Motorcycle Insurance Q&A's
Discussion
Couple of insurance question here, just curious how other people deal with it.
Some people seem to chop and change bikes a lot. I'm still rather new but I'm fully aware how picky insurance companies are about cancelling early or changing. Personally, in about 4-5 months my insurance is up for renewal and ideally I'd sell the current bike, add a bit more more money and buy a new one at the same time the insurance runs out. I can't see myself saving the money required so may have to run into a 2nd year. Whats the best way to go about changing insurance mid contract? Or do people just take the hit?
Also, currently with MCE I have 0 years NCB on my ZX6R but I forgot to cancel my previous insurance on a 125 of which was automatically cancelled. That now means I actually have a 1 years NCB certificate. MCE said I'm best running out the current insurance as they wouldn't update my file to suit. Once the ZX6R year insurance runs out, can I apply for insurance saying I have 2 years NCB?
Thanks.
Some people seem to chop and change bikes a lot. I'm still rather new but I'm fully aware how picky insurance companies are about cancelling early or changing. Personally, in about 4-5 months my insurance is up for renewal and ideally I'd sell the current bike, add a bit more more money and buy a new one at the same time the insurance runs out. I can't see myself saving the money required so may have to run into a 2nd year. Whats the best way to go about changing insurance mid contract? Or do people just take the hit?
Also, currently with MCE I have 0 years NCB on my ZX6R but I forgot to cancel my previous insurance on a 125 of which was automatically cancelled. That now means I actually have a 1 years NCB certificate. MCE said I'm best running out the current insurance as they wouldn't update my file to suit. Once the ZX6R year insurance runs out, can I apply for insurance saying I have 2 years NCB?
Thanks.
Cbull said:
Couple of insurance question here, just curious how other people deal with it.
Some people seem to chop and change bikes a lot. I'm still rather new but I'm fully aware how picky insurance companies are about cancelling early or changing. Personally, in about 4-5 months my insurance is up for renewal and ideally I'd sell the current bike, add a bit more more money and buy a new one at the same time the insurance runs out. I can't see myself saving the money required so may have to run into a 2nd year. Whats the best way to go about changing insurance mid contract? Or do people just take the hit?
Also, currently with MCE I have 0 years NCB on my ZX6R but I forgot to cancel my previous insurance on a 125 of which was automatically cancelled. That now means I actually have a 1 years NCB certificate. MCE said I'm best running out the current insurance as they wouldn't update my file to suit. Once the ZX6R year insurance runs out, can I apply for insurance saying I have 2 years NCB?
Thanks.
Did the insurance run parallel/concurrently or staggered i.e. 2016 then 2017.Some people seem to chop and change bikes a lot. I'm still rather new but I'm fully aware how picky insurance companies are about cancelling early or changing. Personally, in about 4-5 months my insurance is up for renewal and ideally I'd sell the current bike, add a bit more more money and buy a new one at the same time the insurance runs out. I can't see myself saving the money required so may have to run into a 2nd year. Whats the best way to go about changing insurance mid contract? Or do people just take the hit?
Also, currently with MCE I have 0 years NCB on my ZX6R but I forgot to cancel my previous insurance on a 125 of which was automatically cancelled. That now means I actually have a 1 years NCB certificate. MCE said I'm best running out the current insurance as they wouldn't update my file to suit. Once the ZX6R year insurance runs out, can I apply for insurance saying I have 2 years NCB?
Thanks.
I am sure (hopefully) a certain someone will be along soon who will advise you properly.
NCB is one of the biggest fiddles in insurance, and there are quite a few.
To get your full year when changing bikes you just have to put up with the fee your current insurers ask. If you no longer have the bike don't even think about letting the insurance run as there have been cases where the person riding the bike ends up claiming on your insurance, or your insurance will pay out and it'll affect you.
To get your full year when changing bikes you just have to put up with the fee your current insurers ask. If you no longer have the bike don't even think about letting the insurance run as there have been cases where the person riding the bike ends up claiming on your insurance, or your insurance will pay out and it'll affect you.
Changing bikes is easy, you just pay the extra for the remaining period.
As for the NCB, you will have 2 lots of 1 years NCB, not 2 years NCB.
You can't just add up different NCB amounts accrued at the same time on different policies, otherwise people would just buy 5 cheap bikes, insure each one for a year and hey presto! 5 years NCB. Doesn't work like that...
On the plus side if you want to have a second bike you'll be able to use the other lot of NCB on that. Just remember that if it's not used for 2 years it expires, so 2 years from when your 125 policy expired.
The key is that any new insurer will ask for proof of NCB, both the policies you have/had will send proof that as at the end of each policy it had accrued 1 years NCB. Therefore that's what you have. To have 2 years you'd have had to have started the policy with 1 years NCB.
As for the NCB, you will have 2 lots of 1 years NCB, not 2 years NCB.
You can't just add up different NCB amounts accrued at the same time on different policies, otherwise people would just buy 5 cheap bikes, insure each one for a year and hey presto! 5 years NCB. Doesn't work like that...
On the plus side if you want to have a second bike you'll be able to use the other lot of NCB on that. Just remember that if it's not used for 2 years it expires, so 2 years from when your 125 policy expired.
The key is that any new insurer will ask for proof of NCB, both the policies you have/had will send proof that as at the end of each policy it had accrued 1 years NCB. Therefore that's what you have. To have 2 years you'd have had to have started the policy with 1 years NCB.
Edited by Tall_Paul on Thursday 4th January 11:55
My approach is: buy a multi-bike policy, add new bikes as you buy them (usually very cheap to add), and make sure you don't sell the old bikes, then you don't have to take the hit on closing a policy mid-term 
Currently at 6. I don't know whether CN have a limit on how many you can add!
Currently at 6. I don't know whether CN have a limit on how many you can add!
Changing bikes CAN be easy, by just paying the uplift BUT some companies won't insure some bikes so likewise your current company may refuse to cover your new bike. If previous bike wasn't insured for a whole year then you lose that years NCB. Likewise, you're unlikely to get any money back should you cancel a policy that's run for more than about 5 months.
As said previously, by running two policies, you end up with 2 x 1 years NCB, which is not the same as 1 x 2 years NCB. Make a claim on a policy using either 1 of the NCB allocations and it will impact both NCB allocations. Heads they win, tails you lose!
As said previously, by running two policies, you end up with 2 x 1 years NCB, which is not the same as 1 x 2 years NCB. Make a claim on a policy using either 1 of the NCB allocations and it will impact both NCB allocations. Heads they win, tails you lose!
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