Allstate motorcycle insurance review

About Allstate

Allstate is one of the best-known names in the insurance industry. It is the 4^th largest auto insurer in the country, and it also offers motorcycle insurance. Allstate has one of the country’s largest networks of captive agents, and due to its acquisition of insurer National General, the company has also brought thousands of independent agents into the fold.

Allstate has interesting beginnings, being founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck, and Co. and named after a popular brand of car tire the company had launched in 1926. Because Sears was so dominant in selling by mail via its catalog, the idea was to sell insurance by mail. Allstate claims to be the first insurer ever to sell a policy by mail, and for many years its products were also sold inside Sears department stores.

Today Allstate has a big name with its longstanding “You’re in Good Hands” advertising slogan, as well as great financial strength, but its overall level of customer satisfaction at times may not live up to this standard. The company receives a higher-than-average number of customer complaints around the claims process. In addition, Allstate’s prices are not particularly competitive, instead typically falling somewhere near the middle of the pack.

When it comes to motorcycle insurance, Allstate is also a major player, offering a broad array of coverages available to riders in all 50 states. Allstate provides a good option for most riders, especially if you are bundling the coverage with other Allstate policies.

Allstate does not emphasize its coverage of non-standard vehicles such as classic/vintage bikes or ATVs, though it does cover scooters. So if you’re a collector or you’re searching for insurance for something a bit more out-of-the-ordinary, you may want to consider Progressive , which clearly states that it will find a way to cover any type of bike.

Pros

• Available in all 50 states
• Robust network of agents in just about every location throughout the country, for those who want assistance with choosing coverage and handling claims
• Solid slate of coverages
• Simple claims process
• Discounts for bundling motorcycle coverage with other Allstate policies

Cons

• No emphasis on covering classic or vintage bikes
• Limited accessory coverage
• Does not guarantee OEM parts will be used in covered repairs

Coverages

Motorcycle coverages are similar to car insurance options, but there are some differences due to the specific nature of risk associated with motorcycles. If you’re a new rider, you may want to dive deeper into understanding the coverage options. The availability of Allstate’s vast agent network may be of great value to you in this case. Here are some of the popular coverages offered by Allstate:

• Bodily injury liability coverage – Covers things like medical expenses and lost wages that result from the injury or death of another driver if you're at fault. Depending on your state, this liability coverage may extend to passengers on your motorcycle, while in others it may be offered as a separate option.
• Property damage liability coverage – Covers damage to another person's property when you are at fault, including other vehicles, private residences, storefronts, and other structures.
• Medical payments – Covers medical expenses resulting from any injury to you or your passengers.
• Personal injury protection – Reimburses you for medical expenses, lost income, funeral expenses, childcare, and other costs if you're hurt in an accident.
• Collision coverage – Covers damages to your motorcycle that result from a collision with objects like another car or motorcycle, a tree, or a building.
• Comprehensive coverage – Covers damages to your motorcycle that are not caused by a crash with another vehicle, including flood, wind, vandalism, and theft.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury - If you are in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver who is at fault, this covers costs from your injuries and those of your passengers.
• Loan/lease gap – If your bike is totaled or stolen, Allstate will pay the difference between its current value and what you still owe on your loan or lease. You must have comprehensive and collision coverage in order to add this option.
• Motorcycle and off-road vehicle transport trailer damage – Covers damage and loss of your trailer and motorcycle due to collision, rollover, and many natural and man-made losses such as earthquakes and vandalism.
• Optional or added equipment – Allstate policies automatically come with $1,000 worth of coverage on after-market upgrades, and you can buy additional coverage up to $30,000.
• Towing and labor - Reimburses you for towing and related labor if your motorcycle breaks down or you are in an accident. Allstate provides this coverage automatically for all policies it writes on Harley-Davidson, Touring, and Touring Sport bikes, and it is an option for other kinds of bikes.
• Rental reimbursement - Helps cover the cost of a rental if your bike is stolen or being repaired in the shop.

Pricing and discounts

The price you pay is the price that matters. It’s possible to be wowed by some great discounts, but if the bottom-line price you pay is still higher than another company, all the discounts in the world are irrelevant. So don’t let a company’s bells and whistles distract you from your main objective, which is always to compare price, as well as other aspects of each company’s service.

Allstate’s motorcycle insurance pricing is generally a bit higher than average among its peers. Of course, pricing varies widely depending on the specifics of your situation. The only way to know what pricing would be for you is to get a quote on the Allstate website or from one of the company’s agents.

Allstate does not offer as many discounts as some of its competitors, but in reality the total number of discounts is not the most important point. The final price you pay is. Some of Allstate’s discounts include:

• Accident forgiveness – Allstate’s accident forgiveness ensures that, if you carry collision and comprehensive insurance, and you have been with Allstate and free of at-fault accidents for 4 years, your rate won't go up after an accident — even if you're at fault.
• Multi-policy discount – Allstate is a large multi-line insurance provider, writing policies for car insurance, homeowner’s insurance, and life insurance, among others. You can save up to 30% on your motorcycle insurance if you already have a policy with Allstate.
• Multiple motorcycle discount – If you have more than one motorcycle to insure, Allstate offers a special discount for insuring multiple bikes on your policy.
• Good Rider discount – If you go at least 60 months without a motorcycle accident or traffic violation, you can save up to 10% on your policy.
• Transfer discount – When you switch to Allstate from another motorcycle insurance provider, you can save up to 10%.
• Motorcycle organization discount – Members of motorcycle clubs or organizations like the American Motorcycle Association, Harley Owners Group, or Honda Riders Club of America can save up to 10% on their state minimum insurance coverage.
• Motorcycle safety course discount – You can save 5% on your Allstate motorcycle policy by passing a motorcycle safety course. Every 36 months you must renew the course in order to keep your discount.

The buying process

You can purchase Allstate motorcycle insurance either directly, meaning buying a policy online or by calling Allstate directly, or via the company’s network of captive and independent agents. Obviously you will receive more personal service if you go through an agent, both in the buying process and throughout your relationship with the company, because when you go direct you deal only with the Allstate website or its call centers.

Allstate offers discounts for bundling motorcycle insurance with other coverages such as auto or homeowners, so you may want to consider this during the buying process. Working with an agent is often helpful when you are considering establishing a relationship with an insurer for multiple lines of coverage.

Claims and customer satisfaction

It is challenging to make a blanket statement about how a company handles claims, and whether customers find them to be very good, very poor, or somewhere in the middle. Many of the reviews that appear online for Allstate show a general lack of satisfaction from customers, and in some cases downright anger and outrage.

This same statement can be made for many insurers, so it must be put into context. When it comes to insurance claims, it is more likely that dissatisfied customers will write reviews. And no one wants to have to make a claim in the first place, meaning that almost by default the process starts from a less than desirable place.

It’s understandable that if the insurer is not 100% accommodating in covering or processing the claim, the customer who has been paying premiums with the intent of having all such problems smoothly and promptly taken care of is likely to be angry. In some cases the anger is completely justified, and in others it may not be. The point is, it’s critical that we all take these reviews with a grain of salt.

Generally speaking, Allstate does seem to fare a bit worse than many of its competitors across a number of review sites in terms of unhappy customers. You can find reviews of Allstate on TrustPilot .

Financial strength

One of the most important things to look for when choosing an insurance company is how it rates in terms of financial strength, which is a good way to measure whether it will be able to maintain solvency and pay out claims. This strength is particularly important in times of financial difficulty, whether in the economy as a whole, or in association with financial challenges specific to the company.

Allstate ranks highly in terms of its ability to maintain solvency and pay out claims. Its Financial Strength Ratio (FSR) from rating agency A.M. Best is “Superior: A+”, which is the second highest rating possible and is due to Allstate's superior financial condition and operational performance. The company has a AA- rating from S&P Global Ratings, which is the 4th highest possible score out of 21.