What does motorbike insurance cover?
What does motorbike insurance cover?
Motorbike insurance in South Africa works like car insurance: comprehensive cover protects your own bike against accident, theft, fire and third-party liability; third-party fire & theft adds fire and theft of your bike to third-party cover; and third-party only pays for damage you cause to others. Riding gear and accessories may need to be specified separately.
Key takeaways
- Comprehensive is the widest cover; third-party only is the cheapest.
- Comprehensive covers accident, theft, fire and third-party liability.
- Third-party only covers damage you cause to others, not your bike.
- Riding gear, helmets and accessories often need to be specified.
- Cover is subject to your excess and the policy wording.
The three cover levels
Comprehensive covers accidental damage to your own bike plus theft, fire and third-party liability. Third-party, fire & theft covers damage you cause to others plus fire and theft of your bike. Third-party only is the cheapest and covers only damage you cause to other people's property - not your own bike.
Gear and accessories
Riding gear - helmets, jackets, boots and gloves - and aftermarket accessories are often not automatically covered, or are limited. If your gear is valuable, check whether it needs to be specified and what limit applies, so you're not left out of pocket after a theft or accident.