For a bivariate Lévy process (ξt,ηt)t≥ 0 and initial value V0 define the generalised Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (GOU) process Vt:=eξt (V0+∫t0 e-ξs-dηs), t≥0, and the associated stochastic integral process Zt:=∫0t e-ξs-dηs, t≥0. Let Tz:=inf{t>0: Vt<0|V0=z} and ψ(z):=P(Tz<∞) for z≥0 be the ruin time and infinite horizon ruin probability of the GOU process. Our results extend previous work of Nyrhinen (2001) and others to give asymptotic estimates for ψ(z) and the distribution of Tz as z→∞, under very general, easily checkable, assumptions, when ξ satisfies a Cramér condition.