What we can and cannot do
We are not licensed financial advisers. Kimberley Motorcycle Centre does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence, does not sell insurance, and cannot tell you which policy is right for your circumstances. Nothing on this page is personal financial advice. It is general information about how motorcycle cover works, written by people who see the claims when they go wrong.
What we do at the point of sale is straightforward. We can refer you to licensed insurers and brokers who write motorcycle policies in remote Western Australia, we can give you the exact make, model, engine number and VIN you will need for a quote, and we can provide valuations and repair quotes when you are making a claim.
The four kinds of cover
| Cover | What it pays for | What it does not |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Third Party | Injury to other people. Included in your WA registration — you already have it if the bike is registered. | Any damage to property, including your bike and anyone else's. |
| Third party property | Damage you cause to somebody else's vehicle or property. | Your own bike, in any circumstance. |
| Third party fire and theft | The above, plus your bike if it is stolen or burns. | Crash damage to your own bike. |
| Comprehensive | Your bike and other people's property, however the damage happened, subject to the exclusions in the policy. | Whatever the product disclosure statement excludes — and that list is longer up here than it is in Perth. |
CTP is not optional and it is not enough. A great many riders believe their registration covers their bike. It does not. It covers injury to other people, and nothing else.
Agreed value or market value
This is the single decision that most changes what you get paid on a total loss, and most people tick it without reading it.
Market value
The insurer pays what the bike was worth immediately before the loss, as they assess it. Cheaper premium. The catch in the Kimberley is that "market value" is usually calculated on national data, and a bike here has often had a harder life than the same model in a Perth garage — so the assessed figure can come in below what you would actually need to replace it locally.
Agreed value
You and the insurer agree a figure up front and that is what is paid. Higher premium, no argument at claim time. For a newer bike, or one you have spent money on, this is usually the one worth paying for. Review the agreed figure every renewal, because insurers will happily let it drift away from reality.
Exclusions that matter up here
These are the ones we see cause trouble. None of them are unusual or hidden — they are simply in a document nobody reads until they need to.
- Flood and water damage. Riding through floodwater is excluded by most policies, and a bike that has been submerged is frequently written off rather than repaired. Between December and March this is not a hypothetical.
- Unsealed road use. A small number of policies restrict or exclude off road and unsealed road use. If most of your riding is on gravel, confirm this in writing before you buy.
- Competitive and organised events. Club days, motocross meets and time trials are almost always excluded. Separate event cover exists.
- Unregistered machines. Dirt bikes and quads that never go on a road are not covered by a road policy at all. They need a separate off road or farm machinery policy.
- Recovery and transport. Check the towing limit. A recovery from a station track four hours out of Broome can exceed a metropolitan towing allowance several times over.
- Riding gear. Helmets, boots and jackets are often excluded, or capped at a low figure. A full set of good gear is worth more than people assume.
- Unlicensed or unendorsed riders. If the rider does not hold the correct class of licence for the machine, cover typically falls away entirely.
Quads, side by sides and farm machines
Machines used on stations and properties usually sit outside a standard motorcycle policy. Depending on how they are used they may belong on a farm or business policy, and the way the machine is described on that policy matters — a quad listed as "farm equipment" and a quad listed as "recreational vehicle" are not treated the same at claim time.
We can give you the compliance plate details, engine number and specification you need. What the machine should be listed as is a question for your insurer or broker.
When you buy from us
Every bike leaves with the documentation you need to arrange cover the same day: VIN, engine number, compliance details, the sale contract and a written valuation if you want one for an agreed value policy.
Ask us for it at handover rather than a week later. Riding home uninsured because the paperwork was not ready is a preventable way to have a very bad afternoon.