Any insurance of motorcycle that is obtain is a contract the insured (you) and the insurance agency. You want to make sure that you obtain the best one, but the best one surely for the motor cycles that can. You need to take the time to make some investigations, to obtain some quotes, to compare the cover and soon to choose the policy that work better for you and the motorcycles.

It is necessary to put in contact with the agent or runner of the insurance agency that you have another insurance of how, of car or insurance of home. Next, it obtains a quote of them. They can be able to offer a discount if you take more than a policy with them.

You can obtain an insurance of cheap motorcycle if the time is taken to see as many agencies as you can. The more appointments that you obtain the easier will be to find a policy that can pay.

There is a pile of insurance agencies that can be verified in. It can take some time to do it, but it will be worth the pain when you find the insurance for the motorcycles that works better for you to the price that wishes. You must have surely of motorcycle does not matter what. Reason why to find the best tariffs and to watch the cover difference will be for its benefit. Surely for motorcycles it does not have to be expensive or a terrible thing, you only must accept the fact that you must have and soon to find best the surely available one.

The first step is to find the affordable insurance is by getting right quotes. This can be done by exploring from the other insurance company of motorcycle and comparing or resembling the rates they are declaring oneself and what all needs to be covered.

The companies come with a quote before these and for that few things have to be known before doing anything. They demand for at a minimum document like the driving record, age, experience and gender. The driving ticket which has been received last year was non meaningful at the time but have good effect on the driving record. If the driving record is not good the company will offer for high premiums and become difficult for finding the actual affordable motorcycle insurance.

Things to be kept in mind

By paying high premium is a problem and for keeping the premium to an absolute minimum there are some tips for that. The first tip is not about the record count but about the kind of bike that have been purchased. If the bike is more expensive and sporty then the premium for the insurance is also high in general. Before buying a bike the insurance premium cost is important and it should be considered. For keeping the reoccurring cost to minimum it is more beneficial to buy a different motorcycle in some cases by considering the situation.

The second tip is for about the people having more than one motor vehicle. If more than one vehicle is owned like motorcycles, cars or RVs it is more impertinent to insure all the vehicles with one and the same insurance firm. If the insurance is taken from the equivalent company then they offer a discount and it become very advantageous for the people with more than one vehicle and they use the advantage for their vehicle.

The last tip is about the profits from the internet quotes. This can be done by doing online search for more popular free car and motorcycle insurance quote websites and can compare the rates of more than one insurance company at once. The thing to be needed is to compare the offers by doing an online checkup with the interested insurance company and make a final decision about the insurance. The motorcycle season is starting and is the right time for looking for the most affordable motorcycle insurance. If going for less known familiar insurance company then keep an accurate idea about what all insurance have been addressed by the company and understand the fine print before contracting the documents.

Before transferring to any other state, one should always check the insurance laws of the state to avoid any problem. To ride your bike in a legal manner, the insurance policies should be checked thoroughly and if required then the motorcycle should be insured. Inquiring about the policies available at different places is the best method to find the best suited policy for your bike. The important factors to be considered while finalizing your insurance policy are:

1. Engine displacement size is one of the most important factors. Larger the displacement size, higher the motorcycle insurance premium. The large displacement engine bikes are usually expensive and superior performance bikes.

2. The brand of the motorbike also plays a vital role in deciding the premium of the motor cycle. The popular brands and the brand with very few motorcycles in the market ensure a higher premium rate.

3. The age of the driver is another important factor to be considered. The age indirectly reflects the experience of the biker which ensures a higher premium rate.

4. Type of bike also decides the premium rate. Whether you own a sport bike or a normal bike is a deciding factor. The sports bikes are expensive and require higher premium.

5. The garaged bikes don’t require a high premium. Those who park their bikes on the pavement are more prone to bike damage and thus require a higher premium. Garaged bikes are comparatively safe than other bikes.

6. Driving Record is one of the most important factors that play a key role in deciding the insurance premium. Cleaner the driving record is, less is the premium you have to pay. The messy drivers usually end up paying high premium.

7. The miles driven per week are also important in calculating your insurance premium. If bike is used on a daily purpose then the premium will obviously go up but if bike is to be used for just fun and leisure then you can pay less money.

8. Locality also matters while deciding your premium rates. Big cities mean high rates and a rural area means lower premium.

Before insuring your bike, the coverage benefits and claim procedures should be properly understood. The types of coverage done by the company and how to claim the money for the accidental damages should be properly understood by the user.

If you are trying to get the lowest rates possible you may want to consider joining the policy with your current insurance or getting a group rate. If you have insurance for a different vehicle, or perhaps a home, you can negotiate lower rates by working with the same company. Since you will be paying more money to the company you will be considered a lower risk. You may also consider getting a group rate for your insurance by joining a motorcycle organization. These come in regional, state, and nationwide groups and can drastically lower your premiums.

There are several other ways you can lower your motorcycle insurance. Start off by finding a bike that is a well known brand. As many bikers know, finding repairs for minority motorcycles is much more difficult since the parts are harder to find. It also means that the parts are more expensive. If you purchase a well known brand it will be cheaper and easier to get repairs, something any insurance company will appreciate.

Safety features are a very important aspect to lowering your insurance rates. Tell your insurance agents that you plan on keeping your motorcycle locked up, in your garage, and out of site. This lowers the chance of it being stolen or vandalized. People living in Northern areas should always tell their insurance agents that their bike will be stored during the winter. This will allow for many parts of the policy to cancel during winter, giving you lower rates. The low price you do pay will only cover any theft or damage incurred during that period.

You may feel like you current insurance company has slapped you in the face when they turned you down. You might have a perfect driving record and have never allowed your policy to lapse. So why won’t they insure you? We all know that combining insurance policies is the easiest way to get a good rate. The fact is you may have to find a new insurance company for your motorcycle coverage. If you are locked in your other policy or have just renewed it this may mean that you will not be able to get the best rate since you will have to look elsewhere for coverage.

Insurance companies are not trying to snub you or make you feel as though you are reckless. The main reason they will not provide motorcycle insurance is due to other drivers, not you. People tend to overlook bikers and motorcycle accidents are common and usually not the riders fault. The visibility of the bike and its rider makes them at a higher risk to be in an accident.

Now if you factor in the risk of injury you may get a better idea of the insurance companies reasoning. With a car or even a truck a simple fender bender might result in a few dollars for paint touch up and maybe a new fender. A motorcycle accident, even a small one could result in total damage to the bike as well as serious injury to the rider.

There is not much protecting the rider from the pavement when they are hit and knocked off their bike. This creates a larger possibility to serious injury and therefore a greater cost to the insurance company. Helmet laws are different in each state and this can affect the reasoning as well. Some states will not require a helmet at all and other will only make a new biker wear one. With the ability to travel without a helmet a factor in the insurance coverage it can scare most into not providing a policy at all.

So, when you are shopping for motorcycle insurance you will find that many places will not provide it. It is available and the rates are not extremely high but they are more expensive than you would think as well as harder to find. Insurance companies are in the business of protection but also to make money and a motorcycle just looks like a bad risk due to the little amount of protection the bike provides for the rider and the amount of money that would be needed to repair a bike or a rider after an accident.

There is no doubt that bikes meet up with more accidents in a calendar year than any other vehicle. In fact, numerous accidents are reported every day. So what causes more bike accidents? Most of the bike riders are the young generation. This obviously means that bike riders are generally inexperienced or less experienced. Although the riders pass their tests and have a valid two wheeler license, the inexperience causes the accidents. More accidents mean that the insurance company has to pay for the damages.

Apart from inexperience, younger generation also has a tendency to ride fast. The rush of blood gets them to ride only in the top gear. Needless to say, higher speeds result in frequent accidents. It therefore becomes difficult for the insurance companies to trust these riders to not commit any accidents.

The tendency to take over comes automatically to most bike riders. This is because it is easier to take over with a bike, even in the narrowest of roads than with any of the four wheelers. In an attempt to over take at most times, the accidents are more likely to occur.

Bikes are more susceptible to damage when met with an accident, than any of the four wheelers. This is because a four wheeler is well protected with a front guard and a bumper in the front and at the rear. However, you could at max have a pair of leg guards to a bike and nothing much. This implies that bikes get heavily damaged when met up with an accident.

As can be understood from the discussion so far, bikes can give any insurance company a tough time. You may therefore be asked to pay high premiums for your insurance. You would however want to get the best deal to pay the least premiums possible. What you must do is compare the policies of different insurance companies. You could then choose the one that suits you the most. It can be a tedious job to find so many details and compare them. However, the job is simplified on the internet. You can find many websites that have all the details on the display. The comparisons are also done for your convenience. All you need to do is pick a policy of your choice. As a bike owner, you must make sure that you get a good policy along with a low monthly premium. In other words, you must not compromise on the quality of policy for its low premium.

The truth is that if there is any form of transportation that is inherently dangerous it is motor cycling. The elements of risk and excitement that propelling a motor cycle at high speed is an attraction that many people find irresistible. Unfortunately motor cycling also draws an element of highly irresponsible people who cause accidents and injuries, mostly to themselves, and bring a bad name to motor cycling.

Yet for each and every one of these people, there are probably many more that enjoy motor cycling as a hobby, a sport or a means to get from point A to point B quickly and a relatively low cost. These people take their motor cycling seriously and are prepared to make every effort to keep their insurance premiums within a reasonable cost zone.

Insurance companies, to their eternal credit, are not inclined to “tar motor cyclists with the same brush”. Instead they look upon the task of insuring every rider individually. Those who display responsibility will find that the costs of their premiums do not necessarily go through the roof.

Some of the less responsible motor cycle riders think that once they have passed their test and received their licence, then they are free to become king of the road. In truth they are just beginning their journey and any way that they can gain extra experience will not only help them to become better and safer drivers, but also reduce their premiums.

Insurance companies look very favorably on novice motor cycle drivers that take part in approved rider training courses. Those who display the maturity and insight to attend such courses, generally merit a discount when it comes to calculating their insurance premium.

Insurance companies will also have access to potential client’s riding history and anyone arriving with a less than favorable record will be looked upon as an accident waiting to happen. Insurance companies are very reluctant to insure these categories of drivers, and may even refuse to issue a quote. If they do, it will reflect their fears that the driver will be liable to continue along the same track. Until they fall off.

As far as insuring the motorcycle itself, there are also problems involved that can push up the premiums. Motor cycles are easy to steel, and the chances are that the insurance company will insists that the owner equip their bike with some kind of tracking device that will make the vehicle easier to trace.

Summing up, motorcycle insurance need not be expensive. If an owner places himself in a high risk category, they will pay for the privilege. If, on the other hand, they act with responsibility then their premiums for motorcycle insurance will start to come down.

For that reason, compulsory insurance for motor bikes is generally pretty low. However when it comes to comprehensive policies, including these that take in fire and theft, that is when the prices begin to rise and can reach some fairly dramatic proportions. One of the main reasons that the theft of motor cycles is fairly commonplace, especially some of the more exotic spare parts that are in open display.

However the majority of claims those insurance companies have to deal with when it comes to motorcycle insurance are accidents, and that includes injury claims, mostly to the driver but sometimes to the pillion passenger. The very fact that a motorcycle driver passenger cannot be protected by the vehicle, wears no seat belts and is totally exposed, means that their injuries in the event of an accident are usually pretty severe and sometimes fatal, means that the insurance premiums are high.

Insurance companies, however never jump to foregone conclusions when it comes to calculating the costs and risks of issuing an insurance policy, and judge every case individually and according to its circumstances. The factors that they will take into account are the age of the driver, how many years they have been riding motorcycles, and the size of the motorcycle and the power of its engine.

These are factors that are significant when calculating insurance premiums. They fade into insignificance however when compared to the statistics gathered when comparing a driver’s riding history. The number of tickets for speeding and other driving offences, as well as the number of accidents that the driver has been involved in will play a major part in assessing the premium costs.

One factor that will act very much in the favour of a motorcycle owner is when the own another vehicle and not necessarily a motor bike. Many people own and use motorcycles as a hobby and restrict their use to weekends and holidays. This fact alone will help to reduce their premiums as well as how their overall profile as a motor car driver pans out before the insurance company who they decide to work with.

Premiums and excess payments

Because motorcycle insurance is considered a high-risk, premiums are calculated differently to those for other motor vehicles and it is not unusual for insurers to insist on extra security in the form of early warning systems or steering locks to be fitted to the motorcycle before they are prepared to insure.

Multimon Brokers who specialize in motor cycle insurance, require, for road bikes from R40 000 and over, “proof of an approved self-activating motion censored alarm or factory fitted chip key within 7 (seven) days.”

One motorcyclist claims that, in addition to the R800+ premiums with BMW insurance they also wanted him to install a tracker at a cost of R800 and monthly subscriptions of over R900 a month.

Most insurance companies who cover motorbikes have different rates for off-road and road bikes, cruisers and Harleys, with road bikes, which are built for speed, costing more to insure than the cruisers which are generally slower and have a good accident record and therefore present less of a risk to the insurer.

Riders who only use their motorcycles for recreation are also considered a lower risk, unless the bike is customised with performance parts, in which case the risk factor rises considerably.

Harnacks, a specialized motorcycle insurer, stated with surprising honesty that “sometimes the cost of premiums hurts you more than the damage’ Their answer to the typically high premiums charged for motorbike insurance is to offer a choice of cover at lower premiums but a higher excess. Unfortunately the excess can hurt even more than the premiums.

There are many different factors which affect the amount of excess payable. Here is an example of the way in which the excess is calculated, taken from Multimon Brokers:

Note:

1. If you are involved in an accident while only having a learners licence an additional excess will apply: R2 500 for motorcycles up to the value of R40 000 and R5 000 for motorcycle valued above R40 000.
2. Standard excess: (25 years old) 10% of claim minimum R 4000 – (Accident)
3. Theft: 15% of claim cost.
4. For any claim within the first 90 (ninety) days from inception, an additional excess of R3000 will apply.

Restrictions

Finally, having calculated the premiums to cover the obvious higher risk of insuring motorcyclists, the insurers then endeavour to decrease that risk as far as possible. Here are the restrictions stated in Hollard’s Policy document:

Cover does not extend to any use connected with the motor trade (except use in connection with normal maintenance, service or repair), driving instruction or towing for reward; the carriage of goods for trade purposes, hiring, carriage of fare-paying passengers, racing, speed or other contests or rallies, use on any race track whether at an organised event or not.

At least this was given upfront. A Harnack client, from the same internet forum, who was not sure whether or not he was covered on the track, sent them three emails enquiring about their track policy with no response!

Conclusion

Hell’s Angel or not, there is no doubt that insurers shy away from the high risk inherent in motorcycle insurance. While the higher premiums charged by those companies who are willing to accept the risk are understandable and, to a degree, acceptable, it seems unethical, to say the least, for them then to turn around and limit the risks considerably through added security measures and restrictions.