Seeing the large increases in the sale price of military motorcycles recently has made me think that I really need to get agreed valuations on my bikes. However, I am having real difficulty deciding what valuation I should ask for on my bikes. For example my early panel tank G3WO has documented history that it was bought from a dealer in Dunkirk. Would this history make it more valuable than my other G3W0 that has no history? Is the insurance value higher than the open market price? What insurance valuation would you suggest for them as well as 16h's, M20's, WNG's, James's and all the other makes? Cheers John

email (option): tinley@btinternet.com

The problem is that the way the prices seem to be going, if you agreed a value at the start of the year, you could be £1000 out a few months later? Known military history is like racing history or a vehicle having had a famous ex-owner and makes a huge difference to the sale price of a vehicle. As the insurance value is supposed to reflect the machines worth at sale, then yes a known military history like being left on the beaches at Dunkirk, should add hugely to the value. However, whereas a perspective buyer would understand this and pay for extra the pleasure of knowing the history, would the insurance company follow suit? It's probably all academic at the end of the day, as when you want them to help and pay out, they will find some way of getting out of it, no matter what value you've agreed!

you agree what the vehicle is worth say £4000 it is stolen later that year and they pay out what they think it is worth now only £3000 or less if I said the vehicle is only worth £50 would my premium be very low I don't think so an example I have a Roller cost me £10000 to insure someone else has a Morris 1000 his insurance cost him £70 he stuffs my Roller and his insurance company will have to pay out the very expensive bill to repair it visa versa if I stuffed his Morris my insurance only have to pay out a small amount shouldn't all vehicle be the same premiums to balance it out

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

I insured my WDCO when i acquired it in Jan, and got agreed valuation of £4500 without a quibble. I will prob up that when i renew next Jan.
Chris

email (option): chris@mgowner.co.uk

I think £5-6000 per bike would be about right today if you can get them to agree to that..and they probably will..
If you study WD bike prices you will find, apart from some exceptions like WB30s, that the majority of 'ordinary' ones fall within a similar range, irrespective of make or type....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Having had first hand experience of having my MW with the WD/CO in the back rear ended by an 18 tonner on the M27 and both written off, subsequently spending 18 months arguing with the insurance co I would make the following observations.
1/ When this happened in 2009 I had just insured the Enfield for £4000 and did not have much difficulty even then getting that agreed as a written off figure. However they then reduced that by 25% for the salvage when paying out.
2/ The Bedford had been insured for several years at an agreed value of £4000, and I thought this was too low. However at renewal the blurb said that if I did not provide a new set of photos for the renewal of the agreed value then any valuation for a claim would be at current market value. That's fine I thought, as the truck was in deep storage I'll do that when I dig it out and in the meantime current market valuation will be satisfactory.
Unfortunately when it came to making a claim they insisted in trying to apply the £4000 valuation despite me quoting their letter and providing proof that similar vehicles were selling for 50% more. After 18 monthe wrangling I managed to increase their offer by £1000 but this was still no-where near it's true value. They are now only a couple of years later making double.
The moral is to insure for what you would have to spend to replace it plus a 25% contingency allowance and to review the value every renewal.
Hope this tale helps to crystallise your views on insurance valuations.
The insurance companies are not sentimental. They are there to make a profit.
Regards
Paul

email (option): paul@holmesfamily.ws

Paul, very helpful comments. Thanks John

email (option): tinley@btinternet.com

There's only one lot of crooks worse that the scum that nick your bike and that's the insurance companies! My wife and myself have had to claim four times under various circumstances over the last 25 years and not once have we got the service or settlement we would have expected. We've had very poor service every time, from every company we've tried and we've had to chase about and wait months even for that.

'Never trust a man in a suit'....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com