Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Motorcycle Insurance Does Not Have To Be Expensive

By Ken Henry

So now you've finally gotten your motorcycle, and it's time to get your motorcycle insurance. How do you get an insurance premium that doesn't cost you more than your motorcycle? That is a question that many people ask. There are some common methods you can use to lower your insurance premium.

Understanding how the insurance company comes up with the quote for your motorcycle insurance will enable you to make changes to the areas that will lower the cost. Insurance premiums are based on a calculated risk factor. This is where essentially, no matter how good a rider you may be, you get penalized for the "foolishness" of all the other motorcycle riders.

The location where you will be riding plays a role, as there is more risk posed to the motorcycle rider in a city than in a town or the country. The type of garaging available to your motorcycle plays a part as well. Many people don't consider this factor, but a motorcycle in a locked garage is much less susceptible to vandalism or theft than one left out on the street side or in the driveway.

One of the major areas that will affect your insurance premium is the age, style and size of your motorcycle. Others are the riders age, experience and occupation. While you can't do anything about your age, or experience level, other than the previously mentioned training course, you can control the factors of the age and size of your motorcycle. Many new riders benefit from buying an older motorcycle with a smaller engine for the first couple years, and then when you have a little more verifiable experience upgrading to the bike you want.

Another factor that affects your insurance premium is the distance you will ride your motorcycle each year. If it is going to be your primary transportation for the summer months, chances are your mileage will be higher. Whereas if you're only going to be going for a weekly ride with some friends, then chances are your mileage will be significantly less. The mileage accrued increases or decreases the risk respectively.

One factor that you have to negotiate with is the amount of deductible required to make an insurance claim. Many people find it beneficial to increase their deductible and therefore lower their insurance premium. This is also beneficial in the fact that you only pay the deductible when you make a claim on your insurance. Typically,if a repair will cost you less than $300 to $500 you're better to pay for it yourself than put it through your insurance anyway.

If your motorcycle has any modifications, especially performance enhancing ones, this will significantly increase your risk factor. Also, the type of motorcycle you purchase will affect the risk factor and therefore your insurance premium. A sports bike presents a far greater risk than a cruiser style bike.

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