Stealing a cop’s motorcycle? Never a good idea.

Tuesday morning an officer in Haw River, North Carolina stopped a group of men  towing a trailer packed up with several motorcycles. The men were stopped for not properly strapping down the bikes – and then it got plain stupid.

The men were pulled over because their trailer had no lights and no license plate. While the stop was in progress, an officer from a nearby jurisdiction pulled over to offer assistance and noticed – much to his chagrin – that one of the motorcycles on the trailer happened to be his.

The officer’s motorcycle was supposed to be in the shop. Local deputies called the owner of the shop who told them his business had suffered a break-in and that three motorcycles were missing.

Then it got really, really bad for Cody Becker and his passenger Wallace G. Reed III were immediately fitted with the latest in designer handcuffs as the officers determined that, in addition to the stolen motorcycle cargo, the pair are alleged to have stolen the trailer holding the bikes that same night. A third suspect who was not along for the ill-fated ride, Billy Staley, was rounded up and joined his pals in the lockup later in the day.

Becker, Reed, and Staley are all being charged with Larceny, Larceny of a Motor Vehicle and one charge each of Breaking and Entering, Larceny after Breaking and Entering and Safe Cracking.

Top Five Makes Stolen, 2010    Top Five States for Motorcycle Thefts, 2010

1. Honda 12,260                               1. California 5,662

2. Yamaha 9,853                              2. Texas 4,394

3. Suzuki 8,969                                 3. Florida 4,148

4. Kawasaki 5,470                          4. North Carolina 2,649

5. Unknown make 3,420             5. Indiana 1,925

People like motorcycles. Some people like them so much they’re willing to steal them to get one. If it happens to you, you need to make sure your motorcycle insurance will cover the loss of your bike.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. The Trailer Queen Question – Ride It, Or Tow It And Then Ride It
2. Motorcycle Insurance Is Your Shield Against a Cold, Hard World
3. Will Michigan Change the Rules in the Middle of the Game? No Fault Insurance Laws Under Fire For Motorcyclists

One Jerry Pinkerton finds himself in hot water for a series of Craigslist-centered felony thefts. The 30-year-old Pinkerton answered ads for motorcycles for sale, told the owners he want to “test drive” the bikes,  and then just kept on riding and left the sellers waiting for his return.

Pinkerton and his  alleged accomplice, Richard Roberts, resold the bikes, and authorities now say the pair were responsible for stealing half dozen motorcycles.

After unraveling the whole sorry scam, Nashville Police officials say those who unknowingly purchased the stolen bikes are out their cash as well.

“We recovered four cycles last night from one guy who bought them,” said a Nashville cop.

Pinkerton said he recently sold a stolen motorcycle to a man in Wilson County.

The whole affair brings up a couple of important points you need to consider if you’re selling a bike.

One, don’t let anyone “test drive” your vehicle before they hand you their driver’s license and two, don’t buy or sell a motorcycle without a title changing hands or at the very least, a notarized bill of sale.

Ebay and Craigslist transactions can also be fraught with peril, and here’s an example:

A guy says he wants to buy the bike, but it has to be PayPal, and he’ll give you a certain sum for your motorcycle and says he’ll add a sum to the transaction for you to handle the shipping  for the bike. The shippers show up, you hand them the “buyer’s” money to cover the shipping, and they leave.

You’re happy. End of story.

Except, it actually ends up this way:

Your bike reaches the shipping destination, the “buyer’s” pals load it off the dock and drive off. Within a few hours, the “buyer” contacts PayPal and reports the entire transaction as a fraudulent one. PayPal gets back to the “buyer” and finds the bike was delivered to a state other than the “buyer’s” address. The “buyer” tells them, “Why would I have a bike delivered to Connecticut? I live in New Jersey.”

PayPal says, “Yeah, why would you have a bike delivered to Connecticut?” They check out the signature on the shipping bill, which of course you signed when the shippers showed up, and they tell the “buyer” they’ll remove the transaction – and then come after you for the whole amount.

It will all work out in the end when the authorities find out the PayPal transaction was charged to a stolen credit card, but in the interim, you will be seriously annoyed – and out one motorcycle.

It might also go something like this, and we’ll call it The Nigerian Gambit:

• You’re trying to sell a used motorcycle on the Internet.
•  You’re contacted in e-mail by a “prospective buyer” who agrees to the asked-for price and offers to have someone pick up and ship the bike and pay all the shipping charges.
•  The “buyer” tells you he’ll send a cashier’s check for more than the agreed-upon price for the vehicle, but you have to send the  “extra cash” to a third party to handle the shipping and costs.
• The cashier’s check arrives, you deposit it, and a few days later, the check appears to have cleared.
• Since it’s all gone as advertised, you send the “extra money” to the guy who is scheduled to get your bike and start waiting for someone to show up and take it away.
• No one ever comes to pick up the vehicle.
• A couple of weeks go by, and you’re suddenly informed that the cashier’s check you deposited, and that “cleared the bank,” was a forgery.
• Goodbye money you sent to the “pal” of the buyer who was handling the “shipping.”

How do you avoid falling for this or some variant scam?

1. Just don’t get involved in any sale where the buyer wants you to accept a check and “refund” any other amount.
2. If you accept a cashier’s check as payment for something, make sure it clears the issuing bank – not your bank – before you hand over your property. That could take up to two or three weeks, so hold on to whatever you sold for those three weeks – or until you know the funds were good from the issuing bank.

The moral of the story is this: you never sell a motorcycle, or for that matter anything of value, without seeing some identification and transferring title before the item leaves your possession. Never.

Feel free to use PayPal, it’s a great way to handle transactions, but make sure you have some ID from the buyer should anything turn south later. Even a “cashiers check transaction” can bite you in the ass, so do things right and make sure you know who you’re dealing with before you close the deal…

If you do get scammed? Call the U.S. Secret Service at (202) 406-5572 and the consumer protection division of your state attorney general’s office and save someone else the same headache.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Ten Tips To Avoid Frustration When Buying Motorcycle Insurance
2. Feds Crack Stolen Motorcycle Ring In Ohio and Kentucky
3. The Secrets of Motorcycle Insurance and How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Buying It

Well,  the governor of Lagos has problems of his own and says motorcycles and their riders are getting under his skin.

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, said managing commercial motorcyclists is a huge headache for his administration. Fashola there’s no excuse for those who  “say that the people who ride commercial motorcycles are doing so because they have no jobs.”

He chalks up the problems the bikers are causing him to organized crime and points to empirical data shows which says motorcycles are a ready tool of organized crime. Fashola says civic improvements in Lagos should have taken care of the problem.

“We have managed open spaces better by creating green parks. Vocational centres have increased from seven in 2007 to 17 and have trained over 29,000 people and the number keeps growing,” Fashola said. “We have also revoked titles to quite a number of abandoned buildings.”

Fashola said all efforts to this point haven’t solved the problem and asked officials to “look at the entire scope of the impact of the commercial motorcycle business on security of life and property in Lagos State, look at what other states have done in managing the problem, to see whether those methods in other states, like restrictions, prohibitions worked and what you will recommend to us to do in order to continue to protect life and property.”

Nigerian government figures for October and November 2011 show that 170 out of 179 cases of accident victims treated at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital involved commercial motorcycle accident victims. Records at the Accidents and Emergency Centre on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway showed a total of 41 cases of commercial motorcycle accidents within the same period, and the 20 General Hospitals in the area recorded 1,039 cases of commercial motorcycle accidents.

It’s not just crashes that have Fashola at his wit’s end. Between January and December 2011, 346 riders were arrested on commercial motorcycles, and between October and November, 79 robbery cases were reported which were committed by commercial motorcyclists.

Fashola said the riders of 1,908 commercial motorcycles were apprehended in October, while 1,003 were arrested in November for a total of 2,911 cases in two months.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Say It Ain’t So, Babatunde, Nigerian Government Rounds Up Commercial Motorcyclists
2. Is This A Good Idea? Motorcycles Allowed to Jump Red Traffic Lights In Illinois
3. Why Have Criminals Stopped Stealing Motorcycles?

View Larger MapA tip led the police to execute a search warrant at a storage unit on October 8th, and the search uncovered parts from 14 stolen motorcycles. Hudson Police Chief Martin Jensen said the total value of the motorcycles was between $200,000 and $300,000.

Jensen said that while most of the owners of the bikes have been identified, his department is still working to identify many of the motorcycle parts. Jensen added that if you’re missing your motorcycle, you should call the Hudson Police at (715) 386-4771.

Jensen said the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department and the North St. Paul Police Department have all worked with Hudson authorities on the case.

If you had the exceptional taste, refinement and pocketbook to buy an MV Agusta, your insurance needs can get complicated. We’re here to help you find the right insurance for your Italian superbike…

Related posts:

1. Feds Crack Stolen Motorcycle Ring In Ohio and Kentucky
2. Last Chance To Score At the Classic Indian Motorcycle Parts Bonanza
3. Storing Your Bike – What You Need to Know To Have Your Motorcycle Ready for Winter

The list was developed and approved by member motorcycle rights organizations at the MRF’s recent Meeting of the Minds, held in Detroit in September, and the list takes on a whole passel of items of concern to motorcyclists in the US.

The Strategic Action Plan includes the following issues, and riders should be aware of them.

• Transportation Equity Act (TEA) and Reauthorization (the Highway Bill) – The group plans to closely monitor for any action that would positively or negatively impact motorcycles, motorcycling, and motorcyclists.
• Continuation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) lobbying ban within individual states. The NHTSA is, at least at this point, legally prohibited from lobbying for measures such as a national mandatory helmet law, but the NHTSA has been has been actively promoting those efforts with federal dollars and efforts in contravention of the law.
• Insure continuation of the Motorcycle Advisory Council designed to advise the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on motorcycling issues.
• Oppose any and all federal blackmails or sanctions contained in the Highway Bill having to do with motorcycles. The MRF cites examples like states being required to pass helmet laws or forfeit federal highway funding.
• Pursue reintroduction of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) HR1253 to require health insurance companies to disclose the list of “source of injury” exclusions in the policies they issue. The Feds passed legislation several years ago forbidding insurance companies from excluding motorcycle-related accidents from coverage, and that’s all good, but when the agency set up the rules by which this law is actually administered,  it somehow managed to specifically allow exclusions to be made for motorcycles. Go figure.
• Cut off all funding for NHTSA motorcycle-specific checkpoint grants. This controversial NHTSA provision allows for  funding for states to operate checkpoints where only motorcyclists are stopped. The stops included provisions which require bikers to provide proof of license and insurance, and nothing like that exists for any other variety of motorists.
• Monitor the crash causation and the naturalistic studies now ongoing.
• Press for complete abolition of all forms of distracted driving…
• Promote a Right to Repair Act which would prohibit manufacturers from making technical know-how and equipment necessary for independent shops to work on bikes available only to registered dealerships. This provision would allow independent shops to repair and modify motorcycles and take on industry groups seeking to close down that avenue to motorcyclists needing repairs.
• Work to clarify the actual  definition of what a motorcycle actually is considered to be a motorcycle. If a wide variety of non-two-wheel vehicles are counted as motorcycles for licensing purposes, the MRF says the expanded definition will skew accident data and make  it difficult to develop valid policy in accident prevention efforts.

The MRF is working to wipe out federal spending which currently supports motorcycle-only checkpoints.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Kawasaki Competes By Pushing the Social Media Agenda
2. Older and Wiser Bikers? Maybe Not So Much
3. Motorcycle Checkpoints Upheld in New York State And That’s Just Plain Wrong

After analyzing motorcycle theft data from the past few years, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) says they see a 24-percent drop in overall totals across the nation. In total the NICB found that 65,678 motorcycles were filched by bad guys in 2007, and that compares with 49,791 in 2010.

As usual, a familiar manufacturer headed the “most stolen” list: Honda.

For the dates in question, some 12,260 Honda motorcycles were spirited away without the owner’s permission.

You have to take this all with a grain of salt, though, as the 2010 analysis of auto theft data which the NICB released earlier this year showed that thieves favorite Honda passenger vehicle to make off with was…the 1994 Honda Accord.

Who in the name of Odin would  suffer the risk of stealing a 1994 Honda Accord?

The strange turns inside the human mind never cease to amaze me.

Rounding out the top five makes stolen last year were Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Harley-Davidson, with 9,853; 7,869; 5,470, and 3,301, respectively. Combined, these five brands (including Hondas) accounted for 38,753 thefts in 2010, or 77.8 percent of the total. For 2010, the states with the most motorcycle thefts were: California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Indiana with 5,662; 4,394, 4,148, 2,649, and 1,925, respectively. These five states accounted for 18,778 thefts, or 37.7 percent of the total.

While NICB noted that overall thefts are down—reflecting the continuing decline in thefts of passenger vehicles and light trucks—so, too, are motorcycle sales. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, motorcycle sales between 2009 (520,502 units) and 2010 (439,678 units) declined 16 percent. Not surprising, in 2010, the summer months of July (5,714) and August (5,380) saw the most theft activity. The fewest thefts were recorded during the months of February (2,403) and December (2,763). Over the entire period covered by this report, 2007-2010, the most thefts occurred in (26,352), with the fewest in December (13,944).

The NICB’s findings are based on data contained in the National Crime Information Center. The complete motorcycle theft report is available here.

There is some excellent news, at least if you don’t own a Honda. The NICB released findings in April 2011 which say that motorcycle thefts declined 13 percent last year alone.

Buying Your First Bike? The Women’s Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Why Have Criminals Stopped Stealing Motorcycles?
2. Does What Kind of Bike You Ride Determine Your Safety? The Statistics Say Yes
3. Honda Recalling 126,000 Gold Wings For Defective Brakes

In cases where a catastrophic injury leaves a motorcyclist with a lifelong disability, the unlimited coverage is a blessing, but if Rep. Pete Lund, R-Shelby Township, has his way, all that will change.

Lund introduced a bill on Sept. 14 of this year to change the medical coverage provisions of No Fault Insurance.

The new law would provide insured motorists with a minimum of $250,000 medical coverage, but if you don’t have coverage? Bikers would have an option, but the option would be to buy additional medical coverage of $500,000, $1 million or $5 million.

If you’ve ever taken a spill on your bike (or had problems with your appendix) which resulted in a hospital stay of any length, you know how fast the bills add up. I recently spoke to a friend whose three-day hospital stay totaled $20,000 – and still counting…

The costs of this additional coverage is still to be determined, but you can bet your saddlebags and their contents that it won’t be cheap.

As it is, motorcyclists in Michigan already pay an average annual premium of $1,035, and that’s according to to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

How, you ask, does that compare with neighboring states? Yearly costs of $693 in Ohio; $700 in Indiana, $798 in Illinois and $641 in Wisconsin mean Michigan residents are paying a serious premium to live in the Great Lakes State.

Representatives of the nonprofit Insurance Institute of Michigan say insurers are currently facing payouts of $74 billion in long-term medical liabilities for accident victims who’ve suffered a catastrophic injury, and that’s a serious pile of cash.It’s expected that Michigan will see rate increases doubling in less than 10 years.

Proponents believe limited medical coverage under Lund’s measure will help alleviate rising costs, and they may be right, but where does that leave riders?

It likely leaves them out in the cold.

Either way, changing the law would be a gamble, and gambling is illegal in Michigan.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Michigan No Fault Motorcycle Insurance Explained
2. Proposed Michigan Helmet Law Repeal A Big Step Down a Slipperly Slope to a Motorcycle Nanny State
3. Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law Repeal Battle Still Under Way

Are you new to riding a motorcycle? Not a problem. Many insurers readily offer coverage to people with a ‘no-claims’ history. As with regular car or auto insurance, the generic types of motorcycle insurance policy are:

• Fully comprehensive – All aspects of coverage are included for you and your bike and the policies cover damages and costs to other motorists and their vehicles. It’s a thorough – but more expensive – option
• Third party fire and theft – This less expensive option covers damage and costs to a third party and their vehicle as well as theft and fire damage to your own bike. It does not cover any harm caused to you.
• Third party – The cheapest option and it represents the bare minimum required as far as motorcycle insurance policies go. This policy will coverage only damage and costs to a third party caused by you. The downside? It doesn’t protect your bike – or cover your own health or life.

Sport Bike Insurance

If you dig the thrills of a fast ride, sport bike insurance can be just what you need to cover you when you’re out tearing up the asphalt.

Basic coverage packages will include issues related to your sport bike only, but you can also include your helmet and leather gear, roadside assistance coverage and health coverage too. It’s a good idea to contact an insurer directly as often they’ll tailor a policy by manufacturer.

Scooter Insurance

If you’re navigating your way through the urban jungle and the proud owner of a scooter, don’t sweat it, there’s an insurance policy out there for you. Scooter insurance can be one of the cheapest  policies available, so there’s little excuse not to make sure you’re covered.
By applying on-line, over the phone or via a face-to-face with a local broker,  you’re just a few simple questions away from getting the coverage you need. As with sport bike insurance, you can not only insure your motorcycle but also your helmet and apparel. If you ride a lot of miles or commute, don’t forget to  consider roadside assistance coverage and medical coverage.

Electric Bike Insurance

It’s a new genre, and electric bikes are now at the point in development when they offer a viable alternative to gasoline-powered bikes. They’re kind to the environment, and they may well be the wave of the future.

Getting the right motorcycle insurance policy for your electric bike is simple – and relatively cheap. There are a range of specialty insurers on-line who deal with insuring electric bikes, so if you can’t find one or your exact bike is not covered when you check online, speak directly to a broker about how to proceed.

Harley Davidson Insurance

You’ve got some nice American Iron? Then you, my friend, are in luck. There are insurers who deal specifically with insuring Harley Davidson bikes and riders. Whether you own the latest model or a classic version of this iconic brand, you can find a package tailored to your needs. Most  insurers will offer you coverage if your bike isn’t going to be used for rallying, competitions or rented out.

Don’t ride a Harley? Have no fear, mon frere, specific insurance policies for other popular bikes by manufacturer are also readily available on-line.

Here in the US of A, coverage depends on which state it is that you reside in and varies widely from insurer to insurer.

Each state has a different minimum level of coverage required by law, so the insurer you approach to take out your coverage will be well aware of the basics for your state and can advise accordingly.

So how do you apply for a motorcycle insurance policy? It’s a very straightforward process, and all the insurer needs to know is the following:

• Your Personal Details – Name, address, date of birth, gender, occupation

• Driver’s License Details – Type of license, how long you have held your license for, any bike riding qualifications or additional driving course certificates, any claims or convictions as a bike rider
• Details of any additional riders that you want on the policy
• Full bike details – Make, model, age, registration, style for example if it’s a sport bike insurance policy you need, value, import details if relevant, security device details
  coverage details – Date coverage is to commence, reasons the bike will be used, for example commuting, your annual mileage, type of coverage you want for example comprehensive or third party fire and theft, your no claims history, excess details or choice of a voluntary excess
• Other vehicle details – Details of other vehicles owned by members of your household

Pretty simple. Provide the above information you’re on your way to getting a motorcycle insurance quote or motorcycle insurance policy.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Motorcycle Insurance Facts – What’s the Bottom Line
2. Motorcycle Insurance Is Your Shield Against a Cold, Hard World
3. Insurance Settlement Means Cash Back for Massachusetts Bikers

We thought we’d give you a little rundown of those to help out when it comes time to buy insurance for your bike.

What is the average cost for motorcycle insurance?

Tough one. It’s a lot like asking, “what’s the average cost of a motorcycle?”

It’s impossible to say what an “average cost” is for motorcycle insurance because it varies by the type of bike you ride, the location where you live, the driving record of the rider and lots of other factors. The best way to know what the cost? Get a free quote. There are tons of providers who offer them online, and it’s a hassle-free way to shop.

How much coverage do I need?

Yet another question to which we can only answer, “It depends.”

Your best course of action is to choose the most complete coverage that fits within your budget.

Just make sure that, should you have an accident, you’re sufficiently covered and don’t end up having to pay large bills out of your own pocket. It means selecting the right amount of comprehensive, collision, bodily injury liability, property damage liability, accessory and other coverage to protect you and your investment.

If you need help determining how much coverage you’ll need, it makes sense to contact a specialists, so take a little time out and make it happen.

What do I do in the event I’m in an accident?

Here are a few key steps that’ll help you through the immediate situation and ensure your claims process runs smooth like butter:

1)  Get all the vehicles involved safely away from the roadway and block traffic for as little time as is possible.  If any of the vehicles aren’t drivable, leave them where they are contact the police to examine the scene.

2)  Contact the police. I know it’s a tad redundant, but the police are your impartial witnesses and they’re experts at controlling accident scenes. Let them do their job…

3)  Get all the information regarding any witnesses that may have seen the accident and write it down. You’ll need it later and you won’t be sorry you took the time to do it.

4)  Exchange your information with any other people involved, and that means get the names, addresses, phone numbers, vehicle identification information, license plate numbers and insurance information from everyone – and that means everyone – at the scene.

5)  Everyone has a camera or cell phone handy, so take photos of both vehicles and the scene (skid marks, overviews of the intersection or stretch of road). They’ll help clear up questions regarding damages and liability later when you file your claim. They don’t have to be art, they just have to be decent, so take lots of pictures.

6)  If your vehicle is rendered unrideable, avoid further damage or having it stolen by having your bike trailered to a safe location. It can be your home or a repair shop, but don’t leave it at the scene.

7)  Report the accident to your insurance carrier immediately. That means right now.

Does it cost anything to get a quote?

Nope. It only takes a few minutes to get a good quote and it won’t cost you one thin dime.

Does getting a quote for motorcycle insurance affect my credit score?

Again, nope. Most insurance companies do what they call “insurance scoring,” which does take financial responsibility into account, but unlike the typical credit checks involved with applying for a loan, most companies use what’s called a “soft hit,” and that kind of inquiry doesn’t affect your credit score one bit.

How do I qualify for your best rates for motorcycle insurance?

Get a quote. Most companies will do anything possible to offer you the best rates they can – they want your business, and unless you ride like Travis Pastrana, they’ll work with you to write a policy. Things like completing a rider safety course, riding safely and installing anti-theft alarm systems will help lower your rates. You can learn about other ways to save on motorcycle insurance by reading this guide…

Can I buy motorcycle insurance online?

You betcha. Just complete a standard quote form online, and you generally have the option to continue to purchase at the end of the process. Some companies even send you the quote via email when you’re done with the process – and you didn’t even have to buy from them to get some very useful information.

Do companies offer trike insurance?

They do indeed. If you ride a trike, the details are a little different, but not much, so check out the information on each company’s site when you’re buying trike insurance.

How do I file a claim?

Visit the motorcycle claims page at your provider’s sit or call their Claim Department, and don’t wait to get it done.

Can I pay online?

You most certainly can. Just go to the provider’s payments page and select the form of payment that is right for you. You can generally choose from making a one time payment or set up automatically recurring payments with a credit card or echeck. Nice, because then you never have to worry about missing a payment.

Should I insure my motorcycle with a firm that specializes in powersports insurance?

The real reason to choose a company that specializes in motorcycle insurance is that they know how to work with you every step of the way. It all comes down to experience. From selecting the right amount and type of coverage to quickly resolving any claims, specialists understand the needs of motorcyclists better than most companies.

They know your bike isn’t just a car with two wheels, and that comes in very handy when it’s time to make a claim.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Related posts:

1. The Motorcycle Insurance Shopper – Five Things You Need to Know To Get The Cheapest Motorcycle Insurance
2. How You Can Blow It When Buying Motorcycle Insurance, and How You Can Purchase The Motorcycle Insurance You Need At a Price You Can Afford
3. The Five Most Asked Questions About Motorcycle Insurance

In what must be welcome, if unexpected , news for insurance companies, the NICB  (National Insurance Crime Bureau) says motorcycle thefts in 2010 have decreased some 24% from 2007 until today.

According to the NCIB figures from 2007, 65,678 motorcycles were stolen, but that number dropped to 49,791 for 2010. When compared to 2009 there was a decrease (11% for 56,093 stolen bikes).

According to the study, a portion of that decline in thefts is attributed to an overall decline in motorcycles sales. In 2009, 520,502 motorcycles were sold, while in 2010 only 439,678 rolled out of showrooms.

When are thieves the busiest. As you might expect, the top months for motorcycle thieves are June, July and August, and the top 3 states for the number of motorcycles stolen are California, Texas and Florida.

If you don’t want your bike stolen, you can always move to Wyoming or North or South Dakota.

The top brands that were stolen:

(1) Honda, 12,260

(2) Yamaha, 9,853

(3) Suzuki, 7,869

(4) Kawasaki, 5,470

(5) Harley-Davidson, 3,301.

Recovering Stolen Motorcycles

Should you suffer the worst and have your bike stolen, there is hope. According to the NCIB study, some 34% of stolen motorcycles got recovered within a year and a half. The statistics record recovery for a period of 18 months after a bike was stolen, so while you might have to wait awhile to see your machine again, you stand a one in three chance of riding it again.

On one hand it’s good that less motorcycles are stolen. Ultimately you should see less insurance premiums. New technology makes stealing bikes more difficult. Or at least starting them after they have been nicked. On the other hand, it’s not really the new technologies, or better police work, but a decline in sales, and therefore less interest in bikes by thieves.

What would be interesting to see is the age of stolen motorcycles. Just the brand doesn’t mean much. Are they stealing brand new motorcycles, or ones that can be more easily stolen?

Click here to read the full NC IB Report

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Find the best rates on motorcycle insurance with the motorcycle insurance providers on our handy list…

MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE PROVIDERS

Rider Insurance

www.Rider.com

Dairyland Cycle Insurance

www.DairylandCycle.com

Geico Motorcycle Insurance

www.Geico.com

Bad things can happen to you and your bike while you’re out on the road, and your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right inexpensive motorcycle insurance you need, and the correct coverage you want…

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Then it gets a little tougher and includes some of the less exciting, but still critical, elements of the process; finding the best motorcycle insurance policy for you.

It starts with educating yourself before beginning the  search to ensure that you will get the best coverage at the lowest rate possible.

One of the most informative things you can do is ask around and find out what your fellow bike owners have done to find the right policy and how much they pay for insurance. This should give you some boilerplate information and a ballpark estimate so you know what to expect going in to your negotiations. You wouldn’t shop for a car before first comparing prices, would you? Also find out which companies friends recommend – and which to stay away from. You’re sure to hear a couple of horror stories and you’d be wise to let others mistakes inform your decision.

Next, you need to understand how the insurance company analyzes you to determine your risk and therefore, the rate you will pay. Just like with cars, a brand new bike with all the latest features costs more to insure than an old fixer upper. This is because it is worth more, so the company will have to pay more to cover any potential losses they might face in the event your bike is damaged.

The amount of experience you’ve had on a bike will contribute to your rate, and in  general, the older you are the cheaper your policy. You’ll also see additional discounts proportional to the length of time you have owned and ridden bikes.

Be on the lookout for beginner and intermediate motorcycle safety classes you can use to brush up your riding skills. Completion of this kind of course will knock beaucoup dollars off your monthly premium and some companies suggest that you take this type of course as often as once a year.

As with car insurance, your driving record has the greatest bearing on the total cost of your premium. If you have a relatively clean record, you will get the lowest possible policy a company can offer, and conversely, the more accidents you have, the more of a risk you are to insure. If you have many accidents or tickets on your record, you run the risk of being un-insurable, and that’s a brutal position to find yourself in…

Finally, keep in mind all the other factors that contribute to insurance rates. Where you work, where you live, and how often you ride can raise or lower your rate.

As with any other purchase, the wise shopper shops around to find the very best rates. Some insurance companies will even do the price comparison for you online, and you should be willing to do the homework and let them do the heavy lifting by using online comparisons during your initial research.

Most importantly, make sure you understand exactly what’s covered under your policy and what to do if you get in an accident. The most important thing is to make sure you and anyone you may injure in an accident are covered, and it’s that element of a policy where most new rides make their mistake when deciding how much and what type of coverage to carry.

Bad things can happen to you and your bike, and your insurance needs can get complicated. We’re here to help…

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When it comes to being one of the most successful, there’s no doubt 32-year-old legend Valentino Rossi of Italy belongs on the list.

Rossi, who hails from Urbino, Italy learned how to race at an early age and was influenced greatly by his father Graziano, who was also a Grand Prix winner. He started out on go-karts before progressing to mini-motos. It didn’t take long for his legend to grow he got used to riding on just two wheels as he was a regional sport champion by the time he was 13 years old.

He was a quick study and won the 1994 Italian Sport Production Championship as a junior road racer and followed it up the next year with his country’s 125cc championship and a third-place finish in the European Championship.

The young Italian debuted in the World Championship in 1996 at the Malaysian Grand Prix. He finished the year with one win and placed ninth in the standings. He became the youngest rider to capture a 125cc world title by winning 11 races in 1997 with Aprilia when he was just 16 years old. Rossi moved to the 250cc class in 1998, coming in second for the season and then taking the championship with Aprilia again in 1999 when he was 19 years old.

Rossi changed directions in 2000 and joined up with Honda to race in the premier 500cc class. He placed second in his first year in the competition and won the title the next season. The wins made him the youngest champion ever in all three MotoGP classes. He took the world title again in 2002 and 03 on a Honda RC211V and then took two more titles in 2004 and 05 with Yamaha, riding an M1.

His move to Yamaha back in 2004 allowed him to become the first racer in history to win consecutive bike races with different manufacturers. He did this by winning the final event in 2003 with Honda and the first in 2004 on his Yamaha. He won nine of 16 races in 2004, becoming Yamaha’s first champion in 12 years. He was just as dominant in 2005 by taking 11 races and five pole positions. He reached the pinnacle of the sport and only missed the podium once all season. His 2005 title meant he was one of just five racers to capture the premier-class championship five times. Yamaha also won the team and manufacturers’ titles that year.

Rossi’s title-winning streak was broken in 2006 when American Nicky Hayden of Honda took the title on the last day of the season in Valencia, Spain. Rossi entered the race with a slim lead in the standings, but crashed during the fifth lap of final event. He ended up five points behind Hayden for the season, finishing second place for just the second time during his premier-class racing career. However, he ended the season with five wins and pole positions, which were tops in the competition and finished on the podium 10 times.

He finished a career-low third place in 2007 when Ducati’s Casey Stoner of Australia claimed the title.  No one was betting against him to come back.  Sure enough, he did bounce back in 2008 after changing to Bridgestone tires and reclaimed his title. He defended it in 2009, with his biggest challenge coming from Spanish teammate Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi suffered a broken leg in 2010 during a practice run in Mugello and missed several races. When he returned to action Lorenzo had a sizeable lead which he couldn’t make up and Rossi placed third on the season behind his teammate and Stoner. Rossi surprised a lot of people after the 2010 season by leaving Yamaha to join Stoner at Ducati.

Rossi has been as smooth as his name and has been the most dominating racer in the modern motorcycle era by winning nine titles in all classes, matching Carlo Ubialli and Mike Hailwood, but he’s still six short of Giacomo Agostini’s record of 15. However, Rossi beat Agostini’s record of premier-class race wins of 68 back in 2008, but is still behind his fellow countryman’s mark of 122 overall wins.

In 2009, Rossi stood on the podium for the 160^th time in all classes to set a new record and is the only rider to have reached the podium over 100 times in the premier-class. He’s the only man to have won at least one GP race in 14 straight seasons.   He became the second rider ever to win the 125, 250, and 500cc crowns in 2001.

Rossi’s record of 14 straight years with a win is in jeopardy so far in 2011 as his best finish has been third after 11 races.

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Current 2011 MotoGP Standings

You’re obsessed with cutting down your lap times on track day, and sometimes you hang your ass out over the edge a little too far. You, my friend, need the correct motorcycle insurance coverage.

We’re here to help you find the right inexpensive motorcycle insurance policy for motorcycle racers…

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It may well have been Kentucky or Ohio, at least according to the Feds.

An indictment which charges that a group from Ohio and Kentucky conspired to sell stolen motorcycles named eight people from Ohio and Kentucky this week.

Authorities say the indictment includes five Kentuckians and three Ohioans and that the group made $2.5 million from the sale of the stolen motorcycles.

The eight named defendants were from Cleves, Ohio,  Newport, Ky., Cincinnati, Ohio, Ashland, Ky, and Pineville, Ky.

The feds say the gang was allegedly involved in a money laundering conspiracy and that they shipped the stolen bikes to destinations across the country. To do it, authorities say the defendants altered or wiped out vehicle identification numbers from stolen bikes which included a number of  Harley Davidsons.

To cover their tracks, the titles of the stolen bikes were transferred to third parties before they were sold to conceal the thefts.

According to the  indictment, the bike theft conspiracy was in operation from January of 2000 to February of 2008.

What can you do if your motorcycle gets stolen? You’ll need to make sure your insurance coverage can handle the loss.

We’re here to help…

Video of a motorcycle theft in progress:

Click here to view the embedded video.

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As with your car insurance, the type of vehicle you plan to insure has a critical impact on the final monthly price of your insurance premiums. The more expensive a bike is to repair or replace, the higher your insurance premium will be. Why? Because any claim you make if that motorcycle is damaged will cost more than average to repair. Another factor is how frequently a particular type or model of motorcycle is stolen. If the motorcycle you bought and plan to insure is a popular target for thieves, the greater chance of you having to make a claim will drive up the cost of your premiums.

Newer, faster bikes rate higher insurance premiums, as are high engine displacement bikes which tend to cost more to repair and are more attractive to the thieving set, so if you’re shopping for a new bike and you’re concerned about your insurance premiums, buy and older model. It”s save you money on your insurance premiums and quite likely help you stay safer on the road.

2.  How Much Riding Experience You  Have Counts Big Time

You aren’t going to like this if you’re an 18 year-old, but statistics make it clear as a bell that newer motorcyclists are more prone to crashes than more experienced riders.

As a neophyte rider, (even if you’re of a considerably more aged vintage), you can expect to pay higher premiums than someone with more years of experience riding. How can you minimize this cost? Start by taking a motorcycle training course. Take the time to find out from your insurance provider  which programs are accredited, and they’ll be more than happy to let you know how much they’re willing to reduce your premiums once you pass the course.

If you have a pile of  speeding tickets waiting to be paid at any given moment, you’re going to pay through the nose for your motorcycle insurance, and likely your car insurance as well. A bad driving record throws up a major red flag to insurance companies, and statistically, it’s a clear indicator that  you’re more likely than not to be involved in a crash at some point. It’s just the facts, so drive safe and keep your record clean. The result? You’ll pay lower premiums and stay out of the hospital.

3.   Where You Store Your Bike Makes All the Difference

Motorcycles are easy targets for thieves, especially with the frequency that they are parked for extended periods of time in Canada. Weather conditions may keep your bike parked for a fair portion of the year, so the safer the storage facility where you keep your bike, the more you can save on your premiums. Your insurance company will reward you for your efforts in deterring thieves, so installing an anti-theft device and parking your bike in a locked garage can save you in your premiums.

4.  The Less You Drive, The More You Save

The more you ride, the higher your premiums will be. It pays to know how much you’re going to ride, because no matter how safely you ride, the more miles you put on the more likely your chances of being involved in an accident. It’s just simple math, and  insurance companies do their research. The statistics point clearly to higher odds of a claim being made from bikers who ride frequently. If you take your bike out for weekend jaunts, you’re much less likely to file a claim than an Iron Butt rider. When you’re doing your price shopping, include that information in your search for motorcycle insurance quotes and see if you’d be eligible for low annual mileage discounts.

Photo courtesy of FlynetPictures.com

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