Congratulations on your new motorcycle license and brand new motorcycle. Before you get on the open road, you must take care of a few small things, like registering your bike, obtaining a quality helmet, and insuring your new bike. Insuring your motorcycle is a bit cheaper than insuring your car, but remember, you are a new driver in the world of motorcycles and will be treated as such, since driving a motorcycle is quite different than driving a car.

 

The Minimums
At the very least, every motorcycle driver must carry liability insurance to cover others on the road in the event of an accident. Since motorcycles are rarely financed, this is the standard in the motorcycle insurance industry. North Carolina, specifically, requires you to carry $30,000 bodily injury liability per person, $60,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage, and the same under uninsured motorists. This does not vary because you are on a motorcycle. However, the cost difference will come in the optional coverages.

 

Above and Beyond
Of course, carrying the state minimum coverage will at least keep you out of trouble when someone else is injured in an accident for which you are at fault. However, what happens when you are injured, your property is damaged, or an event like theft occurs that places legal blame on no other party? This is where optional coverage is useful. Because a motorcycle costs less to repair or replace, premiums to cover property damage or theft will be lower than auto insurance. However, you may find bodily injury coverage for yourself may be higher, since the risk of such is higher.

 

Keep in mind, another key point of motorcycle insurance versus automobile insurance is that motorcycle insurance can include an off-season gap in coverage, in which you may choose simple coverage that will cover the vehicle being stored and its overall safety, as opposed to the other coverages necessary when your bike is on the road. This off-season coverage will also aid in keeping your overall motorcycle insurance costs lower than your automobile insurance.

 

To learn more about properly insuring your new motorcycle, contact the agents at Protective Insurance Agency at 877.739.9367.