Motorcycle on a trailer? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Motorcycle on a trailer?

Motorcycle Mike

Motorcycle Mike

Well-known member
Forum Sponsor
So, lets say you have an insured bike on a trailer and you are going somewhere.

Something catastrophic happens to the trailer and the motorcycle gets destroyed. No other vehicle is involved (i.e. no one hit the trailer), what covers the damage to the motorcycle?

In other words -- what coverage do I need on my bike or car if I plan on towing it?
 
As it's a motor vehicle, my money is on the motorcycle insurance covering damages (probably under comp). I know on my boat, the insurance company said that even when being trailered, the boat insurance deals with the boat.
 
IIRC you can get trailer insurance to cover what every it is your carrying on the trailer.

Some friends were coming back from a track day years ago with 2 bikes on a trailer. One was a gsxr trackbike with no insurance , the other a daytona 675 with normal insurance. A truck going the opposite direction dropped it's spare and it slid down the road hitting the trailer causing it to jack knike into the air and flip over into a ditch. Since the truck the dropped the tire never stopped the Daytona owner was able to file a claim under his insurance, the gsxr owner was out of luck. Funnily enough both bikes were so secured they were still in the chokes and firmly tied down when the trailer was flipped back over. The gsxr saw lot's more tine at the track.
 
Both of the bikes that I would be carrying have comprehensive insurance, so it sounds like they'd be covered.

I'll call my insurance company just to confirm, but thanks for the info.
 
An agent at The Personal said that the comprehensive coverage on my automobile policy would cover the motorcycle I am towing, which is somewhat contradictory to what posters above have posted.

Either way, I have comp on my car and both bikes and all with The Personal, so I guess if something happened they can figure out which policy it falls under.
 
I thought that the Personal had trailer insurance separate. i.e. you had to tell them that you were going to be towing something. It was one of the questions they asked when I switched my policy to a new car.
 
I don't know, but I think I'll email them and try to get something in writing.
 
If you’re saying no other vehicle was involved, it means it was a single vehicle accident, which automatically 80% of the time is considered an accident at fault.
If the motorcycles don’t have collision coverage, there is no physical damage coverage
Coverage of the towing vehicle or trailer is not transferable to the motorcycles.
 
Last edited:
Carlos Vincent said:
If you’re saying no other vehicle was involved, it means it was a single vehicle accident, which automatically 80% of the time is considered an accident at fault.
If the motorcycles don’t have collision coverage, there is no physical damage coverage
Coverage of the towing vehicle or trailer is not transferable to the motorcycles.
Click to expand...

This is great -- a different and conflicting answer from everyone. The Personal responded to my email today and said call an agent and ask, which I did before, and they said comprehensive would cover my motorcycle being towed.

I thought collision coverage only applied if the vehicle was being operated and in an at-fault accident? A motorcycle on a trailer is not being operated.
 
I don’t understand how Comprehensive would cover the motorcycles.
The coverage’s that follow under comprehensive are: Fire, Theft, Vandalism and broken glass (windows)

If they're saying you have coverage, I would get it in writing, signed and dated and get a second person to witness it.

Think about, if you’re involved in a single vehicle accident with no collision coverage, there is no physical damage coverage on your car, the comprehensive portion would not protect you, so why would there be coverage on the motorcycle
 
Last edited:
Carlos Vincent said:
I don’t understand how Comprehensive would cover the motorcycles.
The coverage’s that follow under comprehensive are: Fire, Theft, Vandalism and broken glass (windows)

If they're saying you have coverage, I would get it in writing, signed and dated and get a second person to witness it.

Think about, if you’re involved in a single vehicle accident with no collision coverage, there is no physical damage coverage on your car, the comprehensive portion would not protect you, so why would there be coverage on the motorcycle
Click to expand...

Yes, I don't think the agent knew the answer but she gave me one anyway, and they seem hesitant to answer this question in writing.

So forget for a minute that the item on the trailer is a motorcycle, lets say it is a refrigerator, does any coverage from the car cover the trailer or trailer contents, or is that a completely separate policy that needs to be purchased?
 
A refrigerator would be covered under your Home/Tenants policy if you have a policy in force.
Otherwise there is no coverage for the refrigerator under the trailer of vehicle policy.
 
My broker told me the towing vehicle's insurance extends to trailer & what's on it I'm with Chubb. That would make sense, since all occupants are covered, not just the driver.
 
Last edited:
My broker told me the towing vehicle's insurance extends to trailer & what's on it I'm with Chubb. That would make sense, since all occupants are covered, not just the driver.
Click to expand...

That is correct, the towing vehicle's insurance does extent to the trailer only while attached to the towing vehicle.
For example: If you park the trailer somewhere unattached from the towing vehicle and rolls down a hill and hits a car/person/something there is no coverage, unless you have separate coverage on the trailer for liability and physical damage.
Occupants are covered only if they don't have their own auto policy in force, if they have their own auto policy they would claim under accident benefits on their own policy.

Chubb is a different beast of insurance company, they cover additional stuff that most carriers don't, by saying they would cover the contents that's on the trailer, it's plausible, but I would double check.
The only reason I question it, is simply because there is no endorsement or coverage under the auto policy that covers personal contents.
 
Last edited:
Carlos Vincent said:
That is correct, the towing vehicle's insurance does extent to the trailer only while attached to the towing vehicle.
For example: If you park the trailer somewhere unattached from the towing vehicle and rolls down a hill and hits a car/person/something there is no coverage, unless you have separate coverage on the trailer for liability and physical damage.
Occupants are covered only if they don't have their own auto policy in force, if they have their own auto policy they would claim under accident benefits on their own policy.

Chubb is a different beast of insurance company, they cover additional stuff that most carriers don't, by saying they would cover the contents that's on the trailer, it's plausible, but I would double check.
The only reason I question it, is simply because there is no endorsement or coverage under the auto policy that covers personal contents.
Click to expand...

Correct, because when my car got broken into, my house insurance covered the items that were inside of the vehicle, I wonder if the same would apply for items on a trailer
 
GateKeeper said:
Correct, because when my car got broken into, my house insurance covered the items that were inside of the vehicle, I wonder if the same would apply for items on a trailer
Click to expand...

It would if it were a fridge, but motor vehicles are excluded from your house policy, so the house policy wouldn't help for a bike.
 
Personalitems being carried on a trailer would be covered on the Home/Tenants policy.
That does not apply to motorized vehicles that need to have their own insurance policy to be legal on the road ways
 
**Cough cough BullSh.. Cough Cough**

I would love to see you telling your auto insurance that the Motorcycle insurance said so :)
Diesel said:
An agent at The Personal said that the comprehensive coverage on my automobile policy would cover the motorcycle I am towing, which is somewhat contradictory to what posters above have posted.

Either way, I have comp on my car and both bikes and all with The Personal, so I guess if something happened they can figure out which policy it falls under.
Click to expand...

Edit: you might have a chance if it is the same insurance company
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom