Just passed my test and started putting feelers out for insurance on a new bike (750-800cc), but got a massive shock at quotes! (around £1,000)
Few details: 1. Quote is from a broker - not just one company. 2. My age - 48, (have over 31 years car driving experience accident free and many years car no claims which obviously don’t count). 3. Licence - clean. 4. Bike is not a performance one, rather just a laid back cruiser (new £6-8,000). 4. Milage 2,000 per year. 5. Kept - secure underground car-park chained to concrete pillar.
Any advise on how to get the quotes to something reasonable? I am really disappointed now. God knows what they would quote if I was in my twenties! Should I be looking at some crappy second hand bike to build up some no claims?
Is this normal? Did you guys have the same insurance jump from a 125cc?
17 yrs old Peugeot Speedfight - £280ish third party only
18 yrs old r125 - £320ish third party only
19 yrs old ybr125 - was rented would be a lot cheaper than the r125 though
20 yrs old gsx650f - £412 full comp with £350 excess. Also have 2 or 3 yrs no claims though
Get something a bit older. IE, 2010 model rather than brand new… less than £5K in value as it makes a big difference when getting an insurance quote. When you get something second hand undervalue it for your quote as the will pay you market value.
Yes fully comp. They have just back got back to me and said its high because it is not garaged, (err hello flats don’t come with garages in London), and because I have only just passed my test (despite 2 years on the 125 with cbt’s). Monkimark - you figure sounds OK - It was what I was kind of hoping for.
If you’ve only checked on comparison sites, it’s worth ringing up some of the more reasonable quotes and you’ll probably find they can improve their price. I think I knocked 10-20% off by calling up and playing one against the other.
I’ll check later, but I think I went with CIA in the end.
I have no NCB, 9 penalty points, a £4,000 unsettled claim last year, garaged kept 865cc Bonne’, residing outside the M25 Fully comprehensive came in at just £300.00
Edit … answer ‘yes’ to the question ‘Have you ridden a bike over 600cc in the last year’
Thanks for the replies - very helpful. Definitely trying a 2010 under 5k has made a quite a difference. (Around £500). It’s disappointing it’s not what I had set my heart on but I suppose I will have to play the game to begin with. Will keep on trying some options…
No worries mate. I know having a brand new bike does have a nice feel to it but you can still get 2010 models with approximately 1000miles on it so its kind of like new. Look at the plus side someone else is having to pay the large initial depreciation on it :). Having owned a brand new bike I do look back and regret it now, but each to their own I suppose.
Also a naked bike will be cheaper than a faired bike in most cases. For example, a fazer faired and a fazer naked both fz6 may have a huge difference in terms of performance and if your not doing motorway miles it shouldn’t really make too much difference in and around town.
My dad found exactly the same thing - insurance for older guys getting into bikes is high due to statistics. He is 55, lives in Taunton and had a bike licence for 30 years (just got back into it so no no claims) and I could insure a fireblade for the same amount he could at 27 having just passed my test.
As said, get a nearly new bike and save yourself a few quid on both purchase cost and insurance and then rent a garage as that will make a difference and give you peace of mind!
Thanks Leon that is interesting and does put things into perspective. Looking second hand now and have been playing around with options on the insurance calculators and if I have a few years after passing the test it does come down a little (doesn’t help me now of course), and the garage option does make a difference (but not sure if that going to be an option as I don’t know any nearby to rent- its all on street round my way).
Of course the other big difference is TPFT or fully comp! I realise insurance is always a gamble but is it worth going for TPFT only?, or do most of you go for fully comp? (bike value 4.5k). My current 125 is only TPFT (bought new 2k).
