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What state is the cheapest for motorcycle insurance? What state is the cheapest for motorcycle insurance?
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  #1  
Old 20 Oct 2009
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What state is the cheapest for motorcycle insurance?
I am pretty sure there is a significant difference in motorcycle insurance quotes, depending on the address you use for the insurance policy.

I am riding in USA for a while on my UK registed RTW bike, and could use almost any address for my insurance.

So... Does anyone know which state has the lowest rate for insuring motorcycles?

Many thanks
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  #2  
Old 20 Oct 2009
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hey
Hey my bike is Uk Reg and my insurance is in Long branch ,NJ, I hv used a friends adress , my insurance is with Progressive, I did for 1 year for $140, for honda africa twin 750,
Big Foot on 2 wheels


Motorcycle Insurance Coverage - Roadside Assistance from Progressive Motorcycle Insurance
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  #3  
Old 26 Oct 2009
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It is very hard to find any information on which state is cheapest, but New Jersey usually tops the lists of most expensive. In very general terms, anything in the Northeast is usually expensive, the Southeast is usually cheaper. I know for other types of insurance many find Texas and South Dakota particularly inexpensive. Another consideration is the whole package of expenses--some states charge property tax or excise tax, most charge sales tax, etc. Some even charge these if you've paid elsewhere. I pay Geico $99 per year for just liability insurance in upstate New York (much cheaper than downstate) on a Kwacky 500. But, I also have two cars with Geico.
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  #4  
Old 27 Oct 2009
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Thanks for the info
Cheers for that. Something else I've been told is just to use an out-of-town address, something more rural. So I think I'll just get quotes for the place I'm staying at the moment, in a rural area of Washington in the Seattle area.

I was initially having real problems just finding insurance companies that would actually insure me, as a non-resident without a US driving licence.

But now, after some more searching, and help from HU, I have a few that do insure people in my situation. Just in case anyone else is looking, these are;
  • Progressive : 1-800-776-4737
  • Motorcycle Express : 1-800-245-8726
  • AIG : 1-877-708-6995
  • Berglund : 1-800-537-2555
  • Sunrise : 1-800-478-7648
  • HC Travel : ??
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  #5  
Old 28 Oct 2009
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Very true about the rural insurance being much cheaper. I've lived in a lot of different places up and down the east coast of the U.S. and New York has an expensive reputation, based on the prices in the New York City area. However up here near the Adirondacks it is a different world and I have found expensives better than in some other states with lower-priced reputations. By the way, I'm not sure any state requires you to have U.S. insurance if you don't register the vehicle in that state. The chances of anybody asking you are about zero unless you get stopped by the police, and then they'll ask to see your registration and insurance. I bet if you hand them a foreign registration and insurance card they won't know how to check it and you'll be good to go, but that is just a guess.
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  #6  
Old 28 Oct 2009
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Progressive is the way forward...
So I had my personal assistant/navigation expert/riding partner/girlfriend call round all the insurance companies I found, and progressive came out on top, by quite a margin.

Many of the companies specialised in short term policies, and price for the privilege of this. But Progressive will do a years policy, allow payment to be made in installments, and you can cancel at anytime without penalty.

For me, at the address I'm currently staying at, a years insurance on my Honda XR650L was $83, or about 23 cents a day


I think it's fairly important that I have at least some kind of insurance, what with the number of states I'm riding through. I was stopped by a super irate cop in OR, and would not relish the idea of coming across another of these gentlemen without the right documents in hand.

Thanks for the input everyone.
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  #7  
Old 6 Feb 2010
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I have Markel American Bikeline ins. $205.00 per yr. for a 2005 DL650. From their website, buy and print your ins. card yourself. I had a $2600.00 claim with them last year and I worked up my own estimate and they paid it right away. I did the repair work myself. No hassles at all. Great company.
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  #8  
Old 9 Feb 2010
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Ok, before I left I contacted Progressive to get some rough quotes and got a really good rate.
Now I'm in San Fran and looking at a Buell Ulysses which is worth $3500 and I went on line to get insurance using an address in Santa Cruz which is in a nice area and I was quoted $1,300. So I spoke to someone who said that the online quotes were the cheapest they gave!!!!!
I've only had my license for just over a year but $1,300 seems crazy!!!

I'm confused....
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  #9  
Old 17 Feb 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jem1 View Post
Ok, before I left I contacted Progressive to get some rough quotes and got a really good rate.
Now I'm in San Fran and looking at a Buell Ulysses which is worth $3500 and I went on line to get insurance using an address in Santa Cruz which is in a nice area and I was quoted $1,300. So I spoke to someone who said that the online quotes were the cheapest they gave!!!!!
I've only had my license for just over a year but $1,300 seems crazy!!!

I'm confused....
Its not only the damage they expect you to do yourself, but the damage they expect you to do to others. And the fact you have only had a license for 1 year will not help :-) (They will expect you to hit more things)
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