Do you see posts on Facebook asking what motorcycle insurance everyone has and asking for a referral for “cheap” motorcycle insurance. Here is what you need to know about “cheap” motorcycle insurance.

#1 – Never decline uninsured motorist coverage in order to reduce your premium. Uninsured coverage kicks in when you are injured by a vehicle driver who has no insurance. Of all Utah drivers about 13% (1 in 8) carry no vehicle coverage at all. That means that if you are in a crash, and presuming the person that hit you has no insurance, you may be SOL.

#2 – Never decline underinsured motorist coverage in order to reduce your premium. Underinsured coverage kicks in when the person that hit you has coverage but it is not enough to cover all of your injuries. A simple example: you are hit by a vehicle driver who has the minimum coverage in Utah and your leg is fractured. Minimum coverage in Utah is $25,000 and the cost to repair a fractured leg, presuming all goes well, is about $30,000. This case should be valued at about $90,000 to $120,000. If you have no underinsured coverage you will get the $25,000 minimal coverage but forego the true value of the claim—losing between $65,000 to $95,000. The premium for underinsured motorcycle coverage is minimal when considering the alternative.

#3 – Consider adding “Med-pay” coverage. If you do not have medical insurance med-pay is a must. Whether you have medical insurance or not, Med-pay will pay for your medical care to treat your injuries up to the amount of coverage you purchase. It will pay only in the event that you are injured on your motorcycle. It is cheap coverage compared to the costs of treatment.

You get what you pay for in this world. Both underinsured, uninsured, and med-pay are relatively cheap – please make sure you have this coverage. Do not fall into the trap of waiving this coverage in order to get a “cheap” policy.

Also be wary of what the insurance salesman calls, “full coverage.” What the salesman thinks is full coverage and what you think is full coverage are often quite different. That is the topic for another article however.

Written by George Tait – a biker, an attorney, & owner of Utah Bike Law.