Insurance

[Geoff2]

My wife and I have an electric bike each, they are 250w with a twist and go throttle. I am trying to find someone who does 3rd party (road use) cover both for the UK and most importantly in Europe.

Hedgehog

 

[tillson]

It's very likely that your home insurance will provide third party cover in the UK. I've never come across a policy that doesn't. As for Europe, what about your travel insurance?

Don't forget that if your bike is legal, then it's a pedal cycle. Insurance companies like you to insure twice or more times for the same risk, it means that they can make more money.

 

[Wicky]

Plus it now seems if in Europe esp Spain you'll need a 'Certificate of Conformity' to avoid getting pulled and heavily fined.

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/justin-beba-or-just-out-of-beba.16823/page-4#post-242150

 

[Geoff2]

The problem is, my bikes conform to UK legislation but do not conform to Spanish legislation, they have a throttle so the Spanish police want to see a valid 3rd party insurance certificate for use in Spain.
No seems to do one specifically for 3rd party road use abroad. They are covered on my houshold policy but I don't think that will do.

Hedgehog

 

[JohnCade]

The problem is, my bikes conform to UK legislation but do not conform to Spanish legislation, they have a throttle so the Spanish police want to see a valid 3rd party insurance certificate for use in Spain.
No seems to do one specifically for 3rd party road use abroad. They are covered on my houshold policy but I don't think that will do.

Hedgehog

I was reading about this on the other thread. Do the Spanish want insurance for all e bikes or just the ones with throttles? The certificate of conformity can be copied from sites selling the bikes or manuals usually. But do you still need insurance there even with it?

Then the Spanish English language newspaper linked to said someone had been heavily fined for having a throttle. Nothing about insurance in that case at all....

You could disconnect the throttle to use it there.

 

[Geoff2]

OK John, it seems that my bikes do not conform to EC 15194 but do conform to current UK legislation. So I cannot get a CoC that shows compliance with EC 15194, and that's what the Spanish police want.
If you can't produce a CoC then they expect you to have insurance for third party risks while on the road.
I doubt very much that the Spanish police will be setting up "bike check" operations, indeed the police are only rarely seen and they are not interested in two old codgers on electric bikes! Nonetheless I would like to have some sort of insurance.

Hedgehog

 

[JohnCade]

CTC do a third party insurance which can be used anywhere in the world except the USA. I don't know if you have to be a member first.

http://www.ctc.org.uk/insurance/third-party-insurance

 

[Wicky]

Best check that having a thottle and no CoC doesn't invalidate the insurance...

 

[Gubbins]

If you forget about third party insurance for a moment.. What about your travel insurance? It seems that the insurance companies will try anything to wriggle out of a travel Insurance claim so take care you are not left high and dry if anything else should happen.

 

[JamesW]

I have eta insurance that I think will cover me in Europe. I would have to look at it to be sure, but calling them and settingit up was no hassle. You only find out how good type insurance is when something goes wrong so I don't know yet.
James

 

[Geoff2]

I have eta insurance that I think will cover me in Europe. I would have to look at it to be sure, but calling them and settingit up was no hassle. You only find out how good type insurance is when something goes wrong so I don't know yet.
James

Thanks James I will give them a try, and John, I have tried CTC and whilst they will cover me if I become a member they do not do a certificate that would be suitable for Spain i.e. like a car insurance certificate.
Geoff