Motorcycle Insurance: 3 Things You Need to Know

North Carolina provides some great motorcycle riding country, and when the weather warms and you’re shaking off the remnants of winter’s cold, not much feels finer than to get out on the open road with your two-wheeler. Before you proceed, however, there are some things you’ll want to do to make sure everything on your machine is operational and safe and that you have the proper motorcycle insurance coverage in place, as well as proof of insurance in your possession.

If you’ve let your motorcycle insurance lapse during the non-riding season, which we don’t recommend, make sure it’s back in force before you’re tempted to take even just a little spin around the block. It’s the law. It’s also a good idea to protect yourself before something untoward and potentially life-threatening occurs.

Some Things You Should Know

In case you haven’t noticed, motorcycling can be a dangerous affair. Even if you’re the safest rider out there, there are others on the road, driving big, heavy trucks and cars, and your life is literally in their hands. Some motorists just don’t seem to see motorcyclists on the road clearly, so defensive driving is an absolute must when riding on two wheels. Even then, accidents happen, and when it’s you on your two-wheeler against a much heavier vehicle, the results can be disastrous. Having good, comprehensive insurance should be a prime concern. Here are some things to consider:

1. The State of North Carolina has the same minimum liability insurance requirements for motorcycles as for other vehicles – 30/60/25. This represents $30,000 liability coverage for bodily injury or death done to another person in an accident deemed your fault, $60,000 total coverage for all third-party injuries or deaths, and $25,000 liability coverage against any property damage you cause. These are bare minimums and may be unrealistically low coverage amounts in an actual accident. You may want to increase these amounts and add uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
2. Your liability insurance pays no benefits to you for your injuries or property damage, such as a damaged motorcycle. You should strongly consider adding Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Collision Coverage to your basic policy.
3. Motorcycles are at high risk of being stolen – either whole or in parts. You need comprehensive coverage to protect your loss stemming from theft, vandalism or other-than-collision damage.

Always wear protective clothing and ride sensibly. Your safety depends on it.