All I want is to know I can get proper treatment for serious injury... I've seen broken bones diagnosed/set 'on the cheap' in Africa. They just don't have the training, equipment etc. Sadly, life is cheap in many places.

If I'm dead......Just shove an acorn up my bum, throw me in a hole and water me a few times a month.

I don't see the use or ornament for 85kg of rotting carbon to be flown around the world at great expense.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

More updates:--

Phoned AA, more or less the same as The Post Office but you can extend while your out there. So if you're buying a year it doesn't really matter - that's all you're gonna get. Their maximum policy is 365 days though you MUST be in the UK when you purchase the quote. This seems to be the norm, rather than the exception.

Interestingly:-

I asked

"Does the travel FCO's warnings have any impact on the policies?" Short answer = absolutely! Long answer =

If they find out you've driven through an area which has been declared dangerous by the FCO it will invalidate your entire policy, so if you did 9 months in South America and stacked your bike in Argentina, but they somehow knew you crossed the boarder from Ecuador to Colombia, you would not be covered. Likewise, obviously if you had an accident in this area you would be on your own.

Here is the official advice:-
Can anyone clarify what they mean by 'rural' i.e. are they just talking about the boarders in general or...?

If so, no doubt if they had to payout a big claim i.e. 2million they would be looking for every excuse not to. If they asked to see you're passport and then saw the stamps at a Ecuador/Colombian boarder crossing, you'd be ****ed And so this is why I hate travel insurance companies. I'm going to call Navigator back next week and see what they say, but as far as the AA and PO are concerned, if you're enter Colombia and the area can be defined as "Rural", you're not covered.

Updated:-

So the AA ---- here we go. The main difference is that the representative said that the FCO warnings have no effect on the policy i.e. representative said "if commercial airlines fly there we will insure you*". I got quoted 240 quid for a year on the backpacker policy, again with no restrictions on motorcycle used as primary means of transport, assuming insured has full license, wears a helmet and keeps to 'public' roads.

* even Iraq one wonders?

I called back Post Office and asked the same question and got a different answer - that time I was told that while you will not be covered in given areas which went against FCO recommendations, if you did pass through without issue and later made a claim in, say Chile, this WOULD be covered.

Doesn't exactly fill you with confidence. Lets hope navigator get their act together.

Both are insured by AXA UK PLC.

Hope this helps!

Just an update on Navigator. I confirm what was said by ridetheworld. Richard was told today (25/02/2014) that the will have something in place that will fit for my single trip to central Asia, in the next 2 weeks.

I may not hold till then as I need an insurance doc for my Kazakh visa application. I'll investigate alternatives.

__________________
Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

I haven't read the entire thread, so apologies if this has already been mentioned, but I recommend UK/European residents contact David Grist at HC Travel. They have a motorcycle specific, "Biker's Travel Insurance" that may suit.

Single trip from 1 to 365 days, up to 75 years old ...

I called in to see David last week, they no longer offer that cover. Underwriter has changed it's terms. It looks like this is happening a lot.
We are struggling to find any cover for 365 days or more.

Sadly I called them this morning and I have bad news! Their main page says up to 365 days but when you continue for a quote, it is only for 2 months max for single trips! I confirmed this over the phone and their main page need update

__________________
Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

As we will travel on a couple of small 125 to Mongolia I extended my research.
Not of much confort for anyone on bigger bikes (and we have bigger bikes too usually!) but InsureAndGo insure up to 125cc included, and when I phoned they confirmed I could be covered if I travel 4 months on the small 125 (as long as T&C are respected - i.e. wearing helmet etc...)

So I will buy that one for my single trip. I hope by then Richard at Navigator will have found an underwritter to cover bigger bikes for long trips!

__________________
Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

No help to us, as we are non-UK residents, but I've found a company called Holiday Safe, who do Motorcycle Holiday Insurance for UK citizens : Motorcycle Travel Insurance - Bikers Travel Insurance Policy.

I was doubtful, so I put in the details for myself and Roynie for a fictitious 115-day trip for worldwide cover (inc. US and Canada) and, sure enough, they gave me a quote. Now all we need to do is find someone who will cover Irish or French residents ...