Nothing feels quite as exhilarating as hopping on your motorcycle and feeling the wind on your face as you cruise the open road.
Whether it’s your first time buying a brand new Harley or you’re a seasoned biker adding another ride to your arsenal, it’s important to get your motorcycle insured before you hit the road.
Here’s your guide to understanding the ins and outs of motorcycle insurance coverage.
Why Do I Need Motorcycle Insurance?
Like every other vehicle on the road, motorcycles require having insurance for you to legally ride. Even though they are smaller and less powerful than a car or truck, bikes can still get into accidents or cause damage. It’s better to be safe than sorry and not get stuck with thousands in fines or repair costs.
Even if you have a standard auto insurance plan for your other vehicle, you will need to invest in separate insurance for your bike – motorcycles are not covered by auto insurance.
How Does Motorcycle Insurance Work?
Motorcycle insurance is just like car insurance – if you ride a motorcycle, you need to have it covered in case you get into an accident or situation where the bike gets damaged.
You’ll make monthly or annual payments to keep your policy, and in return your insurance will uphold the necessary coverages if you need them.
Factors that affect the cost of your plan include:
- Your age
- Your driving record
- What you want covered
- The type of motorcycle you own
- Where you live
Depending on who you go to for your insurance, you can get a full-coverage motorcycle policy, or you can bundle several different types of coverage.
Types of Coverage
1. Liability Insurance
If you get into an accident with another vehicle and are found responsible, liability insurance will help cover any damage to the other vehicle, along with any bodily injuries to the other party. These can come bundled or separate as bodily injury liability and property damage liability.
All motorists in Virginia are required to have liability insurance.
2. Collision Insurance
Collision insurance covers the cost of repairing or replacing your motorcycle if it gets damaged in an accident. With this type of coverage, it doesn’t matter who is at fault (though if the other party caused the accident, you shouldn’t have to pay anything).
3. Comprehensive Insurance
If your motorcycle gets damaged and needs to be fixed due to anything else but a car accident, comprehensive insurance will cover the cost for repairs. This includes incidents like hitting an animal, vandalism or flooding.
4. Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Insurance
Despite insurance being required, there are still some motorists who drive without it. If you get into an accident with one and they don’t have the ability to pay for your damage, this coverage will take care of it for you.
You will not be penalized for someone else’s negligence.
Special Insurance Add-Ons
Depending on the insurance company you decide to create a plan with, you may have the ability to add additional coverages for smaller, more specific motorcycle insurance needs. These can include:
- Trailer coverage: For both if you’re hauling a trailer or using a trailer to haul your bike
- Roadside assistance: For the towing fees when your motorcycle breaks down
- Personal belongings coverage: For anything on you that gets damaged in an accident (ex: phone, helmet, bag, etc.)
- Custom parts and accessories coverage: To pay for any parts you added to your bike that weren’t originally a part of it
- Trip interruption coverage: To pay for lodging and food if you’re put out while on a trip and are waiting for your bike to be repaired
High-Caliber Motorcycle Insurance in Richmond, VA
When you’re ready to hit the road on your beautiful bike, don’t stall out trying to get proper insurance coverage.
Sanford Insurance is an insurance provider in Richmond that offers full coverage plans for motorcyclists and their ride. If you want more than just liability and collision, we have several other options you can add to your plan.
Our goal is to keep you safe and protected from harm while you enjoy life on the highway. If you need motorcycle insurance, give us a call to see which coverage plans work for you before hitting the roads.