You might think earning your motorcycle license is the last step to easy riding, but it isn’t; before you hit the roads, you need to protect yourself and your bike with motorcycle insurance.

A motorcycle insurance policy covers many of the same areas a regular auto insurance policy covers; only, it’s focused on your motorcycle.

For example, with motorcycle insurance you can get:

• Collision/Comprehensive: Folks usually purchase these two coverages together. Collisions takes care of your bike should you have an accident with another vehicle and comprehensive steps in should your bike become damaged by any other incident such as fire, theft, or vandalism. Note that some insurance companies also offer coverage for your bike’s accessories (saddlebags, chrome pieces, CB radios, etc.) under collision and comprehensive.
• Bodily Injury Liability: Provides coverage and money for legal defense if you injure or kill another person.
• Property Damage Liability: Provides coverage and money for legal defense if you damage another person’s property with your motorcycle.
• Uninsured/Underinsured: Protects you in the event you’re involved in an accident with another biker who has no or inadequate motorcycle insurance.
• Personal Injury Protection/”No Fault”: Available (and required) in some states, this kind of coverage provides medical protection (and sometimes lost wages) without regard to fault.

Shopping for Motorcycle Insurance

The kind(s) of insurance you’ll buy depends on:

• Your state’s laws.
• Your motorcycle.
• Your riding habits.
• Your budget.

Research Your State’s Motorcycle Insurance Laws

Before you begin shopping for motorcycle insurance, research your state’s laws. This is a pretty simple process: just visit your state’s DMV website or call your local DMV branch and ask about the requirements for insuring motorcycles.

Be sure to find out the exact types of insurance and the exact amounts of coverage the state requires.

Take a Look at Your Motorcycle

It’s simple: You’re going to want more coverage for a brand new Harley you spent weeks researching and days haggling over with the dealership than you’ll want for a 15-year-old secondhand beater you bought on a whim while walking past a garage sale down the street.

Evaluate Your Riding Habits

Do you ride every day or are you a seasonal biker? Do you ride mostly for leisure or is your motorcycle your main mode of transportation? Do you ride in the country, where you’re not often around other vehicles, or do you ride in the city, where you’re constantly on the look out for other cars, trucks, and bikes?

How and where you ride helps determine how much coverage you’re likely to need.

Consider Your Budget

Once you know how much motorcycle insurance you’re required to purchase – and how much more you actually need – figure out what your budget can handle and then start shopping around an insurance company that can provide the coverage you need at a price you can afford.

Getting a motorcycle insurance quote is similar to getting a regular auto insurance quote. To ensure you have the best selection to choose from, obtain multiple insurance quotes from multiple providers, and don’t be afraid to search for online insurance.