With the arrival of warmer weather, motorcycles are hitting the road in greater numbers and sharing the road with other motorists.
There were 8.6 million motorcycles on the road in 2015, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Motorcycles made up 3% of all registered vehicle in the United States in 2015, and accounted for 0.6% of all miles traveled, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Motorcycles more likely to crash
While their overall numbers may be small, motorcyclist fatalities in 2015 occurred nearly 29 times more frequently than passenger car occupant fatalities in traffic crashes.
A total of 4,976 people died in motorcycle crashes in 2015, up 8% from 4,594 in 2014. And sadly, 40% of the motorcyclists killed in 2015, were not wearing helmets.
The need for motorcycle insurance is clear.
Repairs & insurance claims
The average repair costs for motorycycles have increased from $3,411 to $3,551, or over 4% between 2013 and 2016, acccording to data from CCC Information Services (CCC). ISO, a Verisk business, also found that on a countrywide basis, basic motorcycle collision coverage claims costs have increased steadily between 2011-2015.
A whooping 40% of motorcycle claims are for a total loss, CCC notes.
So, which states have the highest and lowest insurance claim costs for motorcycles that were repaired in 2016 (according to CCC)?
Most expensive states for motorcycle repair claims:
1. Rhode Island ($4,337).
2. Kansas ($4,208).
3. Michigan ($4,123).
4. Utah ($4,115).
5. Arizona ($4,005).
Least expensive states for motorcycle repair claims:
1. Washington D.C. ($2,180).
2. North Carolina ($2,871).
3. New York ($2,955).
4. Nebraska ($3,009).
5. Maine ($3,096).
Cost of motorcycle coverage
After a study of all 50 states, New York City-based ValuePenguin, a consumer research firm, found that the average annual motorcycle insurance rate in the United States for 2017, was $519.
The ValuePenguin study used a male, 45-year-old sample rider and gathered quotes from as many as five major motorcycle insurance carriers in each state. The sample insurance policy included bodily injury protection $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident and $50,000 in property damage coverage. The deductibles for both Comprehensive and Collision coverage were $500.
The state with the lowest premiums also have some of the highest number of registered motorcycles per resident. (Photo: Shutterstock)
States with the lowest motorcycle rates
The five states with the most affordable motorcycle insurance quotes all had rates that were at least 32 percent lower than the average in the U.S. With the exception of New Hampshire, all of the states with the cheapest were also located in the Midwest and Great Plains regions of the U.S.
Interestingly, the cheapest states also have some of the highest number of registered motorcycles per resident. New Hampshire has one motorcycle for every 17 people in the state, which is second in the U.S. only to South Dakota, which had the ninth cheapest rates but led the country with one bike for every 12 people.
Read on to learn the 5 states with the lowest average motorycle insurance premiums:
5. Wyoming
Monthly insurance rate: $30.
Annual motorcycle insurance rate: $354.
Percent change vs. average: -32%.
(Photo: iStock)
4. New Hampshire
Monthly insurance rate: $29.
Annual motorcycle insurance rate: $352.
Percent change vs. average: -32%.
Related: 10 states with the worst drivers
(Photo: Shutterstock)
3. Oklahoma
Monthly insurance rate: $28.
Annual motorcycle insurance rate: $341.
Percent change vs. average: -34%.
Related: Are we safe drivers? Apparently not…
(Photo: Shutterstock)
2. Iowa
Monthly insurance rate: $27.
Annual motorcycle insurance rate: $323.
Percent change vs. average: -38%.
(Photo: iStock)
1. North Dakota
Monthly insurance rate: $24.
Annual motorcycle insurance rate: $283.
Percent change vs. average: -45%.
Where motorcycle insurance is most expensive
Unlike the states with the cheapest motorcycle insurance, those with the most expensive rates were more separated from one another. The number of residents per bike seems to correlate with the most expensive states as well.
Keep reading to learn the 5 states with the highest average cost of motorcycle insurance:
(Photo: Shutterstock)
5. Florida
Monthly insurance rate: $57.
Annual motorcycle insurance rate: $689.
Percent change vs. average: 33%.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
4. Delaware
Monthly insurance rate: $61.
Annual motorcycle insurance rate: $734.
Percent change vs. average: 41%.
(Photo: iStock)
3. Michigan
Monthly insurance rate: $62.
Annual motorcycle insurance rate: $746.
Percent change vs. average: 44%.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
2. Texas
Monthly insurance rate: $62.
Annual motorcycle insurance rate: $749.
Percent change vs. average: 44%.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
1. Louisiana
Monthly insurance rate: $75.
Annual motorcycle insurance rate: $896.
Percent change vs. average: 73%.
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