Modern Buddy

I read a few of the threads on insurance, so I was expecting to pay around $200/year for full coverage. Then I went to check quotes. I went to Geico, Progressive, Fernet, Markel, and AIS. The lowest quote I got was from Geico for $550/year -- $100K/$300K bodily injury, $100K property damage, $250 deductible for comprehensive, and no collision insurance or anything else.

I'm 24, new to scooting, passed the MSF course, no violations, one rear-end collision two years ago.

I know insurance rates are way high in the LA area, but I read others were getting $80/year for two scoots? If I got the collision coverage, I'd be paying more than 10 times that for one scoot! Is there something I'm missing, or am I really going to have to pay that much?

unless you paid cash for your scooter, its a pretty sure bet your lender will insist on you carrying full coverage (comprehensive & collision). just like on a car, they want to protect 'their' investment in case of accident, theft, vandalism.

good luck.

I paid cash, so no worries. I'm getting the comprehensive so I don't have to worry too much about theft beyond the disc lock and chain lock I'm getting.

Just wondering if I should go ahead and buy the Geico $550/year? That seems like a lot to me, but maybe some others in the LA area can tell me if that's normal?

I'm not planning to buy insurance for mine. The price is ridiculous, almost $700 a year in San Diego (22 y/o male with NO violations)... if it gets wrecked or stolen, so be it, and I'm just betting I won't get stopped by the police. I'm not paying almost a third of the vehicle's value PER YEAR in insurance.

Yeah, I got a quote yesterday for almost $500 a year and was about $300 surprised hah.

Insurance is such a scam... but one that you are legally required to participate in.

See if Dairyland/Sentry is available where you are - I got a better deal from them than from anyone else I tried.
Also, even if you wind up paying out the nose the first year, it's likely to get better soon. Every agent I talked to said the accident-history thing only goes back three years, and you're almost there already.

@speedgraphic: I hear ya re: paying 1/3 the cost of the scoot. That's why I'm opting against the collision coverage. Liability for me was only $280 through Geico, and I think for just the legal requirements of 15/30, liability insurance through Fernet was only $100. You might try them if you want just the basic legal coverage.

@twoscoots: Thanks for the tip, I'll give them a try. You're right, hopefully the rates will ease up after my accident "disappears" and I get a little experience.

I might get the legal minimum to save the hassle of a ticket, but the "legal minimum" for a scooter is stupid. You couldn't even cause 15 grand worth of damage with a scooter! If anything, the legal minimum for a scooter should be 5 or 10 grand of liability and 100 grand of medical coverage for the rider themselves!

Yeah, I was thinking about that in considering what coverage to get --

But what if you're found at fault in an accident in which it's not just your scooter hitting another car and causing a little bit of damage, but maybe the car swerves to avoid you and hits a Lamborghini? Easily $$$ in property damage, not to mention possible bodily injury...

Also, I think the minimum for property damage liability is only $5K. The 15/30 is bodily injury.

Liability at 250K/500K and Property Damage to others at 50K and I'm at $49 per year. That's more like it!

I have double coverage health insurance and AFLAC to cover my possibly broken body and I'll just take my chances on damage to the scooter. If I wreck that bad, the scooter will be the least of my worries.

Whoa! Your last quote was at $500 and you're down to $50?

Share share!

I pay $106 a year for just liability (Farmers) on my scoot here in San Francisco.
How about going to a motorcycle shop and looking at one of those free motorcycle newspapers that most shops have. They usually have insurance company advertisments that specialize in motorcycle/scooter insurance and might be cheaper.

scootingsquirrel wrote:Whoa! Your last quote was at $500 and you're down to $50?

Share share!

First quote was full coverage, basically duplicating what I have on my 4 wheel vehicles.

$50/yr gets 250/500 liability to others and 50K property damage to other. (you are required by law to carry, though at lower amounts) But dropping it to 100/300 only dropped the rate $2 haha... anyway...

Being that I will not be toting passengers or carrying equipment around in the trunk, I don't need all the extra coverage I have on 4 wheelers. I have double coverage on my health insurance, so injuries to myself are covered that way.

If the scooter is a total loss, oh well, I figure they would value it at maybe $1500, then take away $500 deductible. Seems silly to pay a couple hundred bucks a year for what would amount to $1000 of insurance on something that if I wrecked it bad enough to total it, I'm probably not going to give a crap about it anyway

Only thing I have to worry about is it getting stolen. Being that Blurs are so rare, and bright orange parts, you'd have to be crazy to rip one off. Actually it's safe at home in the garage and work is very safe too. If I'm going to bad parts of town, I probably don't want to be on the scooter anyway.

Oh yeah, quote was from our Farmers agent, but using Foremost Insurance out of Grand Rapids, MI.

As i've said a few times before, it pays to shop around—a lot!—for insurance. I've received quotes that varied by hundreds of dollars for similar coverage on the same rider. It's nuts.

My agent got me $314/year for my Buddy with Progressive. My auto insurance is with Farmers and since they consider the scooter a 2nd vehicle, my rate dropped by $200.

Wow... mine is 106 a year for my scoot. I do have a Buddy 50, though. But my policy covers everything that could possibly happen to me or my buddy, with only a 50$ deductible .AAA insurance in Michigan.

Racenut wrote: Insurance is such a scam...

Well, when you've injured someone and the $250,000 paid by your insurance co. takes care of hospital, surgeon and rehabilitates them allowing them to support their family again (and keeps you out of the slammer) one may view it differently.

Definitely check other insurance companies. Progressive wanted $700/yr. AAA wanted $500/yr. And Geico wanted $125/yr. Guess who I went with? I can't believe the incredible spreads between the insurance companies. Others have had similar experiences but with the parties switched. You never know which company will come through for any individual. And it will change dramatically from week to week. One week one will be the most expensive, and a couple weeks later they will be the cheapest. Go figure.

Mine was $90/year for full coverage on my Blur, $250 deductible, in San Francisco. That's with USAA (military and family only I think). Not sure if they knew what a Blur was, since they asked me for its MSRP for the coverage.

EDIT: Dang it, Ok it USED to be $90/yr for full coverage.. but I called to make an unrelated change and they asked how a scooter got on my policy, forwarded me to Progressive, and Progressive wants $475 with a $500 deductible. Doh.

Davek wrote:Mine was $90/year for full coverage on my Blur, $250 deductible, in San Francisco. That's with USAA (military and family only I think). Not sure if they knew what a Blur was, since they asked me for its MSRP for the coverage.

USAA doesn't insure motorcycles/scooters. They refer you to Progressive. That's how I wound up with the $700/yr quote.

Weird, USAA insured mine.. its on the same policy as my car. Just PM'd you a copy of my California evidence of financial responsibility.

Now that I think about it, I also had a Ninja ZX7 with USAA so they definitely do both motorcycles and scooters.

Davek wrote:Weird, USAA insured mine.. its on the same policy as my car. Just PM'd you a copy of my California evidence of financial responsibility.

Now that I think about it, I also had a Ninja ZX7 with USAA so they definitely do both motorcycles and scooters.

Woah! That is weird! I use USAA for my house and cars. I've been with them since the early 80's. I love them and called them to add the Buddy. They informed me they didn't insure motorcycles/scooters. They said they had partnered up with Progressive to handle motorcycles/scooters for USAA members. He then transferred my call and a Progressive rep answered and told me they handle all USAA motorcycle/scooter insurance for members. For full disclosure, he also had to inform me that USAA gets a commission for the referral.

I'm going to call USAA tomorrow and ask what's going on. Thanks for the PM.

Davek wrote:Weird, USAA insured mine.. its on the same policy as my car. Just PM'd you a copy of my California evidence of financial responsibility.

Now that I think about it, I also had a Ninja ZX7 with USAA so they definitely do both motorcycles and scooters.

OK, I got the answer. I called them today and they told me USAA stopped writing motorcycle/scooter policies about a year and a half ago. But if you received your coverage before that deadline, they will still cover you as long as you own the motorcycle/scooter.

Mine was 209 through Progressive.
Got 3 discounts (multi-policy, homeowner, clean record).

I also bumped down the property damage one to the lowest possible level.

I assume Cali's are a bit higher, as well, since you bas***** can scoot all year round. /jealous

I don't know about CA, but in TX, if you take the MSF you get a huge discount. My scooter will only add $30 a month to our bike policy with GEICO and it's at $25 right now for full coverage.