Few questions relating to motorcycle ownership

[schoona]

Hello, all, relatively new here and in the first couple of pages of threads I didn't notice anything relating to these topics.

First one, bike insurance. I'm trying to gather as much information I can before purchasing a bike (M659) and one of these costs is Shannons. I'm 22 (under their 25 yo limit) but when speaking to them they agreed to insure my car (Toyota Mark II) with them. I've just got off the phone from them and they won't insure me as a learner rider.
Referred me to www.insuremyride.com.au but was wondering which other companies value the bikes aswell that you have dealt with?

Second one, Police presence. Naturally whilst at the dealers here (Frasers Newcastle) I enquired about exhaust pipes and was happy with them just being there for sound and looks (was the last lot of questions) and she claimed that tail tidy's (I can make out thats a replacement rear tyre guard) and pipes were getting pinged. Ie, bikes were coming in for services at the dealership and getting defected (her 848 is "black listed") as HWP was sitting out the front of the shop and nabbing people.

How have you found police attention, my main concern was with factory warranty but I hadn't ever considered that these learner bikes with slip ons would be "that loud" to have been a concern.

I'm driving this at the moment, so I'm used to hearing about cars and defects etc and am aware of what goes on in Newcastle, but as expected bike land is very unknown to me


Cheers,
Mal

[Rowdy]

Insurance - Insure my ride are great. I have had one and only one insurance claim and they paid exactly what they said which was a generous market value plus riding gear. Even let me keep my slightly ripped Draggin jeans and scuffed leather jacket. New stuffed Shoei helmet they kept.

Tail tidy - I've done my own tail mod and have half a guard type thing fitted. I have a reflector fitted and that seems to be ok but if they want to be a pain it needs to be covered 45 degs up from your rear axle.

Traffic Cops - Mixed bag. Getting worse. Plenty of info on this forum in regards to that topic.

[Sundog]

I insure with QBE and the premiums are not outrageous but then again I am not under 25 and haven't been for some time. The one and only accident I had on my LAMS GSX650F was a write-off, no questions asked and wiped the loan so I started from scratch. A good insurer.

Cops down in Melbourne don't seem to be as feral as they are in NSW for things like tail chops and noise. I've certainly never experienced anything like that and I have an 1100 with Termi's & the inserts taken out and the DP tail tidy.

[loony888]

insure my ride and shannons are owned by the same company that owns AAMI.

[mattyvas]

QBE has always been my insurer of choice, haven't ever had to make a claim though.
They have price matched the last two years for me though.

As to the other items.
Noise, well if they want to book you for such things they can have a crack but if you use Termi's with an EU stamping on it you may have some cause to argue.
Having cops sitting out front of the dealership waiting to book people is pretty harsh, you could approach the local command and ask why owners are being targeted.

On a different note all together.......

Loony I read "Diavel" in your signature now.
How's that toy go?

[loony888]

it's a lot of fun matty, my S4R was getting on and i wanted a change, got talked into a test ride and bought one, aside from the low pegs (which i'm going to replace with a rizoma rearset kit) i'm loving it! being a shortie the lower seat is nice, the fat rear tyre looks the goods too and surprisingly it handles very well considering it's a little longer than a monster. the brakes are amazing and the engine is waaaay too good, serious grunt everywhere. There was nothing in the monster range that appealed and the SF was a little too tall, too sporty, i have my 1098R for that kind of riding and i had to have a bike with proper handlebars! the diavel is kinda like a monster on steroids, ride one, they grow on you.
oh yeah, they have ABS, TC, slipper clutch, 3 rider modes, all the toys except electronic suspension, speaking of which, if you try one, wind up the rear hydraulic preload, the shops set them soft for the cruiser guys who try them out.
paul.

[duke8]

G'day mate and welcome

I'd give jlt bikes a try. They don't insure faired bikes and hence are able to provide cheaper premiums. My premium for my first year was ridiculously cheap compared to the other insurers, but I am also over 25 with a squeaky clean record....haven't had to claim from them either.

Having worked for a Ducati dealer for the last 4 months, I can say that tail tidys and termi's are techicaly illegal, although most people don't seem to have a problem. If ur out being a tool, you'll get done eventually but if your not breaking the law generally you'll be ok. That said if u get an anal retentive copper they'll probably do u regardless.

And loony congrats on the diavel, they are a beast of a bike. I ride one regularly ( there's one in my garage now) and they are my pick of the current line up.... Blast of a bike for the street

[schoona]

As to the other items.
Noise, well if they want to book you for such things they can have a crack but if you use Termi's with an EU stamping on it you may have some cause to argue.
Having cops sitting out front of the dealership waiting to book people is pretty harsh, you could approach the local command and ask why owners are being targeted.

Cheers for the replies!
Was good to get some reputable insurance companies to check out.

Well this was dealer supplied and fitted Termi's, how does that differ from an EU version?
Realistically I see that if they exceed the legal noise limit then fair enough, but to call it "modification other than standard" to still apply a defect/fine is a bit much.

Yeah they do the same with the cars around the area.

Much bigger problem than teen pregnancy or getting glassed at the pub, y'know

[schoona]

G'day mate and welcome

I'd give jlt bikes a try. They don't insure faired bikes and hence are able to provide cheaper premiums. My premium for my first year was ridiculously cheap compared to the other insurers, but I am also over 25 with a squeaky clean record....haven't had to claim from them either.

Having worked for a Ducati dealer for the last 4 months, I can say that tail tidys and termi's are techicaly illegal, although most people don't seem to have a problem. If ur out being a tool, you'll get done eventually but if your not breaking the law generally you'll be ok. That said if u get an anal retentive copper they'll probably do u regardless.

Unfortunately nearly 4 years ago I was a bit of a knob and lost my licence in a car so I have that on me Will look into them!

What's the reason for them being "illegal"?
Well boss cops we hae plenty of around here, and understand if you're asking for it you'll cop it (ho ho) and that's not a drama. Just find it hard to believe they become "that loud" from slip ons...

thanks

[Sabre Brian]

Looney is there any chance I followed you all the way down the Western Freeway a few weeks ago on the Diavel?

I am insured with Swann.

[GK]

Cops down in Melbourne don't seem to be as feral as they are in NSW for things like tail chops and noise. I've certainly never experienced anything like that and I have an 1100 with Termi's & the inserts taken out and the DP tail tidy.

Tail chops seem to be the main target here down South. If they were going flat out for pipes, they'd have to put every Harley off the road!

When I was getting my bike RWCd a few years back, the dealer I was buying a rear reflector from said that lots of people were bringing bikes in to have them put back to stock, because they had been pinged for tail chops.

The moral of the story in short, "If you modify your bike, keep the stock bits - you may need them later on!"

As for insurance:

I've been with Swann, QBE and am now with Shannons. I tried a quote with Insure My Ride earlier this year, but they were dearer than Shannons.

GK

[Betty]

Sadly there is not much you can do about the police ... what they target or their motivations for doing so. Sometimes they are imposing their will or interpretation which may not technically be correct or logical ... but in most cases you have few options - when you do, they are are often time-consuming and potentially expensive.

Riding a bike is sometimes enough to draw attention from the 'law enforcement officers' ... but typically if don't ride like a clown and don't act like a smart arse ... there are easier targets for them.

As for the insurance ... all of our bikes are still with QBE (well actually the scooter is on a Veteran & Vintage NRMA policy - worth considering if you have an eligible bike or car by the way). We sometimes make enquiries about changing but it all seems too difficult when the rates are a bit up and down (some bikes cheaper, some higher ... and all due at different times).

A couple of things to bear in mind regarding QBE:

- One of the bikes is insured for 'market value' ... it is too old now to change to agreed value and they will not consider its true replacement cost. This makes things a bit nervy if you make a claim because you don't know what the parameters are.

- Gear cover is a pain in the arse. They depreciate your gear at a flat 10% pa and you have to produce  the original receipt for them to payout (example below). I have heard that other insurers (such as Insure My Ride) will accept a replacement quote from a reputable retailer.

Gear example: So say you have a perfectly serviceable pair of kevlar jeans that may have only been worn a couple of times over 5 years. They cost $200 but were cut off by the ambos. If you can produce the purchase receipt you would get $100 back after you have sent them to Melbourne for assessment. Same would apply for any other gear. If you can't produce a receipt for the $1000 helmet you bought last week (although unlikely) you would get nothing. If you managed to snag a $300 laether suit 2 years ago on run-out ... you may get $240 to shop for a replacement. Just something to consider.

[loony888]

Looney is there any chance I followed you all the way down the Western Freeway a few weeks ago on the Diavel?

I am insured with Swann.

maybe, mine is carbon/white. i wear a scott russell arai and black jacket.

[schoona]

thanks for the replies, got a few companies to call (different a little from car insurance) and hopefully organise something when it's not a public holiday.

RE: gear cover. Pretty steep, you'd think used is used once it's not brand new. I suppose it's better than absolutely no cover at all and probably got bigger worries than 60 bucks worth of jacket if in that position.

[Betty]

I suppose it's better than absolutely no cover at all and probably got bigger worries than 60 bucks worth of jacket if in that position.

Possibly, but no less sobering if the replacement cost far exceeds your 'compensation' ... and your excess. Just another of those annoying little details that may be worth considering when weighing up your options.