Finding the right motorcycle insurance can be daunting once you find out that different plans can have some pretty different prices, depending on which company you choose. If you’re looking for cheap motorcycle insurance, there are a few things you should know to make sure you’re getting the best deal for you — and your wallet.
Types of Motorcycle Insurance
If you’re familiar with car insurance, you’ll find that motorcycle insurance works in much the same way. The basic level of motorcycle insurance you should have before you head out for a joyride is called property damage liability insurance. The purpose of liability insurance is to protect other parties involved in a collision with your bike. This type of insurance is required in most states if you want to operate a motorcycle on a public road. Proof of insurance is required to register your motorcycle in all states, except for Florida, Montana, Washington, and New Hampshire.
Many states also require you to carry bodily injury insurance as well. This is just what it sounds like: Bodily injury insurance helps you pay for the costs of other people’s medical bills if you get into a collision with them. This type of insurance is often included in liability coverage. At the most basic level, bodily injury insurance does not cover you and your medical bills, though you may be able to find a plan that does so.
How Motorcycle Insurance Works
These insurance plans have limits on the amount that they pay out in the event of a collision. You’ll often see these limits represented by three dollar amounts separated by slashes. For example, you might find a plan that has limits of $25,000/$50,000/$25,000. These numbers might be given to you in shorthand — in that case, the above example would look like this: 25/50/25. They mean the same thing.
The first number, $25,000 in this example, is the amount the insurance plan will pay per person for bodily insurance in the event of an accident. The second number, $50,000, is the total amount the plan will pay for bodily injury per accident. The last number, $25,000, is how much property damage per accident the plan will cover. As you shop for your cheap motorcycle insurance, be aware that different states have different minimum requirements for these numbers.
How To Find Cheap Motorcycle Insurance
If you’re looking for the cheapest motorcycle insurance, be sure to get quotes from the companies below. These companies have been shown by ValuePenguin to have the cheapest motorcycle insurance rates. Keep in mind that the national average is $721 annually.
- Nationwide: $593/year
- GEICO: $610/year
- Progressive: $625/year
- Markel: $822
- Allstate: $854
- Dairyland: $881
You can find cheap motorcycle insurance or bring down the cost of your current motorcycle insurance if you shop smart. Let’s get into a few different ways you can get cheap or cheaper motorcycle insurance.
Don’t Choose the First One
The most effective thing you can do to find cheap motorcycle insurance is to shop around. Don’t pick the first plan you think is a good deal because the next one might be better. Get quotes from several insurance companies to get a good idea of the range you’re dealing with.
If you think you have found a great deal on motorcycle insurance, take a closer look at the plan to see if there is a reason why. Is the deductible lower for it? Does the more costly insurance plan protect you more than the more affordable option? Keep in mind what you’re looking for with your insurance plan and make sure the one you’re considering checks all the boxes.
Don’t be afraid to get as many insurance quotes as you need to make your best decision. Though motorcycle insurance companies will use your credit score to decide what rate they’ll give you, these checks won’t affect your credit score because they’re doing soft inquiries.
Bundle Up
Drivers who are already paying for car insurance can potentially save money by bundling their current plan with their motorcycle insurance. Most car insurance companies also offer motorcycle insurance, so this trick to make cheap motorcycle insurance should be fairly easy to do. If you have multiple bikes to insure, you may be able to find a company that offers multi-bike discounts.
Raise Your Deductible
The lower your deductible, the less you’ll pay out of pocket if you find yourself in a collision. However, the tradeoff is that you’ll generally pay higher monthly fees for that benefit. Take a look at your financial situation to decide how much you would be able to pay to get your motorcycle back on the road after damages. If you have a $500 deductible but you think you could fairly easily handle a $1,000 deductible, you can save some money on your monthly or annual insurance payments by making the switch.
Be Safe
One of the most effective ways to help ensure you get cheap motorcycle insurance is being a safe rider. Insurance rates can shoot up due to previous collisions and signs of unsafe riding. Practice safety while riding to keep your insurance costs down. If you’ve recently been in a collision that brought the cost of your insurance up — don’t worry. In most cases, those rates start to fall back down as time passes since your last collision. You might also be able to take the MSF RiderCourse to get a discount on your insurance. Some states require this course.
Lay-Up Policies
A frustrating situation motorcycle riders can find themselves in is paying insurance on a bike that they can’t ride during the winter. If you live in a place where riding a motorcycle would be dangerous in the winter, you may be able to find a “lay-up” policy that continues your comprehensive coverage but pauses your liability coverage during the months you can’t ride so that you can save some money. When the weather clears up, you can restart your coverage. You may also be able to simply pause your policy until it’s time to ride again.
If you choose to cancel your coverage and restart it instead of a lay-up policy, you will likely pay extra fees. Ask your current or prospective insurance company if they offer this type of policy to save yourself some money.
With enough legwork and research, finding the cheapest motorcycle insurance for you and your situation is fairly easy. Though it may take more time to find what you’re looking for now, the amount you’ll save over time will make you thank yourself later.
At FIXD, our mission is to make car ownership as simple, easy, and affordable as possible. Our research team utilizes the latest automotive data and insights to create tools and resources that help drivers get peace of mind and save money over the life of their car.
