Motorcycle insurance is a type of protection that covers you, your bike, and others on the road in case of an accident, theft, vandalism, or other mishaps. It can help you pay for medical expenses, repair costs, legal fees, and more. But what about engine failure? Engine failure is one of the most common and costly problems that can affect your motorcycle. It can be caused by various factors, such as wear and tear, age, carelessness, track days, competitions, or commercial use. In this article, we will answer the question: does motorcycle insurance cover engine failure?
Types of Motorcycle Insurance Coverages
There are different types of motorcycle insurance coverages that you can choose from depending on your needs and budget. Some of the standard coverages are:
- Liability coverage: This covers the damages and injuries that you cause to others in an accident. It is required by law in most states.
- Comprehensive coverage: This covers the damages to your bike caused by events other than a collision, such as fire, theft, vandalism, hitting an animal, or acts of nature.
- Collision coverage: This covers the damages to your bike caused by a collision with another vehicle or object.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: This covers the damages and injuries that you suffer in an accident caused by a driver who has no insurance or not enough insurance.
- Medical payments coverage: This covers the medical expenses that you and your passenger incur in an accident, regardless of who is at fault.
- Personal injury protection (PIP): This covers the medical expenses, lost wages, and other costs that you and your passenger incur in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. It is only available in some states.
Some of the optional or extra coverages are:
- Mechanical breakdown coverage: This covers the repair costs for mechanical or electrical failures of your bike.
- Accessories and custom parts coverage: This covers the cost of replacing or repairing the accessories and custom parts that you have added to your bike, such as non-stock sidecar, trike conversion kit, seats and saddlebags, electronic equipment, and more.
- Total loss coverage: This covers the cost of replacing your bike with a new one of the same make and model if it is totaled in an accident.
- Carried contents coverage: This covers the cost of replacing or repairing the personal belongings that you carry on your bike, such as clothing, helmet, tools, etc.
Read: How to get cheap motorcycle insurance
Types of Motorcycle Insurance Coverages That Do Not Cover Engine Failure
Not all types of motorcycle insurance coverages will cover engine failure. In fact, most of them will not cover it unless it is caused by a covered event. For example:
- Liability coverage will not cover engine failure because it only covers the damages and injuries that you cause to others in an accident.
- Comprehensive coverage will not cover engine failure unless it is caused by fire, theft, vandalism, hitting an animal, or acts of nature.
- Collision coverage will not cover engine failure unless it is caused by a collision with another vehicle or object.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage will not cover engine failure unless it is caused by a driver who has no insurance or not enough insurance.
- Medical payments coverage and PIP will not cover engine failure because they only cover medical expenses and other costs related to injuries.
Therefore, if your engine fails due to wear and tear, age, carelessness, track days, competitions, or commercial use, you will have to pay for the repair costs out of your own pocket. To prevent or minimize engine failure, you should follow these tips:
- Perform regular maintenance on your bike according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Use high-quality oil and fuel for your bike.
- Store your bike in a safe and dry place when not in use.
- Avoid riding your bike in extreme weather conditions or on rough terrain.
- Ride your bike safely and responsibly.
Types of Motorcycle Insurance Coverages That May Cover Engine Failure
There are only two types of motorcycle insurance coverages that may cover engine failure under certain conditions. They are:
- Mechanical breakdown coverage: This is an optional coverage that you can add to your policy for an extra cost. It covers the repair costs for mechanical or electrical failures of your bike. However, it may have some limitations and exclusions. For example:
- It may only cover certain parts of your bike, such as engine, transmission, brakes, etc.
- It may only cover failures that occur within a certain mileage or time limit.
- It may not cover failures that are caused by normal wear and tear, improper maintenance, misuse, abuse, modifications, etc.
- It may require you to use authorized repair shops or pay a deductible for each claim.
- It may not be available for all types of bikes or in all states.
- Total loss coverage: This is another optional coverage that you can add to your policy for an extra cost. It covers the cost of replacing your bike with a new one of the same make and model if it is totaled in an accident. However, it may also have some limitations and exclusions. For example:
- It may only cover bikes that are less than a certain age or have a certain value.
- It may not cover bikes that are salvaged, rebuilt, or have a branded title.
- It may not cover the taxes, fees, or accessories that are not included in the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of your bike.
- It may require you to pay a deductible for each claim.
- It may not be available for all types of bikes or in all states.
Therefore, if you want to have motorcycle insurance for engine failure, you should consider adding mechanical breakdown coverage and/or total loss coverage to your policy. However, you should also compare the cost and benefits of these coverages with the cost and likelihood of engine failure. You should also read the policy terms and conditions carefully before you buy them.
Final Takeaway!
To sum up, motorcycle insurance for engine failure is not a common or standard coverage. Most types of motorcycle insurance coverages will not cover engine failure unless it is caused by a covered event. Only mechanical breakdown coverage and total loss coverage may cover engine failure under certain conditions. However, these coverages are optional and may have some limitations and exclusions. Therefore, you should weigh the pros and cons of these coverages before you decide to buy them.
