Aviva insurance are refusing cover for pillions on some bikes!

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn/insurance/news/may2511-no-pillions-say-leading-motorcycle-insurer/                                                                                                                                                                              

Simple don't use them for any of your policy's see how they like no customers                                                                                                                                                                              

I'm with jp here. Vote with your wallet.
For a   company to do that they either think we will put up with it or they don't want us on their books.

                                                                                                                                                                             

what tends to happen is when 1 gets the balls to try something they all follow. watch this space.                                                                                                                                                                             

In fairness some sports bike have a pilly seat and foot rests but there just to sell the bike and not really safe for a pilly.                                                                                                                                                                              

I could understand the premium being higher for pillion carrying, or a discount being given if not, but to refuse cover point blank is tantamount to libel? ("You will injure your passenger"?)                                                                                                                                                                              

I don't see how it could be libel.
                                                                                                                                                                             

Hang on if they insure a bike that has two seats but say you cant carry a pillion there in breach of the road traffic act as all seats on the vehicle have to covered.

I'm sure its some thing like that. basically the only way they can legally do that is ban anything that can carry a pillion from there books!

Aviva used to be Norwich Union didn't they? Back in the early 90's Norwich Union banned rider polices and engine capacity policies. They basically lost all there customers in that market and changed there mind. They also did the same for courier policies and now yet again there one of the only companies that insure couriers. IMHO its just a dirty trick to force the competition out of the way then swallow up the void they created. Vote with your feet.  

Its also just basic discrimination, they wouldn't dare do this for a car!

                                                                                                                                                                             

Don't know why this is suddenly doing the rounds as you'll see if you open up the ,link that the story is nearly three years old.
Having said that, Stuie is quite right. the Road Traffic Act says that if a vehicle is equipped to carry a passenger, then it needs passenger liability insurance. End of - it makes no distinction between cars and bikes here. Avia just cannot opt out of parts of the Road Traffic Act, it's just not legal.
BUT...they can make life very difficult for you if a pilly gets hurt, or worse, and claims against the rider. They'll pay up, eventually, but will then try and recover the money back from the policyholder. In the case of, for example, a pilly who becomes totally crippled after an accident, that could run into hundreds of thousands if not millions.
Personally I think this neither one thing nor the other approach should be stopped. If they tried it on with refusing to insure car passengers, or saying they wouldn't, the government would act instantly, I'm sure. Trouble is, premiums would go up and riders who don't usually carry pillions would feel hard done to, but either way, it needs to be a lot clearer about what's covered and what isn't, and like it or not the Act requires passengers liability cover.

OK, rant over!

                                                                                                                                                                             

  I used to have a "Rider" policy way back when   It cost me £16 fully comp for "unlimited" capacity   Then along came "compulsory" passenger insurance   Which doubled the premium to £32   I was told at the time, I had to have it, regardless of whether I carried one or not   So what's changed   Or have I missed sumat                                                                                                                                                                               

i get the cover free with Carol Nash, it,s worth bring this up again as new member might not know about this problem

                                                                                                                                                                             

  I'm with Carol Nash now Bill   I had a claim last year with them   And was very pleasantly surprised with the outcome   They dealt with it in a speedy efficient manner   And I got a cheque within two weeks of them taking the bike away   I also got the bike back too   But curiously, the cheque was from AVIVA   So it would seem that they are the "underwriters"   So all this is extremely puzzling to me   And my renewal premium was cheaper than before