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From: animal@ihlpa.UUCP (D. Starr)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: Motorcycle insurance
Message-ID: <1677@ihlpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Aug-86 14:32:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpa.1677
Posted: Fri Aug 15 14:32:09 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 17-Aug-86 08:23:45 EDT
References: <2337@voder.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 34

> 
> 
>      Just a follow-up to my previous posting. I am curious about which
> insurance company to go with. I am with State Farm for my cars, but 
> wonder if I might do better with a company that insurance only 
> motorcycles.
> 
>      Any help would be appriciated. Thank you.

I, too, have State Farm on my cars, and my bikes.  I have never had to file
a claim on the bikes, so I don't know how good they are in that respect.  
Their service in the car area has been outstanding (e.g., somebody nailed
by brand-new Jeep in '83; SF fixed it post haste, then tracked down and
harassed the other guy until he paid up).  In my experience, their motorcycle
rates are untouchable.  I am paying $275-300 a year (12 months!) for FULL
coverage on each of my two Harleys (an 84 and an 86).  The Harley Owners
Group (a factory sponsored organization) has a special insurance offer, which
is supposed to be unbeatable; when I called them for a quote they were a good
$140 above State Farm.  Similarly, I talked to a Dairyland agent once, and
he told me flat-out that he couldn't come close to State Farm.  When I sold
my '83 model (State Farm premium: $280 a year) to my brother, the best quote
he could get elsewhere was $415 for a six-month riding season.  While I have
not yet checked the AMA's special rates with Criterion (now Geico Casualty
or something), I doubt that you can beat State Farm.

The downside of State Farm is that they prefer low risks; that's how they
come up with the low rates.  They sock you with a big surcharge when you 
have a chargeable accident, and they will cancel you for sufficiently
antisocial behavior (e.g., repeated 100-in-a-35-zone type violations).  They
also require that you insure at least one car with them, and their car
insurance rates are not the lowest on earth (although they are a good
bargain for the level of coverage).

Dan Starr