Tatto'd bikers may pay less for insurance

[cb88]

Bikers With Tats May Pay Less, Says Progressive

By Daniel Hays

NU Online News Service, March 10, 2:33 p.m. EST—A motorcycle insurer studying its customers said its data shows bikers with heavy high-powered Harley Davidson's have more tattoos than owners of lighter aerodynamic sport bikes, but pay a lot less for insurance.

These and other differences emerged after Progressive, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based auto insurer, rolled out an online survey it conducted

Rick Stern, a motorcycle product manager for Progressive, which bills itself as the largest provider of motorcycle coverage, explained the research to get under clients' skin. “Motorcycle insurance is a very specialized product and you never know what bit of information may lead to the next insurance innovation,” he said.

According to the company, the policy cost for a married 25-year old male Mayfield resident, including medical payments, comprehensive, collision bodily injury, property damage, guest passenger liability and uninsured/underinsured motorist protection, would vary considerably depending on the type of machine he rides.

Riding a 2004 model 1450 cc Harley Davidson FX Springer Softail, the biker would pay $1,487 in yearly premium, compared with $2,799 for a 2004 model 750 cc Suzuki Katana 750.

Survey demographics aside, the ink used to print the price on a motorcycle's bill of sale is what counts in underwriting-- not what's traced on the owner's flesh, according to Progressive Product Manager Jim Curtis.

“By and large the largest driver is the cost of the bike,” he said, noting that more expensive Harley's have a better loss history.

Mr. Curtis explained that “the sport bike has had more historical risk than a Harley Davidson, “A lot of it is driven by comprehensive and collision [data]. When we have to settle a physical damage claim on a sport bike its more expensive.”

He said when a rider runs into something and damages his or her machine, there is generally more costly damage with a sport bike because their fairing sections in front of the handle bars surrounding the headlight, “are all one piece and they are made of plastic.” Scratch a fairing on a sport bike and a larger portion of the bike needs to be replaced, Mr. Curtis said.

The Progressive survey, which did not go into prices, found Harley motorcyclists are more likely to have body art such as tattoos and piercings--52 percent versus 40 percent for sport bikers.

Riders of the big “hog” bikes are also much more into clothing or art displaying the Harley brand name, the survey found-- 93 percent versus 30 percent for the sport bikers.

Harley fans, the survey discovered, also appear to include the highest proportion of motorized gourmets--32 percent plan rides around where they will eat versus 23 percent for sport bikers. In choosing a dining spot, sport bikers favored fast food restaurants--18 percent versus 6 percent for Harley owners.

The Harley crowd was found much more likely to pick restaurants with the nicest looking waitresses or waiters--11 percent versus 3 percent.

When it comes to why they ride, 6 percent of the sport bikers said they do it for speed compared to less than one percent of the Harley crowd.

When it comes to waving at fellow motorcyclists, Harley riders are nearly twice as likely to acknowledge other riders by pointing two fingers down-- 29 percent versus 16 percent.

Harley rider Robert M. Bryant, the president and chief executive officer of the National Insurance Crime Bureau, explained the two finger signal, “That's the Harley wave. I do that too. Otherwise, they think you're riding an import.”

Mr. Bryant said he has no tattoos, but does own Harley paraphernalia and when it comes to figuring ride destinations restaurants are not on his mind. “I plan for weather and climate.”

Progressive gave the following percentages for other survey findings:

• Daydream at work about motorcycling--69 percent

• Do charity rides—67 percent of Harley owners.

• Eighteen percent call in sick at least once a year to go riding

[kruser79]

Actually, none of this comes as much of a surprise. Harley riders are more into the ride, the experience during the ride, and are into more things like the charitable events than the sport bike riders. (You'd never see one of those "Extreme Street Antics" video commercials shown on late-night TV with a Harley rider standing on his seat with the tail of his bike dragging the ground, lol.)

The sport bike group is much the same as the "Fast and Furious" car group. A little too interested in who's bike is the fastest, who can do the most trick riding, and who has the most invested in it.

I realize it's a time honored tradition for kids to flex their motorized muscle. It's just that these two biker groups are two different age brackets. A kid fresh out of high school can't afford a Harley, and probably isn't as interested in that particular lifestyle. He wants to buy an affordable Japanese bike and go drag race his buddies. Not take long road trips with friends to bike meets and participate in the off-road competitions you find there....

[USMC5831]

That is a very interesting article, but I can understand about the sports bikes costing so much to repair by damaging just one part. Very interesting!

[Snowden]

Originally Posted by USMC5831

That is a very interesting article, but I can understand about the sports bikes costing so much to repair by damaging just one part. Very interesting!

This is the most I've ever heard about the bikes. We see the sports bikers here a lot - the Eastern Shore in this area is relatively flat and every year we have a Tricathelon; three races. One race is sports bikes; the other two are water-related.

I guess tatoos would be more apt to be found on those riding motorcycles.

[kruser79]

Oops, I guess we better clarify a little more

The sport bikes mentioned in the article are the Japanese motorcycles with the fairings and body cladding all over them. The plastic body all but hides the frame of the motorcycle. They are patterned after the motorcycle Grand Prix bikes of Europe.

When you see one of these on the road, it's rider is normally hunched over the gas tank and inserted somewhere's between the body panels.

[USMC5831]

Yeah those are the ones I used to ride Dane. They are set up for speeed. Most go between 150 to 200 Miles per hour. It is the younger guys you usually see on these as not to many older fellas wanna go that fast. They are often refereed to as crotch rockets.

[cb88]

Chris...we got the point the first post, was it necessary to post it three times???????