Insurance problems for 2009 G5 UCE

[rnewton75]

Hello,  I just brought home my new G5 today and called Progressive insurance (who had the best rates) to start my policy.  They brought up my saved quote and everything seemed great until she entered my VIN #.  Apparently the VIN does not pull up in their database (at one point they mentioned the NADA but I'm not sure what they referance).  Anyway, they could only classify the bike as a kit or a home-made bike and would only sell me liability coverage (I'd like full coverage).  they said that their sample VIN#'s in their system all started with "MB" and mine starts with "ME".  they thought it may be a misprint.  I looked at the other Enfields at my dealer (Union Cycle, in North Carolina) and all of the 2009 UCE's start with ME.  The older Enfields they had in the showroom did start with "MB". 

Does Royal Enfield of USA need to register the 2009"s with some sort of database?

[r80rt]

My C5 didn't show up in my insurance company's data base either, but they checked  and found it was a new model. After that it was no problem to get insured.

[rnewton75]

If you don't mind me asking, which insurance company did you use?

[REpozer]

The key word was Progressive------Good Luck

[thefieldworker]

they said that their sample VIN#'s in their system all started with "MB" and mine starts with "ME".  they thought it may be a misprint.  I looked at the other Enfields at my dealer (Union Cycle, in North Carolina) and all of the 2009 UCE's start with ME.  The older Enfields they had in the showroom did start with "MB". 

My G5 VIN starts with ME as well, but I had no problems either registering or insuring the bike (USAA) in North Carolina. I too bought my bike from Carl at Union Cycle; he really pulled through for me on the recall issue. I got the bike a day before a scheduled work trip (well, the work was an excuse to ride to the Outer Banks, then up the coast to NJ), and have been really please with the bike. I have yet to see another Enfield on the road here in Charlotte.

[rnewton75]

Hey it's great to hear from another owner in Charlotte (well Belmont).

Yea, Carl told me that another guy that teaches at Davidson College used USAA too but the weird thing is that Progressive underwrites all of the USAA policies...  They can't explain it either.  I'll probably call USAA tomorrow and see.

[thefieldworker]

Yeah, that's me. I hope it works for you with the insurance; I know I would find it extremely frustrating to run into these bureaucratic problems.

Good luck with the bureaucrats! (And apologies in advance if you work in the insurance industry.)

[rnewton75]

Well, good to meet you.  I'm in the construction equipment rental business, not insurance.

What year is your G5?  If it's a 2008 I think the problem lies with the 2009's (in their system).

[thefieldworker]

No, like yours, it's 2009; this is the first model year for our bikes.

I know the adage of never buy something in its first year of production, but I fell in love with it and my heart made my brain stop working. I got rid of my last motorcycle (1985 Honda CB700SC Nighthawk) in 2006 (a mistake), and really missed riding. I wanted my first bike back (1975 Honda CB360T), but reading about the Royal Enfield story got me down to Union Cycle last April. I was trying to decide between the G5 and the Bonneville; I have no buyer's remorse.

http://lozada.davidson.edu/?tag=royal-enfield

I am even considering shifting my research somehow so that I can learn more about the Enfield story. There's something going on, not only in American society but throughout the world, that is making bikes like the Enfield (and Urals, Chang Jiangs and other similar bikes) just right for the 21st century. I think Michael Crawford is onto something in his book Shop Class as Soul Craft; he quit his gig at a Washington DC think-tank to open up a motorcycle repair shop, where he feels the critical thinking that he developed while getting his PhD in political science is actually being put to use.

See, I am an academic! I cited a book in my post.

[rnewton75]

Nice article on your site.

I thought about going to India too.  I may be going there next year.  My wife wanted me to wait on the bike and get it in india.  To see my bike roll off the assembly line would have been cool but, I'm glad I bought it.  I have no remorse either.

My last bike was a 1988 Honda NT650 Hawk.  Not a Night Hawk, it had the frame of the VFR, a V-Twin, but no fairings.  it was styled after the Ducati Monsters.  Before that I had a 1978 Suzuki GS1100 (got it cheap, a big piece of garbage),  and prior to that my first bike was a 1980 Yamaha 250 Exciter.  Of my 3 previous bikes,  my favorite is somewhere between the Yamaha & the Hawk.  The enfield seems to bridge that gap perfectly. 

the Hawk was stolen about 10 years ago.  After that, my wife has said no bikes.  Recently she's come to the realization that we're all going to die sometime. After booking herself for a variety of "once in a lifetime experiences" (that include skydiving in the Navada Desert & bungee jumping from Victoria Falls)  she really couldn't say no any longer.  We too fell in love with the Enfields and their story.  I was debating between the G5 & the C5.  I originally fell in love with the British racing green G5 but, the C5 was looking really neat too.  after doing all of my research, I found that the G5 was more versitile and really the bike for me.  And as luck would have it, Carl had a green G5.

[UncleErnie]

Wow.  I'm stunned- you both lost (one way or another) two of the all-time great motorcycles.  The hawk and the 700s were both  -well, I shouldn't rub it in. 

Good luck with the insurance.  A person can't even title a vehicle without insurance here.  Wht does your dealer say?

[r80rt]

If you don't mind me asking, which insurance company did you use?

I use Dairyland, I've had it for years. Cheaper than progressive too.

[rnewton75]

Wow.  I'm stunned- you both lost (one way or another) two of the all-time great motorcycles.  The hawk and the 700s were both  -well, I shouldn't rub it in. 

Good luck with the insurance.  A person can't even title a vehicle without insurance here.  Wht does your dealer say?

My dealer says that he's had no problems with his customers insuring them in the past.  I may have to try some different companies but, some of their quotes are hundereds of dollars higher.  I got comparable full coverage quotes from $250yr. - $570yr.

[t120rbullet]

I got my G5 back in March.
My insurance co (Foremost) had it in their database already.

[singhg5]

I have a 2009 G5 and got insurance from RIDER Insurance Company in NJ.  I think they are all over the country. Try them, there will be no problem.  My motorcycle VIN starts with ME too. 

G5 is a great bike. I thoroughly enjoy it.  Good luck and happy riding.