UK-based motorcycle insurance - Europe-wide, 6 months

[Pat_Russell]

Hi,

Apologies if there is an answer to this- I have searched already but can't find it!

I'm about to embark on my first long trip essentially around the coastline of Europe - Scandinavia, down through Estonia/Lat/Lith/Pol/Bulg/Romania, clockwise round the Black Sea, through Turkey, Greece, Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia and then basically following the coast around until I feel like coming back to the UK. It's around 12000 miles, and I'm setting aside 5-6 months for it - not in any rush ;-)

I'm having a real problem finding motorcycle insurance based here in the UK though. The two key issues seem to be the length of the trip - most will cover for 90 days max - and then some of the countries like Albania, Ukraine & Russia.

Now, this must be possible, since I know there are people here that haven't been home since they were toddlers. If anybody has any recommendations or ideas I would be really grateful to hear them.

Cheers,

Pat.

[fcasado]

Hi Pat,

My g/f and I are about to do the same trip, when are you leaving? We're on the ferry to France on the 19th of June, first night in Belgium and then up to Norway through Denmark, etc etc...Would be great if we met on the road (look on the blog in my sig)

Anyway, back to your question. We're using eBike as they won't put a limit of 90 days as the others do, however they don't cover any country outside EU + Norway, Switzerland and Croacia. I think we'll get insurance at the border as most folks do on these countries.

HTH

Cheers
Fernando

mfnaeuropa@hotmail.com

[Pat_Russell]

Hi Fernando,

Thanks for the reply. I did look at ebike, but then got fixated on trying to get something to cover all countries and was about to get in touch with Alessie in the Netherlands.

But.... I think it's going to be very expensive and I'm probably best doing as you suggest - just not sure how the border insurance thing works and whether it works in all the other countries. Only one way to find out I suppose ;-)

Your route is very similar to mine although I'm starting a little later (early July) and sailing straight to Norway and going the long way round the Black Sea. It would be great to meet up! Maybe we can work it out through email on the way - my schedule is a bit loose.

I'll be on the silver 1150GS...

Thanks,

Pat.

[Mike]

Hi Pat, Fernando

It looks like the coast roads will be busy this summer;-).. I hope to be in Murmansk in 4-6weeks at the start of a ride round the coast...
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...murmansk-21700
...which sounds a lot like Pat's trip, at least until Poland.. I'll be following the coast all the way round rather than cutting down to Bulgaria. Great minds think alike, eh?

As for bike insurance, the Hubb is strangely quiet on the subject, but Paul Gowan at the RAC has kindly suggested
Knopf (http://www.knopftours.com)
or Alessi (http://www.alessie.com/)
both outside the UK and offering greencard (minimum third party) cover.

They're both listed on the HU site proper:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tripplan/paper/

Hope yr preparations are going well

--Mike

[fcasado]

Hey Mike and Pat.

I'm really looking forward to meeting you guys on the road!

The preparation is going well (sort of, lol), loads of things to do yet and we both are still working.

All the best
Fernando

[Pat_Russell]

Wow - Murmansk should be an adventure! Chilly... but tempting...

Sudden indecision about insurance again since I see that ebike specifically don't provide the hallowed green card due to (I'm guessing) a new ruling that it's not required. Not sure I trust that info to have reached some border posts, and I was thinking the green card would have Chris Scott's "library card effect".... might give Knopf a ring tomorrow.

Preparation moving nicely along thanks - yours likewise I hope. Sore arms today from being infected with every disease known to man. I am invincible, and laugh in the face of frothy dogs ;-)

See you on the road...

Pat.

[Mike]

Fernando
I'm not working now (except on the trip) and can't get anything done either.of course, the fact that the sun has finally arrived in London and the parks are soclose and so inviting may have something to do with it...

Pat
You sound very organised ;-)
Are you going to the HU Meeting in Derbyshire?

--Mike

[Pat_Russell]

That's not something I'm often called! But, I've had the luxury of not having to be at work whilst planning this so it allows for single-mindedness. Means I'm boring as hell though ;-)

Did think about the meeting but the timing's awkward so I don't think I will.

Regarding the insurance, in case it's of any interest... had a quote back from Alessie today for a whopping 695 Euros although it does seem like the fullest solution - details are:

We can offer you Third Party Liability insurance for your motorcycle valid on the Continent at a premium of Euro 695,- incl. policy charges, provided that you are 25 years of age or older. For riders 21-24 years of age there is a 25% surcharge.
We cannot offer coverage for the UK if your bike has a UK registration, but we assume you will already have UK insurance.
The only countries on the Continent that are excluded from coverage are Russia and the Asiatic part of Turkey. For the latter you will have to buy local insurance at the border.
For Russia you have 3 options:
1) you buy the local obligatory insurance at the border. Note that the coverage provided by the local insurance is very low.

2) we provide you at an additional premium the obligatory insurance plus an additional TPL insurance with a coverage up to USD 1.000.000,- (in this case you will have to indicate the commencing date and duration of the insurance – minimum period of insurance 15 days)

3) you buy the local obligatory insurance at the border and only obtain from us at additional premium the additional higher coverage as mentioned under option 2. (minimum period 15 days).

Subsequently found out that my current insurers (BMW through NIG) actually provide the same cover as the ebike policy - also without actual green card. Need to think a little more about it, haven't spoken to Knopf yet.

Would be interested to know if anybody has purchased insurance at the border before in any of these countries, how it went, was it difficult to find, costly, effective if they had to use it etc.

Picking up Russian visa tomorrow - pretty excited...

Pat.

[Mike]

Pat

Here's an excerpt from the email I got back from Knopf... it's ever-so-slightly hard to follow..and I think it'll be easier for you to contact them directly at knopftours@aol.com...

"30 Days of Green card Liability Insurance Motorcycle are 55 Euro or 60US Dollar
30 Days of Greencard Liability Insurance Car are 155 Euro or 195 US Dollar
Â
I need follow Info.
Â
Youre Full adress and Name of Owner
Full name and adress of Driver if diffrent then Owner
Make of Vehicle (Car Motorcycle)
Vinnummber
Lisence Platte nummber
when to start
How Long of Insurance
where to send Insurance"

(see what I mean?)

Or in other words, I need to sit down and work out a few permutations before deciding what to do!I've certainly been expecting to buy localinsurance in Russia.

Hopw you had a sunny weekend and weren't stuck in front of yr computer the whole time ;-)

--Mike

[fcasado]

Nice to hear that you guys got some time off to pack everything up, trust me it's a huge advantage (eventhough you might be bored sometimes).
I'm working from 9 in the morning till 11 in the evening everyday, but got a 2 hs brake between 4 and 6 and today on my "brake" I'll try to turn the GS headlight to the "continent driving side", lol. Started yesterday but couldn't get round of it using the (crap) manual.

Now it's just one week and we'll be gone...Can't wait!

Take it easy guys and have fun.

Cheers
Fernando

[bikermike]

i have lost my original user name but many people know that we ride every year in europe and keep a bike there.

insurance is crap situation. we dealt with Mandell for years, then as we expanded to beyond 6 months, we had trouble with them. so we went to knopftours. now we are checking and they want more than Mandell so we are going back to them.

we will be heading to Montenagro to test the heat-troller and our heated liner. then to germany and eventually to southern spain. I need a place to stash the bike in mid-October.

there are lots of photos on our website if people traveling to europe want to see them. www.thejourneyisthegoal.com

Mike

[Maverick Bubble]

I purchased insurance at Finnish / Russian border two years ago. Its a formality not a problem. No much english spoke english there and i found them quite hostile, except for the quaint babuska (old/mature lady)who sold me the insurance from the cabin that sold it.

If you see some Finnish registered cars at the customs and insurance cabins see if they will help you. They usually speak english and are quite experianced at the border crossings as they are usually involved some sort of business. Thankfully the people that worked at the border crossing did not represent the Russian people at large. The Russki people are quite cool once you get to know them.

Its the same in a lot of countries, put some one in a unifrom and they think there god. Be cool bite your tongue and let them feel superior to boost there flagging egos.

Maverick Bubble

[Pat_Russell]

Right, after what feels like weeks and weeks of phoning & webbing, I've settled on a solution.

I've taken out a comprehensive policy with ebike - should've just listened to Fernando in the first place! This seems to the the only UK insurance comany who operate independently (different underwriters, and I was wrong about my BMW policy being the same) and offer 365 European cover for EU member states (only). And unless I'm reading the policy document wrongly, it seems that within the EU states, they offer comprehensive cover i.e. not just minimum Third Party - which is very pleasing. They also have full European breakdown cover for £50 which covers for EU states and most of the non-EU (excluding Asian Turkey & Russia). Their website is www.ebikeinsurance.co.uk.

For the bike insurance in non-EU countries, I'm going to go with Alessie third party liability. Because of the way my route is planned, all of these countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia*, Turkey, Albania, Bosnia, Serbia) are pretty much lumped together in the middle of my 6 months. This means I can keep the cost down a little by just paying for 2 or 3 months with them. *Russia not covered - buy at border. Their website is www.alessie.com.

So, done at last. I'll shut up about it now, hope it helps. Thanks for all your advice ;-)

Happy Trails,

Pat.