Switching insurance between bikes fairly regularly | GTAMotorcycle.com

Switching insurance between bikes fairly regularly

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drumstyx

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So I'm about to sell my first bike (GS400), but after taking it for a quick spin, I find I miss it after riding my Vulcan for a while. So I'm wondering, if I don't sell it (and I probably will, but bear with me), how can insurance work?

I'm 23, live in Pickering, and insurance for my Vulcan is just over $3000/year. I got a quote for the GS400 for $1600/year. Obviously, I don't want to pay for both. How frowned upon is it to call your insurance company to change bikes, say, every few weeks? Legally speaking, you can actually use one motorcycle plate temporarily on another bike, as long as you're correctly insured.

Honestly, if I could insure my second bike for an administrative fee of a couple hundred bucks, I would, but there's no logic behind having 2 full insurance policies; I just want some choice sometimes!

Anyone out there doing something to deal with having multiple bikes on the road?
 
swapping for a few months, maybe, but every few weeks, maybe not. You'd pay the higher premium. Also depends on the ins. company.
 
No broker will allow that to happen.
You can apply an OPCF 16 to your policy to temporarily suspend coverage on a vehicle but it still won't help you because the vehicle needs to remain suspended for a minimum of 45 days.
Also the MTO will definitely NOT let you use one plate for two bikes!
The bottom line is that if you want 2 you have to pay for 2.
 
Riceburner said:
swapping for a few months, maybe, but every few weeks, maybe not. You'd pay the higher premium. Also depends on the ins. company.
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Yeah, I would expect to pay the higher premium, that doesn't bother me, as I'm already paying it. I'd just want to have a fun bike on the side.

Wasted said:
No broker will allow that to happen.
You can apply an OPCF 16 to your policy to temporarily suspend coverage on a vehicle but it still won't help you because the vehicle needs to remain suspended for a minimum of 45 days.
Also the MTO will definitely NOT let you use one plate for two bikes!
The bottom line is that if you want 2 you have to pay for 2.
Click to expand...

The leeway with the plates is meant so that you can move it to another vehicle after insuring it to take that vehicle to get certified and to an MTO for registration. It's obviously not intended for what I'd like to do, but legally I'd be in the clear for that.

That said, if I *were* to get a second plate, which, while a bit more expensive, wouldn't bother me too much, how does that suspension work? Is there a penalty/fee taken off the refund? Would the broker be just as reluctant, since I'd be doing it at least once a year for each bike? That might actually be an option for me...
 
drumstyx said:
Yeah, I would expect to pay the higher premium, that doesn't bother me, as I'm already paying it. I'd just want to have a fun bike on the side.



The leeway with the plates is meant so that you can move it to another vehicle after insuring it to take that vehicle to get certified and to an MTO for registration. It's obviously not intended for what I'd like to do, but legally I'd be in the clear for that.

That said, if I *were* to get a second plate, which, while a bit more expensive, wouldn't bother me too much, how does that suspension work? Is there a penalty/fee taken off the refund? Would the broker be just as reluctant, since I'd be doing it at least once a year for each bike? That might actually be an option for me...
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It's usually used when someone is switching their summer and winter cars back and forth every 6 months or if someone will not be driving for an extended period of time. If the vehicle is reinstated prior to the 45 day period you'd likely forgo any refund and be required to pay the entire amount

https://www.fsco.gov.on.ca/en/auto/forms/Documents/OAP-1-Application-and-Endorsement-Forms/1300E.pdf
 
Wasted said:
It's usually used when someone is switching their summer and winter cars back and forth every 6 months or if someone will not be driving for an extended period of time. If the vehicle is reinstated prior to the 45 day period you'd likely forgo any refund and be required to pay the entire amount

https://www.fsco.gov.on.ca/en/auto/forms/Documents/OAP-1-Application-and-Endorsement-Forms/1300E.pdf
Click to expand...

Yeah, so there'd be some restrictions on switching, but I can see switching to my touring bike when I plan on touring through the summer, then my 'city' bike otherwise.

That brings another question; what about switching bikes just twice a year? Say June-August on one, then another for the other months?

Bottom line, even if I don't use this for bikes, I completely forgot that I don't use my car at all pretty much in the summer, so I could suspend my auto coverage.
 
drumstyx said:
Yeah, so there'd be some restrictions on switching, but I can see switching to my touring bike when I plan on touring through the summer, then my 'city' bike otherwise.

That brings another question; what about switching bikes just twice a year? Say June-August on one, then another for the other months?

Bottom line, even if I don't use this for bikes, I completely forgot that I don't use my car at all pretty much in the summer, so I could suspend my auto coverage.
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Suspend the car and insure both bikes. That should help negate the premium increase and you'll have access to both bikes at anytime. The problem is that there is no option to use the car at all. It's unlikely that an insurer will give you even a day pass, so you'd really have to think about that one.
 
Wasted said:
Suspend the car and insure both bikes. That should help negate the premium increase and you'll have access to both bikes at anytime. The problem is that there is no option to use the car at all. It's unlikely that an insurer will give you even a day pass, so you'd really have to think about that one.
Click to expand...

That's actually not a bad option, or switching to fire+theft like one would do to a winter beater car during the summer. For the amount I can get away with using my car, during the spring/summer/fall, it'd probably be cheaper to lower coverage and rent a car if necessary.

I'll do a test run this year; use my car as little as possible, and see what happens. I have the option to work from home pretty much any time, so the odd super-bad-weather day won't be a problem either.
 
One point you would NOT "be in the clear" using one plate for both bikes. You are the registered legal owner of both bikes. Therefore, you can't use the "loophole" of taking it for a safety and registration as it is already registered in your name. Otherwise people with two vehicles could avoid getting two plates and just switch them around depending on what vehicle they are driving that day.

Nice try though...lol
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