Best Motorcycle Insurance

Markel Insurance tops our list for the best motorcycle insurance because it specializes in the market. The insurer has a policy covering almost any type of motorcycle, including cruisers, touring motorcycles, sport bikes, sport-touring bikes, big twins, street bikes, scooters/mopeds, dirt bikes, trikes, and other custom motorcycles. Markel offers extensive discounts that can add up to as much as a 35 percent discount on your motorcycle policy. Discounts include anti-lock brakes, anti-theft alarm, multi-unit, renewal, safe driver, safety course, accident forgiveness, and a transfer discount of 10%. For safe drivers, there is a diminishing deductible, meaning your deductible decreases by 25% for each policy year you remain accident-free. 

Here are the motorcycle insurance coverage options available through Markel:

• Collision
• Comprehensive
• Accessory coverage
• Uninsured/underinsurance motorist
• Mechanical breakdown
• Trailer
• Medical payments
• Funeral expenses
• Bodily injury/property damage liability
• Passenger liability
• Roadside assistance
• Emergency delivery of supplies
• Emergency tire and battery service
• Emergency trip interruption reimbursement
• Customized road mapping service
• Locksmith service
• Rental reimbursement coverage

It's important to note that even though Markel does offer trip interruption and roadside assistance coverage for a fee ($50 per unit per year), this coverage is unavailable for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and dirt bikes.

And on the downside, some customer reviews on third-party sites complain that Markel cancelled policies after a claim was filed, stalled on paying claims, and increased premiums after the first year.

Allstate has some unique aspects to its motorcycle insurance that are great for young drivers. Allstate’s First-Accident Waiver forgives the first motorcycle accident without raising your insurance premium, and the Allstate Rider Protection Project is a safety training program providing educational resources for motorcycle drivers.

Discounts can save you on your motorcycle insurance premium and include multi-policy, good rider (accident-free), transfer discount, motorcycle safety course, and a motorcycle organization discount for belonging to an approved motorcycle association.

Coverage options include:

• Medical payments
• Personal injury protection
• Collision
• Comprehensive
• Uninsured/under-insured motorist
• Off-road vehicle transport and trailer damage insurance
• Property damage/bodily injury liability
• Optional/added equipment coverage
• Towing, lease/loan gap coverage
• Rental reimbursement

Third-party customer reviews are less-than-flattering, with some customers complaining about premiums skyrocketing after the first month, lackluster customer service experiences, and claims being denied.

Safeco made our top pick for best affordable coverage because you can save with discounts for being claims-free for 12 months, as well as for completing a motorcycle safety course and for bundling with other Safeco products.

The company will insure most types of motorcycles, including mopeds, scooters, sport bikes, cruisers, dirt bikes, and touring bikes.

But if you're looking to cover a bike used for racing or one with a nitrous oxide kit, you'll have to look elsewhere. Safeco won't cover you.

One thing we particularly like about Safeco is its full-reimbursement options. The insurer has options to reimburse you for the full replacement value of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, as well as for safety apparel lost in a collision. The company will also cover original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts.

Coverage options include:

• Bodily injury liability
• Collision
• Medical payments
• OEM manufacturers parts
• Roadside assistance

USAA is our top pick for motorcycle insurance for military members. This is hardly surprising since USAA also made our best-of list for car insurance for seniors, and it's a frequent winner for categories involving military members or their families.

Motorcycle insurance is available to U.S. military members of all types including reserve, the National Guard, veterans, precommissioned officers, and their spouses and children.

USAA offers many discounts for its members who purchase motorcycle insurance. Some of the discounts include a multi-vehicle discount, defensive driving course, and a good driver discount.

Coverages offered include:

• Liability for bodily injury/property damage
• Comprehensive
• Collision
• Uninsured/under-insured motorist
• Medical payments
• Roadside assistance

Farmers Insurance made our top pick for motorcycle insurance for those who want to bundle. You can save if you bundle your motorcycle, auto, home, and life insurance all from the same company.

If you're already a Farmers insurance customer, adding motorcycle insurance to your existing policies makes sense. The company offers a multi-policy discount, and you can also receive a discount for an approved safety course, airbags, anti-lock brakes and there is a preferred operator discount.

On the downside, some third-party customer reviews indicate a problem with customer service, including responsiveness, difficulty receiving resolutions for their questions, and dissatisfaction with claims handling.

Coverage options include:

• Liability for property damage and bodily injury
• Collision
• Comprehensive
• Medical payments
• Safety apparel coverage
• Optional equipment coverage up to $15,000
• Trailer transport coverage up to $7,500
• Towing and roadside assistance
• Total loss coverage for five years
• Optional increased liability limits

Nationwide Insurance has some unique policy features for motorcycle drivers who have a safe driving record, including its vanishing deductible option that reduces your policy deductible by $100 (up to $500) for every policy year you are claims-free. The vanishing deductible option is not unique to Nationwide; however, the $100 deduction is more than some other insurance companies that offer a vanishing deductible option.

Discounts include:

• Multi-policy
• Multi-vehicle
• Motorcycle safety course
• Paid-in-full, riding association
• Theft-recovery device
• Anti-lock brake discounts

An OEM endorsement is available, which guarantees your motorcycle is repaired using only original equipment manufacturer parts. Claims service repairs are guaranteed for as long as you own your motorcycle.

Coverage options include:

• Property damage and bodily injury liability
• Collision
• Comprehensive
• Uninsured/under-insured motorist
• Roadside assistance
• Medical payments.

Dairyland Insurance made our pick for best motorcycle insurance for high-risk drivers because it specializes in non-standard motorcycle insurance to residents in 49 states.

The company provides SR-22 insurance forms for high-risk drivers who need to file financial responsibility with their state. Motorcycle insurance is available for many types and brands of motorcycles, including mopeds, scooters, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Indian, Suzuki, Yamaha, and more. There is a physical damage plus option that allows you to have your motorcycle repaired with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts.

Coverage options include:

• Property damage and bodily injury liability
• Collision
• Comprehensive
• Custom motorcycles
• Roadside assistance
• Replacement costs
• Rental reimbursement
• Uninsured motorist bodily injury
• Property damage

Dairyland also provides discounts for:

• Multiple bikes
• Homeowners
• Motorcycle safety course
• Loyalty and rider group memberships

Looking to some customer complaints, Dairyland's app is repeatedly called out for bugs and a lack of functionality in third-party reviews. Others note that Dairyland's coverage is pretty bare bones without a lot of perks.