Geico offers their motorcycle insurance for $488 per year, making it the cheapest option in New York.

Motorcycle insurance isn't just a legal requirement — for riders who have a lot invested in their bikes, it also offers protection from accidental damage both on and off the road. We took a closer look at New York's best motorcycle insurance options and how much they cost.

The cheapest motorcycle insurance companies in New York

We collected hundreds of motorcycle insurance quotes across dozens of cities in New York to determine which motorcycle insurer offers the lowest rates. Geico offered the most affordable rates, with a typical price of $488 per year.

Cheapest motorcycle insurance companies in New York

Best for most people: Nationwide

Our top choice for motorcycle insurance for motorcyclists in New York state is Nationwide. It offered a very competitive rate across New York, with an average price of $530 per year. That's 25% less than the average across all insurers in the state.

We were also impressed with Nationwide's customer service ratings and coverage options. It had a low complaint index of 0.88 from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), meaning that it received about 88% of the complaints of a typical insurer its size. And it offers a nice array of coverage options and discounts, such as a "disappearing" deductible: For each year you go claim-free, your deductible goes down by $100.

As a major national insurer, Nationwide offers a broad range of insurance products, including home, auto and life insurance. You may be able to reduce your rate even more by bundling your insurance policies.

Best for lowest rates: Geico

Motorcyclists focused on getting the lowest price for motorcycle insurance should start with Geico. With an annual price of $488 per year for motorcycle insurance, Geico was 31% cheaper than the typical motorcycle insurer in New York. It was also $41 per year cheaper than Nationwide, our overall top pick.

Because of how expensive motorcycle insurance is in NYC, Geico is a good option for New York City residents, in particular. Motorcycle insurance costs in NYC are 96% higher than across New York state. With a citywide average of $2,089, Geico offers savings of $745 when compared to the typical NYC price.

However, Geico's coverage options and discounts available aren't as plentiful as other competing insurers. For example, it doesn't offer a discount for being in a motorcycle affinity group or offer an OEM parts coverage option.

On the plus side, Geico has a wide variety of different insurance products, so you can bundle your motorcycle, car and home insurance policies together if you want. Doing so does get you a discount, and it simplifies the process of managing your insurance policies.

Best coverage options: Progressive

For motorcycle owners who want the best coverage options but still want a good price, we recommend Progressive insurance. For instance, Progressive includes full replacement cost coverage for some motorcycles — which will return a bike to pre-accident condition. And you automatically get $3,000 of coverage for accessories and add-ons, with that ability to purchase up to $30,000 in coverage.

Its rates were not as affordable as our top picks but still slightly cheaper than average — the typical price from Progressvie was $621 per year, or $84 cheaper than the average, overall.

Progressive also has better-than-average complaint numbers, with an NAIC complaint index rating of 0.89. That means the company receives 11% fewer complaints than would be expected for a company its size.

Motorcycle insurance costs: City-by-city breakdown

To help New York motorcyclists get an accurate understanding of how much motorcycle insurance costs, we calculated the average cost of insurance in 49 cities and neighborhoods across the state. For each place, we've included the average cost, as well as how it compares to the statewide average cost.

The best-reviewed motorcycle insurance companies in New York

When considering motorcycle insurance companies, a low price shouldn't be your only consideration — customer service and financial stability matter, too. With that in mind, we collected the NAIC Complaint Index and AM Best financial strength rating of five of the top New York motorcycle insurers. The NAIC Complaint Index measures how frequently a company is the subject of a complaint to the NAIC; the AM Best rating judges how sound a company's financial footing is.

Note that the NAIC combines automobile and motorcycle insurance into a single industry category; as such, these complaint indexes are based on each company's combined premium dollars for motorcycles and cars.

New York motorcycle insurance requirements

All motorcycle riders in the state of New York are required to have liability insurance. Unlike with automobiles, motorcycle insurance policies are not required to include personal injury protection (PIP) or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Below, we've included a breakdown of New York's motorcycle insurance requirements.

Methodology

We collected 250 motorcycle insurance quotes from five major motorcycle insurance companies that operate in New York state. Our sample rider was a 45-year-old man who rides a 2021 Harley-Davidson Street Glide. The coverage limits we included are: