Buying a Motorcycle

It’s motorcycle season – and for you, that means the bike is coming out of the garage. As the days get longer, and the sunshine more reliable, there’s nothing like the open road, the winding highways along the coast, or a newly-found country road, enjoyed on two wheels with the wind in your face. You can’t wait to trade your stuffy car for the freedom of your motorcycle.

Yeah, you get a bit clunky after four, five months in a car seat instead of in the saddle, but after a couple of road trips, everything falls back into place.

You are a safe rider. You wear your helmet. Leather gear, even in 90 degree weather. You took your Motorcycle Safety course. Granted, that was a few years ago…you should probably renew that one.

Then, there is the insurance. That’s the one…Motorcycle insurance is required in California and you’ve been wondering…do you have the right kind of coverage?  Do you have the best rates at the best price?

Contact GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. 1-209-634-2929 for your motorcycle insurance quote!

If you own a Motorcycle, it’s important to have the right insurance. To protect yourself. So before you get ready to chase the wind, give us at GDI Insurance Agency a ring. We can provide you with quotes, policy advice, and answers to questions like these:

Is my motorcycle covered under my auto insurance?

You have your driver’s license, and just passed your motorcycle license. Finally! You are more than ready to ride with your buddies. Your uncle gave you his old bike, and in many, many hours, you fixed her up and restored her. Now it’s time to take her out.

You never thought much about insurance. In fact, you simply assumed that it’s a motorized vehicle, and therefore covered by your car insurance. Car insurance covers motorized vehicles. Or something…Whatever. It’s motorized, and so your car insurance should cover it. Right?
No! Wrong! Don’t make the mistake to assume that your car insurance will cover your motorcycle, or provide liability coverage if you hurt somebody or damage somebody’s property. Your car insurance will absolutely not extend to your motorcycle. Also, it will not apply for you, if you cause injury or damage while riding your motorcycle.

Your car insurance and your motorcycle are completely separate, and will absolutely not apply for each other.

Don’t make the crucial mistake to assume that your auto policy might protect you. It won’t.

That said, some states offer so-called “Motorcycle Endorsements” that can be added to your auto policy. But beware: These endorsements are usually by far not as comprehensive as a stand-alone motorcycle policy, and they often come with a variety of exclusions in the fine print.

If you own a motorcycle, we strongly recommend that you get a stand-alone motorcycle insurance policy. Give us a call. We can help.

How do I know I have the right coverage for MY bike?

This is it. It’s the bike of your dreams all right! A Harley Davidson Classic Road King. Black Pearl. Chrome details. 1,593cc. You’ve been waiting to get this bike for years… and now she’s about to become yours. You can’t wait to get on and scorch some asphalt.

You hadn’t planned on spending a lot of money on insurance, though. You know that it’s required in Turlock but you were thinking that the cheapest, most basic liability insurance you could find would do.  On second thought, now that you’re about to own this baby….Well, it seems to make sense to REALLY protect her properly.

Of course, the odds that a biker is considered at fault in an accident are quite small. So you wonder…how do you know when you’ve got the best protection for YOUR bike?  And what does a motorcycle insurance policy cover, anyway?
Well, first…Congratulations on your new bike! You must be thrilled!

It is a very wise decision to protect your new investment with a comprehensive motorcycle policy. After all, no matter how careful you are, it’s all too easy for a bike to get damaged or stolen, not to mention the possibility of an accident that could cause damage or injury to another party.

The fact is that motorcycle insurance is quite similar to an auto insurance policy. It includes various coverages such as:

• Bodily Injury / Property Damage Liability CoverageThis coverage applies if you are considered at-fault in causing damage or injury to a third party, up to the limits you select. This can be very important for you, since this coverage helps you protect your own assets.
• Comprehensive / Collision CoverageThis coverage pays for repairs to your bike if it is damaged in an accident, if it’s stolen, or, for example, if it’s damaged or destroyed by a fire.
• Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM/UIM)If you are in an accident in which the other party is at fault, this coverage will protect you if they don’t have the insurance or resources to pay for your damages and/or injuries that they are legally liable for. That includes medical payments and loss of wages.
• Medical PaymentsMedical payments cover the cost of any medical treatment you receive, regardless of who is at fault. This coverage is often limited to the first three years after an accident happened.
• Custom Parts and EquipmentThis coverage provides protection for accessories and ‘extras’ to our bike that exceed $1,000 in value, other than those originally included by the manufacturer. It also covers sidecars, trailers that are intended to be pulled by a motorcycle, custom paint jobs, safety riding gear and helmets, and trike conversion kits. Custom parts and equipment are covered up to $1,000 under comprehensive coverage.
• Roadside AssistanceProvides immediate roadside repair services for break-down, dead battery, flat tire, or running out of fuel, and towing.

Even though the odds of being at fault in a multi-vehicle accident are very low for motorcyclists, liability often doesn’t clearly lie with the other party, either. And even though bikers are often the victims when it comes to cycle – car collisions, it doesn’t mean that you don’t need good protection. What if you accidentally hit a bicyclist or a pedestrian? What if you accidentally scratch a car as you back out of your parking spot?

Motorcycle insurance will help protect you and your bike, as well as your assets in case you ever find yourself in a liability lawsuit.  GDI Insurance can help you protect almost any type of motorcycle, whether it’s a Dirt Bike or a Street Cruiser, a Vintage bike or a customized high-performance machine. Give us a call!

The most important coverage on your Motorcycle Insurance policy.

Since your buddy Louie lost his leg, you’ve become more apprehensive. On a bike, it’s easy to feel free. Invincible, even. But many car drivers don’t turn to take that extra look. They don’t watch out for anything smaller than their own vehicle. They look for big things.

That’s how Louie got hit. Got swept right out of his lane by a pickup truck, whose driver was too preoccupied texting while passing another car. Luckily, Louie survived… barely. His leg didn’t.

The guy who hit him didn’t have insurance. Louie did. And his insurance helped take care of the medical bills, physical therapy, and the months he was without a paycheck.

Louie’s accident taught all the guys in your group a lesson. Since Louie’s accident, you’ve vowed to become more cycle-smart and get your stuff in order before you take off again. Get motorcycle insurance.

As you shop for your motorcycle insurance policy, keep in mind that cheaper isn’t always better when it comes to insurance.  And especially with motorcycle insurance, the cheaper policies aren’t always worth the money you pay for them. What you want is a policy that protects you when you need it. Cheap coverage usually provides you only with low liability limits, and, what’s worse, with the most important coverage completely missing…

For example, too many policies out there do not include Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist (UM/ UIM) coverage. Yet, this is probably the single most important part of a motorcycle policy. (UM/UIM is the coverage that paid for Louie in the example above. Without it, he would have gotten nothing.)

Not having UM/UIM coverage can hurt you quite badly. Here’s why:

As a biker, your risk of being at-fault in an accident is comparatively low. But, your risk of getting hit is relatively high. That’s where your UM/UIM coverage applies.

Your UM/UIM coverage kicks in if you are hit by a driver who doesn’t have the insurance or resources to pay for your injuries, medical payments, loss of wages, and damage to your bike. If the person who hit you doesn’t have the money to pay for the damages they caused you, your own insurance will protect you. But only if you have the right insurance. This is what your UM/UIM coverage does for you.

You cannot buy stand-alone UM/UIM coverage. UM/UIM can only be obtained in combination with liability coverage, and it can only be purchased up to the limits of your liability coverage. You cannot carry low liability limits, but high UM/UIM limits.

Now, that being said, keep in mind that it is also very important to have adequate liability limits to protect yourself and your assets if you are at fault in an accident and cause damage to another party.

To sum it all up: You need GOOD Motorcycle Insurance so you can protect yourself! Whether there is a liability lawsuit, or an irresponsible driver who hits you. Because a driver who isn’t responsible enough to look for motorcycles on the road might not be responsible enough to carry adequate insurance limits.

Give us a call today. We can help you find a motorcycle policy that provides you with the protection you need, while giving you the best value for your dollar.

How can I get a discount on my motorcycle policy?

Now, you’ve heard that one can get money-saving discounts on auto insurance (hey, and you even qualify for some!) so that makes you wonder…shouldn’t you be able to get a discount on your motorcycle policy, as well?

Yes you should! And you can! Depending on the company, a variety of discounts are available:

• Claims-Free Discount: If you didn’t have any claims or accidents during the previous policy period, you qualify for this discount when your policy renews.
• Homeowner Discount: If you own your home, you qualify for this discount. Why? Because insurance companies assume that if you own a home, you are a responsible person. Responsible people are responsible drivers (or riders) and deserve a discount.
• Multi-Policy Discount: If you have more than one policy with one company, you may qualify for a multi-policy discount.
• Safe Driver Discount: If you’ve been cruising without accidents or violations for 3 years, you qualify for this discount.
• Safety Course Discount: Completing a Safety Course can save your life. And offer you a discount on your motorcycle policy. Sign up for a class today. (To keep the insurance discount active, you have to complete a safety course every three years.)
• Some companies might give you a discount if you store your bike in a garage or out of sight, or if you use chains or other Anti-Theft devices to lock it down.

Keep in mind that your insurance rates depend on your bike’s type and brand, its engine size, the level of customization, and the miles driven. A customized street race machine that you use to commute to work will bring you much higher insurance bills than a vintage cruiser that you only use every now and then. As you search for your perfect bike, keep these factors in mind to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-209-634-2929 for more information, even before you purchase your bike.

What about insurance for mopeds, scooters or ATV’s?

Now that you’ve found the bike of your dreams, you got your wife hooked: She’d like to do her smaller, around-the-town errands on a little scooter, rather than in the car. Not only does it save gas, but it also gives her this lifestyle feeling as if she were living in a small town in Italy.

Well, you can’t blame her. You knew all along what riding on two wheels can do for your soul.

Question is, how do you insure the little scooter? Does it qualify as a motorcycle at all?
Yes it does! Mopeds and scooters (electric and gasoline-powered) can be insured on a Motorcycle policy. All the same discounts and options apply for big bikes as well as smaller mopeds and scooters.

ATV’s (and snowmobiles, too), on the other hand, take a special place. An ATV may be covered under your homeowner’s policy, but only if it’s driven exclusively on your own property. There is absolutely no coverage if you take the ATV off your property and drive it on public roads…even if it’s only across the street. If there is any chance at all that you might take your ATV to a dirt track, into the mountains, or elsewhere, you should get specific ATV (or Snowmobile, etc) insurance.

The good news is…we can help with any of it! Just give us a call or visit the Insurance Quotes section of our website on the menu above and we’ll work to get you the best protection at the best possible price.

Contact GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. 1-209-634-2929 for your motorcycle insurance quote!

Personal Insurance Information

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GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. Your Trusted Insurance Experts

As one of the fastest growing agencies in California, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. is able to provide its clients with the latest and greatest of what the insurance industry has to offer and much, much more. The GDI team has developed an “insurance cost reduction” quoting plan, that provides you with the best coverage at the best rate!

We are headquartered in Turlock, CA with locations across the heart of California’s Central Valley and beyond to provide a local feel to the solutions and services we provide our clients. We pride ourselves on exceeding our client’s expectations in every interaction to make sure that our client’s know how much we value and appreciate their business.  Contact us today for your free personal insurance quote 209-634-2929.