If you think your car insurance will cover your motorcycle, think again. There are certain specific differences between auto insurance and motorcycle insurance. So if you own both a car and a motorcycle, your car insurance will not cover your bike. You will need a separate motorcycle insurance policy for that which like any other insurance policy differs from one state to another.

• Liability Insurance – This protects in case of any bodily or property damage to a third party in an accident. This policy must not be avoided since you may be liable for hurting anyone and the cost may be high. Find out if your coverage has Guest Passenger Liability in case of injury to someone riding your bike. Generally older and experienced drivers have a better net worth than most of the standard liability limits of different policies. However, most of the times there is a risk that these drivers are underinsured. So it is recommended by experts to carry liability insurance that covers their net worth at least.


• Collision Coverage – If you have an accident, this will provide coverage for the damages incurred on your motorcycle. You will receive the reimbursement minus the deductible from your insurance provider covering only the actual cash value of the motorcycle before the accident.


• Comprehensive Coverage – When conditions like fire, destruction or thievery causes any damage, comprehensive policy provides coverage. Collision is not covered under such a policy. This coverage is provided minus deductible, reimbursing only the book value/actual cash value of the motorcycle before the collision. Accessories added to your motorcycle will not be covered under such a policy. These may be covered by purchasing separate policies.


• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage – Often, while looking for cheap motorcycle insurance, people end up buying low cost motorcycle insurance and hence also end up being underinsured. So when another driver, who is not insured (uninsured) or does not have adequate insurance (underinsured) causes damages to you or your property, having uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage will help protect you.

Here are few simple tips to get effective motorcycle insurance:

1. Look for good offers:
   While shopping for motorcycle insurance quotes look out for companies that may offer good discount rates for graduates or for other students who enroll in training courses. Students who have enrolled for such courses may benefit from such discounts on insurance policies. Those who have already had cases of accidents or are under the age of 25 and have greater risks of getting involved in accidents can benefit from such courses.


2. Look for discounts:
   There are many insurance companies that offer discounts on motorcycle insurance. If you have more than one bike to insure you may even receive multi-bike discounts if you are a member of the motorcycle association. Experienced riders may benefit from mature rider discounts of 10% - 20%. The discounts depend on your country or state and also from one company to another.


3. Driving Record:
   If you have been a good driver all the while, you may be offered some discounts in your premiums. But on the other hand if you do not have a good driving record, you will naturally have to pay greater premiums since the insurance companies may think you to be prone to accidents in future too.


4. Lay-Up Policy:
   With a lay-up policy you will get only the comprehensive coverage during the winter season. This may help many riders like you save money.


5. Type of bike: The type of bike that you ride in, the place you keep your bike in, the number of miles you drive in a year may also be important factors in determining the premiums that you need to pay for the motorcycle insurance.

You may contact the same insurance provider from whom you got auto insurance or maybe ask friends or relatives to help. Local motor magazines and news papers can be of help too.

Making a claim is an easy task. You only need to have the necessary information ready. To state it simply, motorcycle insurance may be classified into 3 sections:

1. Section 1 deals with the damage that you may cause to some other person whom you collide with. It may be a person or even their car or motorcycle or any other vehicle, house and the like. This also involves personal injury to others and will be covered under liability insurance.


2. Section 2 speaks of medical coverage. When you are involved in an accident there are high chances that you could hurt a passenger or even yourself. In such a scenario, you must have adequate medical coverage to protect yourself from the damages. You may be safe with regular health coverage from your employer. But in case someone who does not have insurance has borrowed your motorbike, meets with an accident then in that case you need to have a motorcycle medical insurance too.


3. Section 3 deals with collision coverage. When you make a claim for collision coverage keep the following points in mind:
   • See if the company has 'repair' or 'replace' options.
   • Find out if you can select the repair shop for your bike or does the company suggest one.
   • Keep the VIN, registration number and engine number handy.
   • Think whether your bike was in legal condition before the accident took place.

However, remember that when you make a claim for motorcycle insurance, there are going to be judgments on your claim and that it will be well scrutinized. So, be prepared for such an event.

Motorcycles are more prone to accidents than cars. Irrespective of your age you must always be very careful when driving. You may be rejected by insurance companies if you have a history of accidents that result in several claims. Don't be a risky customer, instead be a privileged customer. Drive carefully to secure your future.

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