Best Motorcycle Insurance in Colorado

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Contributor, Benzinga
January 6, 2021

Colorado has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country, and you can get the full experience on a motorcycle. 

To protect yourself while you ride, it’s critical to have the right insurance. Learn more about motorcycle insurance in Colorado. 

Colorado Motorcycle Insurance: An Overview

  • State minimum insurance requirements:
    • Bodily injury: $25,000 for any 1 person, $50,000 per accident
    • Property damage: $15,000 for any 1 accident
  • Average annual rate with a clean driving record: $602

Colorado Motorcycle Insurance Law Explained

Colorado requires you to have 2 types of liability insurance. Liability insurance covers losses to the other parties if you’re found to be at fault, or responsible, in an accident. Bodily injury liability covers the medical bills for the other party. 

In Colorado, you have to carry a minimum of $25,000 for any one person and $50,000 per accident. You also have to carry property damage liability, which pays for damage to the property of the other parties. In Colorado, you have to carry a minimum of $15,000 of property damage insurance. 

While you can carry the minimum coverage amounts, it’s often wise to opt for more coverage. Medical bills can be high, and damage to other vehicles could easily exceed $15,000 depending on the accident. 

Optional Coverage Options

For additional protection, you may want to opt for full coverage, which typically includes uninsured/underinsured motorist, comprehensive, collision and medical payment coverage. 

There’s no set definition for full coverage, though, so make sure you and any insurance companies you’re considering are on the same page when it comes to the types of coverage in your policy. 

Here’s a closer look at these optional types of coverage:

  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. This type of coverage pays for any injuries you sustain in an accident involving a driver who doesn’t have insurance, doesn’t have enough insurance or who flees the scene and can’t be identified. All insurance companies in Colorado must offer you this coverage with the same limits as your bodily injury liability coverage, but you can decline it or opt for a lower amount of coverage. 
  • Comprehensive coverage. This coverage helps to pay for damage that’s not related to an accident. For example, it typically covers damage to your bike from fire, falling objects and vandalism as well as the loss of your bike due to theft. It typically covers the book value of your motorcycle, up to the limits of your policy. 
  • Collision coverage. This coverage pays for damage to your bike that results from an accident. It typically pays up to the book value of your bike. 
  • Medical payments. This coverage helps to pay for medical treatment for any injuries to you or your passengers in an accident. 

If you’ve customized your bike, you may want to opt for coverage for customized motorcycle parts. This helps to make up the difference between the book value of your bike and the actual value with your customizations. 

Colorado Motorcycle Insurance Rates Per Bike

The type of motorcycle you have plays an important role in your insurance rates. Standard and dual sport bikes are typically the cheapest to insure. Touring bikes and cruisers are more expensive than standard and dual sports, and sportbikes are the most expensive to insure due to their speed and power. 

Many other factors make a difference in your insurance rates, though, including:

  • The make, model and year of your bike. Newer bikes are usually more expensive to insure than older bikes, assuming the make and model are the same. 
  • Where you live. Some areas experience higher rates of theft and/or vandalism, leading to higher rates. Areas with harsher winters may have lower rates since you can’t ride as much. 
  • Your age. In general, your rates are higher when you’re younger and go down as you get older. 
  • Your riding experience. Your rates also decrease as you gain riding experience. 
  • Your driving history. Insurers look at your overall driving history when deciding your rates. If you have speeding tickets and/or traffic violations on your record, you’ll pay more. On the plus side, those tend to fall off after 3 years, and after that, your rates will be lower. 
  • Your claims history. Insurers will also look at how you’ve used motorcycle and auto insurance. Any claim has the potential to increase your rates, even if you weren’t at fault. At-fault claims will increase your rates more, though. 
  • Your credit. Insurers also consider your credit-based insurance score. This score is different from your credit score, but it includes many of the same factors. It takes into account whether you’ve made payments on time, the amount of debt you have and how long you’ve had credit. A higher score typically results in lower rates. 
  • Your deductible. This is the amount you pay toward a claim before your insurance starts paying. A higher deductible means a lower rate on your insurance, but it also means you’ll pay more out of pocket if there’s a claim. Each type of coverage you have will have its own deductible. 
  • Your policy limits. This is the most your policy will pay on a claim in a given year. If you’re found responsible for costs that exceed your policy limit, you must pay the difference. This is why you may want to purchase more than the minimum required liability insurance. 

Insurance companies typically offer discounts, which can significantly lower your rates. Here are some discounts to look for:

  • Bundling. Also known as multi-policy discounts, this discount is for having multiple types of insurance with the same insurance company. For example, you might have motorcycle and homeowners insurance with the same provider. 
  • Multi-vehicle. This lowers your premium for having multiple vehicles (like a car and a motorcycle) insured with the same company. 
  • Paying in full. If you pay your semi-annual or annual premium all at once, you typically receive a discount. 
  • Anti-lock brakes. This feature makes it safer to ride, which is why insurance companies offer a discount. 
  • Anti-theft device. Insurance providers will lower your rate if you have a professionally installed anti-theft device. 
  • Motorcycle safety course. It never hurts to brush up on your skills, and companies often offer a discount for taking a course. 
  • Homeowner. If you own a home, you may be eligible for a discount. 
  • Riding group. If you belong to a riding association, you might qualify for a lower rate.
  • Affinity group. Many organizations, like alumni associations and professional groups, partner with insurance companies to offer discounts to their members. 

Motorcycle Insurance Quotes in Colorado

How much is motorcycle insurance? Here are quotes from some of the top motorcycle insurance companies in Colorado. 

CompanyQuote for a 1-year policyPrice Rating
Harley Davidson Insurance$1,062.492
Farmers$5874
Progressive$9703
Nationwide$6954
State Farm$5984

Motorcycle Insurance Discounts

Motorcycle insurance companies vary when it comes to the discounts they offer. Here are the discounts available from several Colorado insurance providers. 

CompanyDiscounts offeredOverall rating
Harley Davidson InsuranceMultiple bikes, loyalty, homeowner, riding group, claims free, rider experience, anti-theft, safety course, motorcycle driver’s license3.7
FarmersMultiple bikes, loyalty, homeowner, riding group, anti-lock brakes4.3
ProgressiveTransfer, multiple bikes, homeowner, claims free, anti-lock brakes, safety course, motorcycle driver’s license4.3
NationwideMultiple bikes, homeowner, riding group, anti-lock brakes, safety course 4.7
State FarmMultiple bikes, homeowner, claims free, anti-theft, safety course4.7

Best Motorcycle Insurance Providers in Colorado

Which Colorado insurance companies are the best? Here are our picks. 

Choose the Right Policy 

Which policy is right for you? The best way to find a policy is to get quotes from multiple insurance companies. Our quote tool makes it easy — just enter your ZIP code to get quotes from our trusted partners. 

Once you have your quotes, and review each to compare the types of coverage, deductibles, policy limits and the premium. Choose a policy that offers the coverage you need at a reasonable price. 

Money-saving Motorcycle Insurance

Harley-Davidson Insurance Services provides services as a trusted motorcycle insurance agency that knows all about the motorcycle lifestyle. The company stands behind its policies with industry-leading services, coverage and support. You’ll also get money-saving motorcycle insurance discounts and experienced customer service and claims support. 

You can get Harley-Davidson Insurance today with a free, quick quote.

Melinda Sineriz

About Melinda Sineriz

Melinda specializes in writing about mortgages. student loans, personal loans, insurance, managing credit and debt, and credit cards.