How much does motorcycle insurance cost? That’s a common question I get from new riders or people who’ve relocated to Dallas and brought their bike with them. Frankly, it’s hard to answer as there are a number of factors that determine the rate you’ll pay for a motorcycle insurance policy. I thought it would be good to follow up with what some of those are after last week’s post on motorcycle coverage (see https://wiseinsurancegroup.com/motorcycle-insurance-coverage/). I’ve organized them into three different categories of factors including bike, rider, and coverage related.
Bike Factors: What kind of bike you ride plays a significant rating role. This includes what type of bike you ride, who makes it, and whether you ride a sport bike or cruiser. Exotics, custom built bikes and sport bikes cost more to insure than cruisers or touring bikes.
In addition, engine size, the level of customization, and accessories impact your rate. Bigger engines, heavy customization or a custom bike, and lots of accessories add to the cost of your policy. On the other hand, having an alarm system or tracking device, anti-lock brakes, and storing it in a locked garage lower the rate you pay for a policy.
Rider Factors: There are probably more rider related factors than other factors. Rider factors include gender, age, rider experience, education level, what you do for a living, and marital status. Women riders pay less for motorcycle insurance than men, as do married riders and experienced riders. College educated professionals pay less than blue collar riders.
Additional factors include credit rating, where you live, riding frequency, association membership and completion of a rider safety course. Riders with good credit, who live in zip codes with low crime rates, ride on the weekends, and are members of recognized associations pay less than riders with low credit living in troubled neighborhoods who commute on their bike. While these may not seem fair, insurance companies do use them to determine your rate.
Rider history also influences your rate. Riders with speeding tickets or other violations or claims (accidents, theft, etc.) will pay more than riders with clean riding records and no claims.
Coverage Factors: Texas law requires all riders to carry liability coverage at a minimum. This is the coverage that pays if you hit someone, either hurting them or damaging their property, and are found to be at fault. If your bike’s new or still has a high value, you may also want to carry comprehensive and collision coverage to protect against theft and damage from a spill.
Dallas County has historically had the highest number of uninsured motorists in Texas, so carrying uninsured and under insured motorist coverage can help you cover medical bills and pay for repairs to your bike if someone hits you and doesn’t have insurance.
Medical coverage, personal injury protection, and rider coverage are excellent options to have but they add to the cost of your policy. The more motorcycle insurance coverage you have on your policy, the more you’ll pay, though it may be worth it. Only you can decide.
What do you think? Share your thoughts, questions, and experiences with me on my Facebook, Google +, and LinkedIn pages. I’d love to hear from you!
