Insurance recommendations?

Ran a quick quote with my US company who does insure bikes in the UK and wanted to compare a few UK companies for the best deal.

Ran a few searches for companies on the forum and many seem to be with Ducati Insurance and Carole Nash... anybody have any other companies that have earned their personal recommendation and are known to be cool with multi-bike policies?

[maxxjod]

I've been with Bennetts for years but this year gone with Hastings.

[Dirty]

Carol Nash always works out best for me

http://www.peterjamesinsurance.co.uk

The above are who I use I can't stand comparison sites full of chancers and Cowboys.

Ducati Insurance this year for me. Just £50 fully comp on my 900SS

[J.P]

Let's not get into who's insurance is cheaper than others. There are too many variables for all that & they change on an almost daily basis.
The UK bike insurance market is still a broker driven venture, phoning around and using the price comparison sites, like Go Compare, Money Supermarket, can often point you in the right direction.
And a lot of insurance companies, Ducati Insurance for one, are often very expensive if you don't have a brick garage to put the bike into.

MCE Insurance 0871 2227920
Bennetts
Carole Nash
Ducati Insurance 08448800960
Wicked Quotes (same broker as Ducati Insurance but different risk profile)
The RAC
The AA
Bewise Insurance
Kwick Fit
Peter James
Bike Team Insurance 0844 8008354

Contrary to many on here I've had a terrible experience with Ducat (Ramasis) . I insured my MV with them no problems last year and this year I was told that I had a claim made against me (apparently I ride my F3 for Papa John's Pizza in winter) as they had a report that I had hit another car.

They agreed and started handing out a hire car to the third party. When I contested, they suspended my insurance (despite the third party having no description of me, the wrong name and the wrong vehicle and me sending in receipt to prove I was not in the area), suspended my NCB, and upped my quote to over £2500.

After 2 weeks and no insurance, the underwriters finally caved in and admitted that there may have been a mistake (after I got a member off PH to help).

Ducati then upped my premium by £1500 (on top of what it used to be) because: I was now at a higher risk of someone making a fraudulent claim against me."

I basically told them to stick their quote. Grant Varnham from Bikesure (the OC club rep) sorted me out cheaper than anyone and then extended the discount to my father on his Harley.

I found Ducati Insurance to be great, right up to the point I had to claim for a stolen bike - then I was passed on to the underwriters and six months of haggling ensued.

I doubt there's any such thing as a 'good' insurance company, but Motorcycle Direct have been the least bad in my experience.

[pompone]

I use www.just-motorcycleinsurance.com and always had good dealing with them. I believe they're a branch of Carol Nash..

[Dirty]

Originally Posted by pompone

I use www.just-motorcycleinsurance.com and always had good dealing with them. I believe they're a branch of Carol Nash..

That's right, they are the no frills branch. I was with them first. Good company but when I got the second bike and got rid of my car their renewal quote was so close to Carol Nash that the free AA cover inc made it worthwhile going with the mother ship.

was with carol nash for about 15 years and then read the small print

if your bike is sorned it is not covered with carol nash, changed to footman james who had a better price

[Zimbo]

Multi bike policies, I have used Bennets, Swinton and Hastings in the recent past. When I had a classic bike or two around I used to use Footman James, who were excellent.

Well there's quite a list of companies to look into... just what I needed. Thanks everybody!

I did play around with compare the market and came up with nothing... probably because of my entries... I think phone calls would be better as my situation is odd for standardized internet forms. Full international motorcycle license, been riding for 17 years, no claims etc etc. but the questions they ask online I can't honestly use that info on because its UK license based... so I look like a noob!

I do have a baseline quote with my tried and true US company, but I suspect they just won't be competitive. But they do speak "Ainglish for us here 'Mercian types, so at least I understand that thar lingo they done been throwin' mah way."

[Dirty]

I just got a few quotes today that nearly gave me a 2nd heart attack. That's the price of getting 2 scoots nicked within a year I guess! CN still came out on top by over a grand!!!!!!

Due to some professional exams, I've again had to back burner the bikes... getting to be a habit. Hopefully next week I'll be free and clear for a while. Fingers crossed. But as an update, most companies I've run quotes with are above £1000, this seems completely ridiculous to me... I mean people can't seriously be paying that amount here in the UK, you could buy bikes for less. Still it begs the question on why that would even be quoted if it weren't realistic, the companies can't have any uptake on policies priced that high, can they?

As for me so far it looks like Ducati Insurance is the best option with £478 for a comprehensive multi-bike policy, and 3 years no claims with £250 excess. I'm tempted to just go with it but wanted to see what you all thought. I've seen the posts about sub £100 insurance and have concluded that there must be something very different about those policies... they seem too far off the mean to be the norm.

Waiting on MCN to get back to me as they were £2000 but said if I could prove no claims from the US and show a UK license they'd be reasonable. Which I'm providing... thank goodness for my French license conversion!