Ducati Monster Forum

So I called Geico and told them to switch my address from HI to CA and they said my rate would go from $600 to $2200 for coverage ... that's crazy!   [bang]

I went on line and Progressive's quote is $1300, better but just border-line crazy .... anyone have a good insurer or broker you can recommend to get a better rate that will actually you if you get into an accident?

Thanks in advance for the help!  [thumbsup]

State Farm. I was w/ Progressive @ $2800/yr. for full coverage, no points on my license, and a licensed rider for 13+ years! Whacked!!!

Switched to State Farm, for the exact same coverage, and I'm paying $281/yr. That's more like it.

Oh, and just for reference: 35, single, 1998 916 Strada, garaged, in San Francisco, $1K deductable (only because I have a full 2nd set of body work hanging downstairs).

---------------EDIT--------------------

I just remembered Foremost Insurance gives  great rates to Ducati Monster owners!! They are, after all, the title sponsor of Larry Pegram's Foremost/Ducati 848 AMA team!

So far, State Farm has given me a better rates than foremost, safeco, geico, and progressive.



Let us know if you find anything cheap.

State Farm has been pretty good to me too.  Geico is ree-damn-dic-ulous with their rates.  They're like 10x more than their competitors.  Progressive is often 2x or 3x.  Definitely, definitely, definitely shop around.  The rate variations between different companies are unbelievable.

Thanks everyone for all the recommendations ... I'll check out State Farm and Foremost first.  I'll let you know what I find.

State Farm also.

I couldn't believe some of the quotes I was hearing from Progressive and Geico. How in the world can they justify their obscene rates? I thought market competitiveness brings everyone within range.  ??? ???

I don't think there is any consistency at all, even within one company.

Geico was 1/6th the cost of Progressive for me.  100/300 liability was under $100 a year for me.  I have full coverage (comp,coll) for < $275 year.  I think quoted me ~$350 or so for full coverage on a brand new 1098 (I was just curious...)

I checked around for my insurance with 10+ insurance companies and found that it varied from $600 to $3000+.  I am with AAA.  Geico and Progressive were the most expensive.

Progressive raised my rates when I dropped the 748 from my insurance.

I get basic coverage.

AAA California covers motorcycles?  AAA Illinois wouldn't insure them. 

+1 State Farm

I used to think my insurance from McGraw (aka Pacific Specialties) was the cheapest until I got my new M696. They told me becasue it was so new that's why my premium went from $900 on my old 748 to $1600 on my new monster. I thought they were crazy so I checked around and state farm beat them by over half for full coverage.

McGraw did me wrong after I'd been with them for years! Though they are one of the cheapest compared to Gieco and Progressive.

Thanks for all the suggestions.  Here are my finding:
Geico:          $2200   (boooo!)
Foremost:    $1600   (what?!)
Progressive: $1300   (hmmm)
State Farm:  $ 400   (yeah!!!)

Needless to say, I am now the newest State Farm member.

Thanks everyone ... First pitchers of beer are on me at the next zeitgeist for all your help here and when I asked for moving advice.  [beer]

Has anyone checked out Nationwide??

State Farm is spawn of the devil's poo, but that's just my experience, twice.

I have USAA -  It is a NON-PROFIT ins comp. if you can imagine. They send me annual check$ when they make a profit. They gave me top $ with a smile when I balled up my monster; went to bat for me when I got hit (against State Farm who said, "3 witnesses say it was our clients fault, however, ef-you, have a nice day") They get top STARS from me. Plus when I added my moto, my rates dropped $5 bucks for having multi-vehicles.

You have to be ex-military, or a military brat however.

McGraw/Pacific Specialty is frequently the cheapest. Call Daniel Sui Chan (http://www.openlist.com/san-francisco-ca_chan-daniel-sui-insurance-agency/39513071/). He's a broker for McGraw and Progressive, and is very well-known in the motorcycling community. He's always done right by me.

State Farm. 3 bikes $600.

Unless you were grandfathered in years ago, USAA doesn't do motorcycle insurance anymore.  They hand you off to Progressive.  USAA will bill you for it but it's progressive coverage and pricing. 

<soapbox>

BTW, since we're talking insurance, let me make my normal pitch here.  

If you have any assets, get a lot of insurance.  It doesn't take much for you to cause hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in damage.  Let's say you blow a DY and head toward a car.  The car swerves and hits a tree and is totaled and the three passengers are injured.  $60,000 cars are common place.  One of the passengers is really injured, requiring $200k in medical care, $1m in future medical care and is out of work for 1 year (at $100k).  Or even worse, they can't work.  Not to mention pain n' suffering.

It doesn't have to be something like blowing a DY.  It can be something minor where the car driver is mostly at fault.  Even if you're considered only partially at fault (let's say 10% at fault), you have to pay 10%.  It's a buttload of $.  

They can take your stuff and garnish your wages.  So, if you have any assets, pony up for more coverage.  And if you own a house, get umbrella liability coverage.  It's worth the $.  

</soapbox>

Did everyone notice the important part? First pitchers.


Does hawaiibiker know we each typically get our own, individual picther?  ;D

You mentioned of umbrella liability coverage of which I'm familiar with; but are there other, specific forms / types of coverages / certain endorsements or classifications you recommend?

I see where you're getting at, but just not clear on the specifics to ask an insurance agent.

Sorry, I don't have any specifics.  Your agent should be able to lay it all out for you.  Just tell them that you want to be sure that you are covered for liability.  It can someone falling at your house and getting hurt, a car accident or a bar fight.  Either way, you want to be sure that you're covered so that sue-happy no one can take your sh*t from you.

Thanks for the reminder on umbrella...I looked into it a while back but didn't get around to buying it.  I don't think it was as cheap I would have expected.

So let's see, I'm out homeowner's insurance, 2xcar insurance, bike insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, umbrella liability insurance (soon), and business insurance...damn.  And I've been paying premiums for 20 years now with not a single claim.  And now I get to bail out AIG.  Whee!

Speaking of insurance, what happened to Johnnhymoto? Did he even make it over to the new board?

Well I was with Farmers ins. but My Broker had me on Foremost. My premium was $454 for the renewal. But check it out. "I just saved a bunch of money by switching to GEICO"
Their premium was $181 for the same coverage.  ;D

Sweet. I didn't even know the devil could poo.

My State Farm is a little over $500/year. Full coverage, $500 deductible. Why is it so much higher than some of you? I'm female age 49. Is it city and state that makes the big difference? Is it different agent to agent? I have a 2008 695.

Its everything. Tickets on your record, age, gender, how many miles a year you ride, whether or not you smoke, admit to your drug habits, how tight your pants are... They calculate freaking everything they can. After all, they are basically summing you up and rolling dice as to weather they'll make or loose money on you.

 ps
Of course he poos, I'm sure you've seen this around. Walking, talking, gesturing as if alive. scary.

(http://www.funfacts.com.au/images/george-w-bush.jpg)

Oh yeah. That devil.

I'm so boring. No smoking, drugs, alcohol ever. No tickets (yet) except one parking ticket, average 10,000 miles/year including the car. I don't see why the huge difference. I'll just call and get the breakdown. We have seven vehicles, life, and house insurance through them. You would think they would give us a break. But oh, they are pooing devils too.

Ditto on calling Daniel Chan. He's super nice and will research the hell out of things to find you the best rate. Daniel found a great deal for me from Foremost insurance. Foremost has some deal going with Ducati, but I think it only applies to new bikes.

It applies to ALL Monsters, Multi-stroodles, and Hyper-retards. Monsters are listed as "Standard" bikes, and the Mutlis and Tards are considered "Dual Sports." Since they aren't in the same brackets as other companies would classify a Ducati (i.e. exotic, or high performance), the rates are substantially lower. [thumbsup]

That's how the Foremost rep explained it to me @ GP.

So I finally got around to calling State Farm to get a rate quote since I have heard such great things about them on this thread. 

I am with Geico right now at $586/year for my '01 900 SS and have the following coverage:
Bodily Injury Liability - $50,000/$100,000
Property Damage Liability - $5,000
Uninsured Motorists - $50,000/$100,000
Comprehensive - $100 Ded
Collision - $200 Ded
Towing & Labour Costs - $10

State Farm just quoted me $500 for 6 months.  The agent that called me back said that she usually just insures Scooters that are 125cc and they usually don't require the same liability that I want and are therefore much cheaper. 

Whatever!  I definitely recommend the higher liability coverage!  I had a REALLY bad experience when I first moved here from HK as I was still in my "Parisian driving mode", i.e. as soon as the light is green, I gun it (not knowing what I know now...that in SF, people run the yellow to red light ALL THE TIME).... some really horrible devil-spawn lady ran a red light on Hayes and then proceeded to hire a - what do you call them... "Ambulance Chasers".  2 years later, in court in front of a jury, for 3-1/2 days, I have to prove that I didn't run the red light and that she did... thank God that there was a kind pedestrian (although her evidence was only considered hearsay since she wasn't in a car and didn't actually see her hit me) who the attorneys flew out from NY to testify against that horrible evil devil spawn woman!  California sucks for people that try to sue you for personal injury.  She wanted $$ for me for the partial loss of one of her arms as "she couldn't lift her grandson as easily as before the accident" multiplied by her lifespan left (she was 40'someting) so factor in 40+ years of $$ for partial loss of one of her arms... that could have gotten seriously costly has she won!!!!