Full coverage motorcycle insurance costs between $800 and $2,500 per year for most riders, but the actual price depends on your age, riding history, the bike itself, and where you live.

Full coverage means you have comprehensive and collision insurance in addition to the liability coverage required by law. Liability pays for damage you cause to someone else. Comprehensive covers theft, weather, vandalism, and animal strikes. Collision covers damage to your bike from accidents, regardless of who caused them.

A 30-year-old rider with a clean record in a mid-sized city might pay $1,200 to $1,600 annually. A 19-year-old first-time rider on the same bike in the same city could pay $2,800 to $3,500. A 55-year-old with 20 years of riding history might pay $600 to $900. These are ballpark figures — your actual quote will depend on the specific bike, your deductible choice, and your insurer's pricing model.

Key Takeaways

  • Full coverage includes liability (required by law), comprehensive, and collision — the last two are optional but protect your bike if you cause an accident or something else damages it.
  • Monthly premiums typically range from $65 to $210 depending on age, riding history, bike type, and location, but some riders pay more or less.
  • Choosing a higher deductible ($750 or $1,000 instead of $250 or $500) lowers your monthly payment but means you pay more out of pocket if you file a claim.
  • Riders under 25 and over 70 usually pay the highest rates; riders aged 30 to 60 with clean records typically pay the least.
  • The make, model, and year of your motorcycle affects the rate because insurers track repair costs and theft rates for each bike.

What the three parts of full coverage actually cover

Liability insurance is mandatory in every state except New Hampshire. It pays for injuries and property damage you cause to someone else — their medical bills, their vehicle repair, their property. You do not choose this; your state sets the minimum amount you must carry. Most states require $25,000 to $100,000 in bodily injury coverage per person and $50,000 to $100,000 per accident, plus $25,000 to $50,000 in property damage. You can buy more than the minimum.

Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your bike from events you did not cause: theft, fire, flood, hail, vandalism, hitting an animal, or falling objects. It does not cover accidents you cause or collisions. Comprehensive is optional, but if you financed or leased your bike, your lender requires it. If you own the bike outright, you can skip it, but most riders do not.

Collision insurance covers damage to your bike when you hit something or something hits you — another vehicle, a tree, a guardrail, the ground. It pays regardless of who caused the accident. Collision is optional unless your bike is financed. The cost of collision varies sharply based on your deductible: a $250 deductible costs more per month than a $1,000 deductible, but you pay less when you file a claim.

How your age and riding history shape the price

Insurance companies charge younger riders far more because accident and injury rates are highest for riders under 25. A 20-year-old on a 500cc sport bike might pay $3,000 to $4,000 per year for full coverage. That same bike insured for a 40-year-old with no accidents costs $800 to $1,200 per year. The difference is not a penalty — it reflects actual claim data.

Riders over 70 also see higher rates, though usually not as high as teenagers. A clean riding record matters enormously. One at-fault accident or speeding ticket can raise your rate by 20 to 40 percent for three to five years. A DUI or reckless driving conviction can double your rate or cause an insurer to drop you entirely.

Some insurers offer discounts for completing a motorcycle safety course, which can lower your rate by 5 to 15 percent. Others discount riders who bundle motorcycle insurance with auto or home insurance, or who have been with the same company for multiple years. Ask your insurer what discounts you may have access to for before you buy.

The motorcycle itself determines a large part of the cost

Insurers price based on the make, model, year, and engine size of your bike. Sport bikes cost more to insure than cruisers or standard bikes because they are involved in more accidents and are stolen more often. A new Kawasaki Ninja 400 might cost $1,400 to $1,800 per year to insure for a 30-year-old. A new Harley-Davidson Street 750 cruiser for the same rider might cost $900 to $1,200. A used 10-year-old Honda CB500F could cost $700 to $1,000.

Repair costs matter too. If a bike is expensive to repair, comprehensive and collision cost more. If parts are hard to find or the bike is frequently stolen, the rate goes up. Insurers publish lists of which bikes cost the most to insure — you can ask your agent or check the National Insurance Crime Bureau website to see theft rates by model.

Engine size also affects price, but not always in the direction riders expect. A 1200cc cruiser might cost less to insure than a 600cc sport bike because the sport bike is ridden harder and claimed on more often. The insurer's data on that specific model matters more than the engine size alone.

Where you live and how you store your bike

Urban riders pay more than rural riders because theft and accident rates are higher in cities. A rider in Los Angeles or New York City might pay 30 to 50 percent more than someone in a small town with the same bike and record. Weather also matters — riders in areas with frequent hail, flooding, or ice storms pay more for comprehensive coverage.

How you store your bike affects the rate. Bikes kept in a locked garage cost less to insure than bikes kept outside or in an open carport. Some insurers ask whether you have a security system — an alarm or GPS tracker can lower your rate by 5 to 10 percent. Whether you commute on the bike daily or ride it only on weekends also factors in; daily commuters pay more because they log more miles and face more exposure to accidents.

Deductibles and how they change your monthly payment

A deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket when you file a claim. Common deductible options are $250, $500, $750, and $1,000. Choosing a higher deductible lowers your monthly premium. A rider might pay $120 per month with a $250 deductible but only $95 per month with a $1,000 deductible — a savings of $300 per year.

The trade-off is that if you cause an accident and file a collision claim, you pay the full deductible before insurance pays anything. If your bike is stolen and you file a comprehensive claim, same thing. Choose a deductible you can actually afford to pay if you need to file a claim. If you cannot comfortably pay $1,000 out of pocket, a $500 or $750 deductible is the safer choice, even if it costs a bit more per month.

Some riders set different deductibles for comprehensive and collision — for example, $250 for comprehensive (theft and weather are less common) and $750 for collision (you have more control over avoiding accidents). Ask your insurer what combinations are available.

Getting quotes and comparing coverage

Do not assume one insurer's price is the standard. The same rider and bike can cost $1,100 at one company and $1,600 at another. Get quotes from at least three insurers — major national companies like State Farm, Geico, Progressive, and Allstate, plus regional or specialty motorcycle insurers like Dairyland or Motorcycle.com's partner companies.

When you get a quote, make sure you are comparing the same coverage. Ask for the same liability limits, the same deductibles, and the same comprehensive and collision options at each company. A quote that looks cheaper might have lower liability limits or a higher deductible — that is not a better deal, it is a different deal.

Ask each insurer about discounts you might may have access to for: safety course completion, bundling with other insurance, paying in full instead of monthly, paperless billing, or low mileage. Some discounts stack; others do not. The final price after discounts is what matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to buy comprehensive and collision, or can I just buy liability?

If you own your bike outright, you can buy only liability — it is the only coverage required by law. If you financed or leased the bike, your lender requires comprehensive and collision. If you own the bike but it is worth less than $3,000 or $4,000, some riders skip comprehensive and collision to save money, accepting the risk that they will have to replace it themselves if it is stolen or damaged.

What happens if I cause an accident and do not have collision insurance?

Your liability insurance pays for damage to the other person and their property, but nothing pays for damage to your bike. You have to pay for repairs or replacement out of your own pocket. If you cannot afford that, you might have to stop riding until you can.

Can I lower my premium by raising my deductible to $2,500 or $5,000?

Some insurers allow deductibles that high, but most cap them at $1,000 or $1,500. A very high deductible saves money on the premium but means you absorb most of the cost of a minor accident yourself. It only makes sense if you are an experienced rider with a clean record and can afford to pay that much if you need to file a claim.

Does my motorcycle insurance cover me if I ride someone else's bike?

Usually not. Your policy covers the specific bike listed on it. If you ride a friend's bike and cause an accident, their insurance is supposed to cover it, not yours. Some policies have a rider that covers borrowed bikes, but you have to ask your insurer to add it — it is not automatic.

Why did my premium jump up after one accident?

An at-fault accident typically raises your rate by 20 to 40 percent for three to five years. The increase reflects the insurer's assessment that you are now a higher risk. Some companies are more forgiving than others — if the increase feels too steep, get quotes from other insurers, because they may rate the accident differently.