Impossible for a touring Kiwi to insure a bike in the UK

**blambo** · 26th April 2014, 05:20

Hi,

I'm trying to help a Kiwi pal who's coming over for a touring holiday.
He's found a bike here in the UK online and I'm ready to buy it for him.
But, insurance is mandatory here and guess what ?
NO-ONE WILL INSURE HIM.

As soon as I say he's not UK resident (this is just a holiday not emigration)
it's "Sorry, we can't quote for this."

They won't allow me to add him to my policy for the same reason.

So, KIWI Bikers, how is this done ?
Can he get his NZ insurance extended to cover his travel overseas ?

I've given up. 3 days of email, web crawling and phoning call-centres has got no result.

Mike

**R650R** · 26th April 2014, 08:39

Originally Posted by blambo

Hi,

I'm trying to help a Kiwi pal who's coming over for a touring holiday.
He's found a bike here in the UK online and I'm ready to buy it for him.
But, insurance is mandatory here and guess what ?
NO-ONE WILL INSURE HIM.

As soon as I say he's not UK resident (this is just a holiday not emigration)
it's "Sorry, we can't quote for this."

They won't allow me to add him to my policy for the same reason.

So, KIWI Bikers, how is this done ?
Can he get his NZ insurance extended to cover his travel overseas ?

I've given up. 3 days of email, web crawling and phoning call-centres has got no result.

Mike

Have you tried ringing an insurance broker instead of the companies.
Failing that I'd ring one of the car rental places and ask who does theirs.

**onestop** · 26th April 2014, 10:08

I had a simula problem years ago so what I did was tell them I had a uk address said I was taking it for a year paid first 3 month payment then cacelled it at end of trip and got a refund

**Robbo** · 26th April 2014, 10:12

Is it the person or the bike that you have to insure? If it is the bike, can you put the bike in your name as the owner and include your mate as a named rider of the bike on your insurance.

**GrayWolf** · 26th April 2014, 10:16

Originally Posted by Robbo

Is it the person or the bike that you have to insure? If it is the bike, can you put the bike in your name as the owner and include your mate as a named rider of the bike on your insurance.

OK it's been a while (20+yrs) but you can? do either... Insure the bike, and take out a 'Rider Policy', which insures you the person to ride ANY bike up to an agreed CC rating.
IF, that company is still in existence and does them, it was Norwich Union.

Failing that, the other option of saying you are staying there for a year etc seems the only viable alternative.....

**Racing Dave** · 26th April 2014, 12:14

Originally Posted by GrayWolf

IF, that company is still in existence and does them, it was Norwich Union.

Since 2009 they were bought out by Aviva.

I've emailed them with that exact question about short term cover for a Kiwi on holiday, so I'll let you know if/when I get a response.

I've tried several companies and brokers based in the UK, and all have said they only cover UK citizens and only issue 12 month policies.

I've also emailed a foreign-based company which states that they offer short term cover in the UK, so if/when they reply I'll let you know that, too.

**blambo** · 26th April 2014, 15:27

Originally Posted by Racing Dave

Since 2009 they were bought out by Aviva.

I've emailed them with that exact question about short term cover for a Kiwi on holiday, so I'll let you know if/when I get a response.

I've tried several companies and brokers based in the UK, and all have said they only cover UK citizens and only issue 12 month policies.

I've also emailed a foreign-based company which states that they offer short term cover in the UK, so if/when they reply I'll let you know that, too.

I'll be SUPER interested in the response you get...

I have tried ALL the bike insurance brokers here and none of them will insure him.
I also can't add him to my policy (which is with AVIVA, previsiouly called Norwich Union) 'because he's not UK resident'.

There's a German company called Tour Insure who ALMOST fixed it; they insure 'out of country bikes' so if you ship your bike in from the US (or NZ) they will insure you for a flat monthly fee.
BUT you can't be insured for the country where the bike is registered, so the UK reg'd bike can be driven throughout Europe EXCEPT in the UK, which doesn't fit with his plans at all.

I've been off-work sick, so have spent 3 days full-time on this and I've come to the conclusion that unless you tells lies (which invalidates your policy and insurance is ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY here)
you cannot buy bike insurance in the UK for a Kiwi who's just here for a holiday.

I know there's a site that offers temporary cover for Kiwis for cars.
I emailed them to ask about bikes but the email was bounced back as undeliverable, so I'm not sure how 'real' that outfit is...

04:30 here, this is doing my head in...

Mike

**Voltaire** · 27th April 2014, 08:44

I had the above mentioned 'Rider Policy " back in the day, last time I was in the UK was 2002 with a NZ registered Kombi van I brought with me. Spent a lot of time trying to get insurance.
Grab one of those Kiwi mags ..TNT..? and look there, or that Gumtree site and ask?
I got it in the end but it was not cheap.
Then went to Ireland and Kombi van sat in drive for 6 months for same reason....from memory it was over 1000 Euros to get insurance as I wanted a green card to travel.
One tip was don't ring up as when they hear the accent they say no, email them.

**Racing Dave** · 27th April 2014, 10:31

I've had a very fast response from the Dutch insurance company, but the answer was not what I wanted. Like the German company mentioned above, they will insure NZ registered vehicles in Europe, or UK registered ones out of the UK, but not UK ones in the UK.

I have some other enquiries ongoing, and will report back on the findings.

**discotex** · 27th April 2014, 16:43

Buy a non-UK euro bike and ride it in the UK ok with those companies? Perhaps a bike registered in IOM or France etc..

**rapid van cleef** · 27th April 2014, 19:36

As a UK expat of 8 years I had the same issue last year when I went back to visit family. I thought that still being a UK citizen would mean Id have no issues. I planned to buy a bike and tour scotland with my brother. I bought the bike from ebay and then tried to insure the bike. No one would insure it unless I was a uk resident for the last 12 months. I ended up having to transfer ownership of the bike to my brother. Then he had to insure it in his name, than have an any rider policy put on the bike. That policy cost me around 80 bucks for 2 weeks..

Take note...

If you leave the insurance until the last minute, many ins co's will have a 30 day get out clause. So you can insure the bike for a couple of weeks just before your trip, then cancel the insurance and get your premium back minus a fee. ....(If you can get someone to insure the bike for any rider that is)............. My insurance cost me 100gbp for a year through my brother, which I paid upfront. I/ we cancelled it( through my brothers insurance) and got 60 gbp back at the end of the trip

Bloody nightmare but got it sorted

Hope that helps

**swbarnett** · 27th April 2014, 23:26

Maybe talk to someone that hires bikes to tourists and ask how they do it?

**R650R** · 28th April 2014, 08:37

One way that does work is take your NZ bike over providing that your insurance company here will insure you to ride over there.
As a work around this bike could be a little xl185 road registered traile etc that you could biff when done over there. I suggest this as I'm pretty sure from when I was there once you are insured on one vehicle you are insured to drive anything else. eg being insured on my girlfriends car and bike when I was working there meant I was already covered to drive anyone elses car or a rental van when we moved etc.
Another forum says all you really need is a contacable UK address that is not a hostel or motel etc...

Or you could bin the touring idea and just do a track day holiday instead with track bike

**awa355** · 28th April 2014, 08:54

Would there be any advice on a site such as Horizons Unlimited?

**george formby** · 28th April 2014, 10:42

Originally Posted by rapid van cleef

As a UK expat of 8 years I had the same issue last year when I went back to visit family. I thought that still being a UK citizen would mean Id have no issues. I planned to buy a bike and tour scotland with my brother. I bought the bike from ebay and then tried to insure the bike. No one would insure it unless I was a uk resident for the last 12 months. I ended up having to transfer ownership of the bike to my brother. Then he had to insure it in his name, than have an any rider policy put on the bike. That policy cost me around 80 bucks for 2 weeks..

Take note...

If you leave the insurance until the last minute, many ins co's will have a 30 day get out clause. So you can insure the bike for a couple of weeks just before your trip, then cancel the insurance and get your premium back minus a fee. ....(If you can get someone to insure the bike for any rider that is)............. My insurance cost me 100gbp for a year through my brother, which I paid upfront. I/ we cancelled it( through my brothers insurance) and got 60 gbp back at the end of the trip

Bloody nightmare but got it sorted

Hope that helps

I've used this lot eBike the last couple of times I've been back up over. Mind you, I had a bike registered in my name to a UK address prior to setting up the policy. Cost me 24 poonds a month fully comp with full Y'erpean repatriation coverage & breakdown assistance. Had a flat battery in the middle of nowhere & they got a mechanic out to me & back on the road. I was very impressed. Sorry OP, nothing else to contribute except the hijack.

Oh, eBike were advertising for reps over here a couple of years ago so they may have set up shop in NZ. If so a policy transfer may be possible... Long shot, I know.