Won't Be Riding in 2021

[Malks]

I've made the decision that I will not be screwed over by the insurance industry in Ontario anymore. After 40+ years of claims-free riding and over 20 years of unbroken insurance coverage on a motorcycle, the cost only continues to creep upwards. Then, last fall I picked up a speeding ticket in my car. The officer reduced it to 15 over, so there were no points involved so I just paid the ticket. This resulted in Wawanesa feeling the need to add a 10% surcharge for that once in a decade brain-fart and my yearly renewal quote came in at $865 for basic liability only - no fire / theft, or collision coverage. I instructed my broker that I would not be renewing my coverage for this year if that was the best they could do. They didn't seem to care and allowed me to cancel the renewal offer.

I've since checked other companies and have received quotes anywhere between $900 and $1200 for the year. One insurance specialist had the nerve to tell me that any coverage that comes in less than $1/cc is a good deal. This fellow said he's a rider. With people like this in the insurance industry, we're screwed.

I'm done!

As much as I love riding, the cost of insurance has gone well beyond what I can justify for a pleasure vehicle that is ridden a couple of times a week. This year is looking like it will be a repeat of last year with travel being discouraged between regions and the border remaining closed. This will further reduce the opportunities to ride and result in less value for the cost of the coverage.

I have yet to decide whether I will hold onto my ST until I get a reasonable quote, or just sell it.

 

[Obo]

I have yet to decide whether I will hold onto my ST until I get a reasonable quote, or just sell it.

Insurance is a necessary evil, and I agree often quite expensive.

As for holding or selling the ST - it sounds to me like biking isn't the issue, the insurance cost is.

I'd keep it for a year and see if your feelings change once restrictions lift etc. It won't really cost you anything to keep it. If next Spring you feel the same then you can revisit the selling idea.

 

[TipSTer]

Do to high cost. I changes insurance every 3 to 5 years. usually got cheaper with my many tickets Auto/bike Insurances are the most rip-off businesses in the world. Sorry to hear how they screwed up on you after 40 years royal customer. Malks. Shop around you may gets a better deal eh?

 

[Obo]

Maybe it's a Canadian thing? I bundle everything I own with State Farm - 2 cars, 2 motorcycles and the house for $150 a month....

We were State Farm here, but they switched all the Canadian offices over to the Dejardin's Insurance brand. We switched our bundled insurance (cars, motorcycles, house, umbrella policy) over to another company and saved over $1500.00 a year for the same coverage. Still paying about $360/month - and that doesn't cover my 2 antiques that are insured with Hagerty Insurance.

 

[drbuzzard]

if you think it high where you live try getting cheap ( ?? ) insurance in michigan

 

[Shawn K]

Things are very different in Canada, it would seem.

I have a commercial license. If I had a ticket for 15 over, it would be classified as "reckless driving". That is considered one of the highest risk categories in the "CSA" system (essentially a risk assessment tool used by the USDOT). My ticket would cost 4 times more than the average motorist, AND my employer (if I were working for a motor carrier) would pay an additional fine of 4X more than I paid. So a single 15-over ticket leads to well over $2000 just in ticket fees.

PLUS, if I were working for a reputable carrier I'd probably lose my job because of the hit that the carrier would take to their CSA rating.

PLUS, no reputable carrier would hire me for at least 4 years, because they'd inherit my score into THEIR CSA rating.

So a 15-over ticket is essentially a kiss of death in the trucking industry.

You got your ticket *reduced* to 15 over, so that tells me you were hauling ass... maybe 20 over in real life?

That's not a thing to take lightly.

The mentality of "I've been good my whole life" is (and you're not going to like this) an empty argument.

It's like saying "I've never robbed a bank my whole life, and now I have to go to jail because I robbed a bank yesterday?"

You screwed up. Be thankful that your screw-up didn't lead to a fatality, because if someone had died while you were driving recklessly, you'd have way more to worry about than higher insurance premiums.

If you want to cut your own nose off to spite your face, then be my guest. But from where I sit, you should man up, stop complaining about the consequences of your own actions, and get on with it.

If you don't like what I said, don't worry... I'll probably get deleted again shortly for some arbitrary breach of protocol.

 

[kiltman]

quote came in at $865 for basic liability only -

Actually that’s a good rate. That’s what I’ve been paying for the last couple of years. I just renewed for $1,016 for two bikes the Vespa and ST.


This is going to turn into an oil thread.

 

[Obo]

This is going to turn into an oil thread.

And not because some sales people are greasy.

 

[ibike2havefun]

In Maryland, you are OBLIGATED to insure any vehicle for which you hold the license plates, whether you use it or not, and whether you still have it or not. I carried insurance for 13 months on a car I no longer owned, because I still had the license plates.

 

[ReSTored]

.............If you don't like what I said, don't worry... I'll probably get deleted again shortly for some arbitrary breach of protocol..............

Does seem a little bit harsh IMHO. Malks is not refuting personal responsibility in everything he does, he is just complaining about insurance cost as almost everyone in Ontario does as 99% of the people here believe we're being ripped off on a regular basis by insurance companies.

I think Malks is saying 15 kph over which means doing, for example, 95 kph in an 80 kph zone (59 mph in a 50 mph zone) hardly reckless. Police won't drop you to a lower classification if you are way over the cut off point. SC rules seem to be very aggressive and/or punitive, are they the norm in the US or is SC an outlier on this?

As above, insurance for any vehicle in Ontario is a rip off, but a $1,000 or so premium is the norm and you'd just be shooting yourself in the foot if you cancel and then might have to pay more in 2022 as you have not had MC insurance continuously. I'd just pay the premium and ride your bike, it's not as if you're going to be traveling anywhere outside the province this year so you might as well enjoy the riding season to the greatest extent possible.

 

[Bmacleod]

Insurance in Ontario is ridiculous, but necessary and there is no rhyme nor reason sometimes for the discrepancy between carriers. For the record, Malks numbers seem in-line with going rates.
I just switched carriers again and was surprised at the difference between carriers when inquiring about the rate for a new bike. Rate went from $1100 for the ST to $1600 for a new 1000cc bike. When I expressed surprise, they said "its new and much more money to replace in the event of a loss". When I looked at another carrier, they quoted me $1100 for the ST and $1075 for the new bike. I asked if they had made a mistake and they said "no". I explained the price I had got from another carrier and their logic and this person said "but it is 300 cc's smaller"... you really need to shop around.

@Shawn K , I believe Malks is speaking in kmph not mph. 15 over is considered by most as the lower limit that police will bother you (on highways) in Ontario, although that is not a guarantee

 

[SMSW]

In Maryland, your are OBLIGATED to insure any vehicle for which you hold the license plates, whether you use it or not, and whether you still have it or not. I carried insurance for 13 months on a car I no longer owned, because I still had the license plates.

Why did you not cancel the insurance? I would think that if you carried insurance on a car you did not own for that long, and there was a liability claim on said vehicle, you could take a bigger hit. This might not be the case were the claim to come up in the first few days (reasonable time period before you cancelled the ins.), but months and months later?

 

[SMSW]

Complaining about insurance rates is like complaining about taxes, speed limits, and the weather. We all do it, it gets us nowhere, and its a fact of life. My parents bought their first house because the area had a great educational system, folks move to states with lower taxes, why wouldn't insurance rates also be a reason to move?

 

[Mikedo]

Actually that’s a good rate. That’s what I’ve been paying for the last couple of years. I just renewed for $1,016 for two bikes the Vespa and ST.


This is going to turn into an oil thread.

And I heard that if you use this oil (because it's the best for an ST) you get a 15 % discount on insurance.

mobil-1-fs-0w-40

Mobil 1™ FS 0W-40 synthetic engine oil delivers excellent overall performance for the latest gasoline and diesel engine technology without diesel particulate filters (DPFs)

www.mobil.ca

And here is a mention of the discount related to oil. Actually it's for not using oil to heat your house, but hey...

Home Insurance | Heartland Farm Mutual

www.heartlandfarmmutual.com

And to help kick this off...

whats the best oil out there?

I currently have a 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 LtZ71 with the 5.3 and I'm looking for the best synthetic oil on the market no matter the cost. I have run Mobil 1 0w-20 (factory weight) in that truck for the longest time but about a year ago have branched out and tried Pennzoil Ultra Platinum (same...

bobistheoilguy.com

.

 

[catcher]

Insurance in Ontario is ridiculous,

Indeed, it is. A while ago, I received a renewal notice for coverage for my three bikes - $3,421.
What annoys me most each year, is that the "accident benefits" portion of the policy is charged repeatedly, ie. on each vehicle you own, even though you can only drive/ride one at a time. That element of insurance ought to be part of one's driver's license cost. Aside from that, the continuous creeping of higher premiums is grating, to say the least. In my case, I didn't pay what they asked. Rather, I had them remove coverage on my VFR, but retained it on the Goldwing and the CB11. So I paid them $2180. Done. But not very happy. However, this situation does allow me to switch coverage from the CB11 to the VFR midway through the riding season. We'll see...

 

[Obo]

And I heard that if you use this oil (because it's the best for an ST) you get a 15 % discount on insurance.

mobil-1-fs-0w-40

Mobil 1™ FS 0W-40 synthetic engine oil delivers excellent overall performance for the latest gasoline and diesel engine technology without diesel particulate filters (DPFs)

www.mobil.ca

And here is a mention of the discount related to oil. Actually it's for not using oil to heat your house, but hey...

Home Insurance | Heartland Farm Mutual

www.heartlandfarmmutual.com

And to help kick this off...

whats the best oil out there?

I currently have a 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 LtZ71 with the 5.3 and I'm looking for the best synthetic oil on the market no matter the cost. I have run Mobil 1 0w-20 (factory weight) in that truck for the longest time but about a year ago have branched out and tried Pennzoil Ultra Platinum (same...

bobistheoilguy.com

.

Perhaps to help, any oil that is ok to use in a motorcycle should be called "moil" on the packaging.

 

[the Ferret]

mph vs kph sure sounds worse. When I read it, I read 15 "mph" over.... if it's only 9 mph that's pretty harsh. Heck you could write 90 % of the cars here doing 9 over at any given time.

At 20 mph over in Ohio they technically can write you for reckless op.

I try and stay within 5 mph of the speed limit most of the time, because they will give you that for the most part, but in Ohio the Highway Patrol's motto is "Over nine, you're mine". I don't want to be theirs. Doesn't seem to stop the majority of traffic from exceeding that though.

BTW I got a ticket in a small village in a neighboring state for doing 30 mph in a 25 mph zone. (Not sure what that comes out to in KPH) but I think it cost me a $125 fine, no points, no insurance hit. Simple revenue generating for the village!

I think my insurance is pretty cheap though. Full coverage through State Farm with pretty high limits on my bike is less than $250 a year.

 

[Scarce]

Try deducting your motorcycle insurance as a necessary medical expense for maintaining one's mental health. Can't hurt.

(Written only half in jest.)

 

[STFlips]

Insurance in Ontario is ridiculous, but necessary and there is no rhyme nor reason sometimes for the discrepancy between carriers. For the record, Malks numbers seem in-line with going rates.

I tend to agree as well, the Malks rate is right about the same as this old dude is paying for an '01. And most insurance companies don't even want the hassle of dealing with bikes unless you use the dreaded bundling, then they are actually interested in securing your business it seems. Maybe the dollar amount is more attractive. I've also learned over the years that there is a wide "skill set" that various brokers possess...no slag intended to any possible members here, jus what I have observed. I remember moving houses one time and asking the broker why my house insurance increased so much in a smaller town and was told that they don't have any customers in that area so no claims experience to base the rate on, I said "so you just pulled a number out of your ass?" then changed insurers.

 

[Flexit]

I've got it figured. Your high insurance rates are because your fuel is cheaper than ours therefore you can afford to ride more miles (only kidding)

Does seem a lot of money though. I have a two bike, fully comprehensive, policy (which includes breakdown cover for the UK and mainland Europe) for £266 and I know I could have paid significantly less, but I choose this company because it is otherwise virtually impossible to get European recovery insurance for an over 15 year old bike.