Insurance excess

[brad ukcarscene]

Hi guys,

I’ve got my CBT booked in for a couple weeks time so been having a look at 125 bikes to use as a commute to work (about 12 miles each way, mix of a roads and small 50 limit dual carriageway & then a bit of city riding).

Just had a question regarding insurance - is it the norm for bikes to have £1000 excess on insurance as all the quotes I get have it as standard? Or is that because I would be riding on a CBT? I am 25 so could do direct access and then pick up a 650 but I’ve never ridden before and not sure whether getting a bigger bike as my first bike is a bit of a silly thing to do with little experience. Does having a full licence allow you to have a reduced excess? Seems a bit different to the insurance world of cars!

I can insure a GSX S125 for around 350 - 450 a year but I’m just a bit baffled as to why every quote has near on £1000 - £1500 compulsorary excess

[anonymous-user]

I live overseas, the first bike I rode/bought was a 750, when I was 46, rode it for a year with mates, then did direct access in the UK, I had a major issue ridding the 125 for the CBT, the 750 was so much easier.
You can control the power with your right hand, if you can legally do it, and insure it there is nothing wrong with getting straight on a big bike,
When I did a DA the instructor was very anti, as she had never meet any one who had got straight on a big bike, she calmed down when I told her that her Dad had probably learned that way.
That was 20 years ago, since then I've owned a variety of bikes including a ltr sport bike, done loads of track days, long tours etc,not learning on a 125 has never been a problem.

[Jazoli]

Berw said:

I live overseas, the first bike I rode/bought was a 750, when I was 46, rode it for a year with mates, then did direct access in the UK, I had a major issue ridding the 125 for the CBT, the 750 was so much easier.
You can control the power with your right hand, if you can legally do it, and insure it there is nothing wrong with getting straight on a big bike,
When I did a DA the instructor was very anti, as she had never meet any one who had got straight on a big bike, she calmed down when I told her that her Dad had probably learned that way.
That was 20 years ago, since then I've owned a variety of bikes including a ltr sport bike, done loads of track days, long tours etc,not learning on a 125 has never been a problem.

All very interesting but it doesn't answer anything the OP has asked.

You'll find a lot of insurers are putting very high excesses on policy's these days, you can insure the excess separately fairly cheaply so don't let them put you off, just look at the cost of the bike insurance+excess insurance combined.

[trickywoo]

I've found bike insurance to have bigger excesses than car insurance for a while.

£1k is pretty heavy though and I'd check how much of that is voluntary and whether reducing it bumps the premium up much.

[brad ukcarscene]

Thanks all, I had read up about the excess insurance so may well take a look in to that.

Also I found a thread from about 5 years ago with many complaints about ‘MCE’. Are they still a company to avoid? They are £200-£300 cheaper than every other insurer, with is equal to about half the price - £360/year compared to about £680/year from other insurers such as Carole Nash and Bennetts seemed to want £1200 for a 125

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Jazoli said:

Berw said:

I live overseas, the first bike I rode/bought was a 750, when I was 46, rode it for a year with mates, then did direct access in the UK, I had a major issue ridding the 125 for the CBT, the 750 was so much easier.
You can control the power with your right hand, if you can legally do it, and insure it there is nothing wrong with getting straight on a big bike,
When I did a DA the instructor was very anti, as she had never meet any one who had got straight on a big bike, she calmed down when I told her that her Dad had probably learned that way.
That was 20 years ago, since then I've owned a variety of bikes including a ltr sport bike, done loads of track days, long tours etc,not learning on a 125 has never been a problem.

All very interesting but it doesn't answer anything the OP has asked.

Just what I was thinking, answering a question that hasn't been asked!

[Pica-Pica]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Jazoli said:

Berw said:

I live overseas, the first bike I rode/bought was a 750, when I was 46, rode it for a year with mates, then did direct access in the UK, I had a major issue ridding the 125 for the CBT, the 750 was so much easier.
You can control the power with your right hand, if you can legally do it, and insure it there is nothing wrong with getting straight on a big bike,
When I did a DA the instructor was very anti, as she had never meet any one who had got straight on a big bike, she calmed down when I told her that her Dad had probably learned that way.
That was 20 years ago, since then I've owned a variety of bikes including a ltr sport bike, done loads of track days, long tours etc,not learning on a 125 has never been a problem.

All very interesting but it doesn't answer anything the OP has asked.

Just what I was thinking, answering a question that hasn't been asked!

The PH equivalent of BBC’s Question Time.

[CookieR32]

brad ukcarscene said:

Thanks all, I had read up about the excess insurance so may well take a look in to that.

Also I found a thread from about 5 years ago with many complaints about ‘MCE’. Are they still a company to avoid? They are £200-£300 cheaper than every other insurer, with is equal to about half the price - £360/year compared to about £680/year from other insurers such as Carole Nash and Bennetts seemed to want £1200 for a 125

MCE are still very much to be avoided

[MotorsportTom]

brad ukcarscene said:

Thanks all, I had read up about the excess insurance so may well take a look in to that.

Also I found a thread from about 5 years ago with many complaints about ‘MCE’. Are they still a company to avoid? They are £200-£300 cheaper than every other insurer, with is equal to about half the price - £360/year compared to about £680/year from other insurers such as Carole Nash and Bennetts seemed to want £1200 for a 125

I had a TPO policy with MCE last year (in fact two seperate ones) purely based on price.

My argument for was it was so cheap, and I accepted the risk of loss vs the price of the insurance and for me, it was worth the risk.

If you want TPFT or fully comp then I would avoid and have done this time around.

[croyde]

I'm 55 and have been riding since I was 17 but living in London means I have been forced to use MCE as they are the only company to quote.

I've tried some of the companies that are not on comparison sites and if they do quote it is stupid money like £1500 TPFT, just on a 2 year old middle weight bike.

MCE is currently charging me £450 for fully comp but then there is a £2000 excess.

I need to move out of London.

[brad ukcarscene]

Thanks everyone.

Will try and source some more insurance quotes from compnies which aren’t MCE and look in to excess cover too. At this rate I am thinking of just doing some additional lessons after my CBT & trying to pass Mod 1&2 and just buying a ‘proper’ bike seeing as the insurance seems to be exactly the same. Looking less likely that a 125 is as cheap and efficient as I thought! Will definitely end up with something though as I’ve been put and bought all the protective gear!