Although it is desirable to have fully comprehensive bike insurance, it will protect you from the liability of any damages caused during an accident, what it might not do is cover you for personal injury, time spent in hospital or off work. Because of the nature of motorbikes, when you fall off, you get hurt. So what are the limitations of fully comp?
For a start, track days are out. Yes, you can attend, but only to wave on your buddies. Deliberately placing yourself or your bike in situations that could result in damage is going to be one of the first on the list of exclusions. Likewise any modifications that enhance your machines performance or that makes the bike handle in a way other than the specifications laid out by the manufacturer will cause you to fall foul of the small print that your insurance company will almost certain have on the policy exclusions.
Taking out a separate health insurance is one way to be sure that you can receive medical care without the danger of receiving a large bill for the hospital stay and attendant consultant fees. There are also personal injury insurance plans that will compensate you for lost wages and for pain and suffering. Although vigilance is your best bike insurance accidents are, by their very nature unexpected and not something a rider actually wants to experience.
A further claim a rider is likely to have is theft. Modern bikes are expensive and are a tempting target for thieves. Unlike in the past, where riding a bike was considered to be a cheap means of transport, today’s super-bikes are powerful, streamlined and expensive machines. It makes sense to try and protect your property by using the best locking systems you can afford. At the very least you will want a chain or cable that is long enough to attach the bike to a secure fixing. Even if your bike is kept in a garage or shed, you should consider using an anchor point and chain, and take care not to leave tools like bolt cutters or hacksaws nearby.
Keeping your bike and riding gear well maintained is a wise move. Aside from the dangers you might face by having a worn and rusty chain or bald tyres being stopped by the police on a bike they consider to be badly kept can result in your bike being lifted. Once they start writing you up they are likely to develop a taste for it, so you will probably get a hefty fine and possibly some penalty points. This will likely lead to an increase in your insurance premium, so as a cost cutting measure, not keeping your bike in good order, is not very practical.