Motorcycle Insurance Articles
Why Your Supercharged Bike Costs More to Insure
2010-06-04
Generally, motorcycles and their riders fall into two classes - those who ride, and those who ride fast. Cruising bikes, which are larger and heavier than their sport bike counterparts, are great for long trips, rides in the country, and general summer driving. Sport bikes, meanwhile, are smaller, lighter, and more speed-focused than their cruiser counterparts. Sport bikes are meant for speed and responsive handling. Sport bikes can also be more dangerous, owing not only to the lower weight and higher speed, but simply because other drivers often do not see them coming. For this reason, motorcycle insurance providers tend to charge larger premiums for sport bikes than cruising bikes, especially those driven by young men with little to no driving experience. That, combined with the fact that most law enforcement agencies are on the lookout for anyone speeding on a sport bike can make them one of the most expensive vehicles to own. Added to this already high cost of both insurance and potential traffic tickets is the fact that many bike owners choose to modify their vehicles to achieve better performance. This can also affect the motorcycle insurance rates paid by a driver.
Typically, a sport bike rider will want their bike to not only go faster, but handle better. There are some riders who are entirely focused on one option or the other, but for the semi-casual rider, speed and performance are the optimal statistics to improve. One way that a bike's speed can be increased is by adding a supercharger. Superchargers are simply small air compressors that force compressed air into a combustion engine to increase performance. There are a variety of types available, including models that provide a constant increase in power regardless of engine speed, and ones that give increasing benefits as the speed of the engine ramps up. While these supercharges can increase the performance of a bike, they will likely decrease the chances of obtaining a low rate from motorcycle insurance providers. While the argument for greater handling precision can be made, providers will see the greater speed offered as a greater risk, and a driver's premiums will more than likely increase.
While supercharging a bike can be a relatively inexpensive procedure in and of itself, the insurance ramifications can be substantial. Online insurance quotes for motorcycles will never assume that a bike has a supercharger, and there is little chance that any modified bike will have its rates even come close to matching those offered in any basic online insurance quotes. While discounts for supercharged bikes can still be found, based on other safety features and driving history, a supercharged bike will naturally cost more to insure.