Motorcycle insurance

Two wheels and no crumple zone: injuries, not property damage, drive motorcycle claims, which is why UM/UIM and medical payments matter more than on a car.

Tailor this checklist

A Harley-Davidson Road Glide touring motorcycle with saddlebags, parked — Motorcycle. Photo: Christopher Page from Indianapolis, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

1Core coverage lines 7
2With every usage option 7
3Liability on the road Own policy
4Lines explained 14

A motorcycle policy is priced on the rider as much as the bike: age, years licensed, a safety-course certificate and riding history move the premium more than engine size alone, and sport bikes are rated very differently from cruisers and tourers of the same value.

The coverage people regret skipping is uninsured and underinsured motorist. A car driver who hits a rider usually walks away; the rider's medical bills can exceed a minimum-limits auto policy many times over, and UM/UIM is what pays the difference.

Passenger liability is not automatic everywhere. If you ride two-up, check that the policy covers injury to your own passenger — some motorcycle forms limit it unless you add it.

The checklist for a motorcycle

Liability (bodily injury and property damage)Pays others for injuries and damage you cause. The state-required part of a motorcycle or motorhome policy; a towable trailer usually inherits liability from the tow vehicle's auto policy.
Uninsured / underinsured motoristYour injuries when the at-fault driver has no or too little insurance. On a motorcycle, where the rider absorbs the crash, this is the line most worth buying at a real limit.
Medical payments / PIPMedical bills for you and passengers regardless of fault; personal injury protection in no-fault states. Many motorcycle policies exclude PIP that auto policies include.
CollisionRepairs your own vehicle after a crash with another vehicle or object, less the deductible. Lenders require it on financed RVs and bikes.
ComprehensiveTheft, fire, hail, flood, falling objects and animal strikes. For a stored RV or a motorcycle in a shared garage, this is the coverage most likely to be used.
Custom parts and equipmentAftermarket parts, paint, saddlebags, exhaust and electronics, which a standard policy covers only up to a small built-in limit.
Storage / lay-up optionSuspends road coverages while a bike or RV is stored for the season but keeps comprehensive in force.

Rider risk where you live

Injury drives powersports claims. For on-road motorcycles, each state page gives that state's rider deaths per 10,000 registered bikes and its helmet law; the highest rates are in Mississippi (18.9), Texas (17.9), District of Columbia (15.8).

Other vehicles

ATV / UTVMostly ridden off-road, where an auto policy does not reach and a homeowners policy often excludes motorised...SnowmobileSeasonal by nature; a lay-up option keeps theft and fire cover through the summer at little cost.Scooter / mopedWhether a small scooter needs registration and insurance depends on engine size and state; when it does, the...

Coverage descriptions are general, written from standard RV and motorcycle policy forms; your policy's wording governs. No premiums are shown — rates are filed by insurer and state. Checked 2026-10-23. Methodology.