The Best Motorcycle Insurance – Factors That Affects Your Costs

How much is motorcycle insurance? That’s quite a frequent question that people ask on various online forums and blogs. Being a two-wheeled ride, motorcycle might not be the safest vehicle on the road. That often gives people the impression that they can’t get their motorcycles insured. The reality is quite the opposite of that. Affordable motorcycle insurance is not myth. In fact, some insurance carriers have insurance policies specifically designed for motorcycle riders, including those who ride custom bikes.

Before jumping into the factors that help you get the best motorcycle insurance rates, let’s take a look at the different types of insurance policies available to cafe racer riders.

Types of Insurance Policies for Motorcycles

Many different insurance options are available for motorcycle riders. Some are mandatory while others are “added” i.e. riders have to buy them separately. Some basic types are as under:

Personal Injury Insurance

The insurance company will pay for medical expenses of any parties involved in the accident. However, due to the risky nature of motorcycle riding, this type of coverage is rare.

Medical Payments Coverage

As the name implies, this policy covers only your medical expenses. It also covers the person riding with you. However, there isn’t any coverage for any expenses other than medical.

Third Party Liability Insurance

If you caused an accident and injured the person, and caused damage to their property, this policy will cover those expenses. Keep in mind that it will not cover any damages to you or your motorcycle.

 Custom Bike Insurance

You can insure your custom bikes too. These insurance policies are expensive. However, there is a mix of these policies available. Pick the right ones and you could cover not only your damages, but third party damages and the costs of your custom parts as well.

Comprehensive Insurance

This insurance policy is the most detailed. Being full coverage motorcycle insurance, it is also the expensive one. It covers you and the third party even if you caused the accident.

Factors That Affect Your Motorcycle Insurance Cost

The Type of Motorcycle You Own

The type of motorcycle you own can have an impact on your motorcycle liability insurance cost. A mass-produced motorcycle is cheaper to insure than a custom-built motorcycle. Choppers, café racers, etc. are expensive to insure because motorcycle enthusiasts love to customize these bikes.

Your Age at the Time of Insurance

If you are a young rider, the insurance company will expect you to ride fast and adventurously. Older people can obtain the same insurance policies at much affordable rates.

Your Driving Record

This factor will affect your insurance rates regardless of the type of vehicle you want to insure. When you have a clean driving record, you can take advantage of some affordable insurance rates. Any blotches on your driving record will cause your insurance rates to spike.

The No Claim Bonus

As strange as it sounds, your no claim bonus can save you lot of money on your motorcycle insurance. One of the best ways to get affordable motorcycle insurance for experienced motorcyclists is by taking advantage of the no claim bonus. A no claim bonus applies when you don’t claim your policy in your first year of coverage. You might not realize but as a motorcyclist, you could lower your insurances rates by 40% with this method.

The Annual Payment

Paying for your insurance coverage lump-sum can also save you quite a bit of money. However, you should not push yourself for this option if you cannot afford it. If your bank account can afford your motorcycle insurance, go for it. It might not be a huge discount but it’s worth a try.

The Training

This can be a controversial factor. If you have received proper training of riding the motorcycle, you could save money on your insurance coverage. However, the training could end up being costlier than what you save on your policy. The training will save you a lot of money in the long run though.

The Coverage You Buy

How much you pay for insurance depends greatly on the type of coverage you buy. You have to do some work to save yourself this money. There are lots of options to choose from and you have to know how you can take advantage of them. Do you really need theft insurance? Do you want to specifically cover the custom parts in addition to the mandatory coverage? These factors play a major role when you own a custom bike.

The Insurance Company

The insurance company matters a lot when you want the best motorcycle insurance. The best place to get motorcycle insurance is a company that specifically covers motorcycles. For example, some companies have insurance policies specifically for custom motorcycles. Going to other motorcycle insurance companies might not save you any money. On the other hand, these specially designed policies can save you a lot of money.

The Best Place for Motorcycle Insurance

Here is a list of companies that are known for carrying the best motorcycle insurance policies.

• Nationwide
• Auto Owners
• Dairyland
• Farmers
• USAA
• Safeco
• Markel
• Allstate

Each motorcycle insurance company has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, when it comes to Markel, it is considered the best company with almost everything in consideration. The biggest strength of Markel is that you can obtain coverage for any motorcycle that exists. Whether you own a dirt bike, a sports bike, a touring bike, a café racer, or something even fancier, they will cover anything on that list.

On the other hand, Nationwide and Safeco are famous for their affordable motorcycle insurance policies. If you have served the military, go for USAA. If you are an adventurous biker who likes to take risks, you can expect the best motorcycle insurance rates from Dairyland.

Concluding Thoughts

If you ask an expert, they will always tell you to do your research before you approach a motorcycle insurance company. It does not matter how good some insurance policy sounds, you can’t pick the best unless you compare motorcycle insurance policies from at least half a dozen companies. Last but not least, do not get carried away: buy only what you need.