Motorcycle Insurance in USA

[Karate.Snoopy]

With signs of Spring, the itch to twist the wrist has returned with full ferocity. Along with this itch comes the ever present danger of riding in a sea of distracted cars.
How do you guys hedge your risks pertaining to Motorcycle insurance, apart from crashing obviously.

While looking into this I came across the following article:

motorcycle notes : The Truth about Motorcycle Accidents

Most information there seems still relevant.
PIP is the one that stands out and one of the more important things left out of motorcycle insurance.
Are there companies in MA that provide additional/PIP coverage/Extended disability coverage, medical payments etc basically reduce the financial risk in case of a serious injury and inability to return to work (barring death)

A lot of people might be in the dark about what kind of coverage they might really be getting, let us make this thread a good informative thread laced with personal experience and Do's & Don'ts

 

[Flat_FZ6]

Among my friends it seems like the limiting factor for coverage is how much they're willing to spend. My roommate, for example, has $1k deductibles on his bike and state minimum protection to keep his costs down.

 

[Karate.Snoopy]

Among my friends it seems like the limiting factor for coverage is how much they're willing to spend. My roommate, for example, has $1k deductibles on his bike and state minimum protection to keep his costs down.

Yeah when I was single I didn't much care about coverage, my only bother was lower monthly premium. But now with 2 kids, mortgage and a wife things have tilted more toward long term financial security which is why I am interested in finding out the measures to best protect yourself financially.

 

[2nd childhood]

Does anyone know the date of the article? The only date reference I found was to an article from Newsweek published in 2000. I'm curious as I'm thinking of doing some research on this. I haven't worked in the insurance industry since 2003 but worked in it for 27 years and still have a fair number of contacts who can verify what is or isn't still true in regards to the listed myths. Thanks....

 

[Karate.Snoopy]

Does anyone know the date of the article? The only date reference I found was to an article from Newsweek published in 2000. I'm curious as I'm thinking of doing some research on this. I haven't worked in the insurance industry since 2003 but worked in it for 27 years and still have a fair number of contacts who can verify what is or isn't still true in regards to the listed myths. Thanks....

I was able to find out that PIP is definitely not covered here in MA for Motorcycle riders as it is considered a recreational vehicle(how the heck are we able to ride it on a public street under this classification is anyone's guess)

Here in MA, Medical payments also known as Part 6 is apparently what you need to get added to your insurance

Part 6 - Medical Payments

6. Medical Payments (Optional) - covers medical expenses for you, your household members and passengers, over and above amounts covered by Personal Injury Protection no matter who caused the accident. The minimum amount of Mass car insurance you can buy is $5,000 if insuring an automobile and $500 if insuring a motorcycle.

 

[FIZZER6]

The best advice is: DON'T CRASH!


Seriously though, insurance companies are in the business of screwing people by covering the minimum they can in the event of a claim so this is a good thread!

What about your health insurance coverage? Are there certain medical expenses they won't cover because you were injured in a motorcycle accident instead of a car accident?

 

[Karate.Snoopy]

The best advice is: DON'T CRASH!


Seriously though, insurance companies are in the business of screwing people by covering the minimum they can in the event of a claim so this is a good thread!

What about your health insurance coverage? Are there certain medical expenses they won't cover because you were injured in a motorcycle accident instead of a car accident?

Sound advice, here is what I found out from another rider who works in the Insurance Industry (MA)

"Medical Payments (Part 6) is the only way to get paid if injured on your bike. Med Pay covers things that your health insurance does not- like co-pays, Physical Therapy and prescription drugs. These things could add up to BIG MONEY if you are seriously injured. Even if you break a bone or collar bone, the co-pays are expensive for PT sessions. I work in the insurance industry and carry 5k on all my bikes during the riding season. I have health insurance but the med-pay coverage guarantees NO out of pocket expenses if I am injured."

I just added Med Pay to my Insurance for a total annual premium bump of 100$. Seems reasonable

 

[FIZZER6]

Sound advice, here is what I found out from another rider who works in the Insurance Industry (MA)

"Medical Payments (Part 6) is the only way to get paid if injured on your bike. Med Pay covers things that your health insurance does not- like co-pays, Physical Therapy and prescription drugs. These things could add up to BIG MONEY if you are seriously injured. Even if you break a bone or collar bone, the co-pays are expensive for PT sessions. I work in the insurance industry and carry 5k on all my bikes during the riding season. I have health insurance but the med-pay coverage guarantees NO out of pocket expenses if I am injured."

I just added Med Pay to my Insurance for a total annual premium bump of 100$. Seems reasonable

That's a good idea to add it just for the riding season.

This past year I started dropping full coverage on my cruiser in the winter when it won't be ridden and only keeping it on the FZ6 year round. Saves a bit. If you can add and remove med pay coverage in season that would be wise.

 

[Karate.Snoopy]

That's a good idea to add it just for the riding season.

This past year I started dropping full coverage on my cruiser in the winter when it won't be ridden and only keeping it on the FZ6 year round. Saves a bit. If you can add and remove med pay coverage in season that would be wise.

That is precisely what I do, bring down the insurance(remove collision, med pay etc) to the bare minimum during winter and then slap it back on come spring.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I insure my bike with State Farm.

Surprising facts about them:

1. No discounts on premiums for a successful completion of a motorcycle safety class where others offer up to 30%.

2. Does not cover safety gear in the event of a crash, except for your helmet. They will cover items that are permanently attached to the bike, such as a windscreen or saddle bags.

3. No supplemental medical insurance for motorcycles. In the event you are hurt on your own, you must have your own insurance through work or other supplemental insurance such as Aflac. They do offer hospital income insurance, that is considered a supplemental insurance for injury accidents, but is limited to flat pay outs. So with my ACL tear, I received $500 from State Farm into a trip to the emergency room. $100 for my out patient surgery which has helped offset my out of pocket deductible on my primary insurance.

Make sure you have underinsured or non-insured motorist insurance so you are covered in the event you get hit by somebody with no insurance or was involved In a hit n run.

 

[2nd childhood]

Well, I finally heard back from my current bike insurer (Foremost, through AARP) and they claim their Medical coverage is the same as PIP and can be used like a copay in regards to my personal medical coverage. Now to sit down and crunch the numbers to see if a) it's worth adding the coverage and b) if so, how much should I get.

Man, it was so much easier when I was young and single. I didn't even HAVE insurance back then for my motorcycles. Ah, the "good" ol' days.....

 

[DeepBlueRider]

Sometimes liability coverage is also important. I live in bay area - lots of lotuses and Tesla-s around. Just scrape their door or hit a mirror during line splitting and you will max out minimum required coverage (maybe I'm exaggerating a little but not much).

 

[Karate.Snoopy]

How many of us carry Accident Insurance or supplemental insurance.

My situation is not unique hence I figured I would post it on the forum. Recently my wife got laid off work, I have 2 little boys who both need to be in Preschool so my wife can search for a job.

As you may agree riding on the street is riddled with dangers and the unexpected does happen.
In order to hedge my bets, I wanted to get as much coverage as possible to to run my family life without disruption.

For this I was considering getting Accident Insurance from Aflac or any other agency. What other supplemental insurance would you recommend?

Any personal insights and experience is much appreciated.