Frequently asked questions about motorcycle insurance
Most questions about a motorcycle policy are not about cover but about administration: suspending in winter, carrying years across, a second machine and riding across the border.
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In brief
This page answers the practical questions around motorcycle insurance. Where the substance of the covers is concerned, we refer you to the page about the cover provided by motorcycle insurance and to the general motorcycle insurance page. The starting point remains that a motorcycle falls under the duty to insure in Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) as long as it carries a registration that has not been suspended.
The most frequently asked question is the one about the winter. You can have the machine suspended with the RDW. The duty to insure, the vehicle tax and the MOT obligation then lapse, but you may not ride a single metre and the machine must stand on private land. Many riders decide against it, because a suspended machine in storage can still be stolen or damaged. Anyone who suspends and ends the own-damage cover is on their own if the machine is stolen from the garage.
The second recurring subject is the build-up of no-claims years. They are registered per vehicle and can, subject to conditions, be transferred to another policy, provided it is the same regular rider. If you have several machines, ask about an arrangement for several motorcycles. If you ride for business or the machine is owned by the business, the business motorcycle insurance the right starting point.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare bicycle insurance.
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Get coveredWhy arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
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We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
What to look out for
Four administrative points that are hard to put right afterwards.
What is structurally outside the cover
Even with the paperwork perfectly in order, the following remain excluded: damage during hire or the carriage of passengers for hire or reward without this having been reported; damage while someone other than the stated regular rider was riding, where the policy is written on that basis; and the consequences of technical modifications that increase power. So report changes in advance and not when a claim is made.
The regular rider and the address
The rate is based on who actually rides and where the machine is kept. If you move house, or a member of the household starts using the machine regularly, report it. An incorrect statement about this goes to the heart of the risk assessment and can, under Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code, lead to a reduction or loss of the payment.
Sale, part-exchange and the days in between
When the registration is transferred, cover for the old vehicle lapses. If there is a period between the sale and the purchase, have the policy kept on temporarily or ask for your no-claims years to be preserved; most insurers apply a time limit for that. Without that step you start building up again on your next machine.
Reporting a claim and the time limit
Report even a minor incident, certainly where another party was involved. Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code obliges you to notify as soon as you are reasonably aware of the loss and to co-operate in the settlement. Anyone who waits months and leaves the other party waiting in the meantime runs the risk that the insurer will say its interests have been prejudiced.
What does your premium depend on?
- No-claims years: determine the step on the no-claims scale
- Age of the regular driver: and the number of years holding a licence
- Type and value of the motorcycle: tourer, naked bike or superbike
- Seasonal or annual cover: some policies have a winter discount
- Postcode and where the vehicle is kept: the theft risk varies by area
- Excess: a higher excess lowers the own-damage premium
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| You clip the mirror of a van in a queue of traffic | Yes | Yes |
| Your machine slides out on a diesel spill on a roundabout | No | Yes |
| The machine is stolen from the public road while the approved lock was fitted | No | Yes |
| A branch blown down damages the machine standing beside the house | No | Yes |
| The machine is damaged while being transported to a show on a trailer | No | Provided that |
| After winter storage the battery turns out to be flat and will no longer charge | No | No |
Report even the damage you end up paying for yourself: only after notification is it certain whether another party will come back to you later.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Can I insure my motorcycle more cheaply in winter?
There are two routes. You suspend the registration with the RDW, which ends the duty to insure but also means the machine may not be ridden and must stand on private land. Or you keep limited cover against theft and fire in storage. The second route costs something, but covers precisely the risk that remains during the winter.
Can I take my car no-claims years across to the motorcycle?
With many insurers you can, provided it is the same regular rider and the years are not already being used on another vehicle in force. Years cannot be used twice. On transfer, the new insurer checks the registration in the central system. The statement you make yourself is compared against it.
Am I insured on a touring trip abroad?
Within Europe the third-party liability cover applies in the participating countries. Check on your green card which countries are crossed out and whether the own-damage cover follows the same territory. For a breakdown on the road a separate assistance service is needed. That is not part of third-party liability cover. Take the registration certificate, your driving licence and the policy number with you.
What happens to my premium after a claim?
Where the insurer pays a claim under the third-party liability or own-damage cover and cannot recover it in full, you drop back on the no-claims scale. If the insurer does recover the claim in full from another party, your years are in principle preserved. For a small claim it can pay to settle it yourself; ask in advance what amount is the tipping point.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare motorcycle insuranceThe main page
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- Business motorcycle insuranceRegistered keeper, changing riders, employer's risk
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- Several motorcycles: no-claims years and shared storageOne policy, no-claims years, use