Whether you’re a weekend warrior, custom collector, adventurer, or somewhere in-between, insurance is a necessary part of riding a motorcycle. However, there are so many providers that it can be difficult to choose the best motorcycle insurance to fit your unique needs. To help, we reviewed some of the top motorcycle insurers for individual needs like custom and vintage bike coverage, policy bundling, and low premiums.
Best Overall: Markel
Markel is a longstanding insurer that writes policies for almost all types of motorcycles, including (but not limited to) cruisers, touring motorcycles, sportbikes, and even custom motorcycles. Top-rated by AM Best, Markel offers extensive coverage for both motorcycles and riders.
Policies start at roughly $50 per year, and deductibles for collision and comprehensive coverage range from about $250 to $2,000. Accessory coverage is available in $1,000 intervals from around $1,000 to $30,000. Coverage also extends to bodily injury, property damage, and passenger liability for others.
Markel also offers customers a large selection of discounts that can help reduce the overall cost of motorcycle insurance. More specifically, riders can save up to approximately 35% with available discounts, including about a 10% discount if you switch from another provider. As a Markel customer, you can also take advantage of the insurer’s fast claim support and extensive online resources.
Why it’s a fit for Treehugger: Markel is our overall top choice for motorcycle insurance because it offers flexible policies and an impressive selection of discounts.
Best Budget: Safeco Insurance
Safeco Insurance is a top provider of motorcycle insurance that can be tailored to each rider. Depending on your needs, policies can include standard coverage like bodily injury, guest passenger, and property damage liability, as well as enhanced options like collision, comprehensive, and medical payment coverage. Policyholders can also take advantage of several ways to save on their premium.
In addition to traditional saving methods—like choosing a higher deductible or bundling policies—Safeco policyholders can take advantage of several motorcycle-specific discounts. For example, riders can get a discount for completing an approved motorcycle safety course, maintaining an active riding club membership, or storing their bike in a locked garage or other secure location. Your premiums will also automatically go down as your riding experience increases.
What’s more, Safeco makes it easy to find an agent who can walk you through state-specific insurance requirements and relevant add-ons. Simply enter your ZIP code from the insurer’s website, and it will direct you to a list of local agents.
Why it’s a fit for Treehugger: Safeco Insurance is our favorite budget-friendly option because it lets customers save big on premiums by taking advantage of policy discounts.
The Saver Package includes about $500 in safety apparel coverage, first accident forgiveness, as well as optional equipment, towing, and roadside assistance coverage. The Plus Package increases safety apparel coverage to roughly $1,500, with $3,500 in optional equipment coverage. There are also a number of other benefits, including total loss settlement, towing and roadside assistance expenses, and even track day coverage—something not included in many motorcycle policies.
Finally, the Elite Package includes around $2,500 in safety apparel coverage, roughly $2,000 in personal effects coverage, and approximately $5,000 in optional equipment coverage—plus additional features like a diminishing deductible. Policies can also be customized with optional equipment coverage (up to around $15,000), transport trailer coverage (up to roughly $7,500), increased liability limits, and other add-ons.
Best Policy Bundling: Progressive
In addition to its other vast coverage areas, Progressive provides motorcycle insurance for cruisers, touring bikes, and dirt bikes, among others. Policyholders can bundle their motorcycle coverage with home, auto, and Progressive’s other products. And, because Progressive is top-rated by AM Best, you can trust Progressive’s financial strength in case you have to file a claim.
Progressive offers a basic liability policy starting at just about $79 per year. Standard policies include full replacement cost (with no depreciation for parts), accessories and custom parts (up to roughly $30,000); and OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts.
However, you can customize coverage with bodily injury and property liability, uninsured/underinsured motorist, comprehensive and collision, and medical payment coverage. There are also a ton of additional coverage options to choose from—like total loss coverage and roadside assistance.
Why it’s a fit for Treehugger: Progressive is Treehugger’s top choice for flexible policy bundling because customers can automatically save money by combining motorcycle insurance with other coverage—like a home or condo policy.
Best for Custom and Vintage Bikes: Foremost
Though not exclusively a motorcycle insurer, Foremost Insurance Group takes a very rider-centric approach to its motorcycle policies. Policies are available for a wide range of cruiser, sport, and touring bikes, but the company’s coverage for vintage and custom bikes is what really stands out. And, like other options on our list, Foremost is top-rated by AM Best, so it’s reliable in addition to providing one-of-a-kind coverage.
When building a policy, riders can choose from Foremost’s Saver, Plus, and Elite packages. Saver starts at roughly $500 in helmet and safety apparel coverage, plus first accident forgiveness and optional equipment, towing, and roadside assistance. More advanced options include higher coverage limits and features like total loss settlement, trip interruption, and a diminishing deductible.
That said, vintage bike owners can also build total custom coverage for motorcycles that are 25 years or older and that have been maintained or restored to original condition. Custom bikes are also covered by Foremost’s Custom and Custom Elite packages, which are tailored to limited production, one-of-a-kind motorcycles that feature more than approximately $30,000 in optional equipment.
Why it’s a fit for Treehugger: All in all, we chose Foremost as the best choice for vintage and custom motorcycles because of the company’s commitment to covering even the most unique bikes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Motorcycle Insurance Cover?
Motorcycle coverage depends on the policy. That said, standard policies typically include some coverage for damage to your bike as well as liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage to others. You can further customize a motorcycle insurance policy to cover the full replacement cost of your bike, medical payments stemming from an accident, or uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage. Some riders also opt for comprehensive coverage, which includes damage that is not the result of a collision.
How Much Does Motorcycle Insurance Cost?
The average cost of motorcycle insurance is around $700 per year, but this can vary substantially depending on your location and the degree of coverage. Costs also depend on factors like the rider’s age, type of bike, and preferred deductible.
Who Needs Motorcycle Insurance?
Motorcycle insurance is required by almost every state—so if you want to register and ride your bike, it’s likely a necessity. And, even when not required for registration (like in Florida, New Hampshire, and Montana), it’s still smart to get a policy to protect your investment and protect yourself from liability in case of an accident. No matter where you’re located, we recommend talking to an insurance agent about a policy that’s suited to your motorcycle and riding habits.
Methodology
To choose the best motorcycle insurance for Treehugger readers, we evaluated 15 of the top providers based on features like financial strength (AM Best Rating), coverage options, policy transparency, and the availability of discounts. Where possible, we also considered premiums and compared each provider’s online quoting and claim reporting tools.
Based on those factors, we chose Markel as our overall best option because of its wide selection of discounts, helpful tools, and excellent financial strength. It also stood out for covering a wide range of bikes including sportbikes, cruisers, touring and custom motorcycles.
