Insurance Small Print

[Balky001]

Well it's that time of year where I put my details in comparison sites and am left to the mercy of the cold callers and client serving teams to beat my quote.

Bennett's renewal quote of £250 fully comprehensive for my ZX6R seemed a little steep especially as they auto-renewed it last year forgetting to give me NCB protection or pillion cover and wacking my voluntary excess up to £350. So I went to go compare or compare the meerkat and got some slightly more favourable quote.

I went for Motorcycle Direct's offer - £192 including NCB protection breakdown and legal. Bargain! I searched the small print and all looked fine except there was scant detail on the terms of the cover when 'garaged'.

My policy arrived and on the back page of my policy schedule, in not so small but still difficult to find print, it clearly stated that I am only covered when the bike is on or in close proximatey of my property if it is in a locked garage. Which means if I wash the bike, work on it outside or just leave it for two minutes or keep the garage unlocked when I'm going in and out then I'm totally uninsured.

Motorcycle Direct told me this is not uncommon and Chaucer - the underwritter - doesn't always inlcude that in their T&C's but it will be in the policy schedule as an endoresment. The broker was very helpful after I was clear this was unacceptable and arranged another search promising not charges should I wish to cancel (waivering their expensive £50 admin 'costs')

I ended paying another £57 (just the increase of premium) to get a better policy all round that states the bike only has to be in a locked garage if at the property between 10pm and 6am which suits be fine. I don't generally wash the bike after 10!

So, just a warning to check the docs thoroughly (even if you read the T&Cs) and that all that glitters is not gold (or the silver policy as it happens) but sometimes poo with sparkles

[Kenzie]

I have my bike listed as kept on the road. It is kept in a garage but means I can keep it anywhere I want without worrying about lack of cover. Made about £1 difference to the policy.

Common practice, I wash mine then put it back in. £57 cheaper but I can peel an orange in my pocket.

[Balky001]

yes, I had thought about that but on the road premiums were the same price as the discounted one I ended up with and they didn't inlcude breakdown or legal - depends where you live and bike I suppose, but I couldn't get a decent road policy for near the same money.

DT - I sometimes leave mine on the drive for a long time as it's a pain to get past the two cars and trailer as it's so narrow - it's a bit like a scene from Butteflies when I want to go for a ride. Also sometimes I'm just lazy. I keep the garage door open when gardening or doing manly woodwork stuff when going in and out too.

I always knew it was an orange in your pocket!

My cover is the same. I do leave mine outside the garage at lunchtimes because I'm too bl00dy lazy to put it inside. I guess I'm relying on the alarm going off if anyone tries to move it. On a related note, Bennetts auto-renewed mine because I thought I'd made a one-off payment and didn't notice they'd kept my card details http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.p...ight=insurance - my fault for not noticing, but I wouldn't use them again.

mine is with carol nash, same applies ie must be locked up between 10 and 6 when at home.