Do you really need a driving license for a motorbike..?

[golem]

Do you really need driving license for a motorbike (or actually a scooter) of the 100cc size that most of them are here?. On my last trip I paid 250k for a paper which says that my international driving license is lost.

My sister has lived in Bali now for 2 years and her friends claimed that you really dont need one.

So will you manage without a license if you just have the 50k rupees in a pocket what to give to police if they stop you? I do have my finnish driving license though, although I am not sure if it covers 100cc but it does cover 50cc, and who would count the cc:s in a situation?-D

This guy just keeps trying to sell me the 'i lost my international driving license paper' for 250k for 1 month but I think it is expensive and I am travelling on a budget.




And by the way how is it about the insurance? I just hired a motorbike for 1 month for 600k but I am not sure if it includes any insurance. I have standard european travel insurance but I am not sure what it covers if you get into a bike accident. So what do you say should you take in addition a local insurance when you rent a bike or is it usually included already (insured by the guy that rents it to you)....?

 

[hanzrobby]

just buy the international licence. in australia only about thirty dollars for one year. cheap

 

[gilbert de jong]

This guy just keeps trying to sell me the 'i lost my international driving license paper' for 250k for 1 month but I think it is expensive and I am travelling on a budget.


And by the way how is it about the insurance? I just hired a motorbike for 1 month for 600k but I am not sure if it includes any insurance. I have standard european travel insurance but I am not sure what it covers if you get into a bike accident. So what do you say should you take in addition a local insurance when you rent a bike or is it usually included already (insured by the guy that rents it to you)....?

Insurance probably won't cover you without a real valid driverslicense..
for the money that guy tries to sell you something, you could get a license at the policestation.
I don't know though if this license would cover you for any claims made to your insurance company.
I can imagine you would need to have a license issued in the country of origin?

 

[soontobeexpat]

Better off having one so if you want to leave the island with the ferry you dont have any hold ups. Also insurance purposes..

 

[matsaleh]

just buy the international licence. in australia only about thirty dollars for one year. cheap

As per the original post, this member is from Finland and is already in Bali. :friendly_wink:

 

[hanzrobby]

yer i simply meant in aus it's only that... so prob the same anywhere else... i just find it easier.well my husband i'm not game enough yet.... i will though... one day maybe lol

 

[Mark]

You're probably ok unless you have an accident that causes personal or property damage to another, at which point things may not be so nice for you. Many international insurance policies exclude dangerous activities, which can include riding a motorbike without the appropriate license, ie, not from some guy who purports to sell you an excuse for your lost license... No one will pay too much attention to the fact that you are driving 100c but have only a 50cc license, until it matters...Drive safely, pay attention, wear a helmet. As you may be able to deduce from the responses above, you're in a grey area, which means you're vulnerable. In any case, take care...

 

[kiwi]

The question I have is would you try to rent a motorcycle in your own country without the proper licence and expect that you would be covered by insurance?
Why do people come to Bali and think the it's ok to just have money in your pocket to pay your way out of it.
The risk of having a accident on a motorcycle is high, if you are unluck enough to sustain serious injuries you will not be covered by insurance as you are not licenced. This could end up costing you a serious amount of money to get you off the island and back home with family having to selll their homes in some cases to cover the costs.
It is the law to have a proper licence and yes people come to Bali without one and hire bikes and get away with it but thats your call.
I have ridden motorcycle since I was 12, had a great time on the racing circut been a motorcycle riding instructor for 14 years but I still get my international licence to cover me riding in Bali because there is an old saying " motorcycling is safe until you forget it's dangerous" and this really applies to riding in Bali.

 

[matsaleh]

...The risk of having a accident on a motorcycle is high, if you are unluck enough to sustain serious injuries you will not be covered by insurance as you are not licenced. This could end up costing you a serious amount of money to get you off the island and back home with family having to selll their homes in some cases to cover the costs....

It can be very expensive, indeed. See the previous thread about Mathew Taylor from the UK.

Father of Bali crash victim Mathew Taylor tells of `nightmare'

Stories written some time after an accident can tell of the costs, drama, and outcomes. It may be useful to reflect on these accounts when considering health insurance options. Father of Bali crash victim Mathew Taylor tells of `nightmare' Monday, April 30, 2012 Derby Telegraph THE...

balipod.com

 

[jaffa]

And by the way how is it about the insurance? I just hired a motorbike for 1 month for 600k but I am not sure if it includes any insurance. I have standard european travel insurance but I am not sure what it covers if you get into a bike accident. So what do you say should you take in addition a local insurance when you rent a bike or is it usually included already (insured by the guy that rents it to you)....?

Highly unlikely. I have searched high and low but there is not a single Travel Insurance policy in UK for example, which will cover people to ride a motorbike without having the applicable motorbike license in your home country to ride that capacity bike. Some policies don't say FULL license though. Standard driving license in many European countries allows you to ride moped (50cc) but almost all bikes here are 100cc/125cc. Kinda makes sense - I spent a heap of time trying to secure my license before i came here (only to fail at the final test!). Bike accidents are the biggest reason for insurance claims apparently (and most not paid out). So that little trip to the supermarket in Bali, could mean $50k at BIMC and it coming out of your own pocket.

Curiously, there 'appears' to be some Australian travel insurance policies that do seem to cover you. You must be resident though of Australia (they will screw you if you are not) and the wording seems a little ambigious regarding the license matter (they remain silent on the requirement for a FULL Australian license). They would suggest you 'should' be covered in you have Learner license but I would hate to be lying in hospital for 6 months fighting an Insurance company who's legal advisors were a little sloppy in the wording of their policy (they will always argue that they implied FULL motorbike license).

Always remember that Insurance companies are built and run by the same people who run banks - they are in the business of making money via fees/premiums and not paying out.
Jaded? Just a little (I live in the capital of thieving banks and insurance companies - London!) ;-0

 

[jaffa]

You're probably ok unless you have an accident that causes personal or property damage to another, at which point things may not be so nice for you. Many international insurance policies exclude dangerous activities, which can include riding a motorbike without the appropriate license, ie, not from some guy who purports to sell you an excuse for your lost license... No one will pay too much attention to the fact that you are driving 100c but have only a 50cc license, until it matters...Drive safely, pay attention, wear a helmet. As you may be able to deduce from the responses above, you're in a grey area, which means you're vulnerable. In any case, take care...

Insurance company will ABSOLUTELY look at the capacity of the bike (and transmission type) and if you don't have a FULL license for that size and type of bike in your home country you won't be getting a penny from a Travel Insurance company (with some very rare exceptions).

 

[soontobeexpat]

In my experience the surcharge on a motorbike Rental is called Insurance but it is more a surcharge rather than a service and should not be relied on. If your bike gets stolen, that insurance won’t help you at all. If you are in a fatality, again the insurance isn’t going to help. Damage the bike? Unless it is small damage you will pay the excess, if the damage exceeds the excess then it won’t help.

I don’t really know if any travel insurance covers motorbikes etc, I know on my normal insurance even being a passenger on a bike in Indonesia and being injured you’re not covered due to the risk. If you take out an additional “Motorbike Policy” then you are covered as a passenger but I do not believe a driver.

 

[matsaleh]

Some travel insurance does cover riding a motorcycle, as long as you have a current Australian motorcycle licence (if you're the rider). I use 1Cover and in their General Exclusions it states:

"We will not pay under any circumstances if:
...
9. Your claim arises from being in control of a Motorcycle without a current Australian motorcycle licence or you are a passenger travelling on a motorcycle that is in the control of a person who does not hold a current motorcycle licence valid for the country you are travelling in.

10. "Your claim arises from being in control of a Moped or Scooter without a current Australian motorcycle or drivers licence or you are a passenger travelling on a Moped or Scooter that is in the control of a person who does not hold a current motorcycle or drivers licence valid for the country you are travelling in."

 

[JohnnyCool]

Hi golem

My sister has lived in Bali now for 2 years and her friends claimed that you really dont need one.

Sorry to say but your sister and her friends are stupid.

Try it out for yourself, if you believe them.
If you have an accident and are not killed, or just injured, or kill/injure a local, post back here to tell us of your experience.

Oh, nearly forgot. Maybe your original question should have been...

Can anybody tell me if I have a brain?

 

[golem]

Hi golem

Sorry to say but your sister and her friends are stupid.

Try it out for yourself, if you believe them.
If you have an accident and are not killed, or just injured, or kill/injure a local, post back here to tell us of your experience.

Oh, nearly forgot. Maybe your original question should have been...

Good conversation but people didn\t really reply to my original question. If the police stops you for a reason or another and you do not have the international driving license (lets say that you have your own driving license that covers driving a car or worst you don\t have any ID at all) will you be able to get rid of them with the \standard\ 50k rupee...?

So maybe better to drive carefully after all that you have said , but for me a valid license is not an alternative currently. It costs like 1000-2000eur in my country, and in addition the international driving licence in addition to it is just a rip/off. Buy buying one you support the organization that does it. I really see no justification to its high cost, especially if you are on a short trip and you still have to pay for one year. I do have a license for a 50cc though so the difference is not that big

The insurance is a good point though. But if the alternatives are \not driving at all\ or \driving with no insurance\ I would rather choose the latter one and drive carefully. Although there is some insurance with the bike that covers damage to the bike up to 400 dollars. But what I was wondering is that does it also cover costs for the person or vehicle you crashed with.

And how would my insurance company even know that I drove a 100cc if I just write 50cc to the report. I doubt that they would come to check it here and how likely is that indonesian police would write engine specification details to a report from a traffic accident..?

 

[Rangi]

IMO you dont "need" one. Of coarse its commen sence that you will be better off with everything legit .
Insurance companies are going to try find any reason they can not to pay , IMO you wont get away with the 50cc idea you had.
As long as you keep out of accidents its not like you will have any serious problems . Its all pretty much luck with the cops. You might gets stoped 3 times in a week or not at all for a month . .
If the person you hired the bike off didnt mention anything about insurance then the 600 000 wont be convering any insurance i dont think.

 

[hca]

If the police stops you for a reason or another and you do not have the international driving license (lets say that you have your own driving license that covers driving a car or worst you don\t have any ID at all) will you be able to get rid of them with the \standard\ 50k rupee...?

Mate of mine lost his international, got pulled up at a routine razia next day with a valid bike licence from home and struggled to get the nego from 300k to 100k. And hes well versed the normal razia nego routine at 20k.

Personally I think if deliberately you ride one here uninsured you are as silly as the guy I saw a week or two ago riding with a "spikey look" helmet decorated with 3 inch nails driven in it.

 

[JohnnyCool]

It costs like 1000-2000eur in my country, and in addition the international driving licence in addition to it is just a rip/off.

Are you seriously telling us it costs between USD 1,250-2,500 for a driver's licence in Finland?

I saw 20-30 young adults from Finland jogging down the main street of Sanur a couple of days ago. Knew they were from Finland because they were all carrying Finnish flags.
I gather that they were sports' students in Bali. Now I know why!

...But what I was wondering is that does it also cover costs for the person or vehicle you crashed with.

Most western travel insurance policies I've ever seen (or used), have a section which covers you for damage claims from third parties (legal claims, property damage, etc).
Most state that you must not admit guilt/liability, even if it's obvious. That's for insurance companies to negotiate with the victims/other claimants.

:frog:

 

[gilbert de jong]

Good conversation but people didn\t really reply to my original question. If the police stops you for a reason or another and you do not have the international driving license (lets say that you have your own driving license that covers driving a car or worst you don\t have any ID at all) will you be able to get rid of them with the \standard\ 50k rupee...?

So maybe better to drive carefully after all that you have said , but for me a valid license is not an alternative currently. It costs like 1000-2000eur in my country, and in addition the international driving licence in addition to it is just a rip/off. Buy buying one you support the organization that does it. I really see no justification to its high cost, especially if you are on a short trip and you still have to pay for one year. I do have a license for a 50cc though so the difference is not that big

The insurance is a good point though. But if the alternatives are \not driving at all\ or \driving with no insurance\ I would rather choose the latter one and drive carefully. Although there is some insurance with the bike that covers damage to the bike up to 400 dollars. But what I was wondering is that does it also cover costs for the person or vehicle you crashed with.

And how would my insurance company even know that I drove a 100cc if I just write 50cc to the report. I doubt that they would come to check it here and how likely is that indonesian police would write engine specification details to a report from a traffic accident..?

get away with 50K when puled over...maybe yes,maybe no..depends on how badly the cop needs money.
50cc-top speed 40/50 (legally in the Netherlands) and then here 125cc topspeed over 100...nah no diference at all, hahaha.
also the insurance that comes with the bike will not pay anything, when driven without the correct license.
it doesn't matter if you drive 20 or 40 or 60, they just won't pay.
police will mention the type of bike and how many CC it has on a police-rapport.

 

[tintin]

@golem

You say you have travel insurance, so why don't you simply read your contract and find out what is cover and not cover? It's that simple. As for your "tricks" to get away from having driver insurance, well, good luck, but if you have any brain, you wont rely on them: most of them are braggadocio around a Bintang, but reality is certainly something else.