Hi folks,
I am an Australian citizen and resident and am planning a 90 day tour of Europe, starting in early June. Getting hold of a bike is not an issue, having done a deal with another Hubber, Chris, at welovebikes.com. The drama starts when I try to get full comp cover for the bike, with the only responses so far saying that they will only cover UK residents.
Can anyone help with the name of a company which I can can use ? This must be possible as others have done it before. If it requires some shonky deals, then so be it, but I will not be doing the trip without it, that much is certain. I do have a UK drivers license.
Cheers,
Gav.

Hey mate,

I'm a kiwi and looking at doing a similar trip in june but for a bit longer.
What address are you going to keep on your drivers licence? could you use the same for your insurance? or maybe use a friends address? That's what i will probably be doing.
Have you got a route sorted yet?

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He who makes a beast out of himself
Gets rid of the pain of being a man

Sorry. can't help on that one mate but I do question the need for insurance. I've owned 40+ bikes over the last 38 years and not one has been insured, including the 5 in my garage at present.

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Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

hey man,

just use a friends address or a hostel's, you'll be a resident there when you apply, they will not know any difference. You have to be prepared to break a lot of rules if you wanna ride around the world.

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Ride on
Kev

Yeah, when I was over there 20 years ago, the idea of bending the rules didn't seem so important. I am only there for a good time, not a long time, so I may have to just harden up a bit.
Cheers,
Gav.

UK insurers are complete and utter *****. If they can find a way not to pay out they will. Go on line and use an address you are at and get third party only. That makes you legal and gives you a slip of paper that will keep the authorities off your back anywhere in the EU for 90 days at a time (there is usually a limit on how long you are covered outside the UK). The fully comp bit is a waste of money unless you can provide 100% true, verifiable proof that you jumped through all their hoops (UK citizen, UK address, bike is black not dark blue, right date on the forms, no spelling mistakes etc.) as the ******s simply won't pay out when you need them to. We jump through their hoops and they still don't pay, so save your money.

How's your French or German? The Europeans seem to have insurance companies that seem more interested in providing a service rather than just taking your money because the government force you to. That or try brokers in London where a lot of Australians live. Expect to pay probably half the value of the bike for fully comp if you can't meet all their requirements.

If the bike has a UK plate, ever cop car in the country can check your insurance status in minutes, so don't think you can escape the third party cover requirement. In all honesty and not wishing to ruin your plans, I'd start in another country with less of a police state.

Andy

Try Carole Nash.....I had fully comp insurance through them in 2008. Cost was 183 British Pounds for 4 months cover, which wasn't too bad. I was on my Aussie registered bike and used my Aussie address.

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Just Ride!
www.rocktravels.blogspot.com

I can appreciate the idea, but unfortunately it is a legal requirement to have insurance in both the UK and Europe.

Thems the breaks

I am a Kiwi myself, living in Perth. I had insurance previously, when I did courier work in London a few years ago so it may just be possible to just walk in and get another policy. I don't want to wind up in the crapper, owning a bike but unable to ride it, so I am trying to make sure the bases are covered. It is not so much the chance of an accident pushing this, as it is the legal requirement in both the UK and Europe.
At the moment, the only part of the trip which has any planning, is the leg from Portsmouth to Cherbourg then down to northern Portugal. After that, it's a case of follow the road and the guidebook.
When do you intend to be getting out of the UK. We may be able to catch up for a .
Cheers,
Gav.

Might miss you i think.
I'm looking at leaving late June but will be heading up Norway, Finland, baltic states and then down eastern europe to turkey and then follow the med coast around to Spain, Morocco etc.

don't know how long it will take but i will be quitting my job anyway

__________________
He who makes a beast out of himself
Gets rid of the pain of being a man