Do You Need Insurance for a Dirt Bike in NZ?

What ACC covers

NZ's ACC scheme covers the cost of treatment and some compensation for personal injuries from accidents, including riding accidents, regardless of fault. It does not cover damage to your bike, theft or damage to someone else's property.

Is insurance legally required?

There is no legal requirement to insure a bike you only ride off-road on private land. If you ride on the road, check the current requirements for road-legal vehicles. Many people choose to have third-party cover regardless.

What insurance can cover

• Theft: dirt bikes are attractive to thieves, and are often taken from sheds and trailers
• Accidental damage: crashes can be expensive, with bent forks, cracked cases and broken plastics
• Third-party liability: if you damage someone else's property or vehicle
• Fire and weather damage

What to check in the policy

• Whether off-road use and track days are covered
• The excess, and any exclusions for modified bikes
• Whether racing and competition are included
• Whether your gear is covered
• Security conditions, such as locked storage

Home and farm policies

Some house or farm policies cover bikes, but many exclude them or limit cover. Check with your insurer, rather than assuming.

Finance and insurance

If you finance a bike, the lender may want it insured. Our finance and insurance page has the options, and our finance guide explains how the process works.

Reduce the risk

• Lock the bike up, with a chain through the frame to an anchor point
• Record the frame and engine numbers, and keep photos
• Fit a GPS tracker if you can

Is it worth it for an older bike?

It depends on the value, and on how easily you could replace the bike. A bike that is worth a few thousand dollars and kept in a shed is a different risk to a recent model that lives on a trailer. If you could not afford to replace it, insurance is worth pricing up. Compare cover and excess, and remember that you do not have to insure for everything. Our guide to checking a used bike also helps you avoid buying a bike with a problem history, and GearShed has protection gear for the rider too.

And protect yourself too, with proper gear from GearShed. Browse our dirt bikes in stock, and see how much it costs to own one.

ShowShed is a Hamilton dirt bike and quad dealer, back to the home page or browse every bike in stock. Gear for the ride is at our sister store GearShed.