July 10th, 2007 by R.J.

One of the most frequently asked questions on the forums I post on is where to find the cheapest motorcycle insurance. I know personally when I first tried to get my R1 insured, I was getting yearly quotes that were almost as much as the
cost of the bike. GEICO quoted me $10,999, Allstate quoted me $9,879, Liberty Mutual quoted me $11,323! Is it any wonder that the majority of sportbike riders are uninsured?

But there are things you can do to lower your insurance premiums:

1. Type of Bike - Obviously if you already have your motorcycle you can’t do anything about this one, but if you are in the market for a bike you may want to consider it. The newer, faster, and flashier the bike is the more money it’s
going to cost to insure it. Even getting a bike a couple years older will lower your insurance cost substantially. The size of the engine also matters - a literbike will cost more to insure than a 600cc bike.

2. Age - This is one of the main factors in the cost of insurance and there is really nothing you can do about it. If you’re 16 and trying to insure a brand new R1 or Gixxer you are going to have problems. My dad has a Harleys and
Vulcans  and pays a few hundred a year to insure them. When I got my bike he wanted to see how much it would be for him to be insured on a sportbike. His premium (at age 47) was $2,800. More than an $8,000 difference in what they were
quoting me! Age makes a huge difference and there isn’t anything you can do about it besides grow up…

3. Location, Location, Location - What city you are in can play an important role in the cost of insurance. Insuring a sportbike in Houston, TX (one of the highest stolen vehicle areas in the country) is going to cost more than insuring a sportbike in Elk City, OK (where? yeah. exactly.)

4. Where you Park - Where you park can affect the cost of your insurance. Most bikes are stolen when parked outside… Thieves especially love to jack them from apartment complex lots. Insurance companies will offer you a discount
if you have a garage to secure your bike.

5. Driving History - The more tickets and accidents you have the more you can expect to pay for insurance. If you have had a bike stolen in the past, it will cost more to get the next one reinsured if you can get it insured at all.

6. Mileage - Insurance companies know that motorcyclists are 32 times more likely to crash per mile driven. If you ride less, you can usually get cheaper quotes. Some companies will ask if you use the bike to commute or for pleasure, pleasure is usually the cheapest, but you shouldn’t lie to the insurance companies. If they find out they may choose not to cover you.

7. Training - Many insurance companies offer a discount if you have completed Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) training. Call your insurance to find out about this. I recommend you take the course even if it doesn’t get you
an insurance break, it will improve your riding tremendously on the streets.

As you can see, there are a lot of factors in determining the cost of your motorcycle insurance. All of that being said, the company you insure with also plays a big role. The cheapest I’ve found so far for my bike has been State Farm. State Farm insures bikes based on the size of the engine (not the type of bike), so a Yamaha R1 will actually cost LESS cc for cc than a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 cruiser!

State Farm also gives you deep discounts if you insure your house and other automobiles with them. I highly recommend them if you are looking for the cheapest insurance prices out there.