Breakdown cover

Just wondering if anyone has had any trouble getting breakdown/rescue cover for their older Guzzis recently?

Currently I have a Carole Nash 6 wheel policy, with full Euro breakdown cover on both my bikes and the car. My renewal has come in with a huge hike, which they could not explain. I have therefore gone through Cornmarket with their IAM deal, and managed to keep costs similar to last year, but without any breakdown cover on the Le Mans. I have it no problem for the car and the Norge. Cornmarket said they could not offer breakdown cover on bikes over 16 years old.


I did a comparison just for this with moneysupermarket.com, and could not get any offer for European breakdown cover. I could get UK only though.


This has never been an issue for me before, so just wondering?

I only have old bikes and have them insured on a Carole Nash classic bike policy, including breakdown. I used the breakdown cover twice in 2017, and found it to be excellent both times. Perhaps I was lucky that both times I managed to stop in a safe place, they turned up quickly with a specialist motorcycle recovery van, loaded me up and took me home.
I also have a breakdown policy with RAC as part of my bank account, which should also cover me for bikes and cars, but have not tried that.

I’m with Carole Nash so presume through that that I am covered in Europe - I am fortunate enough never to have had to try it. For the UK I also have RAC cover.

Yes, I have been with Carole Nash for several years, and never had a problem until they tried to nearly double my premium this year.

Having had to change, I have now come across this issue.

I was with Footman James before, until they stopped offering insurance for business use.

At NEC I asked on CN stand about European cover after Brexit and no one knew (there’s a surprise) but they vaguely implied it would continue if your policy was renewed before B Day in March 2019.

More pertinent to the UK…a mate needed recovery for his old Guzzi in UK and CN’s contractor refused 'coz his bike didn’t have a MOT despite it being legal to ride to & from MOT test without one. This makes me worry they might refuse to recover classic bikes old enough not to need a MOT.

I’m thinking that trying to get through customs in and out of the mainland in a post Brexit world will be too complicated and lengthy to contemplate anyway.

The arguments as to the validity of an MOT being any kind of proof of road-worthiness on any given day appear to be manifold. Unless it’s in the small print then it sounds like breach of contract on the face of it.

I have personal cover with the RAC now but had similar problems when taking my 1986 BMW R80RT to Austria a few years ago. I ended up with Swintons and although I didn’t need it for myself when my mate’s bike broke down they arranged for recovery to the nearest Dealer, obviously at his cost when I phoned them from there.

I have a Nationwide Flexplus Joint Bank Account which includes European breakdown for myself and my wife in any vehicle.
It also includes very good travel insurance, phone insurance, commission free cash withdrawals when abroad and pays 3% on up to £2500 balance. It also offers a regular saver account paying 5% on up to £250 per month

It cost £13 pm but is fantastic value if you take advantage of the benefits

The only point I haven’t checked is the non MOT but personally I like to keep bikes MOT’d in any case if I am likely to be riding many miles. - a quick call to 0800 118855 would confirm the MOT question I think

https://www.nationwide.co.uk/products/current-accounts/flexplus/features-and-benefits


PS I am not connected to Nationwide !!

I have a 20 year old K1200RS insured via Bikesure - added europe-wide cover, no issue with age of bike.