Motorcycle Insurance Articles
Older Model Bikes And Possible Motorcycle Insurance Issues
2010-11-13
Motorcycle insurance quotes will always be more costly than those for cars and trucks, simply because of the risk to the driver that is involved. Insurance companies operate from a position of trying to mitigate risk, and the greater the possibility of damage to an object and driver, the greater the amount they will pay for their premiums. Since motorcycle accidents can easily result in serious injury to the driver and substantial damage to the bike, their costs are always higher than those for typical automobiles. But even within the world of motorcycle insurance quotes, there are some bikes that will be more expensive than others to ensure, and that will present more of a challenge for insurers. One of the most common types in the motorbiking insurance world is older model bikes.
Older model bikes present a challenge for insurance companies because they represent a partial unknown. Those that have been refurbished or have extra parts that have been used to re-create an older model do not have parts and spec sheets that a company can easily consult to understated the bike's capabilities. As such, many insurance companies will treat these bikes as being custom and will charge a premium to insure them. This can mean a significant increase in monthly premiums for a rider that simply has an older model, but well taken care of, bike.
There are a number of ways to combat this problem with motorcycle insurance quotes, and the first is to have the bike professionally inspected. If the bike is taken to a licensed mechanic that can verify both its capabilities and weaknesses, an insurance company will have a better idea of what it is dealing with and can create a more accurate quote for an owner. Another option is to provide the insurance company with a list of all parts that make up the motorbike in order to have them determine what exactly they are going to charge to insure the bike. In either case, providing more information to the insurance company allows them to make the best determination about how they are going to structure the premium for older model bikes.
While motorcycle insurance quotes are always going to be expensive, a careful driver will do everything they can to lower the rates that they must pay per month. For those that love older model bikes and want to find a way to insure them at a reasonable rate, it is worthwhile to not only take excellent care of the bike, but to also ensure that it is properly inspected and that they have all documents on hand to prove exactly what parts were used to make the bike.