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Contents insurance or a separate bike policy: which is better?

In short

Up to a bike value of about EUR 1,000 the bike add-on in your contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) is usually enough. It often costs EUR 20 to 50 extra a year, but it pays for theft only and only up to a limit of typically 1 to 3 percent of the sum insured. From about EUR 2,000 and for e-bikes a separate bike policy with crash, repair and battery cover is worth its EUR 100 to 300 a year.

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Contents insurance or a separate bike policy: which is better?

What it costs

Published premium ranges for Germany, as of 2026.

Example	Typical range
Bike add-on in contents insurance, limit around EUR 1,500	about EUR 20 to 50 extra a year
Theft-only policy for an everyday bike	well under EUR 50 a year
Separate policy for a EUR 3,000 e-bike	about EUR 100 to 300 a year
Full cover with repairs and wear	from about EUR 70, over EUR 250 for expensive bikes
Raising the bike limit to 5 percent of the sum insured	about EUR 10 to 30 extra a year

Guide values as of September 2026 from publicly quoted premium examples. The extra premium for the bike add-on and for a higher payout limit is a guide value from our quoting practice, because insurers rarely publish it separately. Your premium depends on your address, the bike value and the cover; we obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

EUR 3,000 e-bike, contents sum insured EUR 60,000

What the contents add-on pays here and what the separate policy costs.

Payout limit at 1 percent of the sum insured	EUR 600
Limit raised to 5 percent	EUR 3,000, extra premium about EUR 10 to 30
Separate bike policy with crash and battery cover	about EUR 100 to 300
Gap if you do not raise the limit	EUR 2,400 stays with you

Without the higher limit a gap of EUR 2,400 remains. If theft is your only worry, raise the limit and pay little. If you also want crash, battery and repair cover, take the separate policy. Worked example with guide values.

Two ways to insure a bike in Germany

Your bike is already part of your contents insurance, but only as one of your belongings. Without an add-on it pays only after a break-in (Einbruchdiebstahl) into your flat, cellar or garage. If the bike disappears from a bike rack at the station, that is simple theft (einfacher Diebstahl) and needs the bike clause (Fahrradklausel), which you add for an extra premium.

The second route is a separate bike policy (Fahrradversicherung). It costs more and covers not just theft but damage to the bike itself. You do not need both: in a claim only one policy pays, while you keep paying two premiums.

The direct comparison

The key difference is not the price but the payout limit. In contents insurance it is tied to your sum insured. With a sum insured of EUR 60,000 and a limit of 1 percent that is EUR 600, no matter what your bike cost.

The second difference is how you get paid. Contents insurance normally pays what it costs to replace the bike with an equivalent one. Separate policies often pay the new price in the first years and the second-hand value after that.

Point	Contents insurance with bike add-on	Separate bike policy
Premium per year	often EUR 20 to 50 extra	about EUR 50 to 300, full cover more
Theft from a locked room	covered	covered
Theft while out and about	only with the bike clause	always included
Crash and accident damage	not covered	covered in many tariffs
Repairs, battery, wear	not covered	covered in many tariffs
Payout limit	usually 1 to 3 percent of the sum insured	the agreed bike sum
Basis of payment	usually replacement cost of an equivalent bike	often the new price in the first years
Night hours 10 pm to 6 am	excluded in older contracts	no restriction
After a claim	counts against your contents policy	counts only against the bike policy
Term	runs with the contents policy	often a minimum term of one year

What the contents add-on really does

It is cheap because it promises little. Theft is covered, a crash in a bend is not, a failed battery is not, and a scratched frame is not. Many policy wordings also require a specific type of lock and the bike to be locked to something fixed.

Check the limit before you rely on it. Many insurers raise it for an extra premium to 5 or 10 percent of the sum insured. For a mid-priced bike that is usually the cheapest way to more cover.

What the separate policy costs and where it stops

A theft-only policy for an everyday bike stays well under EUR 50 a year. Add crash, repair, battery and wear and you pay from about EUR 70, and well over EUR 250 for expensive bikes. For a EUR 3,000 e-bike most quotes land between EUR 100 and 300.

Know the downsides: the new-for-old period runs out after a few years, then only the second-hand value counts. There is often a minimum term of one year, a deductible (Selbstbehalt) and strict lock requirements. Without the lock receipt a claim gets uncomfortable.

Recommendation by bike value

The decision comes down to one number: what your bike is worth. Behind it is the simple rule that insurance is worth buying only when the loss would really hurt.

For e-bikes the threshold moves down, because battery and motor are expensive and because many contents policies still apply the night clause to pedelecs.

Bike value	Recommendation	Cost per year
up to EUR 500	no extra cover at all	EUR 0
EUR 500 to 1,000	contents insurance with the bike clause	about EUR 20 to 50 extra
EUR 1,000 to 2,000	contents insurance with a raised limit	about EUR 30 to 80 extra
EUR 2,000 to 4,000 or any e-bike	separate bike policy	about EUR 100 to 300
above EUR 4,000, cargo bike, road bike	separate policy with a high sum	from about EUR 200

When you need neither

If your bike is worth less than about EUR 500, sits in a locked cellar at night and you could replace it out of pocket, you need no add-on. Basic contents cover applies after a break-in, and EUR 40 a year is out of proportion for a EUR 400 bike.

The same goes for an old bike you only use on holiday. Check what your contents policy already does first. Sometimes only the limit is missing, and raising it costs a few euros instead of a whole new policy.

Step by step

Note the bike value and photograph the invoice and the frame number.
Open your contents policy and find the bike limit, in percent or in euros.
Check whether a bike clause for theft away from home applies and whether a night clause is in the wording.
Decide whether you want theft only or also crash, repair and battery cover.
Price both routes for the same sum and buy one of them, not both.

Checklist

The bike limit in your contents policy covers what the bike cost
Bike clause for theft away from the flat agreed in writing
No night clause from 10 pm to 6 am in the wording
Lock meets the policy requirements and the lock receipt is kept
For e-bikes, battery and motor explicitly included
No double cover through contents insurance and a separate policy

Common mistakes

Assuming contents insurance pays when the bike vanishes outside a supermarket
Not doing the percentage maths and finding out in a claim that only a fraction arrives
Insuring the bike twice and paying two premiums for one loss
Buying full cover for an old bike that costs more than the bike would ever pay out

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does German contents insurance pay if my bike is stolen in the street?

Only with the bike clause (Fahrradklausel). Without it, cover starts when somebody breaks into your cellar, garage or flat.

How high is the bike limit in contents insurance?

Usually 1 to 3 percent of the sum insured. With EUR 60,000 that is EUR 600 to 1,800. Many insurers raise it to 5 or 10 percent for an extra premium.

From what bike value is a separate policy worth it?

Roughly from EUR 1,500 to 2,000 purchase price, earlier for e-bikes, because battery and motor are expensive and only the separate policy pays for repairs.

Does a bike theft count against my contents policy?

Yes. It goes into the claims history of the contents policy and can affect the premium or renewal. A separate bike policy keeps the contents record clean.

Do I need documents in German for a claim?

The police report (Anzeige), the invoice and the lock receipt are what insurers ask for, and the German policy wording is what counts. Ask us when a clause is unclear.

Does the separate policy pay the new price?

Usually yes in the first years. After that many tariffs pay only the second-hand value. The period is in the wording, so ask for it.

When do I need no extra cover at all?

If your bike is worth under about EUR 500, always sits in a locked cellar and you could replace it yourself.

Sources

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