Hey,

I've been reading through all the posts on the HUBB for travel insurance and appreciate all the advice!!! So I just thought I would post my 2 cents as well, (no point in hours of research going to waste)!!!

So,

I found the main problem's with finding suitable travel insurance for long term motorcycle touring are:

1. Finding a company that allows you to ride a bike over 125cc

- a lot of companies state in the small print that the bike can not be over this size and as far as I have read, a lot of people get caught out with this one when it comes time to make a claim,


2. Riding the bike as your MAIN form of transport and NOT just as an 'activity'

- A few of them state that you can only ride them as an activity and so you need to check that its cool to ride it everyday if you so desire


3. Allowing you to ride over 31 days consecutively.

- The Annual multi-trip policy which I know a few people have bought only lets you ride abroad for a certain amount of days usually ranging between 31 -45 and then you must return to the UK before going out again. So a Single trip policy, backpacker, explorer or long stay policy is required.


4. Lets you extend your policy whilst your away

- This one's interesting as a lot of companies i spoke to will only let you purchase travel insurance from them as long as you are in the UK as you purchase.

- The reason this is an issue is that in my personal case, Im leaving in a few weeks for a trip to the Middle East and the minimum amount of time im gone is 6 months, max being a year. I dont want to have to pay money unecessarily as Im not sure how long I will be away, so if towards the end of my six months i decide I want to carry on for another 2 or even 6 months I need to be able to purchase my insurance without flying home!

- One insurance advisor told me that you may have a problem if for example you brake your leg before the six months is up and then you want to renew. BUT i double, triple and cross referenced this and If you do brake it whilst insured the rule is that your insurance will cover it but when you renew that new insurance will not pay out for anything related to it. (sorry its so long winded) But you dont have to worry as your initial policy would take care of it anyway!!!


*side note, the general rule with companies that allow you to extend whilst your away is that you MUST purchase BEFORE your current policy has expired.


5. A policy which doesnt cost more than your bike!!!

The first company I phoned yesterday was Carole Nash and they told me that for 1 years travel im looking at £900 ... Obviously hearing that depressed the **** out of me as i guessed that was the bench mark... I thought that maybe its because im only 23 Years old that its so high, but as I phoned more and more companies the price seemed to drop to the 600 and then the 400 and 300 mark!


In the end I narrowed the companies down to Navigator Travel and The Post Office (believe it or not - it was the very last company on my list of 30 odd)

As a chap on here stated Navigator are very helpful as its straight through to a bloke but then again the post office is too!

Navigator gave me an annual price of 250 for silver and 314 for gold
Post office gave me 340 or 370

the two are roughly the same with the post office offering slightly better payouts BUT heres the big difference....

If you have a PERSONAL ACCIDENT whilst on the bike and lose or seriously damage a limb etc Navigator will not pay you a lump sump - Nada

whilst the post office will pay 30,000 ....

In the end I went with the post office for a 6 month policy for £160 quid which I am free to extend for another month to six at any time within my current policy.

Right thats about it, any questions happy to help

Andy Davidson