Car Insurance

Riding a bike is very risky as one is susceptible or prone to accidents very often. The most basic motorcycle insurance you can get is ‘Bodily Injury & Property Damage Liability’. You can buy motorcycle insurance either online or in person. The motorcycle insurance can include liability coverage, medical payments, roadside help, uninsured motorcyclist, collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, custom parts and equipment, and more. The coverage for motorcycle insurance is very different from that of an automobile insurance policy.

If your injury expenses exceed the “at-fault” person’s liability limits, you can use Underinsured Motorists Coverage to pay for the amount not covered by the person’s insurance. This coverage is an addition to your comprehensive or collision coverage. The liability coverage is required by law but in many cases collision coverage is optional.

Collision insurance usually covers the book value of the motorcycle before the loss occurred - factory parts. If you get fancy and add anything extra, like nifty chrome accessories or a custom paint job, additional coverage will be required for compensation. If a rider causes an accident, collision insurance will cover the cost of motorcycle repair. Collision coverage is the most expensive component of a motorcycle insurance quote. As with cars, most motorbikes will depreciate quite rapidly. In the event of a material damage claim, insurance companies will only pay the current market value of your bike.

Transportation of motorcycles is usually done with flatbed transporters and is a rather specialized operation, since the motorcycles in question are usually brand new. Motorcycle towing companies are usually heavily insured against transport mishaps.

The first step is to get insurance quotes from several companies. Quotes provided by insurance companies, agencies, or brokers usually give an estimate of your insurance payment. Quotes are the first step towards buying motorcycle insurance and they are provided quickly online. Valued customers can enjoy significant discounts and riders with a good safety record are given low premium quotes. Insurance quotes are computed based on a rider’s safety record, marital status, age, type of motorcycle and the number of claims made against previous policies.

Affordable insurance policies are available which enable the companies to customize your premium payment plan and pay it monthly or in any specified way. Online insurance options grant immediate access to the policy plan, and let you file claims and pay your premiums electronically, without any fuss. Motorcycle insurance policies can be quite flexible considering their level of risk due to theft and danger.

Are you purchasing a used motorcycle there is probably not an option for you to purchase gap insurance because most gap insurance policies are only good on brand new motorcycles. At Progressive, customers have a choice between Drive and Progressive Direct. Drive policies are offered through brokers and agents while Progressive Direct is for riders who prefer making their purchase online or through the telephone. An annoying feature of existing motorbike insurance policies is that discount bonuses are not able to be accumulated over time.

WE’VE teamed up with Bennetts, the UK’s number one for motorcycle insurance, to bring our readers the chance to win VIP tickets to the Bennetts British Superbike Round at Knockhill.

This once in a lifetime prize also includes the chance to take a trip in the safety car ahead of the race.

Bennetts is the title sponsor of the 2005 British Superbike Championship and one lucky bike fan will win a pair of VIP tickets to round 7 at Knockhill on Sunday 26th June as well as a trip in the safety car on race day.

This money can’t buy prize includes full hospitality including complimentary food and drink all day, the chance to meet key BSB riders, and a pit walk at the circuit.

And that’s not all, our first place lucky winner will also receive some Bennetts BSB goodies as a memento! Two runners-up will win a pair of stand tickets for race day.

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio — While golf carts are primarily designed for transportation from one green to the next, many people are now putting around gated communities, retirement parks and condo complexes in these energy-efficient, nimble three- or four-wheeled vehicles. In fact, whether it’s due to higher gas prices or simply convenience, industry experts report that golf cart sales to individuals have doubled over the past ten years. As snowbirds flock to warmer climes, Progressive, the third largest auto insurance group and leading specialty insurer of motorcycles, RVs and boats, wants them to know that specialized golf cart insurance is available for both gas and electric vehicles.

“Golf cart insurance gives people peace of mind that their vehicles will be protected on and, more importantly, off their property,” said Marcy Gray, product manager, Progressive. “Many people simply add golf carts onto their homeowners policy but this generally only provides coverage when they’re being used on the owner’s property–not common areas or roadways. If they take a ride down to the community pool and get into an accident they might not be covered. Our specialized insurance provides coverage for virtually any non-commercial purpose and location.”

Coverages and services include:

* Bodily Injury and Property Damage liability;

* Accessory coverage - which covers custom parts and accessories;

* Transport Trailer coverage - which protects trailers used to transport golf carts; and

* 24/7 claims service, including Roadside Assistance.

Progressive’s specialized golf cart insurance is currently available in more than 30 states and is expected to be available in most states by year-end 2008.

About Progressive

The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, now celebrating its 70th year in business, is the country’s third largest auto insurance group and largest seller of motorcycle and personal watercraft policies based on premiums written, and is a market leader in commercial auto insurance.

Progressive is committed to becoming consumers’ #1 choice for auto insurance by providing competitive products and rates that meet drivers’ needs throughout their lifetimes, superior online and in-person customer service, and best-in-class, 24-hour claims service, including its concierge level of claims service available at service centers located in major metropolitan areas throughout the United States.

Progressive companies offer consumers choices in how to shop for, buy and manage their auto insurance policies. Progressive offers its products, including personal and commercial auto, motorcycle, boat and recreational vehicle insurance, through more than 30,000 independent insurance agencies throughout the U.S. and online and by phone directly from the Company. Private passenger auto products and prices are different when purchased directly from Progressive or through independent agencies.

Rick Dinger plunges into civic and political responsibilities while running an agency and the Young Agents of California To say that Rick Dinger is busy these days is an understatement. He undertakes supervision chores for his 14-monthold twin boys, serves as chairman of IBA West’s Young Brokers and Agents Committee and as president of his agency, Crescenta Valley Insurance in Glendale, California.

The 34-year-old multiline producer has been on IBA West’s Young Brokers and Agents Association Committee for three years and took over last fall as chairman for 2001. Dinger has been a member of the IBA West’s young agents group, traditionally one of the strongest chapters in the United States, for 15 years.

He reflects proudly on the recent work the Young Agents group has done. “Our main accomplishments have been associated with our conference in June. We raised a record amount of sponsorships to help underwrite the cost and allow more young producers to attend,” Dinger said. “Under the direction of Lou Partee, we started a statewide blood drive in association with the American Red Cross. For the first time we have a Web page that is updated monthly and we have turned our newsletter into an e-newsletter which allows us to get the information out faster, easier and basically for free.”

In addition, under Dinger’s direction, the Young Agent Committee has built up an impressive e-mail list that grows every month. It allows the committee to target its audience and get messages out more easily.

“We have a large annual conference and it continues to grow each year. I have really enjoyed the experience,” Dinger said. “It has been a challenge to communicate with our committee, which is spread out all over California; but thanks to the Internet, we have been very successful.”

The main goal of the Young Agent’s committee is to raise money to offset the cost of its conference which is about $225 per person. Dinger says it is important to make the event affordable in order to attract young producers. This year it has surpassed its goal by over 20%. Most companies are eager to participate in the event because IBA West’s Young Agent group has young, energetic, and hungry producers that are looking for direction and company-general agent contacts that they will use for their entire career. It is the benefit of networking early in their career that can pay dividends down the road.

Dinger’s agency, Crescenta Valley Insurance, is located in Glendale, California, a sprawling suburb 15 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Established in 1969, the agency has grown into a full-service independent insurance agency. It serves the insurance needs of about 4,000 individuals and families and over 250 business concerns in the Crescenta Valley and throughout Los Angeles County. It boasts state-of-theart methods for obtaining immediate quotes over the Internet from its computer system.

“We realize that more and more of our customers are looking for the additional convenience of conducting their business online, yet they still require our traditional expertise as their broker in dealing with the insurance process,” Dinger said. “Rest assured that we are here to give our clients and potential clients the quality professional representation and service as a client of our agency.”

Crescenta Valley Insurance currently has nine employees and produces a volume of approximately $6.2 million in written premium per year. “The agency writes a majority of its business with Mercury Insurance Group that specializes in personal auto insurance coverage. My personal book is spread out with personal, commercial, life and health accounts,” Dinger says. “I work on referrals, using a computerized direct mail program that I developed that allows me to write small commercial business throughout California.”

Ultimately he writes most of his business within a 10-mile radius of his office. In a metropolitan area of about 3 million people, Dinger maintains this refreshing focus because he has lived in the area all of his life and that is where his referral base is the strongest. The Glendale-Foothill area of Los Angeles County has what Dinger calls a “good mix of young working families and the very wealthy.”

The agency just signed on with Arrowhead’s increasingly popular YouZoom to help it meet part of its Internet needs and to provide a presence on the Web. “We are developing a program to attract auto dealers, escrow agents and real estate agents in our community to our Web page,” Dinger adds. “We are only a couple of months into our YouZoom project. We chose them because of the professional looking pages they provide and an opportunity to create another income stream.”

As part of his immersion in the happenings of the industry, in 1999, Dinger testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., on small business liability reform. He did so at the request of former Congressman Jim Rogan. Dinger was asked to testify on behalf of the Small Business Liability Reform Act of 1999 because of his insurance expertise and the contacts he made during his tenure as the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce president.

“This was a thrill of a lifetime and a great learning experience,” Dinger said. “Basically the Act protects small business retailers from being dragged into lawsuits because of products they sell that may be defective.”

Under the Small Business Liability Reform Act of 1999, if a claimant is unable to sue the manufacturer, then a small business owner is liable only up to $250,000. Dinger read a testimony that was written with the help of the Independent Insurance Agents of America (IIAA). It told the story of a local business that was sued for a defective motorcycle part.

Dinger remains involved, fascinated with the speed and intrigue of politics. He plans to run for a seat on the Glendale City Council in April 2002.

Currently, Dinger runs the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce golf tournament, as well as the golf classic of the Independent Brokers and Agents of Pasadena, Burbank and Glendale. He also assists with the Saint Francis High School Alumni Golf Classic. His other involvement includes serving on his high school’s alumni association board of directors and doing the play-by-play announcing of all the Saint Francis High School football home games.

His list of accomplishments in 2000 continues. He was the recipient of the Harlan Miller Award that is presented to an IBA West young agent in western states who has been active in its Federal Ambassador Program that promotes the IIAA national agenda to local congressmen and U.S. senators.

Many companies that insure automobiles also have divisions to insure motorcycles. As a general rule, all insurance quotes should be free of charge. Never pay for a insurance quote. Liability coverage for motorcycles usually costs much less than liability coverage on cars. Plan on getting at least three or four different quotes before you commit to a particular company. Many insurance companies also give discounts to members of certain groups and associations; association members, such as members of AARP and AMA may receive discounts as high as 10% from certain insurance companies.

Where to look? You have several options to aid you in your search for motorcycle insurance.

1. Get an online insurance quote. This is usually the cheapest way to get insurance and it takes about ten or twenty minutes. Online quotes are usually cheaper because this method eliminates the need for a middleman such as an insurance agent. If you do a little research, you’ll find that the same company may offer different prices for the exact same service depending on how you order that service — and the online price is almost always lower than talking to an agent. Getting an online insurance quote carries other advantages as well. You can adjust your coverage and see how it affects your rate. You can also add or remove drivers. Several companies now allow you to manage your entire policy online.

There are some instances where ordering an online policy may not be possible. For example, most online quotes must be for four or fewer vehicles and cannot contain more than 5 drivers. Out-of-state vehicles, or vehicles older than 1980 aren’t eligible for online price quotes either.

2. Check the yellow pages. You can find motorcycle insurance agents in your local yellow pages. Call a local agent and ask for a motorcycle insurance quote. It’s doubtful that a local agent can give you a better deal than you can find online, but it’s still worth trying.

3. Contact your current car insurance agent. Many agents also deal with motorcycle insurance. Companies often offer loyalty incentives to customers who hold several types of insurance with the same company. You may be able to get a discount on your motorcycle insurance if you use the same company that already insures your car or house. Ask your current automobile insurer if they can give you a better rate.

4. How do they determine the price? Your insurance rate depends on a combination of factors ranging from your age, the type of motorcycle you’re driving, driving record, where you live and even your credit score.

One of the best ways to lower your insurance rate is to take a motorcycle safety course. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is the primary organization in the United States whose goal is to promote motorcycle safety and awareness. Insurance companies frequently give discounts up to 15% to graduates of Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses. Plus, you might learn a thing or two to make yourself a little safer on the highways.