Comprehensive motorcycle insurance isn’t a separate insurance policy. Instead, it’s one core component of a broader, full-coverage motorcycle insurance policy.
While not required by law, comprehensive motorcycle insurance offers you financial protection when your bike is damaged by one of many covered events. Also, if you finance or lease your motorcycle, your lender may require you to carry comprehensive coverage.
Key Points
• Comprehensive motorcycle insurance is a component of full-coverage policies that pays for non-collision damage from events like fire, weather, theft, vandalism, and animal collisions.
• Coverage includes a deductible that must be paid before insurance kicks in, plus a coverage limit determining the maximum payout for repairs or replacement.
• While not legally mandated, lenders who finance or lease motorcycles often require comprehensive coverage as a condition of the loan or lease agreement.
• Comprehensive insurance excludes collisions with vehicles or objects, medical costs, damage from wear and tear, negligence, and reckless driving incidents.
• Purchasing comprehensive coverage is advisable for riders who cannot afford to repair or replace their motorcycle independently after damage occurs.
What Is Comprehensive Motorcycle Insurance?
Much like comprehensive coverage for car insurance, comprehensive motorcycle insurance pays for damage to your motorcycle not caused by a collision. Instead, it covers damage from events such as fire, weather, natural disasters, vandalism, and falling objects. It also covers theft and collisions with animals.
Comprehensive motorbike insurance comes with a deductible. In the event you file a claim for covered damage, you’ll first have to pay the deductible before coverage kicks in. For instance, if repair costs for your motorcycle are $3,000, but your deductible is $500, you’ll pay $500, and insurance will pay the remaining $2,500.
Your motorcycle comprehensive insurance will also have a coverage limit—that is, the maximum amount that your insurance will pay to repair or replace your bike after a covered event. Typically, comprehensive motorcycle coverage limits are the actual cash value (depreciated) of the bike itself. You will need to determine the value of your motorcycle to set the appropriate coverage limits.
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What Does Comprehensive Coverage Include?
So what gets covered when you obtain motorcycle insurance with comprehensive coverage? This coverage operates much like how auto insurance works.
Here’s a closer look at what’s covered and how:
Theft
If your motorcycle is stolen and not recovered, comprehensive coverage will help pay to replace the bike, up to its actual (depreciated) cash value, minus your deductible.
Vandalism
Similarly, if someone vandalizes your bike (e.g., intentionally knocks it over, breaks the glass, etc.), either on your property or when it’s parked somewhere public, you can file a claim through your comprehensive coverage to get insurance to help cover the cost of repairs.
Fire
Comprehensive motorcycle coverage helps pay for damage to your bike resulting from fire or an explosion.
Weather-Related Damage
You can also file a damage claim via comprehensive motorcycle insurance if your chopper gets damaged during a storm, such as a hailstorm, hurricane, or tornado.
Animal Collisions
While collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians, and stationary objects (such as guardrails, buildings, and fences) are covered by collision motorcycle insurance, there is one type of collision that actually gets lumped into comprehensive coverage: a collision with an animal.
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What Comprehensive Insurance Does Not Cover
While the word “comprehensive” sounds all-encompassing, there are several things that comprehensive motorbike insurance does not cover, including:
• Collisions with vehicles, pedestrians, and stationary objects (this is covered by collision insurance)
• Medical costs
• Damage from normal wear and tear or negligence
• Damage from reckless driving
Comprehensive vs. Collision Coverage
Comprehensive and collision work together to fully cover your motorcycle when it’s damaged. But each covers different sources of damage.
| Source of damage | Comprehensive | Collision |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | ✓ | |
| Collision with an animal | ✓ | |
| Collision with a pedestrian or stationary object | ✓ | |
| Accidental fall to the ground | ✓ | |
| Intentional fall to the ground (vandalism) | ✓ | |
| Vandalism | ✓ | |
| Theft | ✓ | |
| Weather, such as wind or hail | ✓ | |
| Fire or explosion | ✓ |
Collision coverage applies in scenarios such as:
• Your bike collides with another vehicle, regardless of fault.
• You crash your motorcycle into a tree, lamp post, fence, or other stationary object.
• You crash your bike into a building.
• Your bike is damaged after falling over.
• Your bike is damaged after you ride over a pothole.
Comprehensive coverage applies when your bike is damaged by:
• Fires and explosions
• Vandalism and theft
• Weather incidents
• Collisions with animals
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Do You Need Comprehensive Motorcycle Insurance?
Nearly every state requires you to carry some level of minimum liability insurance if you ride a motorcycle, and some may also require uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage and either personal injury protection (PIP) or medical payments. Comprehensive motorcycle coverage, however, is not required by law.
That said, if you finance or lease your bike, or you refinance your motorcycle, the lender likely requires you to cover some level of comprehensive motorcycle insurance. You can contact the lender to understand all insurance requirements.
Even if you’re not required to carry comprehensive motorbike insurance, it’s still an important coverage to consider. Together, comprehensive and collision coverage help you fully protect your motorcycle financially.
A full-coverage motorcycle insurance policy typically includes:
• Liability coverage (check your state’s minimum requirements)
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
• Comprehensive and collision coverage
You can enhance your policy with optional add-ons, such as roadside assistance.
The Takeaway
Comprehensive motorcycle insurance may not be required by law, but if you lease or finance your motorcycle, you may be required to carry it. Even if you aren’t required to carry motorcycle comprehensive insurance, it’s a good idea to purchase this coverage if you wouldn’t be able to pay to repair or replace your bike on your own, should it become damaged.
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FAQ
Does comprehensive cover flood damage to a motorcycle?
Yes, comprehensive coverage typically covers flood damage to a motorcycle. In general, comprehensive applies to bike damage from any weather event. Speak with your insurer to understand if there are any exclusions related to flooding.
Will filing a comprehensive claim raise my premium?
Filing a comprehensive claim could raise your insurance premium. How much your insurance goes up depends on several factors, including the type of accident and who was at fault. Some insurers may have accident forgiveness programs that keep premiums from rising after claims.
Is windshield damage covered under comprehensive coverage?
As with car insurance, comprehensive coverage for motorcycle insurance should cover damage to your windshield, if that damage is caused by a comprehensive coverage-related event, including a collision with an animal, vandalism, or a fire.
If the windshield is damaged in a car accident, your collision coverage would help pay for it instead; that said, if the other driver is at fault, you can file a claim against their insurance instead.
Does comprehensive cover damage from riots and civil unrest?
Damage from riots and civil unrest is typically covered by comprehensive coverage for motorcycle insurance. Speak with your insurer to understand the specifics of your policy.
Can you remove comprehensive coverage during winter storage?
Theoretically, you can choose to cancel your coverage or reduce your coverage while it’s in storage during the winter. However, if you are still leasing or financing the motorcycle, your lender will likely require you to keep coverage active during that time.
Even if it’s not required, think twice before removing coverage when storing your bike for the winter. There’s still the risk of damage due to fire, flooding, vandalism, and theft.
Photo credit: iStock/chabybucko
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