty :)

And Find a second company to cover 1 or more European trips.

I'll follow up some of the pointers above.

It does seem that some companies cover UK only.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top Bottom