As well as the 15 other bike insurance brokers on the panel, when you get a bike insurance quote from The Bike Insurer you will now see Hastings Insurance as one of the brokers quoting.

As long as you fit with the criteria Hastings Insurance need to give a quote, then you will usually them to be a very competitive bike insurance broker who offer a good range of benefits.

Hastings Insurance have been providing bike insurance for many years and are one of the biggest names in the UK when it comes to providing good quality service and back up in the event of a claim.

Hastings Insurance are especially good for riders aged 30+ with a clean licence, and ideally at least one year's no claims bonus. Dont worry though if you dont fit this criteria as there are 15 other bike insurance brokers to select from as well as Hastings!

Article by Dan. Bike Insurance from The Bike Insurer

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We are very pleased to announce that Ebike Insurance, one of the UK's leading bike insurance brokers, has formed an agreement with The Bike Insurer to place its bike insurance rates onto the panel of brokers that quote on The Bike Insurer website.

From December 2007, when you get a bike insurance quote from The Bike Insurer, Ebike will be one of the 16 insurance brokers that will offer you a quotation.

Ebike Insurance were formed in 2005 and are both a direct insurer and broker. What this means is that they are providing you with products that they underwrite via their own insurance company, Southern Rock Insurance, rather than using a panel of insurance companies that most other insurance brokers use.

Ebike Insurance has a good reputation as being a quality provider of bike insurance, and we welcome them as a provider for our customers.

Article by Dan. Bike Insurance from The Bike Insurer

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Britain moved one stage closer this week to being ruled by Nazis as draconian guidelines were planned to jail drivers for 2 years who get caught using their mobile phone whilst driving.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has advised that those drivers caught using a mobile phone will be charged with 'dangerous driving', whereas now the charge is 'driving without due care and attention'.

Additionally, drivers caught fiddling with satellite navigation devices, or reading a map could also face jail.

Now then, whilst I totally agree with this charge for anyone causing an accident or even worse, severely injuring or killing someone, I do think that locking up your average Joe for talking to the wife about dinner or the kids is a ridiculous farce of an idea.

I read a report recently that said there were only something like 400 prison places left unoccupied. In 2005 alone there were 129,700 drivers caught using a mobile phone whilst driving. Given that there are only 81,000 prison cells up for grabs at any one time this means that if the same number of drivers are caught in 2008 then the CPS will need to take the following measures;

>Build enough prisons to house an extra 48,700 naughty drivers

>Release all rapists, serial killers, wife beaters, robbers, murderers, paedophiles and other real criminals

>Budget for the fact that 67% of prisoners reoffend when they are released which means that over 5 years, 648,500 drivers will spend 2 years in jail and then 434,495 will reoffend

Approximately 50% of adults in the UK are married and if we assume the split is even then this means nearly 65,000 married people will go to jail each year, forcing many partners to claim from the Government for the shortfall in family income.

Thats not to mention the housing market would be totally destroyed by the number of reposessed homes that would come onto the market as mortgages are unpaid, forcing lenders to recoup their losses.

Only a Government as stupid as as ours would rubber stamp this ridiculous idea. Clearly they haven't learnt their lesson from the Northern Rock fiasco and want to grow the problem so that all taxpayers salaries are paid directly to the Government to pay for their mortgage lending bills.

I wonder if Ken Macdonald, the Head of the CPS, who has previously recieved a conviction for possession of drugs, plays golf with Alistair Darling, the Chancellor of the Exchequor. Its like they are betting each other to come up with most stupid idea;

"So Alistair, I bet you can't make every tax payer in the country pay £1800 each so that a badly run bank can be bailed out by the Government"

"Oh yeah, I will see your bet and I'll raise you. I bet you cant inprison every driver in the country for 2 years, lead us into recession and then watch as Cameron comes in to save the day"

"Err, ok then......"

Only a man on the severest of drugs can think this a good idea. Oh yes, silly me, now I realise!!

 Article by Dan. Bike Insurance from The Bike Insurer

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Clearly riders are looking further afield in 2008 for where to take their bikes as a survey of motorcyclists has revealed that a satellite navigation product is top of their Christmas wish list this year.

Sat Nat for motorbikes has taken off over the last couple of years and with a range of products from manufacturers such as Tom Tom and Garmin now widely available, prices are starting to come down.

Almost 1 in 3 riders said that a sat nav system would be their favourite present, whilst other answers included steering dampers and cruise control.

Dont forget that if you are lucky enough to get a sat nav system for your bike this Christman, then you need to check with your broker whether your bike is now classed as modified and if so, whether their is any extra premium due for your bike insurance. Sorry to spoil the Christmas spirit!!!!

Article by Dan. Bike Insurance from The Bike Insurer

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A rider who suffered horrific injuries in a motorbike accident in 2003 has given his family a Christmas to remember - he has woken from a coma over 4 years after his accident.

Neil Chaplin, 37, from Texas was involved in a hit and run motorbike accident on October 22nd 2003 after it was alleged he did not pay a debt that he owed to a supplier. Chaplin was run off the road whilst out riding his motorbike by a car containing a gang of 4, who despite a tv reconstruction, were never caught.

As well as appalling head injuries that affected several parts of his brain in the motorbike accident, Chaplin also suffered a ruptured spleen, shattered hid, legs, arms, foot, jaw and shoulder. Additonally he suffered burns to his arms and left leg. In total Chaplin underwent over 40 operations to repair the damage to his mangled body.

At one stage Chaplin was read his last rights after he needed emergency ventricular fibulation to keep him alive. It was thought that no human could survive the injuries he suffered.

Amazingly, once Chaplin awoke from his coma, he didnt remember a thing. The first thing he did was ask for his mobile phone to tell his boss he would need a couple of days off!

Chaplin' wife, Ellen said after he woke up "Neil has always been a fighter and now he has the chance to live his life with his family once again. He hasnt seen his daughter since she was 6 months old and now she is at school. I can only thank God for giving us another chance".

Asked if he would be riding a motorbike again Neil coyly smiled at the reported asking the question!!

Article by Dan. Bike Insurance from The Bike Insurer

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A short while ago we published an article saying that bike insurance costs had plummeted by as much as 18% year on year in certain profiles of the market.

We've now had a few calls from insurance brokers and companies who have suggested that motorbike insurance costs may be set to rise.

It seems that as more companies have started to provide motorbike insurance that the market has gotten more competitive. This has forced many companies to slash the costs of the insurance to compete with prices riders have been quoted.

The big concern is that motorbike insurance was traditionally sold over the phone for many years and many brokers have big call centre teams who are getting quieter every year as the internet becomes the place to look for low cost quotes. So now whats happening is that when a call comes into the call centre, brokers are offering whatever prices they can to ensure that the rider goes on cover there and then.

Now though, it seems insurers have had enough and are going to be making rate increases across the board so that the cost of motorbike insurance does not reduce further. What this means is that riders need to work harder than ever to make sure they get the best deal.

Always compare the market and make sure you dont pay more than you have to for your motorbike insurance.

Article by Dan. Bike Insurance from The Bike Insurer

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Lewis Hamilton, the undoubted superstar amongst the current crop of Formula 1 drivers has been banned from driving after being caught speeding in France.

Hamilton, 22, was caught at the wheel of his Mercedes near the town of Laon on the 16th December driving at 120 mph.

He was hit with an immediate £429 fine and the police also confiscated his car!!

It is understood Hamilton, Mclaren's senior driver for the 2008 Formula 1 season did not protest and was very co-operative with the French authorities.

I wonder if the police were driving a Renault when they eventually caught up with Hamilton, and if so, lets hope thats the closest they come in the next 12 months!

Article by Dan. Bike Insurance from The Bike Insurer

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We've just compiled our biggest ever survey on the cost of bike insurance quotes and below you can see some of the highlights.

In the all important learner legal class eg upto 125cc,  bike insurance costs for 16-21 are on average 11% lower than this time last year and for riders over 21 the savings are even bigger at 14%. This is great news for anyone getting into riding for the first time.

The touring and commuter class shows some big savings too as its this area where the older and more experience rider tends to be a more typical profile user. The average bike insurance premium in the same month of last year was £242 and this year its just £213, a saving of 12%.

However its the supersports class where bike insurance seems to be getting more competitive. If you hold at least 1 year's No Claims Bonus then your insurance is on average 18% cheaper than this time last year, compared to 9% cheaper for riders that have zero NCB. Bikes in this group include the Yamaha R1, Suzuki GSXR 1000 and Honda CBR 1000.

It seems though that bike insurance costs are dropping across the board and thats great news for all riders, both new and existing. So shop around and compare the market to make sure you are getting the best deals!!

Article by Dan. Bike Insurance from The Bike Insurer.

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I was reading a report today of a motorcycle crash that killed a rider because he hadn't got the right size helmet and it came off when he collided with a car.

So I had a little look around the web to find a video about how to fit a helmet and found one below for you to take a look at.

Now I know that being told how to fit a helmet isnt the most fun thing to do in the world, but the guy that died was 35 years old and had 3 kids aged 6,2 and 1. Those kids are now left without a father because he didnt have the right size helmet fitted.

You might think that your helmet fits you ok because its nice and comfortable but the video below will show you a demonstration by the MD of Pheonix Distribution, the importer of Arai helmets, on how to fit a helmet properly.

Do yourself a favour and spend a minute looking at the video below. It might just save your life.

Article by Dan. Bike Insurance from The Bike Insurer

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So its the end of the bike season. Its freezing cold and only the most hardcore riders are still braving the UK roads.

This is the time of year riders need to be even more careful and need to make sure more than ever that their bike is in good shape. One of the most important things to check are your motorcycle tyres.

If you've been riding all year round, then you have probably covered a few thousand miles on the same motorcycle tyres since the start of the season. A recent report showed that 48% of riders dont ever check their motorcycle tyres for wear or see if the tyre pressures are correct.

If your motorcycle tyre pressures are too low then you run a higher risk of your bike not being able to stop as quickly or be able to respond as sharply if you need to swerve to avoid an obstacle in the road. Also, tyres that arent inflated to the correct psi's wear out so much quicker and at over £100 for a top quality sports tyre, you are not helping yourself.

So for the sake of your health and wallet, next time you fill up with fuel, go check your motorcycle tyres for wear and check the pressure of your tyres. You might just be glad you did.

Article by Dan. Bike Insurance from The Bike Insurer

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