Why we chose it
Widest range of coverage,
Markel claims to specialize in motorcycle insurance, and that dedication truly shows through in its policy options. It touches all the important bases, of course, including liability, un/underinsured motorist, collision, comprehensive, and medpay. Beyond that, it also has some standout selections that really cater to the everyday rider. Most notably, mechanical breakdown coverage and rental reimbursement could be a huge help to frequent riders and aren’t offered by any of our other top picks. If your bike is your main (or only) form of transportation, Markel is likely your best bet for comprehensive, reliable insurance.
Mechanical breakdown coverage
Markel is the only provider we’ve seen that offers mechanical breakdown coverage, a useful addition that can help replace or repair the electronic components on your bike. Adding this protection will cost you a small additional fee, of course. However, it may reduce your out-of-pocket expenses by a large proportion should part of your bike break down or give out from normal wear and tear.
Rental reimbursement
Markel is also our only finalist that will cover the cost of a rental car while your bike is under repairs. This is especially important for people who use their motorcycle as a means of daily transportation. Should your bike be in the shop for an extended period of time, those rental costs can take a heavy toll on your wallet. If you don’t have a second vehicle, Markel’s rental coverage will be a big help until you get your motorcycle back.
Cheapest premiums in our price comparison
When we reviewed the best cheap motorcycle insurance companies, we did an apples-to-apples quote comparison for a variety of profiles: an older driver versus a younger one, a sportbike versus a cruiser, a clean driving record versus one with a few infractions. Markel came back with some of the cheapest premiums in almost every scenario.
Even so, any discussion of price should be taken with a grain of salt. Premiums depend on you, your bike, and your driving record. Cost also varies by company — you’ll have to request multiple quotes to find your best price. That said, Markel is a safe bet for anyone looking for great affordable motorcycle insurance.
Points to consider
Fewer discounts
Markel has a shorter list of discounts than some of our other top picks. Most notably, it won’t lower your premium for belonging to a motorcycle association, being a homeowner, or paying your premium in full at the start of your policy, options that most other companies provide.
Even without those discounts, our Markel quotes were relatively cheaper than those from the competition. But if yours looks a little high, you may have more luck with one of our top picks with more discounts.
Limited customer tools
As a smaller company, Markel lacks some of the convenient tools you’d find with a bigger provider like Progressive or Nationwide. For instance, it doesn’t offer an app for easy, real-time claim filing. You’ll have to call an agent directly or go through Markel’s website — which is much less streamlined and user-friendly than the sites of our other top picks.
Best for Specialty or Vintage Bikes: Progressive
Pros
Specialty motorcycle coverage
Actual agreed value insurance
Plenty of discounts
Good customer resources
Specialty motorcycle coverage
Actual agreed value insurance
Plenty of discounts
Good customer resources
Cons
Lacks breakdown coverage
Coverage upgrades are pricey
Lacks breakdown coverage
Coverage upgrades are pricey
Why we chose it
Specialty motorcycle coverage
Progressive falls just short of Markel for coverage volume. But where Markel does an excellent job covering daily riders, Progressive really stands out for its specialty bike coverage, earning it a spot among our best motorcycle insurance providers. Bikers with vintage, antique, or custom bikes will find a lot to love with this company.
For example, you might elect to add OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts coverage to your policy. This guarantees that any part replaced on the bike will come from its original maker — so your Harley stays a Harley, or your Suzuki a Suzuki.
Progressive policies also come with generous custom parts and accessories coverage: up to $3,000 included when you purchase comprehensive and collision. Most companies start at $1,000 included and will charge you extra to up that limit.
Actual agreed value insurance
Progressive is one of the only providers we’ve seen that insures bikes for their “actual agreed value” — meaning that your bike is covered at an agreed-upon future price, rather than what it’s worth today. This is critical for vintage or antique bikes that grow more valuable over time. It helps ensure that, in the event of an accident or theft, you’re reimbursed for what your bike would truly cost to repair or replace.
Plenty of discounts
In addition to its robust coverage, Progressive offers a long list of discounts for qualified riders. The company will discount your premium for belonging to a motorcycle association, maintaining a safe driving record, bundling multiple kinds of insurance, and more. It also gives price cuts for homeowners (Markel doesn’t) and buyers who switch over from another company (unlike Safeco and Nationwide). Such a long list means that just about anyone will be able to save some money on their Progressive policy.
Good customer resources
As one of the largest auto insurance companies in the U.S., Progressive has the means to provide excellent resources for its customers. Among these are a 24/7 support center, a slick, informative website, and a helpful knowledge base that navigates some of the subtler insurance questions (What actually impacts your premium? Does “full coverage” exist? What if someone hits your parked vehicle?). To top it off, Progressive has a comprehensive mobile app that allows customers to easily view coverage and file claims. Smaller companies like Markel don’t offer the same level of convenience.
Points to consider
Lacks breakdown coverage
Progressive lacks a few coverage options that could be useful in the event of an accident or breakdown. For example, it doesn’t cover towing or rental reimbursement — meaning if you get in an accident, the cost to move your bike and rent alternate transportation will come out of pocket. It also doesn’t offer mechanical breakdown coverage, which would otherwise foot some of the bill to repair your bike’s electronics.
These omissions could mean extra time, money, and hassle before you get back on the road. If you ride every day and need a quicker, more affordable turnaround on repairs, start with a company like Markel.
Coverage upgrades are pricey
Progressive claims to insure motorcycles starting at a stunningly low $75 per year, but don’t expect to pay so little. That $75 quote is (of course) dependent on the underwriting process, and it represents the bare minimum liability insurance you could possibly purchase. To truly be protected, you’ll need to round out your policy with higher liability limits, un/underinsured motorist coverage, medpay, etc. — and your Progressive quote will likely shoot upward as you begin adding these extra protections.
When we requested quotes, Progressive started out as the cheapest provider but quickly became the most expensive as we adjusted coverage to the recommended amounts. That’s not to say Progressive will always be the most expensive; remember, quotes are personal. Still, it’s worth comparing your Progressive quote with estimates from a few other providers to make sure you’re getting the coverage you need at the right price.
Best for High Coverage Limits: Nationwide
Pros
Affordable coverage upgrades
Tolerant of "high-risk" riders
Built-in accessory coverage
Big-company convenience
Affordable coverage upgrades
Tolerant of "high-risk" riders
Built-in accessory coverage
Big-company convenience
Cons
No agreed value coverage
Fewer discounts
No agreed value coverage
Fewer discounts
Why we chose it
Affordable coverage upgrades
In our head-to-head quote comparison, Nationwide stood out for making it affordable to bump up your coverage. That means you could potentially upgrade from a medium-sized policy to a maximum one (say, $500,000 liability and un/underinsured motorist limits) for just a few dollars per month. By comparison, Progressive’s price skyrocketed to nearly double when we went for its highest limits. This isn’t a hard-and-fast rule; quotes are always dependent on your personal details. Even so, Nationwide is likely to be a good choice if you’re looking for a large policy with a reasonable price tag.
Tolerant of 'high-risk' riders
Nationwide also tends to be friendlier toward "high-risk" bikers than our other top picks. It offered the lowest premiums for our sample profiles that included younger bikers (20 years old, as opposed to 35 or 50) and pricier, faster bikes (we looked at a Suzuki sportbike against lower-priced Harleys and Hondas). According to the insurance experts we spoke to, these are typically the most expensive categories to insure. If you fall into that "high-risk" sector, we recommend starting your search with Nationwide.
Built-in accessory coverage
Nationwide has the best built-in accessory coverage of any of our top picks. Every policy comes with $2,000 insurance for your personal belongings, from safety equipment to luggage. By comparison, most providers only cover around $1,000 worth of optional equipment. If you’ve invested a lot in motorcycle accessories or if you travel with valuables often (say, commuting to work with a laptop), then this extra padding is an important safeguard.
Big-company convenience
Like Progressive, Nationwide comes with all the convenience that a major company can offer. Its website is educational and easy to navigate, it offers both online and app-powered claim filing, and support is available 24/7 if you prefer to report an accident or file a claim over the phone. These little things can help smooth the process (and reduce your headache) should you end up needing to access you insurance.
Points to consider
No agreed value coverage
Nationwide does not offer actual agreed value coverage — one of the options that we love from both Markel and Progressive. This add-on lets you insure your vintage or antique motorcycle at an agreed-upon price, ensuring that coverage keeps pace with its appreciating value. If your bike is growing pricier, we recommend choosing an insurer that makes this option available.
Fewer discounts than competitors
Nationwide has a shorter list of discounts than either Safeco or Progressive. For one, it’s our only top pick that doesn’t expressly offer a discount for maintaining a "no at-fault accidents" driving record. Nationwide won’t lower your premium for being a "mature rider," renewing your policy, or transferring over from another company, either. That said, our Nationwide quotes often came back cheaper than Progressive’s, even with the difference in discounts. Your own premium will depend on your bike, riding habits and the level of coverage you choose — so make sure to compare quotes to see if Nationwide is right for you.
Impressive Discounts: Safeco
Pros
Long list of discounts
Generous roadside assistance
Comprehensive coverage
Long list of discounts
Generous roadside assistance
Comprehensive coverage
Cons
Not ideal for specialty bikes
No online quote tool
Not ideal for specialty bikes
No online quote tool
Why we chose it
Long list of discounts
Safeco gives customers ample discount opportunities, meaning most everyone will be able to save on their policy. Only Progressive matches this company for number of discounts offered, but Safeco has one option we love over Progressive: a mature rider discount. In fact, Safeco is the only one of our top picks that has a reduced price specifically for bikers “with multiple years of riding experience.” If you’ve been riding for a long time, we definitely recommend starting your search with a quote from Safeco.
Generous roadside assistance
All of our top picks offer roadside assistance as an add-on for their motorcycle policies; only Safeco sells it as a bundle. When you purchase roadside assistance from this company, it also comes with trip interruption and towing coverage automatically built in. That means you’ll be fully taken care of in the event of an accident or breakdown.
Comprehensive coverage
Along with the five core coverages we looked for, Safeco has some great add-ons in motorcycle-specific areas. We’re impressed that the company includes OEM (original equipment manufacturer) coverage with all its policies. This ensures that, should you need a part replaced, you’ll be covered for the cost of authentic manufacturer parts, thus maintaining the integrity of your bike. Safeco policies also come with $1,000 of coverage for safety apparel at no additional cost, making sure you stay protected as well as your bike.
Points to consider
Not ideal for specialty bikes
Safeco has a slightly shorter coverage list than Progressive and Markel. The one place where you can really feel the difference is its specialty motorcycle coverage (or lack thereof). Like Nationwide, Safeco doesn’t offer actual agreed value coverage — meaning it’s not the best choice for vintage or antique motorcycles that are only increasing in value over time.
No online quote tool
Safeco is our only finalist that won’t give you a motorcycle insurance quote online. To compare its prices with our other top picks, you’ll have to call the company and request a personalized quote from an agent. While that’s not a mark down on Safeco’s actual policies, we do prefer providers that make comparison shopping a little more convenient. An online quote process makes it much easier to weigh your options before buying.
How We Chose the Best Motorcycle Insurance Companies
Nationwide availability
We started with 32 nationwide companies that offer coverage in every (or almost every) state. We wanted to be sure that our top providers would be available to just about anyone. For the same reason, we nixed companies with special eligibility requirements. Take USAA, for example. While it's a top-rated insurer based on rankings from Consumer Reports and J.D. Power, it only sells policies to members of the armed forces and their families. We wanted to make sure that, no matter who you are or where you live in the U.S., you could purchase a policy with any of our finalists.
Strong financial backing
We also set a high bar for financial strength. Every company on our list had to earn an A or higher from A.M. Best (an independent agency that specializes in insurance ratings) as well as either an A from S&P Global or an Aa from Moody’s. These three major agencies judge the financial stability of a provider by measuring current assets against ongoing obligations. Top scores from at least two of them mean that your motorcycle insurance provider will remain solvent and able to pay out claims of any size.
Essential policy options
In most states, you’re legal to ride with only bare-bones liability coverage, which could potentially cost as little at $75 per year. Washington, Florida, Montana, and New Hampshire don’t require any motorcycle insurance. However, the agents and lawyers we spoke with agree that state minimums don’t reflect the reality of costs associated with an accident. They recommend five essential coverage options (with relatively high limits) to make sure you’re truly covered in the event of an accident or theft:
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