Does anybody ride without motorcycle insurance?

On a group ride last week and chopper dude runs wide on corner and you know the rest. He's not hurt bad mostly road rash and thank God event required helmets or it could have been worst. Bike is a mess. So we are helping him get his bike and him out of the ditch and someone says "Good thing for insurance now you can get something better". He says he don't have any insurance is a ripoff. I can't believe my ears I only pay a little over a $100 a year for full coverage. I know my bike is old and I won't get much for it but the liability, medical and life insurance give me peace of mind for my loved ones. It's so affordable I don't get IT. If you don't have any insurance please get some . You never know.

 

I have medical, I carry the required liability.
I dropped full coverage on bikes when I got a used CBR954 for $7k, and they wanted $1k a year to insure it.
Just don't crash.

 

Medical is covered by a state-run scheme here, so I just carry third-party insurance so that in the event of causing damage to another vehicle, I have coverage. Much as I love my two-wheeled toys, for the price I paid none of them justifies paying for comprehensive insurance. That would change if the usage put them at risk of theft, or if I purchased a new new bike.

 

Here insurance is compulsory.

 

I only have liability. I haven't stuffed it yet, and I can't imagine full coverage for a $6000 motorcycle really paying off at these odds.

 

Must laugh at the rates you fellas are paying.
Insurance in bagged milk land is super expensive, and as such, paying just shy of $1,000/year here. The difference between liability only and full pop is a meager $10/month.
Wildly enough, they place the replacement value of a 2001 VFR at over $14,000.

 

$14,000?! Sounds like I should get full coverage and stop being so careful

 

Well, there's riding without insurance, and then there's riding without full coverage. Our full coverage on our 3 bikes is less than $400/year. But I've been thinking about going with just liability since the bikes are getting old enough that payout for bike repair would be negligible.

 

Wow insurance is expensive some places. I'm only paying $104 a year for everything. Here in Florida for the "privilege" of riding without a helmet you only have to have $10,000 in medical coverage. Which we all know will be used up in about 30 minuets in the emergency room.

 

Liability only, I'm paying under $300/year for 4 bikes.
All my bikes are purchased under $3K, no need for more than liability coverage.
I can only insure 4 bikes at a time with a single insurance company; so I move insurance from bike to bike as I ride them.

 

I'd suggest that if you ride without a helmet, its unlikely that you will see an emergency room. Just the Morgue...

 

Nice collection you have! How do you decide which one to ride?

 

Thanks, the picture is not even half of bikes I own.. change them like underwear..

 

Well I'm fairly experienced - 33 years riding, & over 300,000m, but I have only ridden a few hundred miles with no helmet... That was on holidays (France & the Greek islands) in the 80 & 90's when people were just less aggressive...

In 88, I borrowed a friends Ninja 900 at Fort Ord & got to 130ish (no helmet - didn't fit ! just sunglasses & leather jacket """!!!""") watched by a few police ! - those were the days...

However, got hit in the eye once by a bee at 50mph & that nearly knocked me off the back of the bike !!

Up to 30mph I'm not bothered but over that, helmet all the way.

 

You can choose to ride without a helmet. You can also choose to ask a Scotsman in a kilt why he is wearing a skirt. Neither is advisable for long term health.

 

I'd like to think that people are stupid enough to do anything they want, helmet or no helmet; you operate your vehicle the way you want and take however much risk you like. If you're going to act stupid, you better be tough.

I ride without a helmet around my neighborhood all the time, in PA there is no helmet requirement to operate a motorcycle.
I know that I don't take any unnecessary risk when I ride without a helmet and I operate my vehicle with plenty of caution.

When it is scorching hot out, I ride with my motorcycles with a bicycle helmet; riding in the dirt, I ride with my downhill ski or Mt. bike helmet, for much better ventilation and less weight on my head vs a motorcycle helmet.
I choose the right equipment to wear withing the boundary of risk that I take.

The unforeseen risks.. well that's where the insurance comes in.
Over two decades of operating motorcycles, I've never had to file a claim with my insurance company, only others have to pay me when incidents occur and I've made out pretty good every time.