Best Motorcycle Insurance

Markel offers customizable policies with its motorcycle insurance so you can protect your bike and all of its accessories. Within its policies, Markel provides the following types of coverage:

• Bodily injury and property damage liability
• Passenger liability for anyone riding with you
• Medical payments and funeral expenses
• Collision and comprehensive
• Accessory coverage up to $30,000
• Uninsured motorist coverage
• Mechanical breakdown and trailer coverage
• Roadside assistance
• Trip interruption and rental reimbursement

Furthermore, Markel insures more motorcycle types than is typical, making it attractive for anyone having trouble getting coverage. The company covers all of the following types of bikes and trikes:

• Cruisers
• Touring motorcycles
• Sportbikes
• Sport-touring bikes
• Big twins
• Street bikes
• Scooters/mopeds
• Dirt bikes
• Trikes
• Custom motorcycles

Markel offers extensive discounts to its clients, which can save insured motorcycle drivers as much as 35% off their typical premium costs. These discounts include:

• Transfer discount of 10% off just for switching to Markel
• Anti-lock brakes discount
• Anti-theft alarm discount
• Multi-unit discount for those who insure more than one motorcycle
• Renewal discount for drivers who continue to use Markel year after year
• Safe driver discount for those who go accident-free or take a safety course
• Safety course discount for those who take an approved safety class

Markel maintains a financial strength rating of A with AM Best. Although Markel is smaller compared to other insurers, it receives few complaints. In 2022, the company had only four complaints to state insurance departments. It consistently has fewer complaints than expected for a company of its size.

Markel is licensed to operate in all states except Massachusetts and North Carolina, and coverages and limits may vary by state or geographic area.

Additionally, it does not have a smartphone app or other perks that some larger, nationally recognized brands may offer. Still, the company does offer online policy management and claim filing.

Markel may not have the marketing power of larger companies such as Geico or State Farm, but it does offer several perks that most motorcycle insurance providers do not. For starters, Markel has mechanical breakdown coverage for riders, which pays for any repairs your bike needs due to normal wear and tear. Most insurance companies leave this coverage up to extended warranty providers, but Markel offers it as a coverage option, which is handy for anyone driving an older bike.

The diminishing deductible program is another discount feature that makes Markel stand out from the rest. Each year an insured driver goes without an accident, the company offers a 25% reduction on the driver’s deductible until it reaches $0 after four consecutive loss-free years.

Finally, Markel is one of the few motorcycle insurance companies to have an accident forgiveness program. If you end up in an at-fault accident after at least four years with no accidents, Markel will waive its accident surcharge. This is a useful perk for relatively safe drivers who end up in a small wreck.

Like most other motorcycle insurance providers on this list, Safeco provides all of the basic types of coverage you’d expect or need, including:

• Property damage and bodily injury liability
• Passenger liability
• Collision
• Uninsured motorist coverage

However, where Safeco stands out is with all of the extra features and add-on options it provides:

• Roadside assistance
• OEM parts coverage
• Safety apparel coverage (Add-on)
• New Harley-Davidson replacement coverage (Add-on)

With several available discounts for motorcyclists, Safeco offers some of the best savings in the industry. Discounts vary by location and policy, but you may be able to save on your premium by stacking some of these discounts:

• Claims free discount for those who have had 12 months without a claim
• Experienced-rider discount for those who have been riding the same bike for a while
• Multi-cycle and multi-policy discounts for those who bundle

Unlike some insurance companies that don’t really connect with you, Safeco prides itself on the availability of local agents and their attentiveness to your needs, making sure you have the coverage you need anytime you’re out on the road.

Safeco and its parent company, Liberty Mutual, have been awarded A ratings from AM Best. J.D. Power scored Safeco below average in its 2022 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. Additionally, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners reports that Safeco receives far more complaints than expected in the market.

Safeco isn’t a good choice for those looking for an exclusive online experience. You have to speak with a representative directly to get a quote, and its online resources are fairly limited, even on its smartphone app, available through Apple and Google Play.

While some see working with a local agent as a drawback, others view it as a perk. With Safeco, you get the best of both worlds: You have a local agent available to you, but you can file claims online and access your policy 24/7 through Safeco’s customer portal and smartphone app.

Aside from some of its special coverage inclusions, such as coverage for OEM parts and your safety apparel, Safeco is a basic company with basic offerings. However, if you’re looking for cheap insurance without bells and whistles, you’ll save lots of money with Safeco.

No matter what type or brand of motorcycle you own, Harley-Davidson Insurance is ready and willing to provide you with coverage. They offer a wide selection of coverages from the standard options you'd expect to specialized options. The options include:

• Property damage liability
• Bodily injury liability
• Passenger liability
• Collision
• Comprehensive
• Roadside assistance
• Equipment coverage
• Vacation rental insurance
• Bike replacement cost
• Optional equipment replacement cost
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
• Medical expense coverage
• Personal injury protection

Additionally, Harley-Davidson insurance has some special features:

• Genuine Harley Davidson replacement parts
• Harley Owner's Group membership discount
• Harley Davidson Riding Academy, insurance discount for course completion
• Harley family advantage
• Accident forgiveness

In addition to the lengthy list of provided coverage, Harley-Davidson offers a wide array of discounts for its customers:

• Motorcycle license endorsement
• Experienced driver discounts
• Discounts for Harley Owners Group members
• Riding academy discount if you completed an approved safety course in the last five years
• New bike discount
• Multi-cycle and bundle discounts
• Anti-theft device discount
• Claims-free discount for every six months you remain accident-free
• Customer loyalty discount for every year you remain a Harley-Davidson insurance customer
• Paid on-time discount when you renew your policy after making consistent on-time payments
• Homeownership discount regardless of your homeowner's insurance company
• Military and law enforcement

While Harley-Davidson is known as one of the best motorcycle companies in the world and boasts a dedicated customer base, its motorcycle insurance is underwritten by Sentry Insurance. As a result, it’s difficult to gauge customer satisfaction ratings for Harley-Davidson insurance as an individual provider. Still, Sentry Insurance maintains an A+ rating of financial strength from AM Best.

Harley-Davidson doesn’t provide coverage in Alaska, Hawaii, or Washington, D.C. Available coverage and policies also vary from state to state, so it’s best to talk to a representative or obtain an online quote before switching to Harley-Davidson. Finally, the company doesn’t offer a mobile app, so your business must be conducted entirely online, over the phone, or in person, which may turn away tech-savvy clients.

Overall, Harley-Davidson’s perks make it a good option for new riders. On top of its policies, the company offers extended service plans, theft and appearance protection, planned maintenance, bike loans, and a Visa rewards card that allows you to redeem points on Harley-Davidson gear, all of which come in handy for new riders. 

Harley-Davidson also has an outstanding accident forgiveness policy as a standard part of all of its policies. As long as you maintain Harley-Davidson motorcycle insurance for at least a year, your rates won’t go up after your first accident.

USAA offers all of the basic types of coverage for your motorcycle, including:

• Property damage and bodily injury liability
• Collision and comprehensive
• Uninsured motorist coverage
• Medical payment provisions
• 24/7 roadside assistance (included with your policy)

While USAA’s motorcycle coverage is pretty bare-bones, the company does cover nearly any type of bike and trike, including:

• Cruisers
• Touring motorcycles
• Sport bikes
• Scooters/mopeds
• Dirt bikes
• ATVs
• UTV or SXS

While USAA may lack some of the added coverage features of other insurance companies, many military members choose it because of the low rates and attractive discounts. The latter include:

• Save 5% when you purchase from USAA
• Multi-cycle discount for those who insure multiple bikes through USAA
  
• Safety training discount for those who complete an approved motorcycle safety course
• Good driver discount for every year you remain accident-free

Ask any USAA member what the best part of their insurance coverage is, and more than likely they will mention the company’s outstanding customer service. USAA consistently scores highly in J.D. Power rankings, though J.D. Power does note that USAA does not meet study award criteria.

USAA insurance is available only to current or former military members and their immediate families. While that’s a major limitation, it allows USAA to deliver a quality product to those who sign up for some of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

USAA provides several convenient payment methods to its customers. You can pay your policy in full or elect to pay in monthly installments. You can schedule automatic payments as well. Payment methods include checking accounts, savings accounts, mailing a check, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

USAA now offers its customers free mobile tools that allow you to access and manage all of your USAA banking, insurance, and financial products You can also chat with customer service within the app. Insurance customers can file claims and access their card. Banking customers can access mobile wallets, use bill pay service, and send money with Zelle. There also are tools for calculating a loan and to help locate an ATM.

Vintage or custom bikes aren’t the only types of motorcycles the company insures. Foremost will cover nearly any type of motorcycle or low-speed vehicle. Although Foremost groups its coverage options into packages, the company offers all of the following basic types of coverage:

• Property damage and bodily injury liability
• Collision
• Medical payment provisions
• Custom parts coverage up to $30,000
• Personal injury protection
• Passenger liability
• Helmet and safety apparel coverage
• Optional equipment coverage

Additionally, Foremost provides the following coverage add-ons or extras depending on the package you select:

• Higher limits for equipment
• Higher limits for medical payment and personal injury protection
• Trip interruption, towing, and roadside assistance
• Total loss replacement for up to five years
• Trailer coverage

Besides the three levels of coverage for standard motorcycles, Foremost is one of the few companies in the industry that offers specialty coverage for specific types of bikes. The Vintage and Vintage Elite plans provide coverage specifically for motorcycles at least 25 years old that have been maintained or restored, and the Custom and Custom Elite plans provide coverage for “limited production, one-of-a-kind motorcycles or bikes with more than $30,000 in optional equipment.”

Foremost also offers several discounts, including:

• Multi-bike discount for insuring multiple motorcycles
• Multi-policy discount for bundling policies
• Endorsement discount for those who have met state requirements to have a motorcycle endorsement on their driver's license

Although the company is a subsidiary of Farmers Insurance Group, Foremost Insurance holds a stand-alone rating of A from AM Best. Farmers Insurance Group received a solid, above-average score and ranked sixth in J.D. Power’s U.S. 2022 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study.

Due to its size and structure, Foremost motorcycle insurance does come with some limitations. Coverage is not available in Hawaii or Massachusetts.

Also, Foremost will not insure high-risk drivers, especially those who have a suspended or restricted license. Foremost also reserves the right to base premiums or deny coverage based on your credit score, meaning that it may not be the best option for those with poor credit.

While Foremost doesn’t offer many additional perks, the fact that it has an unusually high $30,000 limit for optional equipment and policy options for custom bikes with customization of $30,000 or more makes it a good choice for those who invest lots of time and money in their motorcycles.