This year's insurance lesson

Apart from shop around, is keep shopping around!

I thought I'd gotten a good quote with a broker and a super-cool-occupational discount. Till I rang the underwriter this morning, who promptly chopped about 50 quid off. So, sometimes brokers work (like in 2006) and sometimes they don't (like in 2007. Is it really 2007 already?).

And the current best quote is more than half the worst. There is competition, but it's quite well spread out!

Anyway, to those of you looking for car insurance this year, good shopping. Don't rely on your broker, don't rely on your current insurer, don't rely on your group scheme. Rely on about 10 phone calls to save you hundreds. Good luck to ya.

The world of biking in Ireland.

I've just found out on irishbikerforum.com that Mountjoy motorcycles (a supplier of spare parts and spare information!) are closing/closed. Jack Nolan's have also recently closed. If this continues, soon you'll only be able to buy bikes and bike stuff from either the internetwebulator or from Bikeworld! (Not that I'm really a regular biker any more....) So real world competition is severely lacking at the moment - or is it?

Quinn are now insuring bikes, bringing to 3 the total number of motorcycle insurers in the country. They're either looking to take the last few bob out of the market before it's impossible to run a bike in this country, or else it's a good sign and they see a future for motorcycling. Let's hope it's the latter. Once I get a new starter relay for this K75 I might be able to consider myself a biker again......(no laughing, you.)