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Scott O'Sullivan

Lunch Break Rides

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Scott O'Sullivan - Founder of Rider Justice
Scott O’Sullivan

Let’s all just take a moment to enjoy all our beautiful state of Colorado has to offer. Could there be a more beautiful place to ride on 2-wheels?

Rider Justice recently started a new video series called “Lunch Break Rides” that features local Colorado rides that you can squeeze in over a lunch break if you choose. More than likely you’ve done both of these rides – which is your favorite: Lookout Mountain or Evergreen?

Either way, take a few minutes and enjoy this beautiful scenery from wherever you are now!

RiderJustice – Motorcycle Camping

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Motorcycle camping
Scott O'Sullivan - Founder of Rider Justice
Scott O’Sullivan

Pretty much everyone on the planet is looking to get the hell out of their homes right now. And it seems like camping is one of the most popular getaway ideas for Summer 2021. Have you seen the stories about how the National Park System is being overwhelmed? Even State Parks are facing extremely high demand for their camping spots.

But it is still totally possible to find campsites if you’re willing to be flexible. Have you tried Googling “Dispersed Camping Colorado” or “Dispersed Camping Tennessee” or “Dispersed Camping Georgia?” (You get the idea.) Basically, dispersed camping is the term used for camping spots that are outside of for-pay campgrounds. Usually, it’s free but you can’t reserve spots, so you have to show up and hope one comes available. (I recently found an open spot near Grand Lake, CO, so it’s possible!)

Clearly, to camp in a dispersed campsite, you have to be flexible. But what’s more flexible than motorcycle camping? People hauling giant fifth-wheels or trailers have a lot more to think about when they decide to go camping. (Are there hookups? Will I be able to back this thing into the spot? Can I drive through?)

Motorcycle riders have the luxury of knowing that pretty much any camping spot will be big enough for their bike.

But how do you prepare for a motorcycle camping trip? Those fifth-wheels mean that the owners can chuck just about everything and anything into the camper and take every luxury with them. (Camping snobs would NOT call that camping!) But motorcycle riders need to plan very carefully for successful camping trips.

What Do I Need to Take on A Motorcycle Camping Trip?

You have to pack light for a motorcycle camping trip. That much is obvious, right? But HOW do you do it? Well, ask yourself a few questions first: How long will you be gone? Will you be able to shop for food if you’re gone several days? Does your campsite offer any amenities? The answers to these questions will guide you through some of the details.

Here are a few tips to get you started!

  • Make sure your bike is in good condition. You should try to learn some of the basics of motorcycle repair and maintenance before you head out on a long trip. For example, practice checking tire pressure, oil levels, clutch and brake fluids.
  • Pack extra bungie cords and straps. They are just ridiculously handy. These are some great heavy duty straps offered by our friends at Brother Moto out of Atlanta, GA.
  • Pack some basic first aid supplies.
  • Bring a multi-tool that gives you what you need to work on your bike and your gear.
  • Pack clothes that you can wear multiple times and in multiple ways (ie. layers). It may be days before you can get to a laundromat.
  • Designate different saddle bags for wet clothes and dry clothes. And extra trash bags are great for transporting wet stuff.
  • Balance your gear on both sides of your bike. It is very important to pack the heaviest items close to the center of the bike.

Gear for Motorcycle Camping

You probably know by now that I’m a gadget geek. I love researching fun stuff like camping gear. Honestly, you don’t need a lot of newfangled gear to go motorcycle camping but

there are a few things you will probably need no matter where or how you camp:

  • Sleeping bag: Take a cue from backpackers and get a very light sleeping bag.
  • Lightweight camping cookware: There are some fantastic camper cook sets out there!
  • Propane canister: One small, 16-ounce canister is probably enough for a full week of campsite cooking.
  • Tent: See below.

Motorcycle Camping Tents

I can’t help myself. I fell into a rabbit hole on this topic… There are so many cool tents for motorcycles! Here are a few brands that I ended up falling in love with:

If you go motorcycle camping this summer, send Rider Justice some pics! We’d love to share your adventures on our social channels. Find us everywhere @MotorcycleRiderJustice.

Insurance Companies are Victim-Blaming

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Photo: @SillyHeart by @JackelFox
Scott O'Sullivan - The O'Sullivan Law Firm, motorcycle accident attorneys
Scott O’Sullivan, Founder, Rider Justice

I like to think that I’m rarely surprised by insurance company tactics to avoid paying victims of accidents, but there’s a new twist that is seriously pissing me off. Allow me to tell you about it and then what you can do to protect yourself. As you know all too well, motorcycle riders are often blamed for crashes, so you need to proactively take some steps to protect yourself from these insurance tricks.

Classic example

You’re riding along, minding your own business, going the speed limit and doing all the good things you should be doing. When, from out of nowhere, a car turns left in front of you. You hit the brakes as hard as you can but it’s no use. You plow into the car, go airborne and… well, you’ve likely had friends face this exact tragedy. Most often, the rider is hospitalized with severe injuries, facing years of medical bills, not to mention lost wages, and other hardships.

So, imagine that the other driver’s insurance company swings in, does its own analysis of the accident and blames the victim for part of the crash. This is literally happening. I’ve had insurance companies contact me because I represent motorcycle crash victims and the company says, “Your client was 35% at-fault for the accident so we are reducing the amount we will pay.”

Insurance companies will lie after accidents

Now, because I’m an attorney, I say, “Aw, hell no!” I know the law and I know how to get my clients every dime that they are owed. Nobody is taking 35% away from my clients.

But picture yourself as the victim of the accident, or the victim’s family members. If you get that call from the insurance company and they say, “We were going to pay you $100,000 but our analysis shows that you were 35% responsible, so we’re only going to pay you $65,000.”

Often, victims and families just say “OK” because they are desperate for cash. The bills are racking up and their source of income has collapsed. They cave under pressure.

So here is my first piece of advice: Get a personal injury attorney! Here are several (but not all) of the reasons you need an attorney:

  • Once you hire a personal injury attorney, you don’t have to talk to the insurance company any more. This is a huge stress-reduction.
  • An experienced motorcycle attorney will see right through these tricks and fight for your rights. They can get you more than what the insurance company is saying they will pay you.
  • A personal injury attorney can often find even more money than you think you can get. There are so many “pots” to look into after an accident – insurance resources that are available to car and motorcycle crash victims – but most victims are completely unaware of them.
  • An experienced personal injury attorney has connections that can help you get the medical care you need and also postpone your medical bill due dates.
  • Personal injury attorneys can even help to reduce the amounts you owe on medical bills.

So, clearly, it is in your best interest to hire a motorcycle accident attorney if you’ve been in a crash.

But there are some other things that you should do at the scene of the accident, if you are physically able, to protect yourself from insurance tricks. If you are riding with a friend who has been hit, be a good friend and do the following. You could likely save your injured buddy from some very bad insurance tactics.

At the scene of a motorcycle crash:

  • Do not move your bike from where it landed after the impact.
  • Take pictures of the entire scene, including your bike, the car, the intersection and debris.
  • Get contact information from any witnesses.
  • Take videos of witnesses explaining what they saw.
  • Take a picture of the other driver’s insurance card.
  • Make sure a police officer comes to the scene and files a report. (Never, ever, ever exchange insurance information with the other driver and leave the scene. You need that police report.)

Riding season is upon us. As I look out my 6th Avenue office window, the blossoms are popping and I can hear motorcycle engines revving as they pass by. I’m thrilled to hear my friends are out, hitting the open roads! Enjoy yourself, and please call me if you or a friend ends up the victim in a motorcycle accident. I won’t put up with any insurance nonsense.

Where Do Most Motorcycle Accidents Occur?

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Motorcycle Safety Car Game Rider Up!
Scott O'Sullivan - The O'Sullivan Law Firm, motorcycle accident attorneys
Scott O’Sullivan

It’s April! Already, warm days have peeked into our tumultuous Colorado weather, bringing 70s in March… then whomping us with a record-setting blizzard. From my law office on 6th Avenue and Ogden, I have already noticed an uptick in motorcycle traffic and, for me, it’s like a harbinger of spring!

Before I get into my spring “get-ready-to-ride-safely” checklist, I want to answer a question that I recently received from a rider buddy. He and I were chatting at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse and I thought I should address it in an article. 

Where Do Most Motorcycle Accidents Occur in Colorado?

Motorcycle Safety Car Game Rider Up!

I often get asked about the most dangerous intersections in Denver however, when analyzing where most motorcycle accidents happen, I have to say that it’s very similar to where most auto accidents occur: intersections. And the number-one cause of motorcycle accidents is left-hand turns in front of oncoming traffic.

All too often, cars underestimate how fast motorcycles are traveling and pull out in front of them when taking a left-hand turn. Or, auto drivers maintain that they never saw the motorcycle coming. Of course, in both of these types of accidents, the auto driver is at fault. But that does little to soothe the victims or the victims’ families, whose lives may have been completely ruined.

You need to ride defensively and behave as if you think no one can see you. When you are approaching an intersection, use caution.

Another place where most motorcycle accidents occur in Colorado is on highways and open roads. This is because of the high speeds. Motorcyclists get a bad rap for being speed demons (and we’ve all seen the riders who give us this reputation), but most of the riders I know are responsible and law-abiding. However, even when a motorcyclist is traveling at the speed limit, highway speeds are very high and crashes at those speeds are generally tragic for bikers.

As Mike Douglass of the Aurora Police Department said in a recent Westword article: 

“When you have highways or roadways that allow for higher speeds, a car does a better job of protecting people. You have seat belts, closed passenger compartments and a lot more body and weight to help protect the occupants. And with motorcyclists, you can have the unintended consequence of the rider coming off the bike.”

So, the two places that motorcycle accidents occur the most are intersections and highways. Please be vigilant and ride defensively anywhere you ride, but especially when approaching an intersection or on a highway.

Get Ready to Ride Your Motorcycle This Spring!

OK, now that the tough stuff is out of the way, let’s focus on the fun stuff: getting your bike out for the warm weather! I want to remind you to do one thing that is super important before you even ride around the block: turn your motorcycle insurance back on if you turned it off last fall.

All too often, I meet injured riders who “just took it out for a spin” on the first warm day and didn’t switch their insurance on. They are left with huge medical bills and sometimes can’t even work due to injuries.

What about the other guy’s insurance, you ask? Very often, the “other guy” doesn’t have insurance or is underinsured. You have to protect yourself.

So, before you ride… call your insurance agent and turn that policy on today. We’ve already had beautiful days and you know the itch to ride is growing. Do it now so that you can hop on your bike when those temps start climbing again.

Rider Up! Share This Video on Your Social Media Channels

Finally, let’s make sure the rest of the world is ready to SEE us and PROTECT us this spring! In 2019, Rider Justice launched a campaign that we call Rider Up! It’s a game that challenges car passengers to be the first to spot a motorcyclist and yell its location in relation to the car. The player who spots and yells first is the winner. The goal is to have auto passengers help drivers locate nearby bikers, and to also train future drivers to look for and see motorcyclists on the road.

Check it out at riderjustice.com. Please help us get the word out now that the daffodils are emerging and the motorcycle engines are revving.

Hope to see you soon at a Rider Justice event!

4 Ways to Know if Your Motorcycle Accident Attorney is an Ambulance Chaser

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Personal injury attorneys have a bad rap. That is no surprise to anyone. The slur “ambulance chaser” is applied to the entire profession because, well, it was earned. There was a time when personal injury attorneys showed up at disaster sites of all kinds and handed out their business cards, hunting for injured clients. I’ve never actually heard of an attorney chasing an ambulance, but I still think the profession has earned the term.

In my estimation, too many people pursue this field of law for pure financial gain. Luckily, there are some of us who pursue it as a calling, our vocation. But how can you tell the difference?

I have written extensively about the legal shops that I call “personal injury mills.” These are the personal injury firms that chew clients up and spit them out, usually with settlements well below what they could have (should have) received. The problem can be especially bad for motorcycle crash victims who often sustain significant injuries, are facing police bias just because they were on a motorcycle, are dealing with hospital bills and big medical decisions, and don’t have time to “babysit” motorcycle attorneys who aren’t doing their job properly.

So, I am going to share the top 4 ways to know if a motorcycle accident lawyer is an ambulance chaser. I’ll share the list and then I’ll take a deeper dive into each of the reasons I give.

Your personal injury attorney might be an ambulance chaser if he/she…

  1. Only speaks to you once and hands your case off to a paralegal, never or rarely speaking with you again.
  2. Charges you fees for anything at all before your case settles.
  3. Talks about settling before understanding your injuries completely. (Or tells you to stop medical treatment so that he/she can settle!)
  4. Tells you what your case is worth before considering all the sources of compensation available to you.

Now, let me break these down so that you understand why they are red flags.

1. Only speaks to you once and hands your case off to a paralegal, never or rarely speaking with you again.

Biker annoyed at phone call

Most ambulance chasers are playing a wicked numbers game. They need a very high number of motorcycle crash cases to pay for their marketing, so they churn clients in the door and lead them to settlement as quickly as possible. In their haste, these attorneys will generally do a very good dog-and-pony show prior to a prospect signing up – meeting with them, returning calls, etc. – but as soon as the client (read: injured victim of a motorcycle crash who probably needs some significant legal help) signs on the dotted line, their case is taken over by a paralegal.

While paralegals are fantastic supports to attorneys, they are not attorneys. If an attorney is not 100% in charge of your case, then you will not receive the representation you need. If only paralegals return your calls, it’s a good sign that the attorney has no idea who you are.

2. Charges you fees for anything at all before your case settles.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is MoneyEnvelope.jpg

The entire personal injury field works on a contingency basis, which means we do not get paid unless you get paid. We must incur all of the costs to research your case, hire the experts to study the scene of the motorcycle accident, work with hospitals and doctors to reduce your medical bills, and (this is perhaps the most important) be willing to absorb all those charges for as long as your treatment takes. If a motorcycle crash victim is seriously injured, that could be years. 

I have heard of attorneys charging their clients for everything from expert witness testimonies to copier paper while they are still working on the case.

If your lawyer is trying to charge you for anything at all prior to your case’s completion, you are probably dealing with an ambulance chaser.

3. Talks about settling before understanding your injuries completely. (Or tells you to stop medical treatment so that he/she can settle!)

Many personal injury attorneys would rather “take the bird in hand” than wait for the two in the bush. By this, I mean that they would rather settle your case for less and do it quickly than wait (perhaps years) for a potentially higher settlement. 

However, motorcycle crash victims often need a lot of time to recover. In Colorado, a case cannot be closed until a victim ceases treatment, thereby putting an end to medical bills. Ambulance chasers would rather convince their clients that they are “fine” than take time to make sure that their recovery is truly headed in the right direction.

Ambulance chasers need the cash now, and they will get it from your case at your expense by encouraging you to quit medical treatment and settle early.

4. Tells you what your case is worth before considering all the sources of compensation available to you.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is LegalProcess.jpg

One of the most time-intensive (and rewarding!) aspects of being a motorcycle accident attorney is in taking a deep dive into the motorcycle victim’s insurance, the at-fault driver’s insurance, the many other “pots” that may be available for compensation, and putting together a complete picture for each client of what their case may be worth. This takes time. And it also takes a level of passion that you will only find in an attorney who does this work as a vocation.

I have worked with clients who have been told by other attorneys (before they even signed up, let alone researched the accident) that they can only get $25,000 from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Often, my deeper research reveals additional details, like perhaps the driver was in his mom’s car and her insurance is available, too. Or maybe the at-fault driver was in a rental, opening up another “pot” for compensation. You need an attorney who is willing to take the time (and who has the time) to investigate every aspect of your crash.

If you have any questions about your motorcycle crash, don’t hesitate to contact me today! You can call or text me at 303-388-5304.

Scott O’Sullivan is the founder of Rider Justice and the O’Sullivan Law Firm.

4 Ways to Know if Your Motorcycle Accident Attorney is an Ambulance Chaser

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Scott O'Sullivan - The O'Sullivan Law Firm, motorcycle accident attorneys
Scott O’Sullivan, founder of Rider Justice

Personal injury attorneys have a bad rap. That is no surprise to anyone. The slur “ambulance chaser” is applied to the entire profession because, well, it was earned. There was a time when personal injury attorneys showed up at disaster sites of all kinds and handed out their business cards, hunting for injured clients. I’ve never actually heard of an attorney chasing an ambulance, but I still think the profession has earned the term.

In my estimation, too many people pursue this field of law for pure financial gain. Luckily, there are some of us who pursue it as a calling, our vocation. But how can you tell the difference?

I have written extensively about the legal shops that I call “personal injury mills.” These are the personal injury firms that chew clients up and spit them out, usually with settlements well below what they could have (should have) received. The problem can be especially bad for motorcycle crash victims who often sustain significant injuries, are facing police bias just because they were on a motorcycle, are dealing with hospital bills and big medical decisions, and don’t have time to “babysit” motorcycle attorneys who aren’t doing their job properly.

So, I am going to share the top 4 ways to know if a motorcycle accident lawyer is an ambulance chaser. I’ll share the list and then I’ll take a deeper dive into each of the reasons I give.

Your personal injury attorney might be an ambulance chaser if he/she…

  1. Only speaks to you once and hands your case off to a paralegal, never or rarely speaking with you again.
  2. Charges you fees for anything at all before your case settles.
  3. Talks about settling before understanding your injuries completely. (Or tells you to stop medical treatment so that he/she can settle!)
  4. Tells you what your case is worth before considering all the sources of compensation available to you.

Now, let me break these down so that you understand why they are red flags.

1. Only speaks to you once and hands your case off to a paralegal, never or rarely speaking with you again.

Biker annoyed at phone call

Most ambulance chasers are playing a wicked numbers game. They need a very high number of motorcycle crash cases to pay for their marketing, so they churn clients in the door and lead them to settlement as quickly as possible. In their haste, these attorneys will generally do a very good dog-and-pony show prior to a prospect signing up – meeting with them, returning calls, etc. – but as soon as the client (read: injured victim of a motorcycle crash who probably needs some significant legal help) signs on the dotted line, their case is taken over by a paralegal.

While paralegals are fantastic supports to attorneys, they are not attorneys. If an attorney is not 100% in charge of your case, then you will not receive the representation you need. If only paralegals return your calls, it’s a good sign that the attorney has no idea who you are.

2. Charges you fees for anything at all before your case settles.

The entire personal injury field works on a contingency basis, which means we do not get paid unless you get paid. We must incur all of the costs to research your case, hire the experts to study the scene of the motorcycle accident, work with hospitals and doctors to reduce your medical bills, and (this is perhaps the most important) be willing to absorb all those charges for as long as your treatment takes. If a motorcycle crash victim is seriously injured, that could be years. 

I have heard of attorneys charging their clients for everything from expert witness testimonies to copier paper while they are still working on the case.

If your lawyer is trying to charge you for anything at all prior to your case’s completion, you are probably dealing with an ambulance chaser.

3. Talks about settling before understanding your injuries completely. (Or tells you to stop medical treatment so that he/she can settle!)

Many personal injury attorneys would rather “take the bird in hand” than wait for the two in the bush. By this, I mean that they would rather settle your case for less and do it quickly than wait (perhaps years) for a potentially higher settlement. 

However, motorcycle crash victims often need a lot of time to recover. In Colorado, a case cannot be closed until a victim ceases treatment, thereby putting an end to medical bills. Ambulance chasers would rather convince their clients that they are “fine” than take time to make sure that their recovery is truly headed in the right direction.

Ambulance chasers need the cash now, and they will get it from your case at your expense by encouraging you to quit medical treatment and settle early.

4. Tells you what your case is worth before considering all the sources of compensation available to you.

One of the most time-intensive (and rewarding!) aspects of being a motorcycle accident attorney is in taking a deep dive into the motorcycle victim’s insurance, the at-fault driver’s insurance, the many other “pots” that may be available for compensation, and putting together a complete picture for each client of what their case may be worth. This takes time. And it also takes a level of passion that you will only find in an attorney who does this work as a vocation.

I have worked with clients who have been told by other attorneys (before they even signed up, let alone researched the accident) that they can only get $25,000 from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Often, my deeper research reveals additional details, like perhaps the driver was in his mom’s car and her insurance is available, too. Or maybe the at-fault driver was in a rental, opening up another “pot” for compensation. You need an attorney who is willing to take the time (and who has the time) to investigate every aspect of your crash.

If you have any questions about your motorcycle crash, don’t hesitate to contact me today! You can call or text me at 303-388-5304.

Scott O’Sullivan is the founder of Rider Justice and the O’Sullivan Law Firm.

Why Motorcycle Accidents are Different from Auto Accidents

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As my Rider Justice friends know, I’m not just a huge advocate for Colorado motorcycle rights and safety, I’m also a motorcycle and car accident attorney. I’ve been a Denver personal injury attorney for more than 20 years. It is my vocation – my calling in life – because I can’t stand when a victim’s rights are violated by negligent drivers and insurance companies.

Scott O'Sullivan - The O'Sullivan Law Firm, motorcycle accident attorneys
Scott O’Sullivan, Founder of Rider Justice

But I digress.

Accident Reconstruction

Recently, I worked with a company called Knott Laboratory, which performs accident reconstruction investigations. As Ricky L. Nguyen said to me, Knott Lab provides forensic reports on every type of machine you can imagine.

“If it’s got moving parts, we get it,” said Ricky, who added that they also perform fire event investigations. You can check out their demo reel here. Caution: even though the images are computer-generated, it can be pretty alarming to see the types of accidents they investigate. (One word: woodchipper.)

As he and I were talking, I started sharing stories of some of my past cases, explaining why some of them were so upsetting or surprising. While there may be common types of accidents (such as left-hand turns in front of oncoming traffic), I do often find myself so concerned for victims that I ask, “Why?!” Sometimes, we never get the answer to that question. But Ricky can answer “how,” which can help me get the proper compensation for victims from insurance companies.

How Motorcycle Crashes are Different

Ricky and I began discussing the differences between motorcycle crashes and auto crashes, and he said, “motorcycles do funny things in accidents.” (I’m sure that he meant “strange” when he said “funny.”)

I have seen a lot of images from motorcycle crashes in the Denver metro area and I can tell you that they are definitely different from car accident scenes. Sadly, they are usually much more tragic.

Of course, motorcycles are smaller than cars, so they don’t stand much chance in a collision with a vehicle that outweighs them by many factors. However, Ricky, who is an engineer, said that there are some other issues that make motorcycles behave strangely in crash situations.

Ricky explained that, “Motorcycles are smaller and they act erratically in accidents. They aren’t like cars, which tend to be like smooth boxes. Motorcycles have parts sticking out that catch on the road and cause them to do funny things, curve around other objects, land funny. Also, the weight difference between motorcycles and cars is significant. Motorcycles change trajectory more easily.”

I have hired accident reconstruction engineers in the past to help me prove that the other driver is at fault, causing my client’s injuries. In some cases, I observe the reconstruction process like a great episode of CSI. It takes a ton of investigative work to discern the cause of an accident.

Ricky said that the engineers at Knott Lab gather police reports, witness statements, visit the accident site for remaining evidence such as skid marks, talk to the district attorneys that may be involved, collect photos that may have been taken at the accident, and assemble pretty much anything else that they can get their hands on.

They also use high-tech to assess the vehicles’ damage as well as the scene of the accident.

“We do a laser scan of the vehicles so that we can recreate the vehicle visually and do a 3D image,” said Ricky. “We also do a scan of the accident site so that we can assess slope, geometry, heights of nearby obstacles, etc.”

Based on that information, the engineers can often create a written report that explains what happened and who was at fault. But for more complex cases, Ricky said they create the computer simulations like what you see in their demo video.

Advice for Bikers

I asked Ricky if he had any advice for motorcycle riders who are in accidents, things that they can do to help prove their innocence. Gratifyingly, he said something that I say all the time: take pictures!

“Everybody has smart phones today; take pictures!” he said. “As many as possible! Also, try not to touch or move the vehicle. Typically, police officers want you to move the vehicle, but take pictures first. And take pictures of the damage on the road, your motorcycle, the other driver’s car, everything. The more we can see of the accident scene, the more it helps.”

Finally, as someone who fights for motorcyclist rights, I want you to know that, just because the police give YOU the ticket after an accident (because they normally assume it was the biker’s fault), don’t assume that you don’t have a good case. I have won cases for motorcyclists even after the cop gave them the ticket. I can find witnesses and even hire a company like Knott Lab to prove your innocence. I’d love to help you.

How to Insure Your Motorcycle Without Going Broke

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Insurance is so important. As an avid biker, you embrace the risks as part of the freedom you experience. You also need to embrace insurance.

Scott O'Sullivan - The O'Sullivan Law Firm, motorcycle accident attorneys
Scott O’Sullivan

The good news is that, by taking a little time to do some research, you might be able to reduce your insurance premiums. It’s important to understand what Colorado insurance companies take into account when determining the premium on your motorcycle and how to keep your insurance costs down.

The more expensive the bike, the more expensive the insurance

Like most car insurance policies, motorcycle insurance costs vary from bike to bike. Insuring a small or commuter motorcycle will be much less expensive than insurance for a high-end bike that has high horsepower. Therefore, when you’re purchasing your motorcycle, don’t get captivated by the most expensive bike you can possibly afford because you need to leave money in the bank for the high insurance rates you’ll pay on that bad boy.

Consider your budget not only for what you’re willing to pay for the bike up front, but also for how much you can afford when you have to pay the insurance premium every month. 

Also, the bigger the engine, the more it will be to insure. Big engines mean big speed, which generally means big crashes. Along these lines, sport bikes tend to come with much higher insurance premiums than cruisers. It’s important to remember that the safer your motorcycle is, the less expensive your policy will be.

See what insurance Rider Justice recommends for motorcyclists.

Drive Safely

Are you an extremely safe and meticulous driver in your automobile? Some insurance companies will give you a discount on your motorcycle insurance if you’re a good auto driver. The same is often true for motorcycles. Obviously, nobody wants to get in an accident, but if you play it extra safe and always stick to the rules, you’ll have a greater chance of being accident-free. Having no accidents may entitle you to a no-claims bonus. The qualifications for this bonus vary between insurance companies and states so be sure to do your research.

Ride Alone

“Guest passenger” coverage is a category of insurance that only pertains to motorcycles. This is different from automobile policies, which generally cover all other passengers in the vehicle without any extra costs. If you’re a fan of being one—and only one—with your motorcycle, or if you’re willing to become a fan of solo riding, this might be a good way to save some money on your insurance coverage.

Here’s the catch, and it’s important: If you don’t have guest passenger coverage because you’ve decided to be an exclusively solo rider, you should never, EVER let another person ride with you.

If you should get into a motorcycle accident, the financial impact to you could be catastrophic. Imagine your friend with severe or life-threatening injuries and your insurance company saying to you, “We owe you nothing.”

That friend of yours (or their family) could actually sue you (I’ve seen it happen over and over again between people who were the tightest of friends) for help paying their medical bills. You could lose your home and all your other possessions. Never let another rider on your bike unless you’re insured to cover them.

Cap Your Mileage

For a lot of people, their motorcycles aren’t their primary mode of transportation. Some riders just use their motorcycles during spring and summer months, while others tend to take them out only on the weekends. If your motorcycle is more like a toy or a hobby, you may want to consider capping your mileage. Some insurance companies may offer a lower premium for lower annual mileage.

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, in most states, “insurers can use your credit-based insurance score to determine your premiums.” For example, they reason that if you seem responsible with your money, you’ll be responsible for your own safety.

Insurance companies also figure that you will pay your premiums on time if you have no history of being delinquent on a bill. Each insurance company uses different criteria to determine how you would manage your risk exposure, so make sure to do your research.

Take a Motorcycle Safety Class

I saved the best for last. For many reasons, you should take a motorcycle safety course. The best reason is because it could save your life, and even help you save other lives. Another good reason is because your insurance company may reduce your premium when you give them proof that you passed the course.

My favorite place to take a motorcycle training class in Colorado is at the Motorcycle Training Academy, which has schools in Colorado Springs and Aurora. The instructors there have huge hearts and they understand the passion people have for their bikes. That’s why they are passionate about keeping you safe.

Once you’ve taken that basic safety class and you’ve got some miles under your belt, go back to MTA and take advanced rider courses to keep your skills sharp and learn advanced skills. If you’re willing to invest in new equipment for your bike, be willing to invest in yourself.

There are other ways to reduce your motorcycle insurance premiums, but I don’t necessarily recommend them. For example, don’t increase your deductible just to save a few bucks every month. Also, you NEED to get underinsured motorist coverage (UIM), which will add to your premium, but since Colorado has so many uninsured or underinsured drivers, you need to protect yourself from them. 

As always, if you have any questions at all about this topic, call or text me at 303-388-5304.