Motorcycle Insurance - Pay as you go...

[newbiker]

Hey guys,

I don't ride much. I hardly ride a few times a year. I feel it makes no sense to insure the bike while it's sitting in the garage at home. However, I would like to be covered when I go riding.

Does anyone know of an economical way to insure? Or if there's a company that charges low rates for pay as you ride situation?

Thanks! :ride

 

[berth]

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/brochures/fast_facts/ffvr18

Quoting:

Financial responsibility (commonly known as insurance) is required on all vehicles operated or parked on California roadways.

So, your uninsured bike can't touch a public road. There's that.

Must I Notify DMV Before I Cancel My Insurance?

Yes. To prevent a vehicle registration suspension, you must notify DMV before you cancel your insurance. If you are not operating your currently registered vehicle, and it is not parked on a California roadway, you may submit an Affidavit of Non-Use (ANU) (REG 5090) form to DMV online at www.dmv.ca.gov, by calling the automated voice system at 1-800-777-0133, or by mail to one of the addresses at the end of this brochure.

You may remove the ANU during the same registration year online at www.dmv.ca.gov, by calling 1-800-777-0133, or by mailing evidence of insurance to the DMV-VIP Unit at the address at the end of this brochure.

After filing the ANU, the vehicle's insurance may be cancelled. However, if the vehicle is still not in use when registration renewal fees are due, you must pay renewal fees or request the vehicle be placed on planned nonoperation (PNO) status. You are not eligible to file an ANU once the registration expires. You can obtain additional PNO information at www.dmv.ca.gov.

Even if you can find seasonal insurance, sure seems like a bit of a pain to keep everyone in the loop.

In that vein, however, I'm pretty sure if you cancel insurance it's mostly pro-rated (I guess it may depend on the company).

So, you can just get insurance for 6-12 months, and cancel when you're done.

After notifying the DMV, of course.

You might have to deal with the "what you didn't have insurance before" details that some companies fiddle with.

This is where its helpful to be on good terms with your agent.

 

[splat]

The only solution is to ride more often, make this topic a moot point.

 

[thedub]

...I feel it makes no sense to insure the bike while it's sitting in the garage at home...

Unless it gets stolen. Or there's a fire. Or an earthquake sends a beam falling down on it. Then it's gonna make sense to insure the bike.

 

[Lorry]

Something like Metromile but for bikes?

 

[motomania2007]

Closest thing I'm aware of is that some insurance companies offer mileage related cost insurance. Last one of those I looked at worked on cars can you use the diagnostic port to track how many miles were on the car

 

[HadesOmega]

There is a pay as your drive insurance I don't know if it work for bikes. I think you would report your miles on your phone or something. I thought about getting it for one of my cars because I rarely drive it.

If anyone has this type of insurance please chime in and let us know if it saved you some $$$

On another note I wouldn't get this type of insurance for my bikes because insuring motorcycles is cheap for me. I don't have any superbikes or really expensive motorcycles and if I were to crash it I could maybe fix it myself.

 

[Caddywumpus]

Insurance is stupid cheap.

Then I saw what he rode and was like: yeah lol

 

[auntiebling]

Hey guys,

I don't ride much. I hardly ride a few times a year. I feel it makes no sense to insure the bike while it's sitting in the garage at home. However, I would like to be covered when I go riding.

Does anyone know of an economical way to insure? Or if there's a company that charges low rates for pay as you ride situation?

Thanks! :ride

My insurance company will let me turn coverage on or off for my vehicles as needed. The DMV will suspend the registration of said vehicle until insurance is reinstated. They know these things happen because insurance companies report what is and isnt covered...well mine does yours might not I dunno.

Anyway, this isnt that big a deal, there is even a dmv form you can fill out for "notice of temporary something something and reinstatement of something something"

There is some time delay between reinstating/notification etc so you wont be able to decide you want to ride to lunch when you wake up and be legal to do so

 

[HadesOmega]

My insurance company will let me turn coverage on or off for my vehicles as needed. The DMV will suspend the registration of said vehicle until insurance is reinstated. They know these things happen because insurance companies report what is and isnt covered...well mine does yours might not I dunno.

Anyway, this isnt that big a deal, there is even a dmv form you can fill out for "notice of temporary something something and reinstatement of something something"

There is some time delay between reinstating/notification etc so you wont be able to decide you want to ride to lunch when you wake up and be legal to do so

I think there is a fee to pay if you want to reinstate it like $9 or $20 I forget.

 

[JimE]

Interesting thing: your homeowners policy will not cover vehicles. Found this out when a car came through my yard and hit a PNO truck I had sitting there. This being the case I doubt a renters policy is going to cover vehicles either. Call them up and ask for yourself. I was surprised.

 

[Butch]

Insurance is stupid cheap.
Then I saw what he rode and was like: yeah lol

I think insurance for motorcycles is stupid expensive. You break it, you should pay. Liability, on the other hand, is a different story. If you have shit to lose, it is a required cost to play. I think I have five motos covered for big liability only for like $150/yr with progressive/ drive.

Edit: I have $3M liability under Liberty Mutual. In case of error, I wanna keep my shit.

 

[Whammy]

Maybe you shouldn't ride if you don't see the need to ride it often enough or cant afford it.
I know there are those who are penny pincher's and god knows here in the bay area its almost a necessity for some.
Maybe look at lowering your comp and collision amounts, or the deductibles make those like well uncomfortably high.
Just dont under insure.
Sometimes there just isnt a solution

 

[berth]

Liability, on the other hand, is a different story.

I always though that liability should be based on the driver/operator, not the vehicle.

Back in college, I got a California ID instead of a DL because I didn't own a car. How do I get liability coverage if I don't own a car, but wanted to, say, drive my friends car?

 

[Butch]

I always though that liability should be based on the driver/operator, not the vehicle.

Back in college, I got a California ID instead of a DL because I didn't own a car. How do I get liability coverage if I don't own a car, but wanted to, say, drive my friends car?

My umbrella liability policy is through my homeowners insurance.

 

[berth]

My umbrella liability policy is through my homeowners insurance.

Sure, but does it "count" as far as the state law is considered? Otherwise, I'd drop liability on my two cars and just keep my house umbrella policy.

 

[KooLaid]

I always though that liability should be based on the driver/operator, not the vehicle.

Back in college, I got a California ID instead of a DL because I didn't own a car. How do I get liability coverage if I don't own a car, but wanted to, say, drive my friends car?

with the California ID, you shouldn't be driving at all.......

If you have your California DL though, your friend's car's policy should cover since you don't regularly borrow it. But if you live in the same house, it gets a little trickier and I'm fuzzy on that.

 

[motomania2007]

I always though that liability should be based on the driver/operator, not the vehicle.

Back in college, I got a California ID instead of a DL because I didn't own a car. How do I get liability coverage if I don't own a car, but wanted to, say, drive my friends car?

If you don't have a license then you can't legally drive.

 

[Nessal]

Insurance is stupid cheap for liability only.

 

[norcalkid]

My liability policy is $104 a year and I don't have the minimum coverage(DL650).

Wish tires were that cheap.

Full coverage vs liability is a huge difference and a big reason I will never finance a bike. Even if I'm OK with the depreciation the insurance is the killer.