London insurance

[IndigoJo]

Is there anyone who will offer insurance for less than a grand for a new rider on a CB125F in the Kingston area (SW London)? I've been trying to get quotes and can't get a 3PFT offer for under a grand and 3rd party offers start at £750. I also found that if I asked about a rider with a year's experience and no-claims, the quotes were the same, meaning that the cost could be more than that of the bike (if secondhand) over two years. I just can't afford that, it's money down the drain pure and simple unless the bike is paying for itself which it won't be.

[husoi]

London is high risk for theft.

Little experience is also high risk

Any insurer will take your age into consideration, which you don't specify, younger rides will have an increased risk.

 

All this adds to an extortionate premium 

Edited January 28 by husoi

[Ian Frog]

London has always been ridiculous for insurance premiums.

I remember back in the early 80`s when I was a London despatch rider the premiums including goods in transit were eye watering.

A group of us ended up all registering at a friends address (8 of us apparently living in a one bed flat in Hove lol).

Don`t think you`d get away with it nowadays.

Cheers

Ian

[IndigoJo]

3 hours ago, husoi said:

Any insurer will take your age into consideration, which you don't specify, younger rides will have an increased risk.

 

I'm 48.

[IndigoJo]

Just did a bit of extra tinkering with the quote, removing commuting and subsituting some more obscure bikes as I've heard that they tend to get better premiums, even if they're more powerful.

 

I substituted a CB125R for an F; the lowest premium for 3PFT for social & commuting was £30 less but the others were generally more.

 

Removing commuting did take about £100 off the 3PFT quotes.

 

But substituting a 15hp Yamaha, which surely must be a more desirable bike for any thief because it looks cool (maybe it's my age!) knocks a good £200 off the 3PFT quote. It's much more expensive new, and secondhand they're all more than £3K. Maybe as there are fewer of them around and they aren't a standard, they aren't 'needed' for parts? 

 

Third-party only is about £550 for that bike. That's affordable.

[bonio]

Have you tried fully comp? For me it's usually cheaper than TPFT, but might not be for you.

[IndigoJo]

2 minutes ago, bonio said:

Have you tried fully comp? For me it's usually cheaper than TPFT, but might not be for you.

Yes; all the quotes were £300 or so more than 3PFT.

[RideWithStyles]

 

9 hours ago, Ian Frog said:

London has always been ridiculous for insurance premiums.

Don`t think you`d get away with it nowadays.

Cheers

Ian

oh yes and claims to be the driver/named …still goes on..

 

 

More likely to Struggle fighting hoody

thieve gangs off -.
I’ll assume your excess is stupidly high too?

 

yeah sorry to hear but you will struggle to get anything reasonable:

London is an overridden #########_ raises risk.

young have to ride small bikes and crash a lot with that type of bike - so statistically so raises risk.

drivers are mostly not paying attention to anything or just angry at everyone - raises risk. 

Attracts thieves as bikes are still in demand - raises risk.

the police (mostly the top level goobers close depts down that may help) and mostly files reports against, wanting to waste resources and money to do other easy tasks- raises risk.

If by luck ends to court, quick to return nicking, no real address in the system afterwards on breaking habit - raises risks.

so for the insurance theres very high chance of paying out more than they earn let alone break even with little incentive.

Do you really need a motorcycle in London? As terrible public services are said to be run but access to them is better (than other places?), the way people treat them and others is disgusting and the mayor has a hump on everything but money.

it saves you grands in buying the bike, grand in insurance, the kit.

stress when it gets nicked, then you have to pay your high excess ontop, they then pay out will be “market value” so around half or a touch more what you paid for the bike but nearing your excess?

so you then have to find the difference in money lost and recoupe the excess cost, and start again only then your insurance goes up more again or just won’t insure you…

only to figure out it might not be worth it, thats what the insurance is suggesting to you. 

 

thats my take on it and if your still fine or can afford to risk it then great, but don't be surprised if your really paying through the nose and do every year while your there.

 

probably just get a portable e-scooter…

[IndigoJo]

51 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said:

 

 

only to figure out it might not be worth it, thats what the insurance is suggesting to you. 

 

 

That's what I thought when I saw the premiums. Forget it.
 

At best it'll be a way of getting out and seeing the countryside, which I do quite a lot by car. An expensive hobby basically. For commuting it's out of the question.

[RideWithStyles]

Only if your in London.

[bonio]

1 hour ago, IndigoJo said:

That's what I thought when I saw the premiums. Forget it.
 

At best it'll be a way of getting out and seeing the countryside, which I do quite a lot by car. An expensive hobby basically. For commuting it's out of the question.

That's a shame. It's such a real barrier to folk finding out what it's like to get on a bike and ride.

I got into it because it was a good way of commuting; free and easy to park, and I never got stuck in traffic. As an expensive hobby, it loses a lot its appeal.

[IndigoJo]

I found that social-only premiums are much better once I pass (even if the pass is a day old), and much lower for a CB500X than for any 125. As in under £500. So that's something. Won't be my daily commute certainly not for the first year or so, but not quite such an expensive hobby as riding a 125.

 

If it's something really low powered like an Enfield Meteor (Go Compare doesn't know about the Honda GB yet), the cost for commuting is easily affordable.