Brammo Owners Forum

Brammo Empulse Discussion => Brammo Empulse => Topic started by: Ain on January 28, 2013, 05:16:19 PM

Title: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: Ain on January 28, 2013, 05:16:19 PM
Looks like GMAC/National General Insurance doesn't want to insure the Empulse R...

Any other new owners have better luck with their insurance company or have an Enertia insured with a company that's not afraid of electric motors?

Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: protomech on January 28, 2013, 05:40:00 PM
I have my Zero insured (collision / comprehensive) through Allstate. It's expensive ($600/year). They did have the Zero bike in their system.

Richard230 pays peanuts for his insurance. I think that's what he actually pays them in - it's something silly like $20/year or so. Just liability.

Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: Richard230 on January 28, 2013, 05:46:42 PM
I just received my Progressive Insurance policy premium renewal last week.  I have my 2012 Zero, as well as my four other motorcycles, insured for $250K/500K liability and $100K property damage only (being "self-insured" for collision, comprehensive and uninsured motorists).  My premium to insure my Zero for an entire year is only $32. I have saved a whole lot of money over the last 30 years or so by being "self-insured" for risks that I figure I can afford.   ;D
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: FreepZ on January 28, 2013, 05:57:44 PM
Progressive is quite electric friendly. When filling up the details of the bike, they include Brammo and Zero in their list, and they have the Empulse and the Enertia.

Note that the quote webpage has a bug: You have to fill in the "Engine CC" of the bike, and it says "(cubic centimeter size - enter '0' for electric bikes)", except when you try that is says "Valid ENGINE DISPLACEMENT must be entered" - Fail. :(

I just entered 1, and somehow that was valid. :P

Rates depend on coverage. A nothing coverage costs $30, and it can get pretty expensive.

I was thinking of getting comprehensive, since I would feel very sad if somebody stole my $20k bike. And perhaps collision too.
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: flar on January 28, 2013, 06:19:36 PM
I just got my call from my State Farm agent.  They needed to confirm the details of the bike after the weekend call to add it to my policy.  They talked to their service staff who came up with a figure of 644cc for the engine displacement.  They have a policy to cover e-bikes, but it is based on coming up with a cc displacement equivalence.

Premiums are around $700 per year, I didn't ask for a breakdown on which coverage cost how much, though...
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: 00049 (AKA SopFu) on January 28, 2013, 07:00:29 PM
State Farm quoted me around $450 year in Chicago 'burbs for full coverage, which is about what I pay for the Ducati.
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: aledbetter on January 30, 2013, 10:06:04 PM
Here in San Jose I got my empulse R via progressive for about 100 a year, with collision / comprehensive ... But they do spell it impulse on the policy :o
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: Richard230 on January 31, 2013, 10:43:53 AM
Here in San Jose I got my empulse R via progressive for about 100 a year, with collision / comprehensive ... But they do spell it impulse on the policyo :o

I guess Progressive must be kind of impulsive about insuring electric motorcycles.   ;D
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: Shinysideup on February 01, 2013, 12:19:48 AM
Here in San Jose I got my empulse R via progressive for about 100 a year, with collision / comprehensive ... But they do spell it impulse on the policy :o

That's a great rate. My other bike insurance company (McGraw) didn't have Empulse in their database and couldn't offer me anything. I had to get full coverage, due to financing. I ended up going with Culver Insurance Brokers in SoCal who wrote through Progressive West Insurance in Ohio. Rate was around $450.

Aledbetter, it might be a great service to post your agent. And at $100 for comprehensive, I don't care HOW they spell Empulse!
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: aledbetter on February 01, 2013, 12:12:34 PM
I just called the number listed on the progressive insurance card.
I do have 2 other bikes with them and have used them for motorcycles insurance for the last 10 years or so.

I asked for $500 deductible on comprehensive and collision - total for 12 months: $91

.. if only the rates on the other bikes were so good :-)
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: Shinysideup on February 01, 2013, 09:44:29 PM
I did the Progressive quote thing online and it kicked out $1575 for the year. I kicked it back!
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: Richard230 on February 02, 2013, 11:06:12 AM
I did the Progressive quote thing online and it kicked out $1575 for the year. I kicked it back!

Time to dump the computer, pick up the phone and call a real live agent.  My Progressive agent in the Bay Area is Mike Felder in Concord (1-800-729-2537).  They specialize in insuring motorcycles and I have no complaints about their service (not having needed it so far).
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: ttxgpfan on February 02, 2013, 08:33:13 PM
My personal experience is Progressive only wants experienced motorcyclists.  When I got my VFR back  in the day the want over $3000/yr.  I went with Gieco who about half that.  I always have liked Gieco, but I don't own an Empulse.
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: frodus on February 07, 2013, 05:04:21 PM
Got a quote from my agent (I have one accident on my record that goes off later this year) and they came up with $637 for a $1000 deductable and $788 for $500 deductables. We're gonna tweak some stuff, but she said it's on par for motorcycles that cost this much. Both are for Comprehensive 100/300/50 with liability and underinsured motorist protection.

Anyone get offered (or bought) total loss coverage?
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: AJ Nin on February 07, 2013, 05:42:39 PM
"Self-insured." I like the term. That's me too. Since I presently own 3 bikes and only have liability as required by Texas law, Progressive will insure anything and the price is the same. It's $140 a year for all 3. When you add a bike after insuring 1, it's $10 a year for each addl bike. I guess they figure you can only ride one bike at a time.
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: Ain on February 17, 2013, 11:54:17 PM
Quick update...  I ended up going with Progressive.  They already have the Empulse in their online quote tool (although there's a bug since it says to put "0" in for CC's on electrics, but I had to use "1" to get it to proceed - this was on advice from one of their agents).

At least they're a step of two ahead of other companies that had no idea what the Empulse is and freaked out when they heard it was electric - "we can't risk the liability".   :P
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: Brammofan on February 18, 2013, 07:57:41 AM
I used to have Geico but switched to Allstate because it was cheaper.
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: Gavin on February 18, 2013, 05:59:58 PM
I went Progressive too...It wouldn't take 0 for cc (even though it says: if Electric, put 0)....I wish I had know about putting 1...I put 650, since it rides similar to a 650. I wonder if I would have gotten a cheaper rate with 1 in that box?

Gavin
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: FreepZ on February 20, 2013, 09:02:26 AM
I went Progressive too...It wouldn't take 0 for cc (even though it says: if Electric, put 0)....I wish I had know about putting 1...I put 650, since it rides similar to a 650. I wonder if I would have gotten a cheaper rate with 1 in that box?

Yes, you would have gotten a cheaper rate if you put in 1. Their website is not great. It apparently calculates the price based on the cc, even though you select the make and model. I called to confirm that I should enter 1, and they said that's what I needed to do.

When I called a dealer, they had very little idea on how to process an electric bike and asked me what the cc equivalent would be. I ended up using the website directly since the number that the dealer came up with was much higher than I what I wanted to pay.
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: implovator on February 20, 2013, 05:28:35 PM
I just added the Empulse to my motorcycle policy with Geico. My premium went up $13 a year for this second bike (basic coverage). When I gave the sales rep the VIN, it came up right away as a 2013 Empulse R. I asked her what she had listed for the displacement, and she said 270cc, IIRC. Sounds reasonable to me.
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: flar on February 20, 2013, 08:54:57 PM
I just added the Empulse to my motorcycle policy with Geico. My premium went up $13 a year for this second bike (basic coverage). When I gave the sales rep the VIN, it came up right away as a 2013 Empulse R. I asked her what she had listed for the displacement, and she said 270cc, IIRC. Sounds reasonable to me.

What kind of coverage for $13/year?  Any multi-policy discounts?
Title: Re: Time for a new insurance company!
Post by: implovator on February 21, 2013, 08:06:01 AM
I just added the Empulse to my motorcycle policy with Geico. My premium went up $13 a year for this second bike (basic coverage). When I gave the sales rep the VIN, it came up right away as a 2013 Empulse R. I asked her what she had listed for the displacement, and she said 270cc, IIRC. Sounds reasonable to me.

What kind of coverage for $13/year?  Any multi-policy discounts?

Just the basic as I don't carry comprehensive. I don't think I have multi-policy discounts, but this policy already had a another bike on it. Adding additional bikes with basic coverage is only a little extra each year. Now If I add comprehensive to the Empulse, it's going to go up by about $400 a year.