Dirt Bike Insurance - How, Where and Why you should insure your motorcycle.   Additional resources include: What to do if your dirt bike is stolen.
Dirt Bike insurance is essential. Insurance is one of the first things that you will wish you had, after you've bent your dirt bike out of all recognisable shape, or worse still, had your dirt bike stolen. Whether you ride a motorcycle on or off road, insurance is a smart choice. Please note that Dirt Bike Australia links to insurance companies that cover dirt bikes, trail bikes and motorcycles in general, are provided for your convenience only. Provided links do not constitute an endorsement of any insurer or their policies.

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Dirt Bike Insurance

Think about getting insurance for your Dirt Bike before you throw a bender or lose it some place other than in the dirt !!

Most insurance companies offer Motorcycle insurance and it pays to shop around for the best deal.


  Before applying for dirt bike insurance Make sure you have a good idea of the current market value of your dirt bike. Under or over-insuring your dirt bike could leave you severely "out of pocket" in the event of an insurance claim.
   

Australian Dirt & Trail Bike Insurance
Famous Motor Insurance
Insure My Ride (Suncorp)
Shannons Bike Insurance
This Dirt Bike Insurance
Western QBE
RYNO Insurance
NRMA Insurance
RACV (VIC) Motorcycle Insurance
RACQ (QLD) Motorcycle Insurance

   

Unregistered Dirt & Trail Bike Insurance
OAMPS Unregistered Vehicle Insurance


IMPORTANT: The above list of dirt and trail bike insurers is provided for your convenience. Dirt Bike Australia does specifically recommend or endorse their respective policies.

To recommend a dirt bike insurer (or motorcycle insurer in general), for inclusion on the Dirt Bike Australia web site.




















   



Dirt Bike insurance may be the last thing you might want
. . . and the first thing you may need!

  Despite what you may think ... full insurance cover is NOT really 'optional'
  Never sign an insurance contract that you don't completely understand
  Know what action is required by you, under your "Duty of Disclosure"
  Don't provide an insurer with opportunities to refuse an insurance claim

  


Getting Insurance - Some things you should know

Almost any insurance is better than no insurance. Having said that, getting the right level of insurance cover can still bring on a decent head-ache and take up quite a lot of your time. Keep in mind that most insurers will be happy to upgrade your insurance cover, once you become their customer.

You might think that the first priority of an insurance company, is to provide you with insurance. Not so. At the top of the insurance company "to-do list" is making a profit for share holders.

Though most insurers are quite good when it comes to straight-forward insurance claims (that is, where there is plenty of evidence to support a claim), those same insurer's are likely to challenge any claim they consider doubtful or suspicious. In particular, this includes the obvious, like breaches of your "duty of disclosure" and also what may (to you) seem like minor points in your contract (that possibly, you are not even be aware of).

Insurers are in business to make a profit and wherever possible to minimise their "exposure" or risk.

An insurance policy is a legally binding contract between the insurer and the insured (that would be you), where both parties have specified contractual responsibilities and obligations. If you fail to meet your responsibilities, don't expect to get paid when you make a claim.

  Don't provide your insurer with an opportunity to get out of their contract by being careless or foolish.

  Your Duty of Disclosure
Duty of Disclosure is a standard component of insurance contracts. This is the part where you are required to provide your insurer with accurate and often detailed information, so that the insurer can assess the amount of insurance and the likely risk (to the insurer and/or underwriter ) involved when insuring you and/or your property.

Often "Duty of Disclosure" will include advising the insurer if any details relevant to the contract have changed over time. For example: Perhaps you move to a new rental property and your dirt bike is now parked in the driveway instead of inside a secured garage (that is, the bike is now at higher risk).

If you provide misleading or inaccurate information to your insurer (and/or otherwise fail in your Duty of Disclosure), your insurer may either pay less than the originally insured amount, or quite possibly, may not pay out at all when you make an insurance claim.

  Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) & Common Policy Exclusions
The Product Disclosure Statement or PDS outlines the terms and conditions that apply to any particular insurance product. In essence, the PDS is the insurer's way of meeting their legal 'duty of disclosure' obligations by advising potential customers of their contractual rights.

Some things that many insurers will not insure you for are damage or loss resulting from Acts of God (which are generally Earthquake, Bush fire and Flood) along with Acts of War and these days almost anything related to and/or caused by Acts of Terrorism. You may for example, be able to obtain insurance against bush fire and flood, but you will probably be paying substantially higher insurance premiums. This will certainly be the case if you live in an area with a known higher risk.

Some insurers (like AAMI) simply won't insure dirt bikes (whether road registered or not). Other insurers (e.g. RACQ) may cover some dirt bikes and not others. Always ask specifically about your bike (year, make, model).

Bike insurance policy exclusions may also include any kind of competiton riding regardless of whether it's on a race track, trials (MX), bush rallies or even just weekend group trail ride with your mates. You need to know ... so don't forget to ask!

  Age Related Insurance Pricing
If you are under twenty-five (25) you can expect to pay higher insurance premiums or have a higher Insurance Excess. The reasoning is simple enough. Statistically speaking, your age puts you in a group with substantially higher risk, therefore you pay more.

Over time (generally years), if you don't make a claim, most insurers will give you a "No Claims Bonus" or improved insurance rating. This usually results in a reduction in your insurance premiums and less expense for you. If you make a lot of claims, your insurance premiums will almost certainly get higher.

  Age Related Insurance Excess
Not only are you likely to pay more for insurance because you are young, rash and inexperienced ... but you are also likely to have what is termed an "Excess" applied to your insurance policy.

An Excess is where you (the insured) have to pay a specified amount towards an insurance claim. The Excess amount could be anywhere from $500 to over $1,000 depending on the insurer and the terms of the insurance policy.

Since this is money that you will have to pay (for example, in the event of a motor-vehicle accident), before your insurer pays the rest ... it is worth knowing exactly how much the Excess is and what conditions apply to it.

Paying a higher insurance premium "may" (and only in some cases) help to reduce the Excess amount of your insurance policy. There does appear however, to be a growing trend for insurers to include some level of Excess on virtually all of their policies, regardless of age.

  Ask Questions
If you are in any doubt about how to get insurance, or what kind of insurance to get ... don't be afraid (or too proud) to ask a lot of questions ... or even ask for help. If you are young, don't just rely on advice from mates. This can get very expensive if you (or they) get it wrong.

So ask some one who has plenty of experience. Consider joining a club or forum with experienced members who may be willing to help.

There are four basic questions you should always have clearly answered before signing any insurance contract, and they are:

  • Can I insure MY bike (year, make and model)?
  • What am I covered for?
  • What am I not covered for? (Policy Exclusions)
  • How much will it cost for both Premiums and Excess?
Any insurer that is not prepared to give you straight forward answers in plain English, does not deserve your time or money!    And remember ... if it sounds too good to be true ... it probably is.
   


General Insurance Policy Hints

  • Avoid ambiguous or hard to understand insurance policy contracts

  • Avoid insurance policy contracts with more than an occasional paragraph of fine print. The fine print is usually the stuff (like exclusions) that the insurer does not necessarily want you to read ... you had better read them, at least once and preferably twice!

  • As a general rule of thumb, the longer the insurance policy contract, the greater the number of "out-clauses" for the insurer. Beware! The intention may well be to baffle you with pseudo-legal speak and put you off reading the entire contract.

  • Avoid insurance policy contracts with too little detail. Some contracts refer to other insurance policy documents or booklets, to fully explain the insurance policy details. Make sure you read and understand these before signing up.

  • Do NOT sign any insurance policy that you do not clearly understand !!!

  • Be careful when buying a new (or second-hand) dirt bike from a bike shop. If the shop tells you they can give you a great deal on insurance, they are probably getting a kick-back from an insurer. Be cautious. It may be a better deal for the bike shop, than it is for you.

  • Always shop around and ask questions.
    Insurance is a competitive market ... you always have options.

  • Before you begin "shopping" for insurance, try to get some idea of what you can realistically afford to pay as either monthly or annual insurance premiums. Be aware that not every insurance company will offer both.

  • Always pay your insurance premiums on or before the due date.
    Don't expect your insurer to honour an expired insurance policy ... there may be a short "grace" period to allow for late payment, or there may NOT ... this can vary between insurers and individual policies.


   
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