What would be the cheapest motorbike to insure for 18year old?

Question

I'm looking for a model or type of motorbike that is reasonable for insurance purposes for my 18yr old daughter who has just passed her bike test. She has a full car licence to and has had no claims but insurance seems VERY high for any motorbikes i've looked at. Any advise would be welcome.

She has had a 50cc scooter for a year and a car for 7 months. no claims on either insurance polices. she is looking for a 125cc or a 250cc bike.

Answer 1

If she has taken the Motorcycle Safety course, be sure to mention that when pricing insurance. If she hasn't, she really should - taking the course can decrease her chance of an accident by 20% or more in the first year.

You don't mention what country/state you are in, but insurance rates vary greatly depending on where you are - as much as what you ride. We moved 15 miles down the road, and had our insurance drop by $20 a month on one bike - strange.

I currently have insurance for various machines through Geico, Progressive, Farmers, and a special one for our vintage bikes. The reason I'm dealing with so many companies is because one is cheap for certain models and expensive for others, etc.

Unfortunately, none of the insurance companies will tell you which models are cheapest to insure - or what they use as determining factors.

Although everyone feels that sportbikes are more expensive to insure than cruisers, a sportbike with a built-in alarm system can be cheaper than a cruiser without one.

Also, a machine that breaks lots of parts when it tips over is usually more expensive to insure... all the weird little things you'd never think of!

That said - it sounds like your daughter is mainly looking for basic transportation, something that will run at highway speeds, but not really for long distance travels?

Here's a list of models that fit that situation:

New 2006 small bikes:

Honda Rebel 250 - twin cylinder - cruiser style
Honda Nighthawk 250 - twin cylinder - standard style
Kawasaki Eliminator 125 - cruiser style
Kawasaki Ninja 250 - single cylinder - sportbike style
Suzuki GZ250 - single cylinder - standard style
Suzuki Boulevard S40 (650cc) - twin cylinder - cruiser style
Yamaha Virago 250 - twin cylinder - cruiser style
Yamaha XT225 - single cylinder - on-off road style
BMW F650CS - single cylinder - on-off road style

Used models that are great machines, easy to ride and usually relatively cheap on insurance:

Honda Hawk 600 - sport style
Suzuki SV650 - standard/sport style
Yamaha SRX250 - sport style
BMW F650CS - on-off road style

I'm not mentioning scooters - yes there are many larger displacement scooters now available, but there are reasons why they just don't usually suit the American way of living as well as a full-size street bike.

All of the models I've listed will be in the range of the least possible insurance costs. Some models are more expensive, but come with alarm systems and safety features which usually reduce insurance costs (like the BMW).

What I'd recommend is to have your daughter go around to all your local bike dealers and sit on these models. Even if she's absolutely not going to buy a new one, just do it to get a good feel for what is comfortable.

If possible, she really should take a few for a short test ride. This is hugely important if she is a smaller rider.

Once you've narrowed it down to a few models, take the list into your insurance company and ask them for quotes.

Sorry this was so long - hope it helps!

Answer 2

Hi
If you can, convince you daughter to go for a scooter. They are a safer and usually far cheaper to insure than bikes. they are a good way to get bike no claims, Scooters have come a long way. You can even get racing bike replicas.

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Aprilia_RS50__81739

If you daughter is a confident driver and has more than 5-6 miles a day to stay way from 50cc's they are under powered for anything other than city driving. The insurance is a tough one, call up one of the big bike insurers like www.bennetts.co.uk and they will let you know whats best.

Kev

Answer 3

Avoid anything with an R attached eg, GSXR or DTR as R stands for sport , And you will find theft is the main concern regarding bikes for the insurer so if you say the bike will be locked in a garage at home and work and is fitted with a recognised alarm system you'll save your self a few quid .
Search reviews for the type of bike she wants and they'll tell you what insurance group they belong to (the lower the better)
hope this helps.

Answer 4

Shop around for insurance quotes they can vary widely. A new rider should stick to 125cc or less till the bonuses build up.
Honda, Suzuki or Yamaha have a varied selection including Scooters which are often automatic (No gear change to worry about). Avoid the sporty high performance options.

Answer 5

A Honda Rebel 250, Suzuki GN 125, or the Yamaha Virago 250 might be good bets. Insurance companies issue rates largely on the category the bike is in (Super-sport, sport-touring, cruiser, etc.), and different companies put the bikes in different categories. It might be useful to get some rate quotes online for different bikes to get a general idea of what you're looking at.

Answer 6

I have a ten speed with an electric motor on it,also have on that has like a chain saw engine on it.I don't have to pay insurance on either but,did you know that in most states you are suppose to ride the type of bike you are talking about in the bike lane and it is illegal to make left hand turns through intersections?Although most states don't enforce it,it is still a law and one day you may just get a ticket for it.

Answer 7

A scooter type bike 50cc or so, or an obliging older driver could add her on to their policy as a named driver until she can build up a no claims of her own on a bike. that might work.
Good Luck

Answer 8

10 Points right here:

Go to http://www.bike-line.com/

or dial 1-800-236-BIKE.

They are WAY more reasonable than other insurance, since they specialize in motorcycles. And don't say "But I want to use the insurance company we already have...."....trust me and call them!

My insurance for a Nighthawk 750, full coverage is $172 a YEAR!!!!

Answer 9

amazing the car insurance ishigh Try Progressive they were the best price for me. and I have a 600 and over 50 ............
And don't let those guys tease you about the VESPA thing they ride 50cc also

Answer 10

Kawasaki Ninja 250R or a Kawasaki 125cc or 150cc Eliminator.