Does Motorcycle Insurance Have the Same Coverage as Car Insurance?

Although motorcycles are vastly different from some vehicles, a lot of the insurance needs are the same or similar. Both policy types are designed to cover the driver, passengers, the vehicle and everyone else on the road in case of an accident.

Coverages They Share

Coverages shared between motorcycle and car insurance policies include:

Comprehensive Coverage: Comprehensive coverage provides compensation for damages to the vehicle or bike caused by fire, wind, hail, lightning, explosions, theft, vandalism and more.
Collision Coverage: Collision coverage provides compensation for damages to the vehicle or bike caused by collision with another vehicle or object.
Liability: Liability insurance covers bodily injury or property damage the driver may cause while operating the insured vehicle or motorcycle.
Medical Payments Coverage: Medical payments cover medical expenses for the driver and their passengers in case of an accident, no matter who is at fault.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist: This coverage provides compensation for accidents that involve a driver not carrying insurance.

Required Coverages

Car and motorcycle insurance requirements are dependent on the state. Some states don’t have minimum motorcycle insurance requirements. In many states, however, these requirements are the same. In Texas, for example, all drivers and motorcyclists must carry at least:

$30,000 in bodily injury liability per person
$60,000 in bodily injury liability per accident
$25,000 in property damage liability

Differences in Coverages

There are some slight differences in the coverage offered by motorcycle insurance versus car insurance. Motorcycles are often customized in ways cars can’t be, such as adding sidecars and wearing safety equipment like helmets. Motorcyclists can buy additional coverage to cover these upgrades and gear from loss or damage due to fire, wind, rain, theft, vandalism, etc.

Another difference is guest passenger liability. Guest passenger liability is available for recreational vehicles such as motorcycles. This coverage pays for your passenger’s medical expenses if they are hurt by a motorcycle accident that you cause. This is not the same as medical payments coverage or personal injury protection. Whereas those coverages provide compensation for injuries no matter who caused the accident, guest passenger liability specifically covers passenger medical expenses if the driver is at fault for the accident.

Is Motorcycle Insurance More Expensive than Car Insurance?

Despite motorcycles’ reputation for being dangerous, motorcycle insurance generally costs less on average than cars or vans. This is mostly due to the size, but can depend on other factors.

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