CLASSIC BIKE INSURANCE

“I have to admit that I am somewhat addicted to buying, restoring, and collecting classic bikes! I’ve lost count of the number of bikes I have bought and done up over the years, and I have a connection with every single one of them.

Owning classic bikes is a bit different to modern bikes as they require a bit more care and attention. While I don’t ride my classics every day, I do like to keep some of them insured and MOT’d, so that I can take them out for a spin on sunny days.

If there is one classic bike that I couldn’t bear to part with then it is my Yamaha RD350LC. That’s the bike that transformed my life. I bought it to get to work and ended up doing some club racing. That led to me becoming a professional racer and having a wonderful career that’s taken me around the world, meeting amazing people and riding some fantastic motorcycles.”

“While I can’t claim to be as avid a collector of classic bikes as Niall, I have to admit that there’s always something special about getting out on an iconic old bike.

Classics are all about the memories, and whenever I see an old Yamaha TZR125 (my first race bike) or one of the Ducati 916s or 999s that I won my superbike titles on, I get all reminiscent!

We know that owners of classics have different requirements for their classic motorbike insurance, which is why we’ve been working with our panel of underwriters to provide the kind of policy we'd want for our own bikes.

From sixties Brit icons, to Nineties two-strokers and even early R1s and FireBlades, the term 'classic motorbike' covers a wide variety of popular machines from over the years.

At Mackenzie Hodgson, we’re fans of anything with two wheels and an engine – but it’s the icons of yesteryear that really get us going."

Unique coverage for one-of-a kind bikes

For Niall, it’s the iconic Yamaha FS-1E sports moped and the legendary RD350LC that will have him talking the hind legs off anyone who cares to listen (not to mention the extremely rare Honda NR750 he likes to bring out for special occasions). Neil’s particularly fond of the modern day classic Ducatis he rode to much success back in the day.

You see, we know that classic bikes are all a bit different, and definitely more than lumps of metal used to get you from A to B. Our classics move us emotionally and we’re pretty sure that yours do too. They also tend to be well looked after, ridden sympathetically, and used less frequently than your daily ride. And that should be reflected in your classic bike insurance policy, and the premium you pay.

Insurance as special as the bikes we cover

That’s why we wanted Mackenzie Hodgson’s classic bike insurance to be as special as the bikes we cover. We know that you cherish your classic bikes. Maybe you wheel your machine out only on special occasions, clocking up just a few hundred miles every year. Perhaps you’d like an agreed value or have a collection of bikes and want them covered by a single policy. Either way, we know that you want the reassurance that you’d be covered should the worst happen, and your bike is stolen, or written off in a crash.

All vehicles need to be insured to be legally used on UK roads, although, at 40 years old, a classic bike no longer needs to go through annual MOT test. It does need to be in roadworthy condition though. 

In recent years, the definition of the classic motorcycle has changed too. Historically, a vehicle would need to be at least 30 years old to even be considered a classic, but nowadays bikes can achieve modern classic status at around 15 years old. This means that many of the bikes we lusted after in years gone by, or maybe even owned first time around, can benefit from the features and benefits of dedicated classic bike insurance.

If you want to insure your pride and joy with a company that knows just how important your bikes are to you, give us a call on 0333 0053 100 and speak to one of our fully trained call centre staff.

Just some of the classic bikes covered by Mackenzie Hodgson include:

Aprilia RS250

BSA Gold Star

BSA Rocket 3

Cagiva Mito

Ducati 750SS

Ducati 900SS

Ducati 888

Ducati 916

Honda C90 Super Cub

Honda NS400R

Honda CB750

Honda CBR900RR FireBlade

Kawasaki KR-1

Kawasaki KR-1S

Kawasaki ZZR1100

Kawasaki ZXR750

Suzuki RV125 VanVan

Suzuki RG500 Gamma

Suzuki GSX1100S Katana

Triumph 5T Speed Twin

Triumph T120 Bonneville

Triumph Trident

Yamaha TZR250

Yamaha FZR1000 EXUP