Buying A Motorcycle

Is my motorcycle covered under my auto insurance?

Don’t make the mistake to assume that your car insurance will cover your motorcycle, or provide liability coverage if you hurt somebody or damage somebody’s property.

Your car insurance will absolutely not extend to your motorcycle. Also, it will not apply for you, if you cause injury or damage while riding your motorcycle.

Your car insurance and your motorcycle are completely separate, and will absolutely not apply for each other. Don’t make the crucial mistake to assume that your auto policy might protect you. It won’t.

That said, some states offer so-called “Motorcycle Endorsements” that can be added to your auto policy. But beware: These endorsements are usually by far not as comprehensive as a stand-alone motorcycle policy, and they often come with a variety of exclusions in the fine print.

If you own a motorcycle, we strongly recommend that you get a stand-alone motorcycle insurance policy.

Why should I buy motorcycle insurance?

It is a very wise decision to protect your new investment with a motorcycle policy. After all, your bike can easily get damaged or stolen, or you can cause damage or injury to another party.

Motorcycle insurance is quite similar to an auto insurance policy. It includes various coverages:

• Bodily Injury / Property Damage Liability Coverage
  This coverage applies if you are considered at-fault in causing damage or injury to a third party, up to the limits you select. This can be very important for you, since this coverage helps you protect your own assets.

• Comprehensive / Collision Coverage
  This coverage pays for repairs to your bike if it is damaged in an accident, if it’s stolen, or, for example, if it’s damaged or destroyed by a fire.

• Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM/UIM)
  If you are in an accident in which the other party is at fault, this coverage will protect you if they don’t have the insurance or resources to pay for your damages and/or injuries that they are legally liable for. That includes medical payments and loss of wages.

• Medical Payments
  Medical payments cover the cost of any medical treatment you receive, regardless of who is at fault. This coverage is often limited to the first three years after an accident happened.

• Custom Parts and Equipment
  This coverage provides protection for accessories and ‘extras’ to our bike that exceed $1,000 in value, other than those originally included by the manufacturer. It also covers sidecars, trailers that are intended to be pulled by a motorcycle, custom paint jobs, safety riding gear and helmets, and trike conversion kits. Custom parts and equipment are covered up to $1,000 under comprehensive coverage.

• Roadside Assistance
  Provides immediate roadside repair services for break-down, dead battery, flat tire, or running out of fuel, and towing.

Even though the odds of being at fault in a multi-vehicle accident are very low for motorcyclists, liability often doesn’t clearly lie with the other party, either. And even though bikers are often the victims when it comes to cycle – car collisions, it doesn’t mean that you don’t need liability insurance. What if you hit a bicyclist or a pedestrian? What if you accidentally scratch a car as you back out of your parking spot?

Motorcycle insurance will help protect you, your bike, as well as your assets in case you ever find yourself in a liability lawsuit. WHINS Insurance Agency can help you protect almost any type of motorcycle, whether it’s a Dirt Bike or a Street Cruiser, a Vintage bike or a customized high-performance machine. Give us a call!

The most important coverage on your Motorcycle Insurance policy.

As you shop for your motorcycle insurance policy, keep in mind that cheaper isn’t always better when it comes to insurance. And especially motorcycle insurance policies aren’t always worth the money you pay for them. And you want a policy that protects you when you need it.

Cheap coverage usually provides you only with low liability limits, and, what’s worse, with the most important coverage completely missing:

We have reviewed countless policies that did not include Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist (UM/ UIM) coverage. Yet, this is probably the single most important part of a motorcycle policy. (UM/UIM is the coverage that paid for Louie in the example above. Without it, he would have gotten nothing.)

Not having UM/UIM coverage can hurt you quite badly. Here’s why:
As a biker, your risk of being at-fault in an accident is comparatively low. But, your risk of getting hit is relatively high. That’s where your UM/UIM coverage applies.

Your UM/UIM coverage kicks in if you are hit by a driver who doesn’t have the insurance or resources to pay for your injuries, medical payments, loss of wages, and damage to your bike. If the person who hit you doesn’t have the money to pay for the damages they caused you, your own insurance will protect you. But only if you have the right insurance. This is what your UM/UIM coverage does for you.

You cannot buy stand-alone UM/UIM coverage. UM/UIM can only be obtained in combination with liability coverage, and it can only be purchased up to the limits of your liability coverage. You cannot carry low liability limits, but high UM/UIM limits.

Now, don’t get us wrong: We are not saying that liability coverage is not necessary for bikers. Actually, it is very important to have adequate liability limits to protect yourself and your assets if you are at fault in an accident and cause damage to another party.

To sum it all up: You want Motorcycle Insurance so you can protect yourself! Whether that is a liability lawsuit, or an irresponsible driver who hit you. Because a driver who isn’t responsible enough to look for motorcycles on the road might not be responsible enough to carry adequate insurance limits.

How can I get a discount on my motorcycle policy?

Now, you’ve heard that one can get money-saving discounts on auto insurance (hey, and you even qualify for some!) That makes you wonder… Shouldn’t you be able to get a discount on your motorcycle policy, as well?

Yes you should! And you can! Depending on the company, a variety of discounts are available:

• Claims-Free Discount: If you didn’t have any claims or accidents during the previous policy period, you qualify for this discount when your policy renews.

• Homeowner Discount: If you own your home, you qualify for this discount. Why? Because insurance companies assume that if you own a home, you are a responsible person. Responsible people are responsible drivers (or riders) and deserve a discount.

• Multi-Policy Discount: If you have more than one policy with one company, you may qualify for a multi-policy discount.

• Safe Driver Discount: If you’ve been cruising without accidents or violations for 3 years, you qualify for this discount.

• LoJack Discount: You can save on your motorcycle policy if your bike is equipped with the LoJack tracking system.

• Safety Course Discount: Completing a Safety Course can save your life. And offer you a discount on your motorcycle policy. Sign up for a class today. (To keep the insurance discount active, you have to complete a safety course every three years.)

Some companies might give you a discount if you store your bike in a garage or out of sight, or if you use chains or other Anti-Theft devices to lock it down.

Keep in mind that your insurance rates depend on your bike’s type and brand, its engine size, the level of customization, and the miles driven. A customized street race machine that you use to commute to work will bring you much higher insurance bills than a vintage cruiser that you only use every now and then. As you search for your perfect bike, keep these factors in mind to avoid unpleasant surprises.

What about insurance for mopeds, scooters or ATV’s?

Mopeds and scooters (electric and gasoline-powered) can be insured on a Motorcycle policy. All the same discounts and options apply for big bikes as well as smaller mopeds and scooters.

ATV’s (and snowmobiles, too), on the other hand, take a special place.

An ATV may be covered under your homeowner’s policy, but only if it’s driven exclusively on your own property. There is absolutely no coverage if you take the ATV off your property and drive it on public roads… even if it’s only across the street. If there is any chance at all that you might take your ATV to a dirt track, into the mountains, or elsewhere, you should get ATV (or Snowmobile) insurance.

We can help with any of it. Just give us a call (818) 233-0825.