Motorcycle Insurance Articles
How To Locate Motorcycle Insurance For International Road Trips
2010-12-22
Planning international road trips on a big bike can be a real educational experience, especially with the aid of the Internet and, before setting out for your exciting excursion, you should have a pretty good idea of where to go and what to see. Americans love to hop on a bike and drive south, into Mexico and points even further south. There are, of course, many details to cover before such a trip, not the least of which is considering what to do about your motorcycle insurance.
Each country has its own set of specific laws covering what motorcycle insurance is required for visiting drivers. In Mexico, for example, the coverage you're carrying back in the States is of no effect. The Mexican government requires you to have a policy specifically from their country. These policies are available through various Internet sites or you can contact a licensed broker and get one through him or her. United States citizens driving in Canada, however, are typically still covered by their US policies.
If you are planning your international road trips through Europe for an extended period you could either freight your own motorcycle to the continent and start from where it lands of opt for renting a bike instead. When driving or riding in Europe you will need what is known as 'green card' insurance and, if pulled over by a police officer there, you must be able to show your proof of insurance or you risk a severe penalty. Again, your US-based policy is useless here as well, although some travelers' insurance policies may provide some additional protection when renting a vehicle.
Renting a motorcycle to tour Europe will certainly come with options from the rental agency to add as much coverage as you're willing to pay for but most of what is required is straight liability protection. They're not so concerned with you hurting yourself as they are with you hurting someone else or causing property damage. If you'll be riding on your own bike you might think seriously about going strong on worthwhile options like personal injury protections (PIP), collision coverage and comprehensive. Driving in a foreign country can pose a certain amount of danger to a visitor simply due to unfamiliarity.
Like most things today, motorcycle insurance for international road trips can be researched, dissected, discussed, rated and a policy written on the Internet. Online information about every aspect of motorcycle insurance for foreign travel can be found with just a bit of effort. One nice thing about buying online is that the whole system traverses geographic boundaries making it easy to contact a company just about anywhere in the world.