• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

TX insurance - is it really this expensive?

Forums New posts
texxter said:
I use Safeco Insurance through a local agent. I pay $93/year for a 2008 Triumph Tiger 1050, 50K/100K bodily injury, 50K property damage, collision with $500 deductible. I pay $23/year for a 2013 CBR250R with liability only and no collision. I am 57 with a good record and discounts for Advance Quoting, Ownership, Driver Level Experience, Claim Free, Garaging, Homeowners, Multi-Cycle, Billing Plan, Prior Insurance
Click to expand...

:giveup:So Im always up to give a company a chance to earn my buisness.
I called Safeco today, just before posting this..., transferred 4 times waiting on hold each time and told each time "let me get you to a person that can get you that quote"
The last person at 32 min total call time took a bunch of info as if they were going to quote me, then...said someone one call me in the next 24-48 to talk with me about getting me a quote"

Clearly Safeco was not interested in my buisness, so be it.
Progressive has my bikes, all 4. USAA my Auto, home and trailers.
 
Last edited:
When I moved from Pomona, California to Houston my car insurance doubled!!! I called the ins company at the time and they told me Harris County, Texas had the highest claims in the country. I switched, but only saved a small amount.

Several years later I got another bike, $125 a year through Dairy Land. After about 5 years they went up to $225 per bike with no explanation. I switched to Markel ins, back to $125 per year. Then in 2006 they went to $446 per bike!!!!! Say whaaaaaaa? I called and they told me that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had huge losses so that's why they were going up. I called BS and switched to Progressive at $125 per bike, which went down in 2009 to $75 per bike which is their minimum for any policy. That's what I still pay today.
 
In Texas I had very inexpensive policies for Texans. When I moved to Montana my premiums are almost half the cost of Texas. Its all about probability of an accident. More people on the roads the higher the probably of an accident.
 
mitchntx said:
Maybe I'm whacked, but I have very different thoughts on insurance coverages.

When the annual full coverage premium is 10% of the FMV of the vehicle, I drop full coverage altogether.

Insurance is gambling ... if you have it, you are wagering you will need it. The insurance company is wagering you won't.

In my lifetime, I've spent 10s of thousands of dollars in premiums on vehicles. I've made 3 claims against policies in those 40 years and the sum total spent on my vehicles those three times is way below the sum total of premiums paid.

My strategy is run deductibles at $1000. I have a savings account and in it is enough cash to cover the deductibles for my vehicles. That account was easily funded by the difference in premiums.

When the annual premium reaches 10-15% of the FMV (the amount the insurance company will cover), I drop full coverage and I assume the risk instead of paying the insurance company to assume it for me.

In 40 years, last June was the only time I lost at the poker table. It was a $3000 loss. But I venture I've saved 10X that over those same 40 years.

Many will say insurance coverage is smart money and I agree ... it is smart money. But I prefer to use my own smart money the way I want instead of letting an insurance company exec sail to the Grand Caymans on the company yacht on my dime.

YVMV
Click to expand...
I too will drop to liability next June. The bad deal someone steals your bike and accessories your out of luck.
 
Insurance is a government mandated gamble.

Here's my bet. I carry comp to cover theft.


BODILY INJURY & PROPERTY DAMAGE LIABILITY $54.00
BI $250,000 EACH PERSON - $500,000 EACH ACCIDENT
PROPERTY DAMAGE LIABILITY - $100,000 EACH ACCIDENT
COMPREHENSIVE $100 DEDUCTIBLE $27.00
ACCESSORY COVERAGE $3,000 INCL
UNINSURED/UNDERINSURED MOTORIST - REJECTED
UNINSURED MOTORIST PROPERTY DAMAGE - REJECTED
PERSONAL INJURY PROTECTION - REJECTED
Premium by Vehicle $81.00
Automobile Burglary/Theft Prevention Fee $2.00
Total Policy Premium $83.00
 
yep Rexter that looks about like my coverage I pay $148 for the ZRX and the ST as a package the policy went down when I added the second bike.

Tried telling Pam if I buy enough bikes they may pay me to insure them at this rate

She wanted to see it in writing first. foiled again
 
Expatbiker said:
Just sorting out moving my insurance from SC to TX and the premium has more than doubled to $562 for the year (with Markel). Are there any better insurers out there for TX (have tried Geico, my current auto insurer, and Progressive and they're laughable)?
Click to expand...


I'm convinced the premiums depend on where you live, your "history" with the particular company, and their knowledge of how you use your vehicles. I have 10 bikes insured with Geico, eight on one policy (max allowable) and two on another. Last addition was the '78 XS650SE => "There will be no increase in your premium" which is, btw, right at $1000/YEAR, for both policies. (I live in the sticks, a traffic jam is two pickup trucks and a tractor in sight of each other.*)

USAA has been my insurer for 4-wheeled vehicles for >45yrs - Not Interested in covering the bikes (only had 3, then) when I moved to TX nearly 18yrs ago.

* => Slight exaggeration, but not much.
 
E.Marquez said:
... transferred 4 times waiting on hold each time and told each time "let me get you to a person that can get you that quote"
The last person at 32 min total call time took a bunch of info as if they were going to quote me, then...said someone one call me in the next 24-48 to talk with me about getting me a quote"

Clearly Safeco was not interested in my business, so be it. ...
Click to expand...
(*un-typo'd the typo in the above quote*)

Yep, I would have drawn the same conclusion and not "bothered them," ever again.

When I moved to TX, USAA was right up front: "We don't insure motorcycles in TX" though they'd had my bike/(s) in Luzianna (and VA & SC), no problemo, including a big claim for damage to an RC30. (The "plastic," which is really hand-laid, very thin, fiberglass, is really spendy, and (Idiot Me) I let a guy ride it and, predictably, he dropped it. Nearly $5K for replacement parts, just from a fall-over!)
 
Last edited:
garfey said:
(*un-typo'd the typo in the above quote*)

Yep, I would have drawn the same conclusion and not "bothered them," ever again.

When I moved to TX, USAA was right up front: "We don't insure motorcycles in TX" though they'd had my bike/(s) in Luzianna (and VA & SC), no problemo, including a big claim for damage to an RC30. (The "plastic," which is really hand-laid, very thin, fiberglass, is really spendy, and (Idiot Me) I let a guy ride it and, predictably, he dropped it. Nearly $5K for replacement parts, just from a fall-over!)
Click to expand...

USAA was insuring my bikes when in moved to TX, as they had been since 1986.
Somewhere after 2005 they partnered with progressive and my motorcycle insurance was supplied though USAA by progressive, then sometime after that is was just progressive and USAA had no part in it.

I check insurance costs about once a year on bikes on hand, and when every im looking at a new bike. Current policy in hand so i know im asking for a quote on the same coverages, deductibles, ect. Progressive has always had the better costs, and the service is well known and proven to me in the two claims I have had (strangely both claims on the same bike)

My wife worked with insurance companies as a service advisor, about 21 years worth, Auto and later motorcycle.. Many times low price of policy is not worth the hassle, if you plan on making a claim under comprehensive... who you insure though ,makes a difference.
 
Meriden said:
Texas insurance complaint database
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting... interesting...

However, the many zeros and the fact I did not know such a thing existed implies the "Complaint database" is not telling the whole story.
Only 1,458 complaints with more than 13 million policies? (13,012,263)..... great statistics for sure, but If a consumer does not know to report a claim to the database, thier complaint is still valid, just not included in the data.

Further, my complaint is not something I would send to a government database, I did send it to the company but I doubt they report those internally recieved complaints to the government.

So that database is helpful in knowing what companies you should stay away from perhaps, but not which companies are a safer bet.
 
Last edited:
I just got my renewal in the mail, 2003 SV1KN, 2000 ZRX1100, 2014 CRF250L with BIPD, medical payments, comp, colli, Road side assistance with trip interruption. $536 for all three.

liability alone on the CRF250L is $13 for a year, for the suzuki $44 and the ZRX is $34
 
Just dropped the 09 TMAX and added the 14 CB1100 and just renewed my Esurance policy. It went up $60/year which I thought was pretty good.
 
Tennessee passed a law requiring proof of insurance for registration. I expect the cost of insurance in Tennessee to double or triple when it goes into effect, just as costs have skyrocketed everywhere else insurance is required for registration. It will be interesting to watch, but there is a reason insurance companies are in bed with politicians.

By the way, liability minimum required by the state is $300/year on 3 TWs and a RX3. Minimum $75/bike with Progressive.
 
Last edited:
The local news this past weekend said Texas is the 5th most expensive state for vehicle insurance, and that serve weather in Texas is a major factor when considering their rates.

For a long time, Texas has or had a chronic problem of drivers/riders operating a vehicle without insurance. I would suspect that has more to do with insurance premiums than weather.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top