Bike insurance - do you take legal cover or not?

Motorcycling
1

As it says in the subject, do you tick the legal cover option or not?

I’m in two minds as I’ve used it in a no fault claim and it was a pain in the ass and sure I could have done it myself!

2

An annual problem this one.

The few times I’ve taken it was for what came with it, not the cover itself. Stuff such as aftermarket parts on the bike, riding gear and (conditionally) luggage and personal effects.

Like you say, it can be a curse. Guy I worked with lost a cast iron personal injury case as he had to use the incompetent, couldn’t care less, appointed legal cover solicitor. O.k. the law practice got censured by the Law Society after he complained, but getting nothing for a no fault broken foot was a bummer.

3

Essentially, no, you don’t need it - there will be a degree of legal cover as part of your policy, however as Oldguy says, when it comes to taking someone to court, it would be worth having over the appointed solicitors in case they happen to be rubbish.
I personally wouldnt go for it, I briefly worked in insurance and the common consensus amongst my team was that it was a waste of money, not that we were allowed to tell the customer that of course.

4

I always had the Legal Cover option when I had TPFT only insurance.
(I saved many £1000s having just TPFT over the years and the Legal
Cover came in use a couple of times when cars drove into me)

Now that TPFT costs the same as fully comp (why is that?) I don’t go for
the Legal Cover as it is superfluous as I have fully comp.

Obviously if you are a poor risk, for whatever reason, you wouldn’t save
if you went for TPFT (assuming it is cheaper and available).

5

Thanks guys, decided not to bother as I am taking fully comp.

One point I noticed was the garage clause, bloody hell it means I could get my bike pinched outside the local shop buying a packet of fags and get stung…:w00t:

If you have stated that your motorcycle will be garaged and a theft or attempted theft occurs within a 500-metre radius of the
declared garaging address, we may

  • double the compulsory excess that applies; or
  • not pay the amount for theft or attempted theft.
    If one of these terms applies, it will be shown as an endorsement in your schedule.
6

Lazy b*strd, do you really use your bike for journeys that are less than 500 metres ?

7

Ha ha nope but I might stop on the way out!