Motorcycle Riding IS Expensive: Here's Why!
Insurance MONOPOLY.
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2025 has been a rough year for the motorcycle industry. But why? It has been said that bikes are too pricey. That dealers charge too much. Used bikes are now out of reach and not great buys.
A LOT HAS BEEN SAID.
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But what has NOT been said is the cost to use those motorcycles and particularly in Ontario Canada. Ontario has the absolute highest insurance fees in North America without exception. What it costs riders in other places for a year, for some riders this is the cost for one month.
In some cases for some motorcycles, the insurance company won't even insure those motorcycles.
This is the reason young motorcycle riders that have passed their motorcycle tests are forced to ride without insurance. This is really bad. But with the costs that could be $8,000 per year, what choice do they have? They have a right to ride a motorcycle in Canada.
The ALTERNATIVE for not having insurance is that if you get caught its a min. $5000 to $20,000 fine. So now you have a rebel group of riders that have no choice but to outrun police because no insurance and no money to pay for the crazy insurance fees.
BUT THE PROBLEM, is the way it is setup... for failure! Or to say, sorry but you can not ride that bike, you are too young, despite passing any tests.
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ON THE OTHER HAND... "INSURANCE COMPANIES" are running a mob-like system where they can charge whatever they want with no accountability. NONE!
Additionally, in Canada you have to buy motorcycle insurance for a entire year only. Also if you have several bikes you need to insurance each and every one at full rate. There is NO STORAGE rate or simply Fire & Theft... NO, just full coverage and thats it!
ONTARIO INSURANCE: No other place in the world has this kind of MONOPOLY on insurance!
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Look at this example:
You lose your job and now have a problem paying the mortgage or rent. So you TRY to cancel your motorcycle insurance. But they want the rest of the one year term paid in full. Or they have a one or two month penalty for cancellation. This a a problem with no income. But now you think could I just get fire and theft in case it is stolen? No, because there is no reduced rate for putting your bike in storage. So now maybe you have to sell your motorcycle? OK, so now you have your motorcycle in your garage without insurance. And now to add insult to injury, the Dept of Transport sends you a letter saying you have to get insurance or take the plate off and when you do that you will need to get another "safety inspection" on the bike. And they are not easy.
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SAFETY INSPECTIONS
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So for Ontario, its not that motorcycles are expensive and that is why there is a decline on gas engine motorcycles, its because of the UNCHECKED INSURANCE MONOPOLY.
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Are you starting to see more electric bikes? As long as they have peddles, license plates are not required and insurance is not needed. And creative riders are modify the electric output. While not a great example this only shows the irony of riding two wheeled bikes in Ontario.
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RIDING WITHOUT INSURANCE.
Yes it is costly as we have pointed out, but did you know this. It used to be that only OPP could scan you plates from their vehicle and get your driving record and whether you have insurance.
NOW all GTA police can do this and its that simple to get caught. An unmarked car behind you with a scanner telling the officer your record and if you have insurance. This is new, and it changes everything.
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POLICE POWER:
In Ontario, when police conduct a vehicle check, they can access certain information about the vehicle and driver.
They can verify the vehicle's registration, insurance status, and whether it's been involved in any infractions. They can also check the driver's license and potentially other details related to the driver, like their driving record.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Information Police Can Access:
Vehicle Information:
This includes the vehicle's registration, including the registered owner and any associated information.
Insurance Status:
Police can verify if the vehicle has valid insurance coverage.
Driver's License:
They can check if the driver has a valid license and if there are any restrictions or endorsements.
Driving Record:
In some cases, they may be able to access information about the driver's history, like previous traffic violations.
Potential Criminal Activity:
If there are reasonable grounds to suspect criminal activity, police may have additional authority to search the vehicle, but this is subject to legal restrictions.
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SUMMARY:
1. You can not ride without insurance. You will get caught and the fine is over the top outrageous. Outrunning is more expensive, more dangerous and more unlikely for success.
2. Ontario insurance companies have a MOB LIKE MONOPOLY on insurance rates. We have to fight this by sending letters to Doug Ford and our MP's
3. If you can't afford outrageous insurance rates, ride an electric bike with peddles. No license. No insurance required. Some ebikes and even scooters can go up to 80kph.
4. FREEDOM at this stage of the game in the Insurance Monopoly has dried up, but the hope is that more people will write letters and make calls to our Premier, MPs and Mayors to make the change we need.
5. You would think that forward planners would think that durring the travelling months of summer, rather than having more cars on the road, maybe the motorcycle alternative might be helpful. A point of moving forward. but this is not happening. Why? Is the insurance MONOPOLY that powerful that they have that much power over elected officials. OR is it elected officials don't ride motorcycles so they do not know. We have to let them know.
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