Motorcycle Insurance Articles
Keeping Your Motorcycle Protected With Insurance During Harsh Weather
2010-11-24
Harsh weather can pose serious problems for a motorcycle rider, even one who is dedicated to riding no matter what the conditions may be. Especially for those who live in northern states, there comes a time of year when riding the bike is no longer feasible or safe, and it must be retired to the garage or storage unit until spring comes again. One thing that many motorcycle owners choose to opt out of is winter motorcycle insurance, mistakenly believing that it will save them money in the long run. In many cases, not insuring a motorcycle can lead to more problems than it solves, especially when it is uninsured for an entire winter.
The first problem lies in the fact that once a bike or vehicle is uninsured - for any reason - an insurance company will consider this a lapse in coverage. This means that a bike which is put away for winter and has its insurance removed is treated as though it had a lapse in coverage, even though the owner did not change insurance companies and canceled the policy themselves. Unless they have something in writing from their insurance provider stating that their rates will remain the same when they re-insure after the winter months, it is likely that the cost of the owner's insurance will go up substantially. While they will have saved the money they would have paid on insurance during the winter, they will lose it in higher premiums.
Another reason to keep winter motorcycle insurance on a bike during the harsh weather conditions of cold months is that it will not require a re-inspection when summer comes. A bike that has had its insurance removed will be subject to a re-inspection to ensure that it is still mechanically safe to ride on the road, even if it was perfectly sound before the winter began. This cost can be substantial, and can off-set any gains made by not paying for insurance during the winter. It is important to understand that full coverage does not need to be kept on the bike - theft and fire insurance is typically enough to keep the bike on the books and streamline the process when an owner goes to re-insure their bike for driving after the weather begins to change.
While it is tempting to remove all of the insurance from a motorcycle to save money during harsh weather, it often results in a net loss rather than gain. Keeping the bike minimally insured helps to maintain standing with an insurance company and to ensure that when the time comes to get riding again, the cost of insurance has not skyrocketed out of control.