The Best Cheap Motorcycle Insurance in Michigan

The cheapest motorcycle insurance in Michigan comes from Progressive and costs $702 per year.

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Choosing the right motorcycle insurance company means balancing affordability with reliable coverage. We collected hundreds of quotes and analyzed insurance companies across Michigan to find the best motorcycle insurance near you.

The cheapest motorcycle insurance companies in Michigan

The average cost of motorcycle insurance in Michigan is $953 per year, or $79 per month.

This is more expensive than the typical cost across the country, which is around $721 per year.

Bar chart comparing the costs of motorcycle insurance in Michigan

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Cheapest motorcycle insurance companies in Michigan

Company
Average annual cost
Progressive logo
Progressive$702
Dairyland logo
Dairyland$962
Geico logo
Geico$1,018
Allstate logo
Allstate$1,129
Average$953

Best motorcycle insurance for most people: Progressive

  • Editor rating

  • Annual rate

    $702 ?

Pros and cons

  • The best price we found among Michigan motorcycle insurers
  • Base policies have generous extras
  • Bundling discounts
  • Good, but not the best customer service
  • No rental reimbursement or trailer coverage

Progressive is our top choice for motorcycle insurance in Michigan. We were impressed by its affordable rates, generous base coverage options and wide array of available discounts.

The average annual rate for motorcycle insurance we found from Progressive was $702, 26% less than the typical price in Michigan. This makes Progressive the cheapest motorcycle insurance provider in the state.

Motorcycle riders who also own a car can save even more by bundling their auto and motorcycle policies together.

Progressive's base policy includes a few benefits that other insurers sometimes charge more for: replacement cost coverage for motorcycle parts and $3,000 of custom parts protection. Most motorcycle insurance companies charge extra for these protections, but they're free for Progressive customers.

Additionally, Progressive offers a disappearing deductible. For every year you go without an accident, your motorcycle deductible amount decreases by 25%. This can lead to significant savings if you ever get in an accident.

Progressive's customer service is good, but not industry-leading. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) gave it a Complaint Index of 0.76. This means that it receives 76% as many complaints as a typical company of its size. Other competing insurers had scores as low as 0.63.

Best customer service: Allstate

  • Editor rating

  • Annual rate

    $1,129 ?

Pros and cons

  • Highly rated customer service
  • Lots of coverage options and discounts
  • Expensive prices

Motorcyclists who value a great customer service experience above all else should consider Allstate. It has the best customer service of any company we looked at in Michigan, though it comes at a cost — with the highest rates we found.

Allstate has a low NAIC Complaint Index — 0.63. This means it received only 63% as many complaints as a typical company of its size.

We were very impressed with the range of discounts Allstate offers, including savings for holding multiple policies, paying in full and having safety features on your motorcycle.

However, Allstate was the most expensive company we surveyed, with an annual rate of $1,129. That's $176 per year more expensive than the state average, and $427 more expensive than the cheapest option.

Best for daily riders: Dairyland

  • Editor rating

  • Annual rate

    $962 ?

Pros and cons

  • Offers rental reimbursement and roadside assistance
  • A good set of discounts to help lower costs
  • Poor customer service ratings

If you use your bike to get to work and ride around town in Michigan, you should look into Dairyland. The company offers several features that appeal to the daily rider.

Roadside assistance provides service for events such as battery issues, a flat tire or mechanical problems, as well as 24/7 towing. Rental reimbursement provides money to rent a vehicle for up to 30 days while your motorcycle is being repaired.

If you don't have another vehicle, that combination can prove valuable if something goes wrong on the road.

Although Dairyland is often on the more expensive side among motorcycle insurance companies, that's not the case in Michigan. Its annual rate of $962 per year was only $9 more per year than the state average.

However, the company does not have a strong customer service reputation, with a score of 2.69 on the NAIC Complaint Index. That means the company gets 169% more complaints than expected for a company its size, a sign the company does not leave customers as satisfied as it could.

Affordability: finding cheap motorcycle insurance in Michigan

Finding an affordable motorcycle insurance rate can save you hundreds of dollars per year. We collected quotes from across Michigan to find the cheapest option for Michigan riders.

The cost of motorcycle insurance varies significantly based on factors about you and your riding history. This includes things like where you live, what type of motorcycle you own, how long you've been riding a motorcycle and whether you've recently been responsible for a crash or traffic violation. We gathered quotes for a 45-year-old homeowner with 20 years of motorcycle experience who rides a 2021 Harley-Davidson FLHX Street Glide.

We don't recommend insurance shoppers simply opt for the cheapest prices, nor do we recommend that riders choose the legal minimum for coverage. You should buy enough coverage to protect yourself if you or someone else is injured in an accident, while staying within your insurance budget.

Our selected levels of coverage were:

  • Bodily injury liability coverage: $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
  • Property damage liability coverage: $50,000 per accident
  • Collision coverage: Included/$500 deductible
  • Comprehensive coverage: Included/$500 deductible
  • All other coverages: Not included

Coverage options: comparing motorcycle insurance policies and benefits

The insurers we evaluated all offer coverage sufficient to meet the legal minimum for insurance in Michigan. But the variety and usefulness of an insurer's extra coverages can set it apart. This includes things like OEM parts coverage and rental reimbursement.

Insurance provider
Replacement cost coverage
OEM parts replacement
Custom parts
Roadside assistance
Rental reimbursement
AllstateX---X
DairylandXXXXX
Geico---X-
ProgressiveX†XX†X-

Customer service: evaluating insurer quality in service and claims

To determine which motorcycle insurance company in Michigan has the best service, we used several data sources including the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Complaint Index and AM Best's Financial Strength Rating.

Insurer
NAIC Complaint Index
AM Best FSR
Allstate0.63A+
Dairyland2.69A+
Geico0.70A++
Progressive0.76A+
USAA0.98A++
  • NAIC Complaint Index: This score represents the number of complaints an insurance company has received relative to its size. A score of 1.0 is the average number of complaints, and a lower score is better. An insurance company's NAIC Complaint Index includes complaints pertaining to both motorcycle and automobile insurance.
  • AM Best Financial Strength Rating: This score provides a holistic evaluation of an insurance company's financial strength and its ability to pay out insurance claims, even in times of high demand (such as after a natural disaster) or economic downturn.

Michigan motorcycle insurance: Costs by city

In addition to an overall statewide average, we also determined the average cost of insurance on a per-city basis for major locations in Michigan. Use the table below to see how your motorcycle rates compare to those of your neighbors.

City
Annual rate
Difference from state average
Ann Arbor$906-4.89%
Battle Creek$829-13.03%
Bay City$881-7.57%
Birmingham$949-0.40%
Brown City$872-8.53%
Dearborn$1,40947.86%
Detroit$1,62570.51%
Ferndale$1,0116.11%
Flint$942-1.14%
Grand Blanc$878-7.87%
Grand Rapids$943-1.06%
Holland$877-7.97%
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If you'd like to see how motorcycle insurance rates in Michigan compare to prices nationwide, take a look at ValuePenguin's nationwide study of the cost of motorcycle insurance.

Michigan motorcycle insurance requirements

In order to legally ride a motorcycle in Michigan, you need to buy a motorcycle insurance policy that satisfies the minimum coverage amounts:

Coverage
Required limits
Bodily injury liability$20,000 per person/$40,000 per accident
Property damage liability$10,000 per accident

However, you don't need to worry much about hitting these limits in practice. Insurance companies don't sell policies that don't satisfy the legal minimum, so any policy you buy will include sufficient coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does motorcycle insurance in Michigan usually cost?

We found the average cost of coverage for riders in Michigan was $953 a year, which is equal to $79.42 a month. It's possible to get coverage for less than average by leaving out certain benefits, such as collision and comprehensive coverages. However, doing that means you'll have to pay out of your own pocket if your bike is damaged while parked or in an accident that you cause.

Is motorcycle insurance required in Michigan?

Motorcycle insurance is required in Michigan, but certain types of coverage are optional. As with car insurance, the state requires riders to have liability insurance in order to cover the costs of other motorists who are not at fault in an accident. This means that the more expensive collision and comprehensive coverages — while useful and worthwhile — are optional.

How do you get a motorcycle license in Michigan?

In Michigan, a motorcycle license isn't separate from a regular driver's license. Instead, it's an endorsement that anyone who's permitted to drive a car can apply for. That means you'll need to be 16 or older and have passed your driver's license test before you can apply. There are two main ways to get your motorcycle license: a state-approved training course or practicing on your own followed by a road test.

Training class: Take a state-approved training course. These courses cover the basics of riding a motorcycle safely and all the relevant laws. You'll receive a completion certificate that you can take to the DMV, where you'll take an eye exam and receive your license. If you're under 18 years old, you have to take this course to get a motorcycle endorsement.

Learn on your own: If you know an experienced rider, you can have them teach you. However, you'll first need to go to the DMV to take a written exam. You'll also need to go back to the DMV to take a road test, just like you would for a driver's license.

Methodology

We gathered over 100 motorcycle insurance quotes from across Michigan to determine the average cost of coverage in the state. All quotes are for a 45-year-old male rider of a 2021 Harley-Davidson FLHX Street Glide. Our rider is a married homeowner who has been riding motorcycles for 20 years. Other riders' rates may vary.