Best Motorcycle Insurance in Maine

From its coastal inlets and winding rivers to forests and mountain views, Maine offers motorcyclists scenery that’s the envy of other states. 

But you’ll need more than your bike and old-school folding map — you also need the right insurance coverage before taking the road less traveled.

Start with our guide to choose the best motorcycle insurance in Maine.

Maine Motorcycle Insurance: An Overview

Maine has higher minimum coverage requirements than other states, but Maine’s higher limits can better protect your finances if you’re responsible for injuries to others or damage to the property of others.

• State minimum insurance requirements:
  • $50,000 bodily injury liability per person
  • $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident
  • $25,000 property damage liability per accident

You’ll also see this structure abbreviated as 50/100/25. 

Alternatively, Maine also allows a combined single limit of $125,000 or higher. With a combined single limit, each type of liability isn’t subject to smaller sublimits, allowing coverage to flow where it’s needed.

To put Maine’s minimum limits in perspective, many insurance agents recommend minimum liability limits of 100/300/50 or more. By choosing higher auto or motorcycle liability limits, you can better protect yourself financially. Maine forces higher limits than other states, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it prevents many motorists from being underinsured.

Maine also requires motorcyclists to carry uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) protection in minimum amounts equal to the minimum bodily injury liability requirements for the state: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident. 

UM provides coverage if another party in an accident doesn’t have enough coverage to pay for injuries caused to you. Unless you choose a waiver, UM limits in Maine must match the limits you choose to protect your own liability.

Maine also requires at least $2,000 in medical payments coverage, which helps pay for injuries to you or your passenger, although higher coverage limits are available affordably.

• Average annual rate with a clean driving record: $722

Benzinga compared quotes from 30 motorcycle insurance companies and found a wide range of premiums. A premium refers to the cost of your insurance policy. Annual premiums range from under $400 to over $1,300 per year. 

Some quotes on the high end of the range were for companies known for exceptional coverage for classic or custom bikes. Other companies focus on basic coverage, but most policies fit somewhere in the middle, allowing you to customize many areas of your coverage.

Maine Motorcycle Insurance Law Explained

Maine requires liability insurance for motorcycles, but several other types of coverage for motorcycles are options. Many bikers feel more comfortable with these optional coverages in place than without. Insurance works much like your helmet or your riding leather, helping to protect you from harm if the unexpected happens.

Liability Insurance

We touched on liability insurance earlier. While Maine defines the minimum coverage limits, you can choose higher coverage limits with most insurers. For many motorcyclists, investing in more liability coverage makes good financial sense. Liability that exceeds your coverage limits can force the sale of assets, drain hard-won savings or even pressure future earnings.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM)

Maine limits UM coverage to bodily injury liability caused to you by others in an accident. If someone injures you but does not have enough coverage, or any at all, your UM coverage steps in to cover your medical expenses resulting from the accident.

Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay)

Maine differs from many states in requiring coverage for medical needs. Minimum limits start at a low $2,000, but you can also choose higher limits. Medical payments coverage can help pay for injuries to you or your passenger, which makes limits important to consider. This coverage can cover your initial liability if your passenger is injured.

Physical Damage Coverage

Full coverage refers to having mandatory insurance types like liability, MedPay and UM, but also carrying physical damage coverage, which protects your bike. Physical damage coverage includes 2 main coverage types, but also brings some additional considerations.

• Collision coverage. If your bike is damaged due to contact with another vehicle, a stationary object, or the ground itself, your collision coverage can help pay to repair your bike.
• Comprehensive coverage. Your comprehensive coverage offers protection against other types of damage, such as fires, theft, vandalism, accidents involving animals and more.

If you financed or leased your bike, physical damage coverage is often required by the lender or lessor because the bike acts as collateral for the loan or lease.

Custom Parts or Factory Parts

Standard policies may not provide enough coverage for custom parts. For bikes that have custom parts, many policies offer ways to fully insure your customization. In other cases, you may want only original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts to be used if your bike needs repairs. Some policies offer this optional coverage.

Coverage for Classic or Custom Bikes

Classic or custom bikes can hold their value or even increase in value. If you have a bike that fits this description, consider a policy that offers agreed value or stated value coverage to ensure your bike is fully covered.

Road Service

Experienced riders know the importance of carrying basic tools and repair supplies, but it’s good to have options if your bike suffers mechanical issues out on the road. Many insurers offer road service as an add-on to your motorcycle insurance policy.

Maine Motorcycle Traffic Laws You Should Know

Maine has had an on-again, off-again relationship with motorcycle helmets. Current law requires new riders as well as riders or passengers under age 18 to wear a helmet. 

At age 16, budding bikers can apply for a motorcycle learning permit. You’ll need to pass a written test as well as skill test on a rider course to earn your license. However, Maine also accepts motorcycle license endorsements from other states if you’re moving to Maine. 

Lane splitting is prohibited, but motorcyclists can use high occupancy lanes. This provides a safer way through traffic.

Maine Motorcycle Insurance Rates Per Bike

Motorcycle insurance rates are a reflection of individual risks, but also of risks in your area or statistical risk associated with the type of bike itself. Just as with cars, some types of bikes are statistically safer. Some also more or less than average to repair. All these factors and more go into the premium you pay for your coverage.

For example, superbikes and sport bikes typically cost more to insure than cruisers. Insurers look at accident frequency as well as the average cost of the accidents for those types of bikes when setting rates for a given bike. However, safety features can also help reduce insurance costs. For example, anti-lock braking systems (ABS) often earn extra discounts.

Motorcycle Insurance Quotes in Maine

We compared rates for a 2017 Harley-Davidson FLHTK Ultra Limited with an insured value of $21,000. Less expensive bike may cost less to insure, but insured value is just 1 part of the equation when setting premiums. Experience, claims history, and other factors also play a role. Our Harley rider has over 5 years of experience and boasts an accident-free history. Both factors reduce rates with many insurers.

We also found rates of under $400 and over $1,000 annually. However, price shouldn't be your only consideration. Many times, a lower rate can indicate less coverage or coverage that only covers the basics. 

Higher premiums may reflect extras like better coverage for custom parts or even a specialty policy that insures the bike for full value rather than a depreciating value, which is the way most policies work. 

Motorcycle Insurance Discounts

Each insurer offers its own mix of discounts, which may make 1 insurer a better choice than others. For example, if you’re veteran, you might consider USAA, which offers a military discount. By comparison, Allstate doesn’t offer this discount but instead offers a discount for experienced drivers and members of certain riding groups.

Best Motorcycle Insurance Providers in Maine

Rates vary by bike and rider, but insurance needs vary as well. Many riders choose higher liability limits or MedPay limits, or choose specialized coverage to better protect their bike. The best way to find the rates for coverage to meet your specific needs is to gather quotes from a few motorcycle insurance providers to compare price and policy features.

Choose the Best Motorcycle Insurance in Maine 

Insurance is the transfer of risk from an individual to a group. Many households can absorb smaller losses, like a driveway mishap that sleeves the fairing scuffed. The right motorcycle insurance policy can help protect your bike and your finances against larger losses. 

There’s no need to overpay for your coverage, but don’t let price be your only consideration. Choosing the right coverage gives you the peace of mind to enjoy the feeling of freedom that only motorcycling brings.