Motorcycle Insurance

Loss or damage to your motorcycle (£100 Excess applies):

• Pay for your motorcycle to be repaired;
• Pay you a cash amount equal to the loss or damage; or
• Replace your motorcycle - see New motorcycle replacement

If your motorcycle cannot be ridden as a result of damage insured under the policy, we will pay reasonable costs for:

• Protecting your motorcycle and taking it to the nearest repairers
• Delivering your motorcycle back to your home address (in the British Isles) once the repairs have been made

The most we will pay out is the market value of your motorcycle at the time of the loss. If you are paying for your motorcycle under a hire-purchase or leasing agreement, we pay any claim to the owner described in that agreement.

What isn't covered?

• General wear and tear, mechanical or electrical breakdowns, or reduction in value
• Damage to tyres
• Loss or damage to helmets and protective clothing.

If your motorcycle is not safe to ride following an accident, we can arrange for someone to come out and help you. If your motorcycle cannot be made roadworthy within a reasonable time, we take it to a repairer. This can be one of your choice if it is nearer - although this may lead to delays in arranging repairs to your motorcycle.

We will replace your motorcycle with a new one of the same make and specification (if one is available in the UK) if, within six months of you or your partner buying it from new:

• The cost of repairing any damage covered by the policy is more than 70% of your motorcycle's UK list price (including VAT) at the time your motorcycle was bought; or
• Your motorcycle is stolen and not recovered

We will only replace your motorcycle if:

• You or your partner own the motorcycle or are buying it under a hire-purchase agreement (not a leasing, contract-hire or other type of agreement);
• The hire-purchase company agrees; and
• You, or your partner, are the first registered keeper of your motorcycle.

If you are not eligible for a replacement vehicle, the most we will pay is the market value of your motorcycle at the time of the loss. If you are paying for your motorcycle under a hire-purchase or leasing agreement, we pay any claim to the owner described in that agreement.

Your liability

You are covered against a person's death or injury, or damage to their property (subject to certain limits - see the Norwich Union motorcycle insurance policy document for full details) whilst you are:

• riding your motorcycle
• riding any other motorcycle in the British Isles as long as it is specified on your policy

We will also insure the following:

• Any additional named riders on your policy
• Any passenger travelling on, or getting on or off your motorcycle

We also pay any expenses you have had our written permission to claim.

We insure the above people for any compensation, costs and expenses you may have to pay as a result of you being legally liable following:

• the death or bodily injury to anyone else for an unlimited amount
• damage to anyone else's property, up to £5,000,000 for all claims arising from any one incident.

What isn't covered

• The cover doesn't apply if the insured person can claim under another policy
• Death or injury to any employee of the insured person arising from that employee's duties, unless we must provide cover under the Road Traffic Acts
• Any claim relating to loss or damage to property that belongs to or is in the care of anyone insured under the policy
• Damage caused while your motorcycle is being used on certain areas of airports and aerodromes
• Unless we are liable under the Road Traffic Acts Except to the extent that we are obliged by the Road Traffic acts to provide insurance to:
  1. Any direct or indirect consequence of an act or acts of terrorism, whether or not such consequence has been contributed to by any other cause
     • The use or threat of force and/or violence and/or
     • Harm or damage to life or to property (or the threat of such harm or damage) including but not limited to harm or damage by nuclear, chemical, biological and/or radiological means
     • When any such act is committed by any person(s) or group(s) of persons in whole or in part for political, religious, ideological or similar purposes, or is claimed to be committed in whole or part for such purposes.
  2. Any action taken in controlling, preventing, suppressing or in any other way relating to (i) above
• Where we are obliged by the Road Traffic Acts to provide insurance, the maximum amount we will pay for damage to property as a result of any accident or accidents caused by a vehicle or vehicles driven or used by you or any other person and for which cover is provided under this section will be:
  1. £5,000,000 in respect of all claims resulting directly or indirectly from one origination clause; or
  2. Such greater sum may, in the circumstances, be required to meet the minimum insurance requirements of the Road Traffic Acts

If anyone who is insured under this section dies, his or her legal personal representative is covered for any liability of that person under this section.

We pay the following legal costs if they relate to an incident which is covered under this section:

• Solicitors' fees to represent anyone we insure under this section at a coroner's inquest or fatal accident inquiry, or to defend any proceedings in a magistrates' court or any higher court
• Legal representative's fees to defend anyone we insure under this section when proceedings are taken for manslaughter, dangerous driving or careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs causing death.

We refund payments which any person, using any motorcycle covered by your policy, has made under the Road Traffic Acts for emergency treatment.

A payment made under this section of the policy will not affect your no-claim discount.

If you don't make any claims on your policy, you receive a no claim discount on your premium when you renew the following year. The discount increases for each additional year you remain claim-free, up to a maximum of five years. You can't earn a no claim discount on a policy that you have had for less than 12 months.

NCD applies to the policyholder, not the policy; so if we agree to transfer your policy to another person, the NCD that you have already earned under this policy remains with you and does not apply to the person who the policy is being transferred to.

If you ride your motorcycle outside the United Kingdom, your cover automatically meets the minimum legal requirements, usually the equivalent of UK third party only cover.

Further details

As well as providing cover within the territorial limits, this policy, in line with European Union directives, also provides the necessary cover to meet the laws on compulsory insurance of motor vehicles in:

• any other country which is a member of the European Union; and
• any country which the Commission of the European Communities is satisfied has made arrangements to meet the requirements of Article 7(2) of EC Directive 72/166/EEC relating to civil liabilities arising from using a motor vehicle (eligible countries change from time to time).

The level of cover provided is the minimum required to comply with the laws on the compulsory insurance of motor vehicles of the country in which the accident happens. Where the level of cover in any European Union Member State is less than that provided by the legal minimum requirements of Great Britain, the level of cover that applies in Great Britain will apply in that Member State.

For an additional charge, you can extend your UK level of cover when you ride your motorcycle in the rest of the European Union and some other European countries; please see Extended foreign use to find out more.

If, under the law of any country in which your motorcycle insurance policy covers you, we must settle a claim which we would not otherwise pay. We may recover any claim payment from you or from the person whom the claim was made against.

If you're taking your motorcycle abroad, our European breakdown cover will ensure you arrive at your destination whatever happens

• Motorcycle breakdown
  This includes:
  • Roadside assistance
  • Recovery to nearest garage
  • Storage costs
  • Labour and inspection costs
  • The cost of locating and dispatching spare parts
• If the RAC Control Centre abroad confirms that:
  • Your motorcycle repairs will take more than 12 hours
  • Your motorcycle is to be returned to the UK; or
  • Your motorcycle has been stolen and not recovered within 24 hours
• You are covered for:
  • Additional hotel expenses/cancellation fees up to £25 per person per day (for a room only)
  • We will arrange and pay for up to 10 days self-drive car hire including collision damage waiver, and delivery charge and Green card if needed, or we will pay for standard/second class rail, or both, so that you are able to continue your journey or return home. Any hired car cannot be brought into the UK. A second hire car would be arranged for this purpose if necessary.
  • Motorcycle repatriation
  • Indemnity against overseas customs claims for motorcycles stolen or destroyed by fire.
• While you are travelling to the port in the UK you are covered for:
  • Roadside Rescue and Recovery to a local garage (you may have to prove you are travelling to a port as part of your scheduled trip)
  • The cost of returning home to an address in the UK.
• Cover also applies while your motorcycle is in transit:
  • Includes loading and unloading between any sea or air ports or railway stations within the territorial limits of the policy, provided that the travel is by a scheduled rail or air service or by any recognised sea passage.
• When you have returned to the UK you are covered for:
  • Roadside Rescue and Recovery Service to a local garage from the UK port to an address in the UK
  • Collection of repaired motorcycle from abroad if appropriate
  If repairs due to breakdown or fire cannot be completed in time for your return home, we'll pay the costs of one person to return abroad to collect your motorcycle once the repairs have been made. We pay for:
  • Standard/Second class rail fare plus other public transport costs
  • Petrol costs for your motorcycle from where it has been collected to your home
  • Single homeward cross-channel ferry fare for your motorcycle and one person
  • Single room-only hotel accommodation for one person limited to £25 if this is needed to complete the round trip
• If your motorcycle cannot be reasonably repaired as a result of fire or theft which has happened abroad during the journey and:
  • Has to be scrapped under Customs supervision in the country where it is situated
  • Has been stolen abroad during the journey and has not been found
  • We will pay indemnity against Continental or Irish Customs claims for any liability for duty claimed.
• Urgent message relay service
  If your motorcycle cannot be moved as it has broken down, or has been in an accident, fire, or has been stolen, we pay for the cost of passing on an urgent message from RAC Control Centre to your relatives or a business colleague. We do not pay for:
  • The cost of passing on a message through anyone other than our Control Centre
  • The cost of paying for a message to be passed on to anyone other than a relative or business colleague
• Supplying a replacement driver
  We will provide onward mobility to enable the policy holder and up to 3 passengers to complete their journey. The policy holder and passengers can either be taken to their chosen destination or to their home address. (Onward mobility will be at the discretion of RAC if a registered doctor declares that the policyholder is medically unfit to ride a motorcycle).
• Making your motorcycle secure
  If your motorcycle has been subject to attempted theft and a police report has been obtained, we will cover the cost of emergency repairs to make your motorcycle secure.
• Accidental loss of, or damage to, your tent
  We will pay for tent hire of up to £25 per person per day in the event of accidental damage to, or loss of, your tent.
  Please note we do not pay for:
  • The cost of meals or any other hotel or extra costs
  • Damage to your tent caused by weather conditions
• What isn't covered
  • Items listed in General exclusions
  • Any costs if the event was not reported to the RAC Control Centre. Limits apply: please read the full terms and conditions which apply to Norwich Union Motorcycle insurance.
  • Cost of any parts used for repairs at the roadside or at a garage
  • We are unable to provide a hire motorcycle and instead provide a hire car, so the rider will need to have a suitable driving licence or select to take a rail ticket
  • Any ferry or toll charges
  • Cost of meals or any other hotel or extra costs
  • Petrol or oil
  • Personal insurance
  • Collection charge and any other costs with self-drive car hire other than those stated
  • First class rail fares.

What is covered?

The cover provided by this section will insure you for any legal costs and expenses incurred in connection with:

1. i) The recovery of an insured person's uninsured losses as a result of an accident involving your motorcycle, where you are not at fault, which causes:
   1. a) Damage to your motorcycle or to any of your personal belongings
   2. b) Death or bodily injury to an insured person while in or getting into or out of your motorcycle. The most we will pay for any one incident is £50,000.
2. ii) Defending any motoring prosecutions if an insured person commits any offence under road traffic laws whilst they are using your motorcycle.
3. iii) Representing an insured person if they plead guilty in respect of any offence they have committed under road traffic laws, if a conviction would result in them being disqualified or suspended from driving. The most we will pay for any one incident is £10,000.

What isn't covered?

• Items listed in General exclusions
• Any insured incident which occurs either:
  • Outside the period of insurance
  • Outside the territorial limits
  • Before the date you added legal service cover to your policy
• Any claim including appeals or the defence of an appeal, where we do not consider there to be a reasonable chance of succeeding. This would include where there is not a reasonable chance of successfully getting back most of the damages awarded. We may, during the claim, refuse to provide cover or stop cover if the chances of success reduce
• If an insured person does not keep to the terms, exceptions and conditions of this policy
• If any legal costs and expenses are incurred prior to our written acceptance of a claim
• Any legal action that an insured person takes which we have not agreed to or where an insured person does anything to hinder us or our appointed representative
• Any fines, penalties, compensation or damages which the insured person is ordered to pay by a court or other authority
• Any claim deliberately or intentionally caused by an insured person
• Prosecutions relating to an insured person's alleged dishonesty or violent conduct
• Prosecutions resulting from drink or drug related offence or parking offences
• An application for judicial review
• Any claim relating to any non-contracting party's rights to enforce all or any part of this section. The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 does not apply to this section

General Conditions to the legal service and advice

• General conditions which apply to the whole policy also apply to the legal services and advice cover.
• You must report an incident to us as soon as possible and in any event no later than 180 days after the date the insured person should have known about the incident.
• When we receive your claim, if appropriate, we will appoint an appointed representative.
• If it is necessary to start court proceedings or there is a conflict of interest, an insured person is free to nominate an alternative appointed representative by sending to us the name and address of the suitably qualified person.
• If we do not agree to the insured person's choice of appointed representative, an insured person may choose another suitably qualified person.
• If there is still a disagreement with regard to the appointed representative, we will ask the president of a relevant national law society to choose a suitably qualified person to represent an insured person. We and the insured person must accept such choice.
• In all other circumstances we will be free to choose an appointed representative.
• An appointed representative will be appointed by us and represent an insured person according to our standard terms of appointment.
• During the course of the claim, we will have direct access to the appointed representative who can provide us with any information or opinion on your claim.
• An insured person must co-operate fully with us and the appointed representative and must keep us up-to-date with the progress of the claim.
• At our request an insured person must give the appointed representative any instructions that we require.
• An insured person must notify us immediately if anyone offers to settle a claim or makes a payment into court.
• If an insured person does not accept the recommendation of the appointed representative to accept a reasonable offer or payment into court to settle a claim, we may refuse to pay further costs and expenses.
• No agreement to settle on the basis of both parties paying their own costs is to be made without our prior approval.
• If an insured person settles a claim or withdraws a claim without our prior agreement, does not give suitable instructions to the appointed representative or dismisses an appointed representative without our prior consent, the cover we provide will end immediately and we will be entitled to re-claim any costs and expenses we have incurred.
• An insured person must take every available step to recover costs and expenses that we have to pay and must pay us any costs and expenses that are recovered.

Legal Advice

We will give you confidential advice over the telephone on any personal legal matter in relation to your motorcycle insurance. We will tell you what your legal rights are, what course of action is available to you and whether these can be best implemented by you or whether you need to consult with a lawyer.

There are no consultation fees and lines are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If you ride your motorcycle outside the United Kingdom, your cover automatically meets the minimum legal requirements, usually the equivalent of UK third party only cover. However, for an additional charge, you can extend your UK level of cover when you ride your motorcycle in the rest of the European Union and some other European countries.

Your trip must last 90 days or under, and your motorcycle must be in the UK for a minimum of 6 months of the year. Your motorcycle must be registered in the UK to be covered.

Please call us on 0800 092 9561 before your trip to arrange this additional cover.

Further details
As well as providing cover within the territorial limits, this policy, in line with European Union directives, also provides the necessary cover to meet the laws on compulsory insurance of motor vehicles in:

• any other country which is a member of the European Union; and
• any country which the Commission of the European Communities is satisfied has made arrangements to meet the requirements of Article 7(2) of EC Directive 72/166/EEC relating to civil liabilities arising from using a motor vehicle (eligible countries change from time to time).

The level of cover provided is the minimum required to comply with the laws on the compulsory insurance of motor vehicles of the country in which the accident happens. Where the level of cover in any European Union Member State is less than that provided by the legal minimum requirements of Great Britain, the level of cover that applies in Great Britain will apply in that Member State.