Progressive Insurance

A multi vehicle discount with Progressive got my bike premium down by 70% compared to Dairyland . That cancelation email went out this AM...

I find the Progressive ads moronic
Nice that it is working for you all.
OM

I had Progressive for 2 years until I found that Geico gave me more coverage at 2/3 the premium. YMMV so definitely get multiple quotes.

FWIW, several years after I left Progressive, one of their insureds hit my car and even though fault was obvious and a cop gave the driver an immediate ticket, the driver contested his ticket and Progressive refused to pay my damage claim until months later -- the day after the driver finally was convicted in court in a 5-minute hearing.

Insurance

Have been with progressive for 8 years and never filed a claim. I have both bikes, car and house with them so get a package deal. About 220 for both bikes with minimum coverage.

Geico: $272/yr. with $1,000 ded for collision and $100 for comp.

I've always had good service with them.

Maybe I need to try Progressive. I currently have everything bundled with State Farm, and when I got a recent quote from Geico, it was a whopping $2 cheaper per year than State Farm.

beemermyke said:

Maybe I need to try Progressive. I currently have everything bundled with State Farm, and when I got a recent quote from Geico, it was a whopping $2 cheaper per year than State Farm.

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Or maybe State Farm is really a pretty good deal

But certainly worth shopping around.

In addition to just cost I like to check on the quality of service the company is known for. Such as paying claims quickly and fairly. Not all companies are created equal, unfortunately you never know how "good" your insurance is until you need it. Of course if the price is half your current rate then cost weighs a lot in that decision.

USAA and Progressive

For years, USAA bundled my bikes with my auto and homeowners, but in NM, they no longer write bikes - they've "partnered" with Progressive which has a dedicated USAA-support group. Today I went online to request quotes from USAA/Progressive, GEICO and Dairyland. Threw out Dairyland because it was such an outlier (half the premium quoted by the other two which is suspicious...) Progressive and GEICO were within $60 of each other for liability on both a '10 K1300S and '17 R1200 GSA; full collision/comprehensive, etc., on the R1200 GSA only.

1957mpd said:

For years, USAA bundled my bikes with my auto and homeowners, but in NM, they no longer write bikes - they've "partnered" with Progressive which has a dedicated USAA-support group. Today I went online to request quotes from USAA/Progressive, GEICO and Dairyland. Threw out Dairyland because it was such an outlier (half the premium quoted by the other two which is suspicious...) Progressive and GEICO were within $60 of each other for liability on both a '10 K1300S and '17 R1200 GSA; full collision/comprehensive, etc., on the R1200 GSA only.

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I have Dairyland thru the dealer I purchased my 02R1150RT and have kept with since. No claims but I know enough others that have with good results. Check the quote for any differences or if good I'd run with the quote.

Jay

gsinnc said:

Or maybe State Farm is really a pretty good deal

But certainly worth shopping around.

In addition to just cost I like to check on the quality of service the company is known for. Such as paying claims quickly and fairly. Not all companies are created equal, unfortunately you never know how "good" your insurance is until you need it. Of course if the price is half your current rate then cost weighs a lot in that decision.

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I was once banned from State Farm for three years. When we left Alaska and came to Montana we went to a State Farm agent to see what she could do if we moved our life, home, auto and motorcycle insurance to one company. She was giddy with anticipation. During our conversation I mentioned that during our recent move we had a TV stolen out of a household goods shipment. We filed a claim with USAA and it was paid. Filing a claim for any reason makes you ineligible to become a new State Farm customer, or at least it did seven years ago. The agent was crestfallen

2016 BMW R1200RT,,,,, I pay $600 a year for full coverage with $2500 medical payments, $3000 accessories coverage.

I had one claim last year from hitting a turkey, about $4500 in damage and my rate for this year went down $8 bucks.

Progressive is ok but depends on who your claims rep is on a claim.

No claims as of yet but I am satisfied with my cost on 3 bikes with progressive.

I have Allstate. I shopped Geico and Progressive. They quoted lower, but based on way less coverage. Once dropped coverages were priced in, they were higher than Allstate.

For me. You simply have to shop. Your situation is different from anyone else.

40dcoe said:

I have Allstate. I shopped Geico and Progressive. They quoted lower, but based on way less coverage. Once dropped coverages were priced in, they were higher than Allstate.

For me. You simply have to shop. Your situation is different from anyone else.

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Exactly. It is truly hard (I suspect by design) for folks to compare their insurance rates since so many factors are on included in the quotes. For me Progressive was half of what I had been paying with Foremost. And Progressive had better coverage.

IMHO...
Comparing insurance quotes, even on identical bikes, is futile. The average consumer thinks their rate is based upon the vehicle and their driving record. Sure, those things enter in, but the underwriters are also using a host of other info upon which to base their rate. Location, credit rating and credit history, individual net worth, debt-to-income ratios, etc. etc. are also factored in nowadays even tho you weren’t asked to provide that info during the quotation and application process. That info is available to the insurance underwriters through channels other than your application form, and much of the differences you see in quotes for the same bike/rider from different underwriters is in how they weight all those other factors.

Best,
DG

GTRider said:

IMHO...
Comparing insurance quotes, even on identical bikes, is futile. The average consumer thinks their rate is based upon the vehicle and their driving record. Sure, those things enter in, but the underwriters are also using a host of other info upon which to base their rate. Location, credit rating and credit history, individual net worth, debt-to-income ratios, etc. etc. are also factored in nowadays even tho you weren’t asked to provide that info during the quotation and application process. That info is available to the insurance underwriters through channels other than your application form, and much of the differences you see in quotes for the same bike/rider from different underwriters is in how they weight all those other factors.

Best,
DG

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This is a post from a previous thread that illustrates what seemingly unrated factors can be used to raise one's motorcycle insurance. In my case it is Montana specific, but I suspect there are similar things taking place in many other states. The bottom line is that an insurance company declared me a high risk driver because I had too many old closed credit accounts on my credit report.


"Machinations At Markel Insurance

I am starting my third year with Markel Insurance. Although I’ve not had occasion to file a claim, I have been pleased with their service and rates. Last year I insured four bikes, with full coverage for under $800. Imagine my displeasure when I got my renewal and the charge for the next year was $1200. The new rate does include a fifth bike, but all the bikes went up in cost and the new bike accounted for only about 50% of the hike. I noticed a letter at the bottom of the electronic copy of my new policy. It said I was now considered a high-risk client and that this decision was made based on a report they got from a company called Lexus-Nexus. Specifically the element of the report that primarily influenced my rating was,” % OF ACCOUNTS REPORTED IN LAST 24 MONTHS TO TOTAL ACCOUNTS ON FILE.” I’m not really sure I know what that means, but they say they got it from a credit report.

Now to fully understand why I’m feeling ill-treated in this situation, one needs to know some facts about me. No moving violations in the last 25 years, no vehicle claims… ever, credit scores on all three agencies above 800 and an auto insurance rating over 900 on a scale that tops at 950. One would think I would get the rates assigned to low risk, preferred people, and in fact I do for the insurance on our other vehicles (that company, USAA, does not insure motorcycles directly).

So what to do? Only choice is to enter into the bureaucratic abyss of two large companies and, as it turns out, the Great State of Montana.

The simplified version after many phone calls:

Lexus-Nexus: They base their rating on a report provided by one of the rating agencies and if I want to see it I must send a letter. They go on to say that Markel chose what factors from the report Lexus-Nexus should weight. Nothing they can do for me… talk to Markel.

Markel: They must accept what Lexus-Nexus gives them and that that Lexus-Nexus uses a proprietary formula to establish a rating. Yes, Markel does tell Lexus-Nexus what elements of the report to weight. The State of Montana requires insurance companies to check the rating of their customers every third renewal and the insurance company must use the results of that check to assign rates based upon a state approved table. Markel cannot change the rating or rates without breaking the law. Nothing they can do for me… talk to Lexus-Nexus.

I spoke to a very polite guy at Markel who had an immensely long title. He lamented with me about the unfairness of my situation, assured me that I’m not the first with this sort of complaint, informed me that my complaint would be considered the next time their contract with Lexus-Nexus comes up for renewal, and advised me to talk to Lexus-Nexus.

My final comment to the Markel rep was that I was not going to continue to be bounced back and forth between the two companies and that if he valued me (and the others with similar complaints) as customers he would work with Lexus-Nexus to ensure well qualified customers are not being ill treated. I got the distinct impression that my value to Markel has its limits.

So what’s next? I will be looking for a local agent that can provide me insurance at a reasonable rate and most importantly, face-to-face customer service. When we lived in AK I used Allstate. Their rates were higher, but I had an agent that would let me change the status of bikes to storage or full coverage by making a simple phone call. When all was said and done with the savings of paying just storage rates much of the time, Allstate was very competitive. In the meantime I’m stuck with Markel, but in fact even though I’m classified right alongside a three-time loser on grand theft auto charges, $100 per month for full coverage ($1000 deductible) on five bikes is not horrible. But it’s the damn principle of the thing. I worked hard to establish a good reputation and now I feel as if I'm being treated like a drunken test pilot."

CLUE reports

Lexis Nexus provides loss reports which the insurance industry uses to determine what your claims and loss record is. You can get yours here, I think one report a year is free.

https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com/fact_act_disclosure.jsp

I got mine and saw that an old speeding ticket was about to expire (6 years later!). I asked the agent what difference that would make and he said about $200 a year. So I went month to month for another 35 days or so, got a new quote, and saved $200. If I hadn't done that I would have paid for a year of insurance at the higher cost. I usually pay for the whole year at once.

It helps to see your record. Funny thing was the total loss of my R1200RT in a crash a few months earlier was not even on the report. So they aren't foolproof.

two claims with Progressive

I have my boat and two motorcycles insured with Progressive. Never a claim on the boat. Had one claim on my brothers Progressive policy when I stopped and he didn't at an awkward intersection. They paid a fair amount on the repairs to my bike and since I replaced the bent up saddlebags myself and some brackets I actually came out very well. Hurricane Harvey got my GS. They totaled it even though the water didn't get into the engine, but catalytic and exhaust system was full of water. I got a fair settlement, enough to replace it with a 2 year newer RT. One issue. Any equipment that does not come on a base model goes into the accessories part of the claim. So ESA, computer, etc. ate up all my accessories claim, I did however keep all the saddlebags, lights, tank bag. If I would have had a stock seat, I could have kept my Russel Seat. So just be sure you add a couple of thousand for accessories coverage. It doesn't cost a lot more.

dpmonk said:

I have my boat and two motorcycles insured with Progressive. Never a claim on the boat. Had one claim on my brothers Progressive policy when I stopped and he didn't at an awkward intersection. They paid a fair amount on the repairs to my bike and since I replaced the bent up saddlebags myself and some brackets I actually came out very well. Hurricane Harvey got my GS. They totaled it even though the water didn't get into the engine, but catalytic and exhaust system was full of water. I got a fair settlement, enough to replace it with a 2 year newer RT. One issue. Any equipment that does not come on a base model goes into the accessories part of the claim. So ESA, computer, etc. ate up all my accessories claim, I did however keep all the saddlebags, lights, tank bag. If I would have had a stock seat, I could have kept my Russel Seat. So just be sure you add a couple of thousand for accessories coverage. It doesn't cost a lot more.

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Thanks for your post! I have Progressive and was not aware of that and will give them a call and make sure I have enough coverage. I was under the impression accessories were defined as things I added such as my Clearwater Lights, Top Box, etc.

I think dpmonk's bike was covered under "Total Loss" coverage. More common is "Comprehensive" coverage, in which factory-installed options are covered as part of the bike, and dealer- or owner-installed farkles are accessories. Progressive's comprehensive coverage has limits:
LIMITS OF LIABILITY
1. The limit of liability for loss to a covered motorcycle or non-owned motorcycle is the lowest of:
a. the actual cash value of the stolen or damaged property at the time of the loss reduced by the applicable deductible;
b. the amount necessary to replace the stolen or damaged property reduced by the applicable deductible;
c. the amount necessary to repair the damaged property to its pre-loss condition reduced by the applicable deductible; or
d. the Agreed Value shown on the declarations page for that covered motorcycle.

Without special provisions, Progressive typically covers up to $3000 in accessories.

Progressive also offers the optional Total Loss coverage:
INSURING AGREEMENT-TOTAL LOSS COVERAGE
If there is a total loss to a motorcycle shown on the declarations page and you have paid the premium for this coverage, then subsection 1 of the Limits of Liability provision under this Part IV will not apply to that total loss and the following shall apply:
The limit of liability for a motorcycle shown on the declarations page for which Total Loss Coverage has been purchased is as follows:
a. we will pay the Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price of a current model year motorcycle that is the same make and model as the motorcycle for which this coverage is shown on the declarations page.

Being based on the value of the bike at the time of loss, comprehensive would not cover the depreciation that occurs the instant the bike leaves the showroom. The value of the bike is based partly on used bike values, which typically are not affected very much by the cost of factory options. Total Loss could replace a three year old bike with a new one.

For a new bike, where options can easily be 25-30% of the bike's cost, I'd talk to an attorney before accepting a base model as a "Total Loss" replacement. I think an argument could be made that the VIN number on the declarations page defines the model and as such includes all the factory installed options.