What does motorcycle insurance cover?
Motorcycle insurance is a separate policy for your bike. It provides liability coverage that usually satisfies California’s financial responsibility requirements, and it can add collision, comprehensive, uninsured motorist, medical payments, and accessory coverage. Your auto policy generally does not cover a motorcycle.
Riders in the Yuba-Sutter region cover a lot of ground, from valley roads shared with farm equipment to Highway 20 into the foothills and Highway 70 through the Feather River Canyon. How much you ride, what you ride, and where you keep the bike all shape the coverage that fits. A policy built around those details protects you better than one built around the state minimum.
Oakview is an independent agency with access to more than 100 carriers, including 30+ primary A-rated carriers. For motorcycles we compare carriers including Progressive and Drive Insurance, Foremost, Nationwide, and Safeco, and we are an authorized Hagerty agent for classic bikes. Call (530) 674-5054 to talk with a licensed advisor.
What does California require for motorcycles?
California’s financial responsibility law applies to motorcycles, and it is usually met with liability insurance. Since January 1, 2025, the minimum limits are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury and $15,000 for property damage. Under current law, those minimums are scheduled to rise to $50,000, $100,000, and $25,000 on January 1, 2035.
The minimums are a floor, not a recommendation. A serious crash can produce injury claims well above them, and an at-fault rider can be personally responsible for the difference. We help you choose limits based on what you have to protect, and a personal umbrella can add more liability coverage above the motorcycle policy.
What coverage options are available?
Most motorcycle policies are built from the same parts. The table shows the usual options. Availability, limits, and terms depend on the carrier.
| Coverage | What it does | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Liability | Pays for injuries and damage you cause to others | Usually needed to meet California’s financial responsibility requirements, and minimum limits may leave substantial exposure |
| Collision | Pays for damage to your bike from a crash or going down | Lenders usually require it on a financed bike |
| Comprehensive | Covers theft, vandalism, fire, falling objects, and weather | Important for a bike parked outside or away from home |
| Uninsured and underinsured motorist | Pays your injury damages when the at-fault driver is uninsured, or has bodily injury limits lower than your underinsured motorist limits | Must be offered, and can be declined only in writing |
| Medical payments | Pays medical costs after an accident regardless of fault, up to a limit | Limits are usually modest |
| Custom parts and equipment | Covers aftermarket parts and accessories | Many policies include a set amount, with more available |
| Roadside assistance | Towing and help after a breakdown | Check how the carrier handles motorcycle towing |
Valuation matters if the bike is a total loss. A standard policy generally pays actual cash value, which is the bike’s value after depreciation, and that can be less than what you owe on a loan. Some carriers offer total loss replacement for newer bikes, and collector bikes can be written on an agreed value basis.
What types of motorcycles do we insure?
We insure cruisers, sport bikes, touring bikes and baggers, adventure and dual-sport bikes, standard bikes, trikes, scooters, and electric motorcycles. Custom builds, sidecar setups, and imports can usually be placed as well, though fewer carriers write them. For off-road-only dirt bikes, see our ATV and off-road vehicle insurance page. For collector and vintage motorcycles, we place agreed value coverage through Hagerty, and our classic car insurance page explains how it works.
How do lane splitting, helmet, and passenger rules affect riders?
California recognizes lane splitting by two-wheeled motorcycles. Vehicle Code 21658.1 defines it as riding a motorcycle with two wheels in contact with the ground between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane, on divided or undivided roads. Lane splitting does not by itself determine insurance coverage or fault. Coverage depends on the policy and the circumstances of the accident, and fault depends on the facts, including how safely the rider was operating.
California requires riders and passengers to wear a helmet that meets federal safety standards under Vehicle Code 27803. Failure to wear one may affect an injury claim, depending on the evidence and circumstances. Insurance coverage remains subject to the policy’s terms. If you carry a passenger, the bike must have a seat and footrests for the passenger. Many motorcycle policies extend liability coverage to injuries to a passenger, but some limit passenger coverage or offer it as an option, so we confirm it before you ride two-up.
What discounts may be available?
Discounts vary by carrier. Common ones include bundling with an auto, home, or renters policy, insuring more than one bike, completing an approved rider training course such as the California Motorcyclist Safety Program or a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, riding experience, and membership in certain riding organizations. Some carriers also allow coverage adjustments while a bike is stored. Depending on the policy, comprehensive may stay in place while selected riding-related coverages are reduced or removed. Confirm lender and DMV requirements before making changes, and restore required coverage before riding or parking the bike on public roads. We check which discounts apply to you when we quote.
Serving Yuba City and the Yuba-Sutter region
We insure motorcycles for riders in Yuba City, Marysville, Live Oak, Gridley, Plumas Lake, Olivehurst, and Wheatland, and across Yuba, Sutter, Colusa, and Butte Counties, with statewide California reach. Oakview has 850+ verified Google five-star reviews and was voted Best Insurance Company, Favorite Agent, and Favorite Customer Service by readers of the Appeal-Democrat in the Best of Yuba, Sutter and Colusa 2026.
Motorcycle insurance FAQs
Is motorcycle insurance required in California?
Yes. California’s financial responsibility law applies to motorcycles, and it is usually met with liability insurance. Since January 1, 2025, the minimum limits are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury and $15,000 for property damage, and under current law they are scheduled to rise to $50,000, $100,000, and $25,000 on January 1, 2035. Riding without proof of financial responsibility can lead to fines and other penalties, and an at-fault rider without coverage can be personally responsible for the damages.
Does auto insurance cover a motorcycle?
Generally no. Personal auto policies are written for cars, pickups, and similar vehicles and typically do not cover motorcycles. A motorcycle needs its own policy, or a policy that specifically lists it, for liability, physical damage, and medical coverage to apply.
Is lane splitting covered by motorcycle insurance?
California recognizes lane splitting by two-wheeled motorcycles. Vehicle Code 21658.1 defines it as riding a motorcycle with two wheels in contact with the ground between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane, on divided or undivided roads. Lane splitting does not by itself determine insurance coverage or fault. Coverage depends on the policy and the circumstances of the accident, and fault depends on the facts, including how safely the rider was operating.
What is custom parts and equipment coverage?
It covers aftermarket parts and accessories, such as exhaust, handlebars, saddlebags, lighting, and audio equipment. Many motorcycle policies include a set amount of this coverage, and more can usually be added. Accessories worth more than the included amount should be reported so the policy reflects them.
Does a motorcycle safety course lower insurance rates?
It may. Some carriers offer a discount for completing an approved rider training course, such as the California Motorcyclist Safety Program or a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. Whether the discount applies, and how much it is, varies by carrier.
Can motorcycle coverage be reduced while the bike is stored?
Some carriers allow coverage adjustments while a motorcycle is stored. Depending on the policy, comprehensive coverage may remain in place while selected riding-related coverages are reduced or removed. Lender and DMV requirements should be confirmed before making changes, and required coverage should be restored before the bike is ridden or parked on public roads.
What happens if an uninsured driver hits a motorcyclist?
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage can pay the rider’s injury damages, such as medical costs and lost wages, up to the policy limits when the at-fault driver has no insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage can help when the at-fault driver’s bodily injury liability limits are lower than the rider’s own underinsured motorist limits. California generally requires the applicable liability limits to be exhausted first, and the available underinsured payment is reduced by amounts received from responsible parties. In California, uninsured motorist coverage must be offered with a motor vehicle liability policy and can be declined only in writing.
Does motorcycle insurance cover a passenger?
It depends on the policy. Many motorcycle policies extend liability coverage to injuries to a passenger, but some limit passenger coverage or offer it as an option, so it is worth confirming before carrying a passenger. California also requires a seat and footrests for a passenger.
What affects the cost of motorcycle insurance?
Premiums depend on the type and value of the bike, the rider’s age, experience, and record, where the bike is kept, how it is used, and the coverage and limits chosen. Sport bikes and high-value bikes often cost more to insure. Oakview compares carriers and explains the differences.
Talk to Oakview
Call (530) 674-5054 or email info@oakviewins.com. Have the year, make, and model of your bike ready, along with any aftermarket parts, how often you ride, and whether you carry passengers, and we will compare carriers and explain the differences in plain terms. There are no broker fees.