Who Has the Best Cheap Motorcycle Insurance in Illinois?

We gathered more than 300 quotes for addresses across Illinois to identify which motorcycle insurers offer the best combination of value and quality.

The cheapest motorcycle insurance companies in Illinois

Cheapest motorcycle insurance companies in Illinois

Best motorcycle insurance for most people: Nationwide

Nationwide has the best prices for motorcycle insurance in Illinois at just $457 per year. That's 38% less than average, and $160 less than the second-cheapest option, Geico.

Nationwide has good, but not standout, customer service. Its NAIC complaint index is 0.88, meaning it's received 88% as many complaints as a typical insurer relative to its size.

Nationwide's coverage options were also satisfactory, though not the best overall. They include extras like roadside assistance and coverage for custom equipment, but lack others such as rental reimbursement.

Best coverage options: Progressive

For most riders looking for coverage that goes beyond the basics, we recommend Progressive. It has the best selection of options overall in Illinois, including replacement cost coverage for new bikes, trip interruption and protection for accessories and custom parts. (Daily motorcycle commuters may want to consider our other recommendation, Dairyland, below).

Progressive's typical rate for motorcycle insurance is $642 per year. That's 13% less than the average rate in Illinois, but it's still about $185 more annually than Nationwide.

We were impressed with Progressive's customer service ratings: It has an impressively low complaint index of 0.69, meaning it's received only 69% as many complaints as a typical insurer of its size and suggesting customers tend to be happy with the service they receive.

Best for motorcycle commuters: Dairyland

If you use your motorcycle as a daily commute vehicle in Illinois, you may find a few useful coverage options at Dairyland. Most notably, it offers rental reimbursement coverage, so you won't be without a vehicle if your motorcycle is damaged in a crash.

It also offers roadside assistance, as well as enhanced coverage for OEM (manufacturer-made) parts.

However, be aware that Dairyland's coverage was 11% more expensive than the average rate in Illinois, at $819 per year. Additionally, its customer service ratings are quite poor: It has a complaint index of 2.69, meaning customers complained about their service nearly three times as often as a typical insurance customer.

How we chose the best motorcycle insurers in Illinois

Our selection of insurance providers for motorcycle policies in Illinois was based on an evaluation of three major categories:

Each of these areas is an important element of effective insurance coverage. Policies need to fit into your budget while also providing strong protection — both on paper and in the company's ability to deliver on its written promises. In order to evaluate each motorcycle insurance provider in Illinois on a level playing field, we looked at several metrics relevant to affordability, coverage and service.

Affordability: Finding cheap motorcycle insurance in Illinois

The first and most important step in comparing motorcycle insurance options was to collect quotes that would tell us the relative cost of coverage at each provider. For most people, cost is the primary motivator in selecting an insurer. We think that shopping to find the cheapest rate can be an effective strategy — as long as it's done the right way.

Cheapest doesn’t necessarily mean the best value for your particular situation, however. . For instance, standard coverage at Nationwide costs less than any other major insurer in Illinois. But adding in the cost of coverage for custom fairing, handlebars, seats and other parts may result in a more expensive overall quote than you might find with an insurer that specializes in custom rides.

Your costs will also be impacted by the model and make of your bike, as well as personal details like your age and level of riding experience. The quotes we've provided were based on a 45-year-old rider with 20 years' motorcycle experience, riding a 2021 Harley Davidson FLHX Street Glide. Our selected levels of coverage were:

Coverage options: Comparing motorcycle insurance policies and benefits

The second step to determining the best motorcycle insurer in Illinois was to consider the policy options at each insurer. While every insurance company we looked at provides at least the legally required minimum coverage for the state, not all of them include much more beyond that. For frequent riders and those who have invested more in their bikes, add-ons like OEM parts coverage and accessory coverage can be as important as liability protection.

Recognizing that this kind of additional coverage usually drives premiums higher, we focused on providers who were able to offer extra features at reasonable rates. We also looked for insurance policies in which a rider had the ability to adjust his or her coverages well after starting the policy — a sign of flexibility that helps motorcycle owners balance cost and protection.

Customer service: Evaluating insurer quality in service and claims

Finally, we also had to consider whether an insurer would likely provide a smooth and helpful experience to a rider who ended up making a claim. For this we looked at two key metrics: The NAIC complaint index, which describes how many complaints an insurer receives, and AM Best financial strength rating, which grades its financial health.

NAIC Complaint Index: Each year, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners compiles statistics on the number of consumer complaints it receives about every auto insurance company in the country. Each company's NAIC Complaint Index is equal to its relative share of complaints divided by its market share. This means that an insurer with a complaint index under 1.0 is receiving fewer complaints than would be expected for a business of its size.

AM Best FSR: The Financial Strength Rating maintained by A.M. Best is a measure of an insurance company's ability to survive the financial stress of paying out its claims, especially in times of mass disaster or economic recession. While most companies maintain a high FSR, we relied on it to ensure that our recommendations steered clear of any insurers that posed any real risk of defaulting on a claim.

Illinois motorcycle insurance: Costs by city

Insuring a motorcycle can cost you different amounts depending on where you live. Local road conditions, traffic patterns and accident statistics may all factor into the rates that insurers determine for coverage in a particular area.

Chicago is the most expensive place to insure a motorcycle in Illinois, with an average yearly bill of nearly $1,245 for our selected levels of coverage. This puts the cost of insurance in Chicago 68% above the statewide average of $739. Other cities with high premiums for motorcycle riders included Cicero and Berwyn, which came in at $1,176 and $1,028, respectively.

Illinois motorcycle insurance requirements

In Illinois, all motorcycle riders are required to have liability coverage. This covers the cost of damage that a rider causes to other motorists or their property. The state's minimum required levels of coverage include the following:

Insurers will almost never sell you a policy that offers coverage below these minimums, so it's unlikely you'll be in violation of the law so long as you have insurance of some kind. However, you can't assume that bare-bones coverage is sufficient to protect you financially. For one, the law says nothing about collision and comprehensive coverage for your motorcycle itself. Liability insurance alone won't cover the costs of fixing your ride.

How do you get a motorcycle license in Illinois?

There are two kinds of license endorsements that apply to motorcycles in Illinois: Class L licenses for motor-driven cycles with less than 150 cc displacement and Class M for any motorcycle or motor-driven cycle. Given the difference, most riders will want to obtain a Class M license. The requirements for a Class M endorsement include:

If you're 16 or 17 years old, you must take both the approved education course and the skill test. If you don't currently have a regular Illinois driver's license, you'll also need to pass the basic written test and vehicle test for that certification before earning your class M endorsement for motorcycles.

Methodology

Our search for the best motorcycle insurance in Illinois began with 306 quotes collected for addresses all over the state. All quotes were for a 45-year-old male rider and a 2021 Harley-Davidson FLHX Street Glide. The rider was also a married homeowner who had 20 years' motorcycle experience — all factors that can affect your own quote in different ways.