Anybody in MA. get their 2005 Motorcycle Ins. quote yet?

[tls25rs]

I just got my insurance policy for this year and it was accompanied by a letter explaining a bunch of changes for motorcycle insurance policies for 2005. I am curious if all insurance companies are doing the same or if it just Arbella who I have.

Changes include:

Inexperienced rating classification for operators licensed with the motorcycle endorsment for less than 6 years or a learners permit

Inexperienced rate classification applies to all motorcycles owned and operated by the inexperienced operator. (guessing this means Junior can't be put on Dad's policy without a rate increase)

The application of the highest SDIP rating to the insured's highest rated vehicle whether it is an auto or a motorcycle (wonder if this means I can get a multi vehicle discount now)

Rating plan is changed to include applying Private Passenger Automobile rating territories to motorcycles along with the elimination of engine size as a rating factor for collision coverage.

Let me know if these are changes everyone is seeing on their policies or just Arbella based.

L8R

Joel

[Karaya One]

$178.00.

1983 Honda CB1000C with California sidecar.

Garaged in Spencer, MA.

[slingblade]

I just have my 'estimated rates' thats dated 1/5, and got the same estimate on 2/5.

$717/year FULL boat, everything max'd out. MSF training applied.

[Wayne-o]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm........must be that ticket I got last year.

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by tls25rs
Changes include:

Inexperienced rating classification for operators licensed with the motorcycle endorsment for less than 6 years or a learners permit

that's bullshit... i may have only had my license for three years, been riding consistantly for just one, but i've aquired SO much experience & knowledge this season both through my own riding & ESPECIALLY through you guys that i feel i have the experience of a squid who's been riding for 6 years. Most people w/ their motorcycle endorsment don't even ride 2000 miles a season, i rode almost 10k in 7 months.

hopfully that doesn't apply to my carrier & up my rates

[Suf Daddy]

AND..........YOU win a free snow-cone!
-Suf Daddy

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
that's bullshit... i may have only had my license for three years, been riding consistantly for just one, but i've aquired SO much experience & knowledge this season both through my own riding & through you guys that i feel i have the experience of a squid who's been riding for 6 years. Most people w/ their motorcycle endorsment don't even ride 2000 miles a season, i rode almost 10k in 7 months.

hopfully that doesn't apply to my carrier & up my rates

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by Suf Daddy
AND..........YOU win a free snow-cone!
-Suf Daddy

BITCHIN .... er... it's not "lemon" flavored, is it?

and btw... my rant is not about how awesome I am (cuz we all know i'm wicked awesome), but more about how insurance carriers should look at the rider's SKILLS & not how long they've had their license.

[joberly]

Mine didn't seem to go up... I pay a about 550 full coverage for the TLR...

[highsider]

I pay State Farm $384/year for the full coverage (theft, collision, comp, etc) on my R1.

[benVFR]

The "inexperienced operator" thing is nothing new.

All they apparently did is add a bike specific clause.

We all get penalized already during your first 6 years with a license.

It is pretty hard to see a problem with an "inexperienced operator" clause, as it is undeniable that new(er) riders do generate more claims.

I got my 2005 policy a long time ago, it's probably 1/2 paid for by now. None of these changes made it go up enough for me to even call the insurance rep and ask what was going on.

[OreoGaborio]

yeah, i totally see the reason for it.... i just think it shouldn't apply to ME cuz I'm perfect. (far from it)

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
that's bullshit... i may have only had my license for three years, been riding consistantly for just one, but i've aquired SO much experience & knowledge this season both through my own riding & ESPECIALLY through you guys that i feel i have the experience of a squid who's been riding for 6 years. Most people w/ their motorcycle endorsment don't even ride 2000 miles a season, i rode almost 10k in 7 months.

hopfully that doesn't apply to my carrier & up my rates

You should join up on one of Stoinkythepig's Conk rides sometime. Most of the guys on those rides have 15+ years of riding experience. And it shows, not because they ride fast (I'd ridden with lots of less experienced, faster riders) but by the way their actions on the bikes are so fluid, natural, unconscious. Anyone can ride a bike fast and drag knee in the corners when things are going perfect, it's those years of experience that allow you to react well to the unexpected. That's why they get an insurance discount, and we pay higher rates.

My only major accident (so far, knock on wood) came in the middle of my second season, when the hubris started kicking in and I thought I was hot shit on a bike. But then I got in a bad situation and found out I didn't have the experience to get myself out of it. That was around the 10k street mile mark too, fwiw.

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by Honclfibr
You should join up on one of Stoinkythepig's Conk rides sometime. Most of the guys on those rides have 15+ years of riding experience. And it shows, not because they ride fast (I'd ridden with lots of less experienced, faster riders) but by the way their actions on the bikes are so fluid, natural, unconscious. Anyone can ride a bike fast and drag knee in the corners when things are going perfect, it's those years of experience that allow you to react well to the unexpected. That's why they get an insurance discount, and we pay higher rates.

My only major accident (so far, knock on wood) came in the middle of my second season, when the hubris started kicking in and I thought I was hot shit on a bike. But then I got in a bad situation and found out I didn't have the experience to get myself out of it. That was around the 10k street mile mark too, fwiw.

oh man i'd love to go one one of those rides... i see now my post came through hot headed, but i'm in no way saying i'm an experienced veteran rider in 10,000 miles. i just feel like i know more than the average 3, 4 or even 5 seasoner squid (especially ones that only ride 1-2k a year like the previos owner of my bike) and in a perfect world insurance companies could see what kind of experience a rider has and not rely on years of experience (i know some guys that have been riding a 2-3 seasons longer than I have and have less experience IMO). BUT - i wanna stress this - i also know enough to know i don't know jack SHIT about real serious riding. My brain may know the theory, but my body doesn't yet and i know that.

now there's SERIOUSLY no group ride better than one spent gettin schooled by the vets. I love that shit cuz it means i'm learning more about something i love & wanna lengthen my riding years as much as possible ... i'm definintely lookin forward to more group rides this season. (*see "Thought i'd get a little sentimental w/ a big 'Thank You'" thread )

[RandyO]

Originally posted by tls25rs
I just got my insurance policy for this year and it was Rating plan is changed to include applying Private Passenger Automobile rating territories to motorcycles along with the elimination of engine size as a rating factor for collision coverage.

Joel

Sounds like the insurance companies have discovered that 600cc sportbikes are higher risk of lot than 1500cc cruiser

[ZX-12R]

Originally posted by RandyO
Sounds like the insurance companies have discovered that 600cc sportbikes are higher risk of lot than 1500cc cruiser

Actually in MA, the 600's have always been more to insure than the liter class bikes. I forget the pricing structure off hand but according to the state of MA, smaller displacement bikes are "harder to see" which is why they are involved in more accidents so their rates are higher. I seem to remember the CC line being drawn around 700 cc's. Anything over is a large bike and anything under is a small bike.

I'm also paying in the low $700s for maxed out coverage on my bike. If anything happens to it, it is covered. I'm also a step 10 driver.

[MissTwisties]

Man God buying his brand new ZX-10R....I think we forgot about insurances....hikkkkk.....with the ZX-9, it was over $1050 for a year. Don't want to know how much it's gonna be for that one...

[tls25rs]

So, looks like nobody but me got this information with their policies. I was just curious, that's all. This new method my company is using actually saves me a ton of money, I went from paying $1099/yr down to $585/yr with these changes. I aint gonna complain at all.

L8R

Joel

[snowborder]

that's because you were getting rooked in the first place. $484 for a 12 month policy full coverage.

[tls25rs]

Originally posted by snowborder
that's because you were getting rooked in the first place. $484 for a 12 month policy full coverage.

Nope, not getting rooked. Just happen to live in a town with a horrible territory rating and have a not so good driving record which left me at a step 15 giving me no credits with which to lower my rates.

I have spent alot of time going back and forth with insurance companies about my rates so that at this point I am fairly certain I understand how the system works and I just happen to be in a segment that the system doesn't work so well for.

The town I live in is a territory level 12, the town my motorcycle is actualy garged in, and therefore what I am charged based on, is a terrritory level 9. I am betting that all of the people that are getting great rates on their insurance live in towns that are at a lower territory level, because other than that the rates are set by the state.

L8R

Joel

[katana0215]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
that's bullshit... i may have only had my license for three years, been riding consistantly for just one, but i've aquired SO much experience & knowledge this season both through my own riding & ESPECIALLY through you guys that i feel i have the experience of a squid who's been riding for 6 years. Most people w/ their motorcycle endorsment don't even ride 2000 miles a season, i rode almost 10k in 7 months.

hopfully that doesn't apply to my carrier & up my rates

But didnt you go down last year?

[tls25rs]

Originally posted by katana0215
But didnt you go down last year?

OOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUCCCCCCCHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!



nothing like letting a guy down nice and easy huh?



Joel

[katana0215]

i wasnt trying to be a dick. Its a valid point. His skill level doesnt matter if he went down. An insurance company wouldnt care if he was Valentino Rossi if he makes a claim. that will cause rates to go up

[OreoGaborio]

yip, as a matter of fact i did... and your also right as it has nothing to do w/ my skill level. it was pretty much just wrong place wrong time, nothin else - bad luck... there wasn't alot i coulda done to make it any better.... but i still chalk that up to another learning experience & i'm not ashamed of it at all. Even though it may have been back luck/wrong place/wrong time, i was still able to take somethin from it that probably isn't in any book to help prevent it from happening in the future.

Now if that contradicts what i just said earlier about my experience, so be it, but next time i'm getting off a highway i'm gonna be closer to the outside of the turn & away from the vision-obstructing guardrail.

As far as insurance goes, i didn't bother to make a claim, it wasn't worth it, pretty minor damage... though it woulda been nice if i coulda made YOUR rates climb a little jk