Insurance broker / Insurance questions / Bicycle and e-bike

Does insurance pay the new value when your bike is stolen?

In short

Not always. When your bike is stolen, German contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) does pay the new value, meaning the price of an equivalent new bike, but only up to the bike limit, often 1 percent of the sum insured. Separate bike insurance often pays the new value only in the first years. After that many policies deduct a share by age, in one widely used set of terms 25 to 75 percent.

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Does insurance pay the new value when your bike is stolen?

What it costs

Published payout rules and averages for Germany, as of 2026.

Example	Typical range
Average insurer payout per stolen bike in 2025	about EUR 1,270
Separate bike policy, bike up to 36 months old, example terms	100 percent of the replacement price
Same terms, bike 49 to 60 months old	70 percent, i.e. 30 percent deducted
Same terms, bike older than 96 months	25 percent, i.e. 75 percent deducted
Contents insurance with EUR 65,000 sum insured and 1 percent bike limit	at most EUR 650 per theft

Values as of October 2026.

The depreciation scale comes from one published set of terms and does not apply to every policy.

The 1 percent bike limit is a guide value from our quoting practice;

your limit is in your policy schedule.

We obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

E-bike bought for EUR 3,200, stolen outside a supermarket after 50 months

The bike was locked and the receipt is available. An equivalent new e-bike costs EUR 3,200 today as well. This is how differently the payout turns out.

Contents insurance, EUR 65,000 sum insured, 1 percent bike limit	EUR 650
Contents insurance, same sum, 5 percent bike limit	EUR 3,200, full new value
Bike policy with scale, 49 to 60 months, 30 percent deduction	EUR 2,240
Bike policy that pays current value only	often under EUR 2,000 depending on its table

The contract alone decides between EUR 650 and EUR 3,200. Here contents insurance with a high bike limit pays most. Worked example with guide values.

New value and current value after a bike theft

The new value (Neuwert) is what you would pay today for a bike of the same type and quality in new condition. The current value (Zeitwert) is what your stolen bike was still worth after age and wear. For a three year old e-bike the gap between the two easily reaches EUR 1,000 or more.

New value is not the same as the price on your receipt. If the same model costs more today, the new value is higher. If the model is no longer sold, an equivalent new bike counts. Some bike policies, however, cap the payout at the invoice amount or the list price.

What German contents insurance pays for a stolen bike

In the model terms of the German insurance association for contents insurance, the insured value is the new value. That also applies to a bike stolen from your locked flat, cellar or shared bike room. For theft on the street you need the bike clause (Fahrradklausel) in your policy.

The catch is the limit, not the value. With the bike clause, the payout is usually capped at 1 percent of the sum insured, often adjustable up to 5 percent or a fixed amount. With EUR 65,000 sum insured and a 1 percent limit, you get at most EUR 650 for an e-bike, even though its new value is far higher.

Contents insurance has one exception: if an item can no longer be used for its purpose in the household, only its resale value counts. For a working everyday bike this hardly matters, for a bike that has stood broken in the cellar for years it does.

Separate bike insurance: new value for a limited time

Separate bike insurance has no percentage limit tied to your contents cover. It pays up to the agreed sum insured. In return, the new value often depends on the bike's age. One widely used set of terms pays the full replacement price for 36 months and then raises the deduction year by year.

Other policies pay only the current value from day one according to a table, others replace the bike instead of paying money. Some pay only once you actually buy a new bike of the same type and quality and submit the invoice.

Age of the bike	Deduction from new value	Payout on EUR 3,000 new value
up to 36 months	none	EUR 3,000
37 to 48 months	25 percent	EUR 2,250
49 to 60 months	30 percent	EUR 2,100
61 to 72 months	40 percent	EUR 1,800
73 to 84 months	50 percent	EUR 1,500
85 to 96 months	60 percent	EUR 1,200
over 96 months	75 percent	EUR 750

Contents or bike policy: which pays more

For a bike worth up to about EUR 1,000, contents insurance often wins after a theft: new value without an age deduction, and the limit is enough. For an expensive e-bike in its first three years, a separate bike policy pays more because it covers the full sum without a percentage cap.

From the fourth or fifth year this can flip. A bike policy then deducts heavily, while contents insurance with a high bike limit still pays the new value. If you own an older, well kept bike, first check whether you can raise the bike limit in your contents policy.

Case	Contents insurance with bike clause	Separate bike insurance
Bike EUR 800, 2 years old	new value, limit usually enough	new value
E-bike EUR 3,200, 1 year old	only up to the limit, often a few hundred euros	new value up to the sum insured
E-bike EUR 3,200, 5 years old	new value up to the limit	new value minus age deduction
Stolen from a locked cellar without a lock	new value if the room was locked	depends on the policy, often only with a lock
Stolen on the street at night	only with bike clause and no night clause	usually around the clock

When new value cover is not worth it

For an old everyday bike worth EUR 300 you do not need an expensive new value bike policy. Contents insurance with a bike clause covers it, and the rest is easier to carry than an annual premium of EUR 100 or more.

If you plan to replace your bike soon anyway, a long new value period is not needed either. New value matters most for new, expensive bikes, where even one year of age deduction costs real money.

Step by step

Look up the bike limit in euros or percent in your contents insurance schedule.
In a separate bike policy, find the payout clause: new value, current value or a scale by age.
Store the receipt, frame number and photos of the bike safely.
Check whether the policy only pays once you buy a new bike and show the invoice.
For expensive bikes, compare the contents limit with the new value and raise it if needed.

Checklist

New value without age deduction for at least the first three years
Bike limit in contents insurance matches today's new price of your bike
Sum insured of a bike policy not below the new price
No night clause (Nachtzeitklausel) if the bike is parked outside
Receipt and frame number at hand
Accessories such as battery and lock explicitly included

Common mistakes

Relying on the new value in contents insurance and overlooking the bike limit
Taking out a bike policy without reading the deduction scale from year four
Not raising the limit or sum insured after buying a more expensive bike
Throwing away the purchase receipt

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does contents insurance pay the new value for a stolen bike?

Yes, under the model terms the insured value is the new value.

But it only pays up to the agreed bike limit.

Do I get the new value for a bike I bought second hand?

In contents insurance yes, an equivalent new bike counts.

Bike policies often count from the first sale of the bike and deduct for age.

What if my model is no longer sold?

Then the price of a comparable new bike of the same type and quality counts.

Documents on the specification help to justify the value.

Do I have to buy a new bike to get paid?

With some bike policies yes, they pay only against the invoice for a new bike of the same type and

quality.

Read the clause before signing.

Is a purchase discount deducted?

Each policy decides.

Some use the list price, others the invoice amount after discount.

When is a separate bike policy worth it because of the new value?

Mainly for new bikes well above the bike limit of your contents insurance,

typically e-bikes in their first three years.

Sources

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