I've only been in Australia for just over a year, but the insurance options seem a damn sight better than what has to be done in the UK.
I ride on just a greenslip. I'm fed up of years and years of very high insurance premiums that don't come down despite my lack of claims.
Seems to me that any damage I cause a person is covered by the greenslip, any damage a bike causes a car can probably be paid for out of the money I save in premiums over the years, (unless I'm hitting a car every year). Same for damage to my bike or it being stolen.
I've made one insurance claim in twenty years. It's a numbers game the insurance companies win at, and I'm glad Australia gives the motorist the option to play the game as well. My bike is either under me, or in the garage. Why should I be forced to pay four figures for such a low risk?
Am I missing something here? <i></i>
No, right on the ball.
Four figures is not uncommon for Bus riders, particularly younger, but with 20 years + riding experience and only one claim, you should be able to land something in the $500-$800 vicinity.
Good reasons to get insurance, though, would be if you do have to fork out for your bike and/or someone else's property, you may not have readily available the cash that you theoretically saved on premiums and haven't spent elsewhere.
Also, you may be the unlucky one who runs into a Roller or a Ferarri or cause a multi-car collision.
And my reason for insurance is that if I have an accident, I don't want to have to um and ah too much about how much of the damage to live with and so on, just get it all fixed. <i></i>
Thats a hard one to answer Throwdown. As its very personal and with many different opinions. But the way I see it and acted;
When I first got my bike and new worth over 16-17, there was no question but to insure. I was able to get a good premium for the over 40's. The following year it went up a bit even with rating 1 intact. I paid it. Third year, went up again and still rated 1, I said f*** 'em. My bike was deppreciating, no claims and the premium kept going up. So rightly or wrongly I no longer bother insuring. I'm not all that comfortable with the idea but..........Im also sick of paying rising premiums at theyre leisure. And what made me more mad was seeing the GST element added to the premium while the stamp duty was still being added to the premium too.
Having said all the above, if I was an everyday rider which I am now not and if I like turning on that tap around the bends and corners, I may still be paying the premium.
So I dont like it, but I personally chose to insure myself now. Have come across a few now not bothering to insure. I still say its best to insure, but they dont make it any easier. And I hate them for doing that to us. I remember when the bushfires in NSW ran rampant, they mentioned how so many were NOT insured (perhaps content) and why werent they insured? coz its way too expensive it was claimed.
<i></i>
Thanks for the replies. It's made me less nervous to know that their are others doing the same thing. I never thought about hitting something really expensive like a Porche before. That's made me think again, but I don't think I'll pay the stupid premiums.
It's great to have a choice. The system here is far better than what I'm used to. I'd rather spent the money on a tracking system, and keep doing what I'm doing. The only real risk is that Porche, but even then I'd have to be at fault, and I'm no longer that kind of rider. <i></i>
Guy's, let's face it. We all take into account our own riding abilities/ capabilities, when we look at insurance, but you can't account for all the other vehicles on the roads, and the many ignorant/inconsiderate/just plain dumbass people who drive them. I rode a 750 katana(uninsured) for 4 yrs, and rode the absolute ass off it, and never came off. I bought my Hayabusa, in April last year, and for the first 6 months( while it was not insured), it seemed like i was a target for idiot drivers, on a daily basis. Even though I believe my 20+ yrs of riding various types of motorcycles would keep me upright, I decided to bite the bullet, and pay the $1100.00 to insure the Hayabusa. I'm really glad I did, because, 2 weeks ago, some kind & considerate woman in a mini bus decided she wanted to turn right, from the left lane of a roundabout, while I was riding straight through and exiting the roundabout, from the inside lane. Result?????? A 50 km/h body slam into the side of her van. Lucky for me, my experience saved me from T boning the van, as well as saving my left leg from being crushed. The really sick twist to this story, is that, for the first 6 months, I rode the bike daily. For the last 5 months, I only take it out for an hour or so, every 4-5 days. So, to insure, or not to insure??????????? Let common sense, and your own intelligence, be the judge. <i></i>
I 've thought about this for a while now.Why dont we have a compulsory extended 3rd party(other vehicle).Whoever causes an accident at least has insurance to cover the other vehicle they have slammed!If you cause the accident then you wear it.This system should be a user pay system,say on petrol with some sort of a rebate to people who use vehicles for their income.It would be fair to say the more your on the road the more likely an accident.It would also be fair for people who own more than 1 vehicle as you cant be using more than one at a time.While on registrations,you pay the coffers to register a vehicle in your name,right.Then why then do we pay for it every year when it is still in the same name????My 2c worth:"> <i></i>
are you running on that platform??? <i></i>
No les ,its just to sensible and the government would never run with anything that made sense,would it ? <i></i>
of course not..... <i></i>
Yup, just in the mail rego renewal of $441.60. With as you say recurring Refistration fee of $28.00, and here I thought it was already in my name. Not to mention TAC Premium GST content of $34.18. Then of course they gotta bung on Duty of $37.60 as if GST aint enough for the coffers. All this after just paying just a bit under $500.00 for 4 wheels. Not all that long to go for that License renewal which I earned many years back for more $XXX.xx. At least in the UK once earned you have it till your 70 years of age without any renewal payments.
Am I just being a whinging pom or are they just doing a Dick Turpin on all of us, but for them its all legal of course. Eh buggar em all, thats why I dont bother paying any traffic fines anymore - more highway robbery. <i></i>
Dont get me started on this:"> As i said in a previous post,they have got the nerve to say that driving is a privillage and not a right???I think we more than pay our way!Did anyone go for a ride on the weekend?I think there was more f*&^ing cops on the road than civies.Are they after more revenue or f*&^ing what???:"> <i></i>
Rocket Jockey. Wha happened? Did her insurance pay for your bike?
My point is that I'll underwrite my own risk in causing damage to someone else's car, cos I think the damage will be a lot less than an accident I cause in my car, which is insured, (cos I won't underwrite that risk).
If I hit a person, greenslip covers it. That would be a reason for me to insure, but greenslip does the job. That's why I prefer this system to the UK. Adult choice, despite the other rip off elements.
Your accident wasn't your fault, so you're $1,100 worse off, for as low a risk as you can get - you have loads of riding experience. Imagine paying $1,100 for the next 10 years. It's a rip off premium. The only arguement that's got me thinking so far, is the hitting the Porche one. <i></i>
I agree with most of what's been said, and my insurance is due on Thursday so it hits home. I've owned 33 bikes and I've insured less than half of them because I regarded the risk as worth taking. I won't take that risk on a bike worth 19k. It could be flogged, smashed by some f*&^ing arsehole in a carpark or I could once again have an idiot in a car run a red light and take my bike out which resulted in a very wrecked TS400 Apache. Many years ago I was drinking with a mate of mine at the Rugby Union Club in Newcastle (those were the days!) and he decided to pop over the hill to get changed, he did'nt come back as he smashed into a new beemer, he was f****d as he was not insured. Insurance is a total pain in the arse and I resent every dollar I spend on it, and we all spend heaps! I personally won't risk riding THIS bike without it as much as it gives me the shits. We all make our own decisions based on our experiences and our fears/confidence etc. Bankruptcy is an option if we are unlucky enough to prang into a Porsche and we're not covered. Just my $800 worth. <i></i>
And bankruptcy may be the option the P-plating student relies on when he backs his $300 Corolla over your bus... <i></i>
and Richard your point is? <i></i>
|
Contact Us
