Average Cost of Motorcycle Insurance (2020)

[pulquote]The average cost of motorcycle insurance is $702 per year in the U.S., but rates can vary by more than 250% depending on your location.

While most U.S. states have made motorcycle insurance legally mandatory, every rider benefits from active coverage regardless of local requirements. We collected thousands of quotes from across the country to find out how much it costs to protect your bike, your health and your financial well-being.

Average cost of motorcycle insurance by state

We conducted a review of motorcycle insurance quotes across all 50 states and found that the average cost of motorcycle insurance quotes in the U.S. was $702 for a full year of coverage. You can see how much motorcycle insurance costs on average per month in your state in the table below.

The rates we collected came from up to six major motorcycle insurance carriers in each state, based on a theoretical 45-year-old male rider. The coverage limits we requested in our quotes included bodily injury protection of $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident and $50,000 in property damage coverage. The deductibles for both comprehensive and collision coverage were $500.

States with the most affordable motorcycle insurance

The five states with the most affordable motorcycle insurance quotes all had rates that were at least 32% lower than the average in the U.S. Other than New Hampshire, all of the states with the cheapest rates were located in the Midwest and Great Plains regions.

States with the most expensive motorcycle insurance

Unlike the most affordable states, the costliest states for motorcycle insurance showed no clear geographical correlation. However, they did tend to have large populations and warmer, longer riding seasons.

Paying for your motorcycle insurance in 12 monthly installments is usually more expensive than if you pay for a year-long policy upfront. The pay-in-full discount is common at top insurers such as Progressive, Esurance and Nationwide. If you live in a state where coverage is expensive or want a lower overall rate, consider paying for six to 12 months of motorcycle insurance coverage at a time instead of paying monthly.

How do motorcycle insurance rates change with age?

In addition to the city you live in, the amount of coverage you purchase and your driving history, motorcycle insurance companies also calculate your cost of coverage based upon your age and years of experience. For example, the same motorcycle insurance policy from Progressive can range in price from $1,434 per year for a 50-year-old driver to $2,628 per year for an 18-year-old.

Since new riders have less experience, insurers estimate them to be more likely to be involved in an accident and, therefore, offer higher quotes. This applies whether you’re a 19-year-old new driver or an older rider with few years of experience on the road, though teens and those in their early 20s will typically face even higher motorcycle insurance premiums.

Sport vs. touring vs. cruiser: how your motorcycle affects insurance rates

Insurance companies will use all safety and risk information available to them when setting your rates, so naturally the type of motorcycle you ride has a large impact on your premiums. Specifically, insurers will consider:

Sport and supersport bikes (also referred to as street bikes) are generally much more costly to insure than other bikes, because they tick a lot of these boxes: They are relatively expensive, often wrecked and are high theft targets.

We collected typical motorcycle insurance rates and found that compared to cruiser style bikes, sports bikes were 388% more expensive to insure, despite having an average Kelley Blue Book value of only 82% more. Similarly, touring bikes were 40% cheaper to insure, while having a much higher average value. Below, we've included the average cost to insure various cruiser, touring and street bikes that shows the increased average motorcycle insurance costs.

The most frequent motorcycle insurance claims

According to research from Progressive, single-vehicle accidents are the most frequent type of motorcycle insurance claim, as opposed to rear-end collisions in regular auto insurance. This suggests that when it comes to motorcycle insurance, riders are more likely to be responsible for their own costs.

In 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that direct losses due to motorcycle crashes in the U.S. amounted to $16 billion. That estimate included the obvious: emergency services, medical costs including rehabilitation and property damage. It also accounted for things such as lost wages, household productivity and legal defense costs in liability claims.

According to the most recent data available, the number of motorcycle injuries per year has increased from 81,000 in 2011 to 88,000 in 2015. Additionally, the cost of medical care has increased, as well. Taking those factors into consideration, it’s safe to assume that a more current study would result in an even higher direct loss cost.

The table below of Progressive's claims also shows the prevalence of motorcycle theft claims in comparison to other types of claims. Stolen and unrecovered motorcycles accounted for the fourth most motorcycle insurance claims, but theft claims weren't even in the top five of personal auto claims.

Given their smaller size and weight, motorcycles are more likely to be stolen than cars and trucks. The most common way thieves take them is simply by hoisting the bike into a van — a tactic that minimizes both the damage to the motorcycle and the likelihood of getting caught in the act.

Reported incidents of motorcycle theft in the U.S. decreased 6% between 2017 and 2018 to 41,674, according to calculations from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Since 2006, motorcycle thefts are estimated to be down 38% from 66,774.

California had the highest number of thefts in 2018 (7,035), but it also has the highest number of registered motorcycles — more than 800,000. Florida had the second highest number of motorcycle thefts but was far behind California, with 4,279 bikes reported stolen.

Sources: I.I.I., NHTSA, Progressive, The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), National Crime Information Center of the FBI, Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC).