Years ago, not many people rode motorcycles, but now, with the high price of gasoline, more and more people are turning to motorcycles (and sometimes even mopeds) to get around easily while saving hundreds of dollars a year on gasoline.
If you are new to the motorcycle riding group and are looking for insurance coverage, you will find that most of the coverage you need is the same as what you need when insuring a car.
Basic Coverage You’ll Need
You’ll need to purchase these services to protect yourself just as you would if insuring a car:
Comprehensive Coverage–to pay for damage and loss from anything besides a collision such as hitting an animal or fire damage
Collision Coverage–to cover damages from hitting another vehicle, building, etc.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage–to cover your costs if the other driver involved in the collision doesn’t have enough coverage
Medical Payment Coverage–to cover your expenses when getting medical treatment
Towing and Labor Cost Coverage–if your bike breaks down and you have to pay for towing, you can be reimbursed for your expenses
Additional Coverage You’ll Need
Driving a motorcycle has inherent risks, not because you are an unsafe driver but because you’re bike is smaller than the cars out there, and many car drivers are not as safety minded as they should be and often don’t see motorcycles. If you work with a company such as Carole Nash, which offers motorcycle insurance, you will see that there is other coverage you should consider:
Guest Passenger Liability–This covers the expenses your passenger may incur if she is riding with you and is hurt in an accident. Unfortunately, the likelihood of being hurt in a crash on a motorcycle is higher than when you are riding in a car thanks to the lack of vehicle protection such as airbags and safety belts.
You will need to check with your insurer to see if your policy covers you if you are riding on someone else’s motorcycle. Likewise, if someone borrows your bike, you will need to see if your insurance covers him when he is using your bike.
A motorcycle can be a great way to save money on gas, and many people enjoy the freedom a motorcycle offers. However, make sure you are adequately insured so a motorcycle doesn’t end up being a cash drain in the event of an accident.
It’s rainy most of the year here so a motorbike isn’t that safe. It would be a lot of fun though. Perhaps if we move to a drier location in the future.
Now a motorcycle is an interesting mode of transport. Those big open roads, speed, wind in your hair and all that Easy RIder stuff. Very romantic. Maria’s dream in fact.
They are relatively cheap to run (although a 1000cc BMW is probably rather more expensive than the greenest car) but often very expensive to kit out. Not only do you need all the insurances (medical and death cover in particular) but you need all the leathers and stuff, helment, gloves. When you see a Harley or similar pull up these days, like as not it is being ridden by a silver grandparent biker!
Because where do you put the kids (plural), the shopping?
Our new car will be about 60mpg and I think I could get a washing machine in it.
I looked at it a year or so ago when a friend started using a motorcycle.
Now if you said a Boeing Stearman or Tiger Moth then you’d be talking!
Good luck!
One of my best friends swapped from driving a car to driving a motorcycle. The entire reason was due to traffic jams. He was sick of waiting in traffic and on a motorcycle he was able to zip through all the traffic and gain about an extra hour of his day back each work day.