There are many factors that go into determining the cost of any insurance policy, motorcycle insurance is no different. Each insurance company has slightly differing factors, but they are similar enough to discuss together.
The main factor that determines the cost of motorcycle insurance has to do with whether or not you want/need full coverage, or just liability coverage. While other factors also play into the price, the cost of full coverage may be double the cost of liability coverage or more. If you take a loan to purchase a motorcycle, you will need full coverage. Keep this in mind as you select a motorcycle, since your loan payment is not going to be the only monetary impact you will need to consider. In fact, many people end up paying more for insurance on a motorcycle than the monthly payment on the loan for that motorcycle.
The next factor that determines the cost of motorcycle insurance is the type and size of the motorcycle itself. An older motorcycle, or a motorcycle with a lower number of ccs will cost less to insure than a new motorcycle, or a motorcycle with a big motor. Why is that? The cost of repair or replacement of a newer or bigger motorcycle is higher than that of an older or smaller motorcycle. Also, a larger motorcycle is heavier and can therefore do more damage in an accident, which means that the cost for the liability portion of your motorcycle insurance will be higher.
The third factor that many insurance companies will consider when insuring a motorcycle is whether or not you insure your primary vehicle with them. If you insure your car(primary vehicle) with company A, and then get a quote on motorcycle insurance from company B, most likely, company B will have to treat your motorcycle as your primary vehicle, since your actual primary vehicle is insured with company A. If you do not own a vehicle other than a motorcycle, it will obviously be treated as your primary vehicle. Any time a motorcycle is treated as a primary vehicle, the cost of insurance increases.
Another factor that determines the cost of motorcycle insurance is the age of the motorcycle driver. Just like every other auto type insurance, the age of the driver is a determining factor. The older the driver is, the lower the cost of insurance will be.
While there certainly are other factors that might be considered while obtaining motorcycle insurance, the above mentioned factors are the main driving force of the cost of motorcycle insurance.