Best Motorcycle Insurance in New Jersey

New Jersey offers plenty of scenic places to ride your motorcycle. Or maybe you commute by bike to lower your gas costs. 

Regardless of the reason you rise, it’s essential to have insurance that meets the state’s minimum requirements. Learn more about motorcycle insurance in New Jersey in our review.

New Jersey Motorcycle Insurance: An Overview

• State minimum insurance requirements for standard coverage:
  • Bodily injury liability: $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident
  • Property damage liability: $5,000 per accident
  • Personal injury protection: $15,000 per person or accident
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident
• Average annual rate with a clean driving record: $610

New Jersey Motorcycle Insurance Law Explained

New Jersey requires 3 types of insurance in its standard policies:

• Bodily injury liability. If you’re involved in an accident where you’re at fault, this coverage helps pay for medical care and other expenses for the other parties involved in the accident. New Jersey requires you to purchase at least $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage. 
• Property damage liability. This also provides coverage if you’re in an accident where you’re at fault. It pays for the property damage other parties experience. New Jersey requires a minimum of $5,000 per accident in coverage. 
• Personal injury protection. This coverage helps to cover injuries to yourself and any passengers in your vehicle. It also reimburses you for other expenses that are related to your injury, including lost wages and assistance to care for your home or family. New Jersey requires you to have at least $15,000 per person or accident. 
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. This insurance covers you if you’re involved in an accident with a driver who doesn’t have coverage, doesn’t have enough coverage, or doesn’t remain at the scene of the accident. If you purchase this coverage, you can buy up to the limits of your liability coverage according to New Jersey law. 

Given how high medical bills can be, and how expensive cars are, consider purchasing a policy with higher limits than the minimum. If you’re found to be at fault, you could be held responsible for costs that exceed your policy limits. For example, if someone is injured and unable to work, they could sue for lost wages. If they win, you could be on the hook for far more than $30,000. 

New Jersey does offer additional personal injury protection coverage if you or a passenger has a brain or spinal cord injury. These injuries are covered for up to $250,000, regardless of the limit you chose for that coverage. 

For example, if you have the state minimum of $15,000 per person or accident, these injuries would be covered for up to $250,000. The higher limit is in effect until you or your passenger is stabilized. 

You can also add additional types of coverage to your policy to have full coverage. Here are some options to consider:

• Collision coverage. This helps cover the costs of damage to your vehicle if you’re involved in an accident. This includes accidents with other vehicles as well as hitting stationary objects like a rock or tree or rolling your car. 
• Comprehensive coverage. This helps to cover damage that’s not related to an accident. It covers theft and damage from fire, hail, flooding, vandalism and more. 
• Coverage for custom parts. Policies typically only cover standard parts. If you’ve customized your bike, consider getting additional coverage to cover those upgrades. 

Basic Coverage

New Jersey also allows insurers to offer basic coverage. This policy is designed to help make insurance affordable, and it’s bare-bones coverage. With this policy, bodily injury liability coverage is optional.

If you do buy it, you can purchase up to $10,000 for all people per accident. It also includes $5,000 in property damage liability and $15,000 per person, per accident in personal injury protection coverage. 

Some coverage is better than not having any coverage, but if you can afford more, it’s best to get at least a standard policy with state minimums. 

Your Right to Sue

If you purchase a standard policy, you can choose between an unlimited right to sue and a limited right to sue. Both these options only refer to lawsuits related to pain and suffering and other non-economic losses. 

With the unlimited right to sue, you retain the right to sue for pain and suffering for any injury. With the limited right to sue, you agree not to sue unless you sustain one of the following injuries:

• Loss of a body part
• Significant disfigurement or scarring
• Displaced fracture
• Loss of a fetus
• Permanent injury
• Death

Your policy costs will be higher if you choose an unlimited right to sue. Basic policies only offer the limited right to sue. 

New Jersey Motorcycle Insurance Rates Per Bike

The type of bike you have affects your rates. Standard and dual sport bikes are typically the cheapest to insure. Sport bikes are the most expensive, and cruisers and touring bikes are in the middle. 

The size of your engine also influences your rates. A large, powerful engine will cost more to insure than a smaller engine. 

Here are more factors that impact your rates:

• Your age and experience. Younger riders will typically pay more than older riders if they both have the same level of experience. As you gain experience, your rates will typically decrease. 
• Your location. Where you live makes a difference when it comes to the risks you face. For example, some areas have higher rates of theft, and in some areas you can’t ride as often due to winter weather. 
• Your driving record. If you have speeding tickets or accidents on your record, your rates will be higher. 
• How your motorcycle is used. If you drive recreationally, you’ll typically pay less than someone who uses their bike daily to commute to work. 

Discounts can help lower your rates. They vary by company, but here are common options:

• Multi-policy. This saves you money if you have more than one line of insurance with the same company. For example, you have motorcycle insurance and homeowners insurance. 
• Multi-vehicle. Most insurance companies will offer you a discount for insuring multiple vehicles. 
• Motorcycle safety course. These courses teach you how to navigate common hazards, and they can also get you a discount on your insurance. 
• Theft-recovery device. You might save if you get a radio or GPS theft-recovery system professionally installed. 
• Homeownership. You may receive a discount if you own a home. 
• Anti-lock brakes. If your bike comes with factory-installed anti-lock brakes, you may receive a discount. 
• Paid in full. Many insurance companies offer a discount for paying your full premium up front. 
• Affinity group. Alumni organizations, professional groups and other organizations often partner with insurance companies to offer discounts to their discounts. 
• Riding association. If you belong to a riding group, you may be eligible for a discount. 

Motorcycle Insurance Quotes in New Jersey

How much is motorcycle insurance in New Jersey? Here are quotes from several insurance companies. 

Motorcycle Insurance Discounts

Discounts can save you a lot of your insurance costs. Here are the discounts offered by several motorcycle insurance companies. 

Best Motorcycle Insurance Providers in New Jersey

Which New Jersey motorcycle insurance companies are the best? Here are our top picks. 

Find the Right Policy for You

You have a lot of options when it comes to motorcycle insurance. To find the best policy, decide what coverage is important to you and get quotes from multiple insurance companies. 

Compare the quotes, including the deductibles (the amount you pay before coverage starts), policy limits and types of coverage. Choose an insurance company with competitive rates and an excellent reputation.