Insurance-which Company?

[boofont]

You need road Insurance to tax the bike anyway so what th point of having the ACU insurance? or am I missing something 

You're missing something mate. You are insured for road use unless you are competing in a competition listed in the clauses, i.e. trials. The ACU will offer cover during the trial.

[tordijarres]

Well, yes you are missing something...the point was that although yes, you do have to have insurance in order to road-reg the bike, the majority (all?) of these insurance companies specifically exclude trials competitions from the cover. Hence if you have an accident whilst competing in a trial , which let's face it is the most likely time you will be on the road, then you won't be covered with potentially "Little Jimmy will never ride a horse again, your Honour"

[marky g]

Ah right I've never looked into the small print on mine, but I dare say I'm not insured for whilst on a trial either!.

One of the main reasons I got my bike insured (besides doing road trials) is for the theft cover whilst at home ( But I wonder if even thats void if your in a road trial?)

[Andy]

This sounds like one for John Collins to clarify.

PS. Tordi - horsey riders aren't called "Jimmy". It's more like Tarquin or Rupert

[john collins]

I always seem to be asked to clarify te difficult ones ! When will someone ask me about oil in a Bultaco - or how to time the thing?

Back to Insurance - although we have been here before and it is probably archived somewhere.

To tax your bike and use it on road - you need RTA ( Road Traffic Act ) cover - law of land - full stop. This may or may not include theft cover - depending on price and cover you can find. Traditionaly I think most policies always said in small print - not to be used for racing, speed testing etc - but is this did not aply to Trials - we were basically OK travelling between sections.

A few years ago - some companies Norwich Union in particular inserted the added into trhe exclusion clause that use in trials were also excluded ie the RTA bit when on the road between sections falls outside the cover.

Now we all know if you are out as someone says just going to Sainsbury's or tootling around the countryside on your machinme - no real problem - that choice is yours. The ACU went to fairly extensive lenghts to try to arrange a RTA policy - where the companies knew what was what and accepted the situation - but quite frankly they did not want to know.

It is not even that they were afraid of Trials - it was just - as in many cases we get caught up in other things - and much of new legislation about being insurered in Public places ie Tesco car park and so on just frightened them off - and they just decline the business. Literally months and months have been spent on the case - and a few times we have got close - especially with a weekend policy ( & Scottiosh 6 Day) - but at last minute they always decline. The increase theft of off-road machines has also made them very wary - but again we have tried to just cover third party - and perhaps the rider could arrange for theft cover elsewhere.

I am afraid the answer has usualy still been no. Some riders - especially if old and valued customers of a company did manage to get their own policies changed - but this was very much in the minority. It seems that some have managed to find a policy that does not actually state - not for use in Trials - and have been glad to accept this.

From ACU point of view - the best we could arrange ( and that was not easy) was to arrange a 1 off cover for each event - so that when on Public Highway - at least all was legal and General. It was

[rabie]

John has hit the nail on the head (as usual)

Down souf where I (normally) live we don't have road trials - just 3 "long distance" trials - so everyone specifically gets this one day insurance (one club even made everyone buy it which is perhaps OTT)

Up north in the land of real beer, and big "proper" trials you haven't been aware of it as such as us southern fairies

Unfortunately its another cost ...........

rabie

[bdmc]

At our trial this weekend (a warm up to the Boxing day event, which is now nearly full) there were 95 riders using the public highway to access the sections. The RTA insurance was offered to all. One person took it up.

The other 94 competitors were road legal??

What insurance company are they using?? Let me know then I can inform anyone who asks the question ' Insurance which company?'

[john collins]

Thanks BDMC - I think you have illustrated a problem which I have been loathe to air - but I think we can be sure others are aware of it.

[craig10]

I have a UK Motorcycle insurance policy with Carole Nash. Trials are not specifically excluded, only 'off road riding'. I e-mailed them to ask if I would be covered riding on the road between observed sections at an ACU club organised event, including 'green lanes' where the bike must be road legal. I have a message on my phone saying that I am covered on the road between sections at an Observed Trial, "as long as its not a race or anything", but not off road, green lanes etc.

I am going to phone them back and argue that any green lane that your bike needs to be road legal for must be a road of some description. Also, does having a time allowance make it a race?. I'll update later.