Motorcycle insurance isn’t usually terrifically expensive to begin with on most bikes, so many riders don’t give it much thought until they really need it. There’s nothing wrong with saving on insurance for your motorcycle, though. In fact, you might just be surprised by how much you can save just by taking a few easy steps!

Improving your skills – Insurance companies love when their policyholders know what they’re doing. It means that there is significantly lower chance that they’ll have to pay a claim any time soon. That’s why practically every insurance company that carries motorcycle coverage offers a discount for riders who successfully complete an MSF-approved safety course. Fortunately, there are two ways in which this can save you some money – first off, it will reduce how much you pay in premiums, and secondly, since you’ll be a better rider, you’ll pay less in repairs and hospital bills, as well! These rider education courses are usually offered by local motorcycle dealerships, but some may be provided by your local sheriff’s department. Either way, you get the same level of training as well as that valuable certificate to send to your insurance agent!

Double-Check your discounts! – Depending on how old you are, your insurance company may be overcharging you based on their own discount criteria. You have to be aware of what discounts you’re entitled to, because regardless of what the company’s commercials say, they’re not going to hurry themselves much when it comes to charging you less money. If your family circumstances change, like you get married, or even cross certain age barriers, you owe it to yourself to check out your discounts, and then let your insurance agent know what’s what!

Reexamine your coverage – Whether it’s a car, truck, or a motorcycle, it’s going to depreciate in value, meaning that at any given time, you could be spending more on your collision and comprehensive insurance coverage than your bike might actually be worth. For instance, let’s say your bike is worth $2500 in its present condition and with its present mileage. You might have paid $10,000 for it new, and the bank no doubt wanted full coverage insurance in order to extend you a line of credit, so your comprehensive and collision coverage were set at the new sale price. The insurance isn’t going to buy you a brand-new $10,000 bike though. They’re going to give you fair value for the bike, which, if you’re lucky, might be around $2600 (if you get a really good appraiser) That’s regardless of whether you’ve been carrying the $10k coverage all this time or not. Instead, try to match your coverage with the value of your bike. As it’s price depreciates, you’ll pay less for insurance, as well.

Switch Companies – Every so often, change is good. The same holds true with insurance, regardless of how good a deal you got when you signed up. Many insurance companies occasionally change their rate policies, so where one offers a discount, another might not. Essentially, what this means is that it pays to get a competing quote now and then. The only thing you have to be careful of is that you’re comparing apples to apples, rather than asparagus to a radial tire. Make sure that the quote you receive is for the same coverage, with the same deductible, rather than a lower amount of either of these two things. Some insurance companies may try to lure you into lesser quality coverage or inadequate coverage under the auspices of saving a few bucks, when it might be that your current insurance carrier has the same coverage for less money than the competitor has!