In a Nutshell
If you own a bike, finding the best motorcycle insurance for your needs is vital. Our top choices for motorcycle insurance include those that offer excellent benefits for different types of bike owners.Many auto insurance companies offer motorcycle coverage, but the variety of coverage and benefits available can differ from one insurer to the next.
Whether you want coverage for a new cruiser or a vintage bike, there’s probably a policy that will meet your needs.
In choosing some of the best motorcycle insurance providers for different types of bike owners, we primarily considered each company’s selection of discounts and products. We also looked at satisfaction, complaints and financial stability ratings if available.
Read on for our top picks for best motorcycle insurance.
- Best overall: Geico
- Best for new riders: Harley Davidson
- Best for riders with a military affiliation: USAA
- Best for vintage or custom bikes: Foremost
- FAQs about motorcycle insurance
- How we picked these insurers
Best overall: Geico
Why Geico stands out above the rest: Geico provides coverage for the wide selection of motorcycles on the market and offers discounts that can reduce insurance costs.
What to know about Geico
Geico’s motorcycle coverage options are extensive and include collision, comprehensive, liability, bodily injury, property damage, towing and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages.
The company offers auto insurance policies nationwide and has a generous range of discounts, including some for mature riders, riders insuring more than one motorcycle, and bundle discounts if you have a car insured with Geico. The company also offers coverage for common motorcycle accessories like saddlebags, seats, backrests, electronic equipment and sidecars.
Read our full review of Geico.
Best for new riders: Harley-Davidson
Why Harley-Davidson could be a good choice for new riders: Knowledge and proper training are vital when riding a bike. Harley-Davidson offers a beginner motorcycle course that gives new riders education that can help them operate a bike with confidence — plus you’ll get a discount from the insurer for completing the course.
Note that your bike doesn’t have to be a Harley to qualify for coverage from this carrier.
What to know about Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson insurance is underwritten by Sentry Insurance Group and offers specialized motorcycle insurance in 48 states. In addition to basic insurance coverage options like comprehensive, collision and liability, Harley-Davidson offers …
- Optional equipment coverage, which protects aftermarket equipment on your bike
- Vacation rental insurance, which covers rental motorcycles
- Bike replacement cost coverage if your bike is a total loss
Harley-Davidson insures a variety of motorcycle types, including cruisers, touring bikes, sport bikes, trikes, scooters, mopeds and autocycles. The company has a list of discounts as well, offering savings for experienced riders, new bike owners, homeowners, prompt payers and active or retired military and law enforcement service members.
Best for riders with a military affiliation: USAA
Why USAA could be a good choice for riders with a military affiliation: USAA is an insurance provider offering discounts to those with a military affiliation. Current military members and veterans are eligible along with their spouses and children. The company works in partnership with Progressive to provide motorcycle insurance, and you get a 5% discount for purchasing coverage from USAA.
What to know about USAA
Unlike other insurers on this list, USAA offers less specialized motorcycle insurance. The company covers most types of motorcycles, though, including cruisers, dirt bikes, sport bikes, touring bikes, scooters and mopeds — and it protects ATVs and UTVs under a standard motorcycle policy.
USAA is available nationwide and scored well in J.D. Power’s 2021 auto claims satisfaction study (a gauge of general customer satisfaction), faring better than the industry average. The company offers collision, comprehensive, liability, medical payments and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
Read our full review of USAA.
Best for vintage or custom bikes: Foremost
Why Foremost could be a good choice for owners of vintage or custom bikes: As with vintage cars, vintage motorcycles require special insurance considerations. Foremost offers coverage specifically designed for vintage or custom bikes. The company also provides traditional motorcycle insurance for many different types of bikes.
What to know about Foremost
Foremost offers all the coverage you need to ride legally, plus some specialized options like vintage bike coverage, which protects motorcycles 25 years and older that are kept in original condition. It also offers custom bike coverage, which protects limited production bikes or those with more than $30,000 in optional equipment. Other options include:
- Transport trailer coverage, which covers trailers used to transport your bike
- Equipment coverage covers custom paint, chrome, sidecars and other aftermarket additions
- Low-speed vehicle coverage, which covers low-speed and neighborhood electric vehicles
- Helmets and safety apparel coverage, which covers damage to items like helmets and goggles
Foremost is available nationwide and covers many types of bikes, including cruisers, dirt bikes, trikes, electric bikes and scooters. The company offers various ways to save, including discounts for policyholders with more than one vehicle or more than one policy.
FAQs about motorcycle insurance
One way you can reduce your motorcycle insurance bill is by taking advantage of discounts. Some typical discounts include multi-policy discounts, discounts for those who’ve taken a rider safety course and discounts for those who’ve installed an anti-theft device on their bike.
The premium you pay for your motorcycle insurance can be affected by factors like your riding location, age, experience, history of accidents and traffic violations, bike type and coverage selections.
In most states, you must show proof of motorcycle insurance before registering your bike. If you ride without insurance or you don’t have proper coverage, the consequences can range from fines to jail time to getting your license canceled.
How we picked these insurers
We primarily considered availability, policy options and discounts in assessing providers of motorcycle insurance. Where applicable, we also looked at J.D. Power studies covering auto claims satisfaction and overall customer satisfaction regarding the purchase experience, data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) on customer complaints, and A.M. Best ratings regarding financial health (not all insurance companies are evaluated by these organizations).