Motorcycle riders can often be shocked by the cost of their vehicle insurance. Motorcycle insurance is a specialty form of insurance and can attract a premium. This is because riding a motorbike is seen by insurance companies as a riskier activity than driving a sedan. Motorbikes are smaller and less visible than cars, vans and utilities; they tend to be driven by men (often younger men), though many women also enjoy riding a bike; having just two wheels, they are more vulnerable to environmental changes such as grease on the roads, light rain fall, obstacles, road surface texture and so on. The age of the rider, as with car insurance, also has an impact on the cost of the premium.
That said, in Australia the insurance companies are increasingly competitive when it comes to motorcycle insurance and it is getting easier to find a policy with a more attractive price tag. It can take some shopping around though.
Some of the factors that influence the cost of motorcycle insurance premiums include:
- Type of bike e.g. sportsbike versus cruiser
- Age of rider
- Location of bike – post code, and garage or street parking
- Size of engine
- Manufacturer
- Number of kilometres
- Model of bike (some are known to require higher maintenance)
- Your driving history
- Modifications made to the bike
- Whether you are also covering your gear, or just the bike
- Anti-theft devices
Specialty insurance companies that deal only with motorbikes may also offer a better deal than the larger, “we insure everything” type companies. This is not always true but is definitely worth investigating for your make and model.
If you are aged under 25 then no matter what you drive – car or bike – you are going to pay more than an older driver. I’ve heard it said that the best way to get a better deal on your motorcycle insurance is “get old”! (Perhaps that explains why so many middle-aged men go out and buy themselves a bike later in life…)
Take a close look not just at the cost of the policy but also any special conditions. Some insurers will charge an excess even if you are not at fault in an accident.
When you are ringing around to get quotes on your motorcycle insurance make sure you are offering each company the same information so you know the quotes are directly comparable. If you want to get tricky, you could test out different post codes to see if you can get a better price by giving your boyfriend / girlfriend’s address or that of your parents.
Joanne Lemke is a final year creative writing student at UOW, who is looking to break into the corporate copywriting space once she graduates and hopefully go on to eventually some day write a book around her other passions, namely cooking and travel.
We better be careful on what we are doing on our ATV. Some of the incidents that had occur can cause our lives. Its better to lessen the risk with the help of insurance services that is willing to help you.
ATV Insurance Boca Raton