Breakdown recommendations? (inc Europe)

[richtea]

With my bike hitting 30k miles I'm tempted not to take out the BMW warranty this year, but that means I lose their breakdown cover.
They do sell it separately for £145 with European cover too, but that feels a little steep to me.

Does anyone have alternative suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[Phmode]

I always thought the warranty included breakdown cover. Has that changed or was I dreaming? Never used it so don't know.

Who do you insure with? I'm with Bennetts and my cover includes RAC Breakdown Basic (which probably means only within 10 miles of home but not within 1 mile of home...).

[chriscanning]

This year CarolNash coughed up and included it with the yearly insurance,alhough in fairness that’s for 6 bikes so it’s not a exactly peanuts, but for the previous gazillion years it’s been with the RAC.

[richtea]

I always thought the warranty included breakdown cover. Has that changed or was I dreaming? Never used it so don't know.

Breakdown is an optional extra with the warranty, ~£60 as an extra, which is good value. However, I don't want to take the warranty out this year. Over the years I've lost out - not claimed nearly as much as I've paid out.

On the other hand if you buy just the BMW breakdown it's £145 so not so good.

RAC is £289 / annum if you want Home + European cover. Ouch.

Hmm, maybe just get the BMW warranty + breakdown cover anyway. Decisions, decisions...

[Phmode]

I also use Britannia Rescue via LV. It covers me and her driving or as a passenger in any vehicle so covers the bike and car etc. etc. in any combination and at the same time across UK and Europe including Home Start etc. High £100 but less than £200 from memory. I don't know if they cover just bikes.

[black-k1]

I also use Britannia Rescue via LV. It covers me and her driving or as a passenger in any vehicle so covers the bike and car etc. etc. in any combination and at the same time across UK and Europe including Home Start etc. High £100 but less than £200 from memory. I don't know if they cover just bikes.

Same here. Covers my good lady and me, any vehicle,  in the UK and one named vehicle in Europe.  I swap the named vehicle between the car and bike according to which I'm using.

[alaskier]

Until this year I had full European cover inc home start for the bike only for around £70 with Britannia LV. This year I took advantage of Bennetts’ “bundle” which includes Legal and European breakdown so allowed the Britannia cover to lapse. I might well go back to Britannia in the future as I found them very competitive and don’t really need all of the cover offered by Bennetts however it all depends on the premiums charged by each insurer.

 Whilst on the subject of insurance I understand that MCE ceased trading last week. Whether or not they are still providing cover for their existing policyholders I do not know. Should any of you insure your bikes with MCE I suggest you give them a call to find out what is happening. If MCE are no longer solvent they should contact their policyholders so if you have not heard from them I suggest you give them a call.

[Phmode]

So, obviously LV do cover just bikes on their Britannia Rescue service.

The MCE bit doesn't surprise me. They have been getting terrible reviews for their non-service and responses when you need them most.

[richtea]

LV Britannia Rescue is looking good, expecially since 2 or 3 of you have recommended / used them:
- Home start
- European cover
- £0 excess

£56.

[alaskier]

So, obviously LV do cover just bikes on their Britannia Rescue service.

The MCE bit doesn't surprise me. They have been getting terrible reviews for their non-service and responses when you need them most.

Strangely, although they provide breakdown cover for motorcycles LV no longer cover them for road risks

[Phmode]

No, I discovered that when I was re-insuring my car and asked about bikes and I could hear the tremble in the guys voice!

[richtea]

In the end I chickened out - tch - and went for the BMW warranty again. £397 inc Euro breakdown but with a £100 excess (for the warranty part - not the breakdown part).

The logic was:
- bike is still worth about £6k so warranty+breakdown is approx 5% of it's value - not too bad
- I have claimed previously on this and other bikes (hot start, gear selector, switch gear, relay)
- I'll probably do more miles this year than last, 10k miles-ish
- lastly, some misplaced peace of mind

But LV Brittania Rescue will be where I go once I decide not to take the BMW warranty out.

Thanks for all your advice.

[raesewell]

You know it makes sense 

[Adamus]

I switched from First Direct (RAC) to Nationwide (AA) in 2015 because they do provide European cover form motorcycles (including travel and mobile phone insurance).

I was also pleasantly surprised this year, that they will still give medical cover inside their travel insurance provision without loading the £13 per month Flex Account premium on the basis of excluding pre-existing conditions. In my case recently it meant I still had medical cover for a family trip to Orlando on the basis of excluding Lymphoma (in remission) and brain tumour craniotomy (no seizures, still waiting to licence to be restored, bloody DVLA delays!). They confirmed in writing that I was covered and listed the conditions I declared (without needing a medical).

Without this I was facing almost £800 medical cover for the two week trip.

[Phmode]

That's a turn up for the book. Mostly, insurance companies want to screw you for every penny you have. It's bad enough when you are in fine fettle but when you are not too well and they start the old games, you just don't need the grief. Result.