BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Calling all CA residents:

Looks like I'll be joining you guys. I'm going to be moving to the San Francisco area in the next 2-3 months and am curious to know what typical motorcycle insurance premiums are. My liability limits are currently $100K/$300K with $250 deductibles. Any info you can share would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Vinman,
I have simular coverage as you. Last year I was charged $360. The area you live in has a lot to do with the amount they charge. I live in the Central Valley, about 100 miles east of San Fransico. I am betting insurance is cheaper there, then in the Bay Area.
Don

i pay about 400 a year for about the same

I want to move to CA.
I pay in a month near what you pay in a year.
Zero Accidents, Zero Ticikets, Zero Claims.
I hate Ontario.

I am in the heart of the bay area with state farm and pay just about 550.00 for full coverage.. My two cents is that on a bike, higher deductibles make good sense and save some cash

I am not in California...so maybe i should shut up, but...

I was looking around trying to find better than the 802 a year now...with $1000 deductables...with progressive. Turns out that progressive considers my Rockster a sport bike. If i switch i can get down to like 670. My record is not great, but not too bad either. Apparently next year, if i maintain a clean record, and after i turn 25, it will be something like $26 a month.

Oh, and mine is almost 3 times what my girlfriend pays, she is also 24, but with a 2005 F650CS. AND...like 250 more than my friend who has a Sportster, and just got his license back last year after a 1 year suspension for driving while BARRED. Not to mention the 3 suspensions and speeding tickets, illegal passing and the like.

So, at least most of you guys have it better than me!

Oh...and the other insurance company that i quoted ASKED me if i consider my bike a sport or a touring. I now have a touring rockster, apparently.

Thanks Guys! Seems like costs will be about the same for the bike. I currently pay $550 a year now (no accidents, claims or tickets). But car insurance seems like it will double

If you can afford to live in the Bay Area I'm sure insurance payments won't be a problem.

My company is moving me out there for a big project so they will cover some big costs instead of giving me some huge salary. Although based on the research I've done it seems salaries in SF are only 10-15% higher than here in the mid-atlantic states, which sucks since cost of living out there is more than that 15%.

you may want to take the time to look at all of your insurance, and try to leverage the entire package.

My car and bike are (or should I say were) with geico. the house and a life insurance policy with american family.

AF just quoted all four policies together with higher coverage, and the overall when down about $700 a year, the bike was 100 less and the care was almost 500 less.

Btw, I live in chicago (not the suburbs but rather a mile or so from wrigley field) and have had to fight to get my bike insurance down every year because of the high theft rate.

Bill

San Francisco is an outstanding city. You should enjoy yourself there. The reason its so expensive is because its about the best city in the country to live in.

other than san diego

socalrob wrote:San Francisco is an outstanding city. You should enjoy yourself there. The reason its so expensive is because its about the best city in the country to live in.

I've been there a handful of times, it seems like a really cool place. Maybe I'll really like it and winters on the northeast will be a thing of the past for me

My ins is only $550/yr for the same limits as you stated, but that is for three bikes.

2002 F650
2002 R1150R
2004 R1150RT.

I live in Newport Beach, CA, which by the way is REALLY the best place to live.

Even better than where the beekster lives near Oceanside. Much better resturants up here.

However, if you will be living in SF the city, there are plenty of great resturants there.

Good luck once you get there.

In addition, there is plenty of great moto roads in northern CA.

Steve

San Francisco is an outstanding city. You should enjoy yourself there. The reason its so expensive is because its about the best city in the country to live in.

San Francisco is certainly different than Cleveland, which is where I lived until I moved here over 30 years ago. It's expensive because the entire city is only 49 square miles and there is no room to grow, so housing is outrageous. Unless you are coming from one of the tonier areas of Manhattan or Boston or Chicago, be prepared to pay twice as much for half the space. It has a good opera, symphony, and ballet company and Golden Gate Park is a great place to run. The entire board of supervisors is probably certifiable, the mayor is feckless, the police for the most part live far outside The City (as we fondly refer to SF) and the majority of them have little connection to or interest in The City and just try to stay out of trouble within the very heavily politicized department. Many years ago SF had a very active music and literary scene, but the glory days are long past. With a few exceptions the schools are mediocre at best. City services are poor, and the city government would rather spend its time solving global warming, issuing proclamations of solidarity with oppressed peoples, and debating US foreign policy than filling potholes, cleaning the sidewalks, or dealing with an enormous homeless population. However, if the worth of a city is measured in the high self regard of its residents, then SF is right up there. After the 1906 earthquake and fire (100th anniversary in 8 days!) The City rebuilt itself very quickly. The proud city fathers hit on "The City That Knows How" as a slogan. Based on the inability of the recent and current administrations to do anything worthwhile to solve the myriad problems that The City faces, I suggest "Clueless" as a more appropriate motto. It rained 25 days in March, and a mudslide has closed Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) between Pacifica (just south of The City) and Half Moon Bay, so if you want to ride down the coast to Half Moon Bay you can't. If past performance is any indication - this happens about every other year - the road will be closed at least two months. (After 40 years of debate and planning, a tunnel and bridge that goes inland from the slide area is finally under construction.) On the other hand there are great views, the half of the city away from the ocean usually has beautiful Mediterranean weather, and there is very little rain six months of the year (mid-April to mid-September). You aren't far away from gorgeous riding roads in Marin and Sonoma counties, and there is also good riding on the peninsula south of SF. You can decide for yourself if all this is enough to make it the "best" place to live.

The local BMW motorcycle dealer is also a BMW car dealer and the last time I was there two years ago the motorcycle side of the business did not impress. I go to California BMW in Mountain View, 35 miles south, and it is an excellent shop. San Jose BMW is a good dealership, BMW of Marin also has a good reputation, there is a dealer in Walnut Creek in the East Bay, and A&S Cycles in Roseville (outside Sacramento) is huge.

vinman - are you going to live in SF or somewhere else in the Bay Area?
peter, San Francisco
'73 R75/5, '04 R1150RA

Well every city has its problems, even the small cities. I've witnessed complete idiocy in small towns and cities here in MD and in VA, as well as in NY (where I'm from and will always consider "home"). The problems of a city and the stupidy of those in government are just different from one place to another. Its really a matter if the particular benefits of a city are enough to overcome the problems it may have. I'm hoping SF's benefits are enough to make it a good place for me to live.

I'm not sure exactly where I will live. I have been discussing this with my cousin who used to live there for many years and has friends there. So far I think I am leaning toward Noe Valley, Twin Peaks, Castro, and Mission Bay. Getting as much sunshine as possible is important to me, so with the exception of Twin Peaks I'm leaning towards the east side of SF or even as far south as San Mateo. I'll be working around Mission Bay (new campus for UCSF) so I'm also trying to keep my commute to 45 minutes or less. So far one thing I'm concerned about is being able to find a place that has indoor parking for my bike. Any suggestions?

Vinman,
The neighborhoods you mentioned are all good places to live. If you send me your email off list I'll elaborate on what I know about the various areas in The City. I think this thread has gotten pretty far away from your original post so there's probably no sense in continuing it in the forum.
peter '73 R75/5, '04 R1150RA

Yes, we've gotten off-topic. Check you mailbox.