Tom:

There is no point at all in maintaining an insurance policy if you are operating the vehicle outside of the countries that your policy is valid in.

For example: I live in Canada, and have a ST 1300 here in Canada that has a Canadian licence plate and is insured with a Canadian insurance company. The geographical limits of my coverage include all of Canada and all of the United States.

I also own a ST 1100 that I use in Europe. It has a Canadian licence plate on it. It would be pointless - a total waste of money - for me to maintain my Canadian insurance policy whilst that motorcycle is in Europe. First of all, the insurance policy doesn't apply outside of Canada & the USA (the geographical limits of policy coverage). So it doesn't matter if I hit someone, or if it gets stolen, or if I crash it in a ditch, my Canadian insurance policy would not pay out a penny if the claim occurred outside of the geographical limits of the policy. Second, I would be in violation of the laws of European countries if I didn't maintain insurance coverage that is valid in those European countries.

If I was to operate the ST 1100 (the bike I have in Europe) in Canada, I would be obliged by Canadian law to have it insured for liability. Same if I was to operate it in the USA. If I operate it in Europe, or Africa, I'm also obliged to have it insured for liability there too... and the only way I can do this is by buying a policy from a provider who sells coverage valid in Europe or Africa.

So, when I am in Europe or Africa, I buy insurance policies from European or African providers who are able to sell me insurance coverage that is valid in the countries that I am riding in. For an example of this, see this post that I made many years ago: Balkans Insurance - Here's the story, with details & sample documents.

So, to sum up:

1) Find out what countries your existing UK policy covers you in. Sounds like you know that already.

2) You might want to ask your present insurer if they can extend your existing policy to cover additional countries (i.e. Eastern Europe, Balkans, maybe even Turkey).

3) When you leave the geographical area that your "home" policy covers, cancel (or suspend) your home policy, and make sure that you buy coverage at the border for whatever country or region you are entering.

Michael

PS: For greater clarity, and the avoidance of doubt - The law in your home country says that you must have insurance to operate your moto in your home country. It doesn't say that you need to have insurance to operate your moto outside of your home country... it is the laws of the other countries that say that you need insurance valid in those other countries to operate in those other countries.