Compared to atrocious weather in the same period of 2009, the cold snap in November and December 2010 was not only more severe, but lasted longer and affected more of the country.

Insurance claims against property and vehicles reached a staggering £1.4billion over the most recent winter period compared to the measly £650million paid out for damage caused in 2009.

In fact burst pipes alone accounted for more in pay outs in 2010 than the total claims from the previous winter, with over 100,000 claims totalling £680million.

More than 250,000 vehicles were damaged as a result of the snow and ice on the roads, leading to claims for a further £530million it is claimed.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) who released the figures, suggest that there is no evidence that premiums had increased as a result of the cold weather, but I am sure that will follow during the course of this year.

Honda CBF125

This is definitely not the time of year to be talking about motorcycles, with the recent turning back of the clocks ensuring darker evenings and the onslaught of cold blustery and wet conditions, only the die-hard, real bikers will feel at home on two wheels.

But while fair weather riders like me maybe happier to lock our machines away in the garage for six months of the year there are plenty of real bikers out there who love every minute of the unpredictable UK climate and moreover there are many who have no other choice than to ride motorcycles throughout the year.

I was interested and a little surprised to read this month that the top three best selling motorcycles so far in 2010 are all 125cc machines, in fact four of the top five fit that category, while the rest of the top ten are made up of bikes of 1000cc or more.

The smaller bikes obviously have double appeal, firstly to the younger rider and secondly for commuters who will find that owning and running the top selling Honda CBF125 for instance is cheaper than using public transport, and probably much more reliable these days!

One of these basic machines will cost a shade over £2,000 to buy new and as a replacement for the ubiquitous CG125, reliability should not be an issue. It is interesting that the bike started the year a couple of hundred pound cheaper but exchange rates have been cruel on the pound and sent prices upwards.

Having said that, there appear to be plenty of offers available on the CBF125 and it may be possible to strike a deal at a shade under the list price.

The Honda CBF125 is not a bike for long motorway journeys, its top speed of 65mph may keep up with Sunday drivers in the slow lane, but that is flat out and very tiresome, but in town traffic the machine comes into its own although it is still best to restrict use to no more than an hour at a time.

Honda claim that the bike will return a staggering 134 miles per gallon, although MCN tests suggest that figure is somewhat over optimistic and a figure of 90 mpg is likely to be more realistic.

Getting bike insurance on the CBF125 shouldn’t pose too much of problem for most age groups, the bike is listed in group 4 insurance category which will not break the bank for most riders.

With a tank capacity of around 250 miles you will not be stopping to fill up every five minutes and with the number of these machines on the road servicing and parts should be cheap and plentiful.

All in all the Honda CBF125 is a cheap method of transport best suited to short journeys and commutes that offers better economy than public transport.

If you are one of these many motorists, it’s a good idea to re-educate yourself on what car insurance entails and the different categories of it that are available. This will help you understand the unique price of your policy as well to figure out which plan is best for you.

For starters, if you drive a car on public roads you are required by law to be insured. If you fail to have automobile coverage, you risk being fined or even losing your car. Minimum law requirements in Britain state that drivers must have insurance against damage claims or third-party injury. This means if you were at fault for damaging someone else’s property or injuring them, you need insurance to cover the claim.

Third party insurance gives a minimum level of cover, so therefore it is issued only occasionally. Most individuals prefer to combine this with fire and theft damage protection, a step that is generally recommended for regular drivers.

The most common form of car insurance coverage available, however, is a fully comprehensive policy. While this doesn’t protect against each and every conceivable risk, it will pay for repairs or the replacement of your car if it is damaged or stolen.

Furthermore, insurers recognise three common classes of driving. First, there is social, domestic and pleasure driving; the standard option that most people use outside of driving for business. Second; the social, domestic, pleasure and business class adds additional protection while traveling between workplace locations. Finally, there is commercial travelling, which offers all of the protections of social, domestic, pleasure and business driving with coverage added to protect you while delivering goods or services for a commercial business.

The ways in which insurance companies figure out policy costs vary widely and depend on several factors such as driving experience, age and car type.

The type of car you drive partially determines the cost of your premium. If the costs of the body parts in your vehicle are more expensive than those in a standard vehicle, you will typically be required to pay more money to ensure protection. If your car’s model is difficult to repair, this could also raise the price of your policy.

High performance vehicles and sports cars are often more expensive to insure than average vehicles, as statistics show that these vehicles are more frequently involved in accidents and often cost more to repair.

Insurance providers also pay attention to the details of the driver. Factors that can influence the cost of a premium include everything from a person’s occupation, driving experience, age, accident record and conviction history. Insurance rates tend to go up with a greater history of accidents and convictions, and by the same token tend to be less expensive with a cleaner record.

In terms of age, young drivers under the age of 25 must pay a higher premium. This is because statistics indicate that this demographic is more likely to be involved in accidents, making them a greater liability to insurance companies.

As motorists prove they are capable of maintaining a clean driving record, insurance providers tend to be happy to reward them. This means that vehicle owners who go for a year or more without making any insurance claims can qualify for a discount off of their basic premium. On the other hand, if you do claim on your policy then you risk losing this discount.

Now that your car insurance has been broken down a bit, you can start comparing quotes for premiums and find the best deals that suit your unique driving situation in the comfort of your own home by using insurance comparison websites.

These online portals work in the sense that once you fill in some basic information about yourself and the type of car insurance you require, they will connect you with a large number of quotes from the nation’s leading insurance providers. Once you find the plan that is best for you, you can simply purchase your new car insurance coverage plan directly from the comparison site.

Furthermore, you can continue to use these services to connect you to quotes for everything from your home insurance to bike insurance needs.

Be wise and consider all of your options. This way, you can start saving money on your car insurance sooner rather than later.

David is already an avid Arctic explorer but this will be his most difficult expedition to date and will fulfil his personal dream of reaching the North Pole. He will be joined by a small team of explorers and the expedition will be led by legendary explorer Rune Gjeldnes.

The expedition will require tremendous physical effort and will see David crossing 110km of ice-fields, including thin and pack ice, and freezing open water which is 4000m deep below the ice. The team will also all be carrying rifles in order to defend against any polar bears that might show an interest in the explorers, as they will be very much outnumbered on the open ice.

As well as being a personal challenge for David, he will also be raising funds for two charities that are connected to his work in the motorcycling world. The two charities that will benefit from the challenge are Riders for Health and BASIC, Brain and Spinal Injuries Centre.

Riders for Health provide staff, training and motorbikes to provide remote African communities with professional healthcare services and David wants to raise money for them to be able to open a new centre in one of the poorest African countries – Zimbabwe, as well as providing a new fleet of motorbikes and fully trained staff.

BASIC is another brilliant charity that will benefit and is very much linked to the motorcycling world. BASIC offer practical support to families who need to look after a family member who has severe spinal or brain injuries as the result of a motorbike accident. The money raised by David would help BASIC to open a specialist gymnasium to help in the rehabilitation of those injured and help with their ongoing care.

As the Chief Executive of a specialist motorcycle insurance company, Carole Nash Insurance Consultants, these charities are very much close to David’s heart as they are directly tied to his work.

Carole Nash provides a number of specialist insurance policies for motorcycle riders including those for classic and modern bikes, multi-bike and female biker insurance. They are one of the most popular motorbike insurance brokers in the UK and Ireland and as well as providing motorcycle insurance they also have a variety of other insurance options including car, household and travel insurance.

where can i insure this?

The specialist in motorcycle insurance Carole Nash, has announced the launch of a new insurance service aimed at two equally niche markets.  Motorhome and Military vehicle owners will now be able to insure their vehicles through Carole Nash who say it is a natural progression for the company.

It is indeed a natural progression for Carole Nash who have provided support and sponsorship for bike racing at various levels over the last decade or more. At grass roots level many of the competitors and spectators at biking events drive and ‘live’ in such vehicles  while they are attending events.

A twelve strong team has been trained to spot the issues when dealing with cover for motorhomes and military vehicles which the insurer says are highly specialised.

Commercial director Simon Jackson says that these type of vehicles are driven by passionate enthusiasts and the vehicles they drive are more about lifestyle than transport.

The Road Respect campaign identifies the worst and most frustrating driving habits following a survey that found a third of UK motorists ‘get mad’ with other road users at least three times a week.

Top of the list of complaints is motorists who drive to close behind, or tailgating as it is often called, something that irritates 72% of us.  Second on the list and upsetting 68% is motorists who use mobile phones while driving, particularly annoying when employing the one hand on the wheel and one hand on the mobile position.

Being cut up infuriates the same percentage of motorists as driving while on the mobile, while making a turn without indicating follows closely annoying 65% of us.

A lot further down the scale, 48% are angered for not being thanked when giving way to other drivers and 45% hate anyone who drives too slowly, or significantly under the speed limit.

Not surprisingly 70% of us believe that we drive with due respect to other road users most of the time, but only 20% say they drive with respect and courtesy at ALL times.

over 50's biker

With recent research showing that 21% of motorcyclists in the UK are 50 or over, it is no surprise that Saga have just launched an insurance package aimed squarely at that market.

The policy offers full cover against loss, damage and theft of their machines and includes 60 days minimum EU cover. Add-ons include personal accident cover, legal expenses and helmet and leathers cover.

The majority of over 50 motorbike riders say that riding a bike gives them the freedom to feel the thrill of the open road, with a quarter using a bike as an alternative to a car to make financial savings and 17% who use their bike to get to and from work.

Carole Nash claims to have already captured around 50% of the Irish motorcycle insurance market from it’s base in Dublin and Commercial director Simon Jackson, insists the opportunities in the Republic are ‘very significant’ with the rapid growth of the internet in the country. Around half the population of the Republic of Ireland having internet access.

Carole Nash have been among the leading insurane companies offering motorcycle insurance in the UK for many years, they are now owned by French insurance company Groupama. The company has managed to increase it’s year on year profits in difficult times, 2008 pre tax profits grew by £1.3million in 2008.

New insurance lines such as helmet and leathers cover and Personal Accident cover have contributed to the increase in profits.

During the week that saw much of the UK covered in snow, claims were up by 45%, compared to the same week in 2008, causing Sainsbury’s to comment that it is one of the busiest times they can remember for car insurance claims.

While drivers were as usual urged to stay at home and not make unnecessary journeys, many of those that did venture out on the roads appear to have paid dearly for it.

Greater London postcodes featured in eight out of the top ten highest risk areas, with North West London being the area of highest risk, with riders in this area over five times more likely to have their machine stolen than the average rider.

Outside of the capital Liverpool has the worst record, with those living in Liverpool’s ‘L’ postcode over two times more likely to have their motorcycle stolen than the UK average.

Preston has joined the highest risk postal areas, but among the safest places to own and keep a motorcycle are Hereford, Galashiels, Perth and Isle of Man.

Carole Nash urge motorcycle owners to enhance the security on their machines, this will not only reduce the premiums but also the ever growing risk of theft.

The survey also found that for the second year running the most stolen machine in the UK is the Honda SCV100 Lead, a scooter. Theft claims for scooters and mopeds have increased along with their popularity in recent times, and remain the easiest of targets for motorcycle theft.