Thanks for posting Grant, out of interest is the BC insurance the same rate for all insurers or is it more expensive for foreign owners and has anyone done a comparison with the cost of buying/insuring in the US?

There is only ONE insurer in BC - ICBC, or "Insurance Corporation of BC". So yes, all same - does depend on where you live for rates - Big city vs small town for instance.
Sorry there's never been a comparison. But, BC has never been considered cheap. At a guess, probably cheaper in the US for both.

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Hi Grant. Really useful post. Do you know if things are still the same regarding BC insurance 3 years on.

__________________
Martin

finally back on the road again


http://awayonmybike.blogspot.com/

No changes that matter to travellers, no. It's been effectively the same since 1973.

Changes in 2021, which do not affect travellers so far as I can tell, but including here for completeness:

1. B.C. is moving to a full “no-fault” insurance model, which means in most cases you won’t be engaged in a lawsuit after a crash to win damages. Instead, the Insurance Corp. of B.C. will pay money to you directly.
2. Premiums will drop an average of 20 per cent, or $400 annually, starting in 2021, according to ICBC. And ICBC has applied for no change in rates this year, leading up to the drop.
3. The change starts May 1, 2021. In the meantime, the $5,500 cap on pain and suffering claims for minor injuries remains in place, and payments for major accidents will still be hashed out in court.
4. The changes will save approximately $1.5 billion annually, much of which ICBC says will be used to boost the type and length of benefits you receive, such as visits to chiropractors, massage therapy and counselling. New benefits will include compensation for travel, personal care assistants and school fees, among others. For example, payments for lost wages due to a crash will increase to $1,200 a week, from $740. Your doctor, not ICBC, decides what benefits you will receive and for how long.
5. Fault will still be determined in a crash, but only for the purpose of punishing bad drivers through increases to their premiums. No matter who is at fault, everyone will receive the same medical benefits.

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Thanks for the update.

Any idea what the current premium is for a 250cc bike? And do you have to but a years worth of insurance or is a shorter period (say 3 months) possible.

Thanks

(And I should have said before, Happy New Year to you and Susan, I hope all goes well)

__________________
Martin

finally back on the road again


http://awayonmybike.blogspot.com/

I paid $99 for 3months of pretty much the most basic insurance they had on a 400cc bike. The first time you insure there may be some additional fees to issue a plate and things like that. I am not sure how they calculate premiums for foreigners, but in my case I have something like 20 years safe driving without a claim. If you need more details you can call ICBC or a broker and they should be able to give you a quote and explain the fees. If you are outside of canada their are various apps such as Fongo, that will give you a canadian number and allow for free calls to most numbers.

It's worth noting that basic insurance in BC is based on cc, nothing else, such as whether it's a high-performance sports bike or a slow dual sport, it's only cc.

Anything up to 400 is one class, then up to 750cc, and over IIRC.
So my 50hp R80G/S pays the same insurance as a Ducati Panigale 200mph hypersports for basic insurance. From there it's your driving record and age.
You can get fire and theft and all the rest from ICBC, but it's perhaps cheaper to go to a third-party agency for all of that IF you want insurance for a year, as they are all one year or nothing. Only ICBC will do shorter terms.
So for short term, it's all ICBC.
Hope that helps.

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com