Buying your first motorcycle is exciting. Buying motorcycle insurance is not. But it is one of those things you need to understand before you start riding, because the wrong coverage can leave you financially exposed in ways that are painful to learn about after an accident.
Motorcycle Insurance Guía for New Riders
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This guide covers what motorcycle insurance actually includes, what new riders need, what you can skip, and how to get a reasonable rate even with zero riding history.
Mandatory vs.
Optional Coverage
Every state (except a few rare exceptions) requires some minimum level of motorcycle insurance before you can legally ride on public roads. The minimums vary by state but generally include liability coverage, which pays for damage and injuries you cause to other people.
State minimums are bare-bones. They cover the other person but do nothing for you or your bike. Most riders need more than the legal minimum to be properly protected.
Liability Coverage
Liability is the foundation of every motorcycle insurance policy.
It has two parts: bodily injury liability and property damage liability. Bodily injury pays medical bills and lost wages for other people if you cause an accident. Property damage pays to repair or replace their vehicle and any other property you damage.
Liability limits are expressed as three numbers, like 50/100/25. That means $50,000 per person for bodily injury, $100,000 total per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.
State minimums are often lower than these numbers, but most insurance professionals recommend at least 50/100/25 as a starting point.
The reason to carry more than the minimum is simple. If you cause an accident that results in $80,000 in medical bills and your policy only covers $25,000, you are personally responsible for the remaining $55,000. Higher liability limits cost relatively little more in premium but provide significantly more protection.
Collision Coverage
Collision pays to repair or replace your motorcycle after a crash, regardless of who was at fault.
If you lay the bike down in a corner, drop it in a parking lot, or get hit by another vehicle, collision coverage handles your bike.
This is optional in every state, but if you are financing your motorcycle, the lender will almost certainly require it. Even if you own the bike outright, collision coverage makes sense if you cannot afford to replace the bike out of pocket. If you are riding a $1,500 used bike, you might decide the premium is not worth it. On a $12,000 bike, skipping collision coverage is a gamble most riders should not take.
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive covers damage to your bike from everything that is not a collision: theft, vandalism, fire, falling objects, animal strikes, and natural disasters.
Motorcycle theft rates are significantly higher than car theft rates, which makes comprehensive coverage more valuable than many new riders realize.
Like collision, comprehensive is optional but often required by lenders. The premium is usually modest because these events are less common than crashes. For most riders, carrying comprehensive coverage with a reasonable deductible is a smart financial decision.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
This is the coverage new riders overlook most often, and it is arguably the most important optional coverage you can carry.
Uninsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills and bike damage when the other driver has no insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage kicks in when the other driver has insurance but not enough to cover your expenses.
Roughly 13 percent of drivers nationally carry no insurance at all, and the rate is much higher in some states. As a motorcyclist, you are far more likely to be seriously injured in a collision than someone in a car.
If the driver who hits you has no insurance and you do not carry uninsured motorist coverage, you are paying your own medical bills entirely.
Medical Payments and Personal Injury Protection
Medical payments coverage (MedPay) pays your medical bills after an accident regardless of fault, up to your policy limit. Personal injury protection (PIP) is similar but also covers lost wages and other expenses.
Not all states offer PIP for motorcycles, but MedPay is widely available.
Even if you have health insurance, MedPay is valuable because it covers deductibles and copays that your health plan does not. Motorcycle accident injuries tend to be expensive, and having an extra layer of coverage reduces your out-of-pocket costs significantly.
How Premiums Are Calculated
Your insurance premium depends on several factors. Your age, riding experience, and driving record are the biggest ones.
New riders under 25 with no riding history pay the most. The type of bike matters too. Sport bikes cost substantially more to insure than cruisers or standard bikes because they are involved in more accidents statistically.
Where you live, where you park the bike, and how many miles you ride per year also affect the rate. Urban riders pay more than rural riders. A bike parked in a locked garage costs less to insure than one parked on the street.
Ways to Lower Your Premium
Take a motorcycle safety course.
Nearly every insurer offers a discount for completing an MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) course or equivalent. The discount typically ranges from 5 to 15 percent, and the course itself makes you a better rider.
Bundle your motorcycle insurance with your car insurance if you have both. Multi-policy discounts are common and can reduce your total premium noticeably.
Choose a higher deductible.
Raising your collision deductible from $250 to $500 or $1,000 lowers your premium. Just make sure you can afford the deductible if you need to file a claim.
Shop around. Rates vary dramatically between companies for the same coverage. Get quotes from at least three or four insurers before committing. Online comparison tools make this easy.
What New Riders Should Carry
As a starting point, most new riders should carry liability at 50/100/25 or higher, collision and comprehensive with a $500 deductible, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage matching your liability limits, and MedPay at $5,000 to $10,000.
This gives you solid protection without an unreasonable premium. Adjust based on the value of your bike, your personal finances, and the minimum requirements in your state.