Insurance for electric bike - looking for a recommendation and advice

[RossG]

If you get insurance that encompasses everything, PLI - fire - theft - accidental damage to your machine like you just roll off of it or whatever then you pay top dollar and are fully covered no matter what.
A couple of points, I'd go for the like for like option with full value of the insurance claimable in the event. So if you're insured for £2.500 that's what you get back regardless of bike depreciation.
One insurer I looked at only stipulated the motor had to be badged with a 250w sticker and or a brand name, also it had to have a 15.5 mph cut off speed to comply with no mention of other upgrades like configurable controllers or throttles.

 

[Nealh]

Do you know if that £1K was paid by the car insurer or did the rider have their own policy?

Via the drivers insurer.

 

[Samcycles]

I did look into stand alone insurance recently and quotes were between £127-£192 The policies varied a little but basically the same. In the end I added the bike to my home insurance which covers the full new replacement price £2900 for accidental damage, theft while unattended and secured, from my property or taken by threat or force whilst riding the bike. All this for an extra £24/year
With Cycling UK membership you get £10M third party cover so I felt there was no need to pay for the stand alone insurance. Fingers crossed I will never need to use it.

 

[AlexAlex0]

I am not sure if it's worth buying insurance for an electric bike. At first, when I got my first electric bike I also thought about that, but I researched more and concluded that it's not worth the money. I found great insurance for my car on Money Expert, but I couldn't find anything suitable for my electric bike. I don't know, maybe there are new options, but as for me, better don't do it. Better invest this money in something else rather than bike insurance. My raw opinion and advice.

 

[Lakester]

I did look into stand alone insurance recently and quotes were between £127-£192 The policies varied a little but basically the same. In the end I added the bike to my home insurance which covers the full new replacement price £2900 for accidental damage, theft while unattended and secured, from my property or taken by threat or force whilst riding the bike. All this for an extra £24/year
With Cycling UK membership you get £10M third party cover so I felt there was no need to pay for the stand alone insurance. Fingers crossed I will never need to use it.

@AlexAlex0 - puzzled over why you’re not sure if an Ebike or it’s rider needs Insurance. Are you immune from bad luck?!

... concluded that it's not worth the money.

I just got ebike insurance through Chain Reaction Cycles site. Bike, Personal cover and Third Party insurance £2.99 per month.
Mega-expensive (to me) bike needs some sort of replacement cover, I can’t really afford just to buy again all over if it gets stolen or wrecked. It’s a £3500 machine!
Now I’m moving a lot faster (and without all the gasping and heavy breathing) on trails and tracks I wanted the Personal protection in case I did accidentally hit another person or their property.
Cover seems pretty decent, obviously the premium will vary with the risk, my age and postcode most probably go in my favour.
https://insurance-uk.chainreactioncycles.com/compare/

There’s Bikemo Protect, from British Cycling, which is a very comprehensive policy too by the looks of it.https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/bikeinsurance

Thomas Hanson was controversially cleared at trial of the charge of causing death by careless driving. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51647068

 

[RossG]

@AlexAlex0 - puzzled over why you’re not sure if an Ebike or it’s rider needs Insurance. Are you immune from bad luck?!


I just got ebike insurance through Chain Reaction Cycles site. Bike, Personal cover and Third Party insurance £2.99 per month.
Mega-expensive (to me) bike needs some sort of replacement cover, I can’t really afford just to buy again all over if it gets stolen or wrecked. It’s a £3500 machine!
Now I’m moving a lot faster (and without all the gasping and heavy breathing) on trails and tracks I wanted the Personal protection in case I did accidentally hit another person or their property.
Cover seems pretty decent, obviously the premium will vary with the risk, my age and postcode most probably go in my favour.
https://insurance-uk.chainreactioncycles.com/compare/

There’s Bikemo Protect, from British Cycling, which is a very comprehensive policy too by the looks of it.https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/bikeinsurance

Thomas Hanson was controversially cleared at trial of the charge of causing death by careless driving. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-51647068

That's odd, I just tried for a quote on a £1000 folding ebike ticking PLI and they wanted £11 pm !
Even if I unticked all the boxes it was still almost £7 pm, did you read the small print ?

 

[Samcycles]

That's odd, I just tried for a quote on a £1000 folding ebike ticking PLI and they wanted £11 pm !
Even if I unticked all the boxes it was still almost £7 pm, did you read the small print ?

I find this a bit strange too as I got a Chain Reaction Cycles quote for £5.88/pm with personal protection & third party cover or £2.89/pm without for my old non electric hybrid with the value set to the minimum of £300

 

[RossG]

Hopefully Lakester has input the correct information or he won't be covered at all

 

[Lakester]

Thanks guys, looks like there was some sort of user input error. I had just ended up with rider cover despite entering my bike make, model, serial number, address date of birth etc!

 

[joelectric]

I know this thread is about road insurance for ebikes but my car breakdown policy from ETA also covers me for any bicycle breakdown including ebikes, I have copied some of the wording below.
The policy is about £11 a month and covers up to 5 people from same household in any vehicle they are in (or bike)
What is covered?
✓ One-hour roadside repair
✓ National recovery
✓ Home rescue
✓ Replacement vehicle hire
✓ Overnight accommodation
✓ Cycle rescue
Additional option:
✓ European cover

Bicycle means any bicycle, adult tricycle or
tandem, which is your property, or for which
you are legally responsible. This includes any
mechanically or electrically assisted bicycle
weighing less than 60 kg and with an output not
exceeding 250 w/15.5 mph.

Personal breakdown is a service that covers
you in any vehicle or on any bicycle provided
your details are registered with us for personal
breakdown. You are covered for any vehicle or
bicycle in which you may be travelling, provided
that you are in possession of identification at the
time of the breakdown.

 

[richtea99]

Insurance for theft: £3.98 from the Halifax for two named/valued bikes (£2k each) on their standard home insurance.
Although their website says electric bikes aren't covered, assisted ones, i.e. pedelecs are, if you ring.

Insurance in terms of crashing/3rd party damage: join Cycling UK. They recovered £6k for me after being run over 25 years ago. They have my business for life.

 

[RossG]

I reckon Bikmo seems to be the best for all round coverage.

• £20k Personal accident
• £2m Public liability
• £5,000 medical expenses inc. physio
• £2,500 counselling expenses
• £1,000 dental injury
• £500 optical injury

• Theft
• Accidental damage
• Vandalism
• Worldwide cover
• £250 or 10% Clothing & headgear
• £250 or 10% Accessories
• £500 or 10% Bike box
• £150 Returning home cover
• £500 Alternative cycle hire
• Excess-free replacements
• £100k Legal expenses cover
• Family + friends
• Multi-bike - up to 50%
• New for old - no depreciation
• 0% monthly payments