Travel-Bike-Insurance-Breakdown

[REKMec]

Questions …

I’ve been searching this week. My question is ’What if?’
So my discoveries are … This week I couldn’t find a real human to talk to which is disappointing as it’s all on line. I renewed my M/C insurance with carolenash and asked them at the same time about M/C travel insurance. They said it was a different department and had to be done on line only. That put me off as I only had one question that couldn’t be answered.
What if…. What if I have a non bike related accident like I slipped on steps that were wet and broke my wrist for example. So I have a motorcycle that’s perfect and can’t get it home from the other side of Europe who gets it back? Break down cover won’t as it’s not broken, travel ins won’t as it’s not covered and bike insurance won’t either as it’s not crashed.
Who covers repatriation of the bike????

 

[littleade]

@Wapping is the font of all knowledge Eric there was a similar case on here somewhere earlier this year where someone couldn't ride due to a medical episode but I can't remember the details other than niether the breakdown cover nor the travel insurance would pay to recover the bike. From what I remember you can get this covered by travel insurance, but it's a case of whether or not it's in the fine print of the policy as not ever insurer will/does cover it.

 

[REKMec]

@Wapping is the font of all knowledge Eric there was a similar case on here somewhere earlier this year where someone couldn't ride due to a medical episode but I can't remember the details other than niether the breakdown cover nor the travel insurance would pay to recover the bike. From what I remember you can get this covered by travel insurance, but it's a case of whether or not it's in the fine print of the policy as not ever insurer will/does cover it.

I remember when I was in the TTF forum group to Germany in September 2018 and Nikki bust her wrist. Same sinario and might have been winglad Daniel having to take her bike to holland

 

[littleade]

I remember when I was in the TTF forum group to Germany in September 2018 and Nikki bust her wrist. Same sinario and might have been winglad Daniel having to take her bike to holland

There's 2 from the good old days I remember, I wonder how they're doing now.

 

[Wapping]

Many breakdown covers apparently exclude repatriation of the vehicle, should the driver fall ill. Illness / injury after all is not a mechanical breakdown of the vehicle. You’ll maybe find that some (not all) travel insurance policies might include the cover and / or some breakdown insurances too. Me? Not the slightest idea who does offer it. I’d maybe start by wandering into a broker like Howden, who (if reports on this forum are anything to go by) are very helpful, for a high street broker. There is some vague blurb on the internet that the AA might offer the cover; Lord only knows if it’s right or not. Give them a call, perhaps?

As to why the chimp in the call centre who flogged you your motor insurance, couldn’t or wouldn’t talk to you about travel insurance? It’s a totally different class of business. It’s a bit like asking a butcher about fish, I guess. They should though offer to transfer your call.

 

[boxer]

Britannia Rescue.
Section G5 – Relief Driver

If the only available driver cannot continue a journey because of illness or injury, we will:

Provide a qualified driver to drive your vehicle and up to 7 passengers back to your home address in the UK; or

Pay any extra costs to transport your vehicle, up to 7 passengers and luggage back to the UK as long as these costs are not higher thanthe market value of your vehicle.

Important information about Relief Driver ;
Documentary evidence of the illness or injury must be supplied to us if you are not to be charged for this service.

 

[Wapping]

Britannia Rescue.
Section G5 – Relief Driver

That looks like it might well be a good find. Just make sure you buy the right policy; just in case European cover is separate to the UK; I didn’t look at it in any detail.

You might also need to check if it includes (or excludes) illness / injury sustained whilst riding off-road, if that’s your thing and of course any geographic (country) limitations.

 

[wessie]

I have the Britannia Rescue policy as detailed above. Sadly they do not sell the Euro cover on a comparison site now but I renew it each year.

Last time I checked, Green Flag also have the relief driver/repatriation included in their breakdown cover. This is available via a comparison site at a much reduced rate. Just check it meets your needs as it will likely have a few bells and whistles removed compared to the full fat version.

Just checked, Confused.com are offering the Green Flag policy for £56 for my V85, with £40 excess. £88 no excess.

My Moto Guzzi comes with Europ Assist cover but does not include the sick driver cover, hence I keep the Britannia policy running, which covers my car as well as I have added a personal layer for the UK.

 

[REKMec]

Ok that’s starting to look promising in the last few comments. The amount of trawling on the comparison sites is just life destroying at times and a good forum like this is worth its weight in gold

 

[dicktheleg]

Well worth getting cover for driver being taken ill.

I was hospitalised with a detached retina 48hr before returning crossing to UK back in June.

Insurers picked up the tab for all costs apart from bike repatriation.

So I went back in August and trailered it home.

Fortunately a very good mate in France collected it and stored it at his place until I could return.

 

[wessie]

You might also need to check if it includes (or excludes) illness / injury sustained whilst riding off-road, if that’s your thing and of course any geographic (country) limitations.

Full Britannia wording
https://www.britanniarescue.com/con...2025/Aggregator-policy-wording-40599-2025.pdf

Exclusions Section J para 9. Breakdown and recovery assistance for vehicles involved in sporting events including racing, pace making, speed testing, rallies, trials and all other track based activities or practising for any such events, and those involved in leisure off road events.
Now, if you are injured riding a hired bicycle off road, would you be covered? Vehicle in the context of that paragraph is not any old vehicle but the one specifically detailed on the schedule. I would hope J9 only applies if the injury relates to using your own vehicle for sport/off road
Countries covered are the same as the rest of the policy:
Geographical limits UK plus
Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of North Macedonia,
Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia (West of the Urals), San Marino,
Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey in Europe, Ukraine

 

[Berin]

@Wapping is the font of all knowledge Eric there was a similar case on here somewhere earlier this year where someone couldn't ride due to a medical episode but I can't remember the details other than niether the breakdown cover nor the travel insurance would pay to recover the bike. From what I remember you can get this covered by travel insurance, but it's a case of whether or not it's in the fine print of the policy as not ever insurer will/does cover it.

My breakdown insurance covers me to repartiate the car/bike if the driver is taken ill, on 2 policies I have. Worth checking.

 

[Wapping]

My breakdown insurance covers me to repartiate the car/bike if the driver is taken ill, on 2 policies I have. Worth checking.

It would be helpful (unless I have missed it) to tell the OP who your insurer is and how it was arranged.

 

[Berin]

It would be helpful (unless I have missed it) to tell the OP who your insurer is and how it was arranged.

Both are part of my insurance- cars are with Aviva via Lockton, and my hp2 and Basic are via Howden.

Older bikes in particular are a struggle with breakdown.

GEM covers the newer bikes and cars and also covers repatriation if the driver is incapacitated but for Britain only for older bikes

 

[Ectopic]

My breakdown insurance with the RAC, arranged via my Hastings bike insurance, contains this clause:-

"Section F6: Replacement rider in Europe What’s covered: Although this isn’t covered as a breakdown under this RAC Breakdown Cover, if the rider suddenly or unexpectedly falls ill during the trip in Europe, meaning they can’t ride, the RAC will provide a replacement rider to allow the trip to continue or return home. The RAC will need written confirmation from the treating hospital or medical expert that the rider isn’t able to ride. What’s not covered:1. If there’s another qualified rider who’s a passenger and is fit and legally able to ride your vehicle."

Whether the hypothetical situation you mentioned - falling over and breaking your wrists - would count as "suddenly or unexpectedly falling ill is something that might need some haggling over. Is illness the same as injury?

(I'd also question whether it would be reasonable for my wife - who has a full bike licence and her own bike - to ride our GS home with me on the pillion. She's only little and can't reach the ground at all from the GS saddle!)

Elsewhere in the European Recovery section it does say it will pay for one person to go and collect the bike after breakdown or accident, but that wouldn't be triggered by the broken wrists from falling down a step. Repatriation of the bike also seems to be limited to breakdown or traffic accident rendering the bike unrideable (and not repairable abroad).

From a friend's recent experience with getting a bike repatriated after a breakdown, I suspect there could be some negotiation about using the breakdown clause and paying for a rider to go and collect it rather than paying another rider to bring it home. The cost of doing it that way would be way less.

My annual travel insurance policy with Carole Nash seems to get me home if I can't ride my bike due to illness or accident, but not the bike (or car) I could no longer ride/drive.