Motocross Insurance: How to Get the Right plan for Dirt Bike Riding.

Motocross insurance is a complicated topic (like all insurance) and the whole subject can get confusing.

Also, insurance companies are sneaky and they will conveniently not tell you about certain details to try to avoid paying out claims.

This is why I have tried to condense the following information into the most vital insurance topics that dirt bike riders need to know.

If you have any other questions, I recommend talking to riderinsurance.com.

They are insurance brokers that have taken care of the most elite riders in the USA and the rest of the world like Ricky Carmichael and Toby Price. They know their stuff.

Do I Need Motocross Injury Insurance?

Yell yeah. If you don’t have insurance then you will be heaped with the massive costs associated with hospitals, doctors and rehab fees if you ever get injured in a dirt bike crash.

These medical fees can run into the tens of thousands without even breaking a sweat!

I’ve known a few riders that have had to go bankrupt and lost their house from not being able to pay their enormous hospital bills after a nasty dirt bike injury. Scary shit.

Motocross insurance can cover the costs related to doctors, hospitals, ambulance and helicopter rescue, rehab and other dirt bike related injury costs.

Also, if you are going pro, health insurance is compulsory if you want to join AMA sanctioned races.

Does My Standard Medical Insurance Cover Me for Dirt Bike Accidents?

Nope. Most mainstream medical insurance won’t cover high risk sports. They only specialize in standard risk activities such as car accidents and falling off ladders.

You will need a specialty insurance company that specializes in high risk activities if you want to be properly covered for motocross riding and or racing.

To find out, give your insurance provider a call and ask if you are covered for off-road dirt bike riding and or motocross racing.

Will I Raise a Red Flag if I Ask My Insurance if I’m Covered for Dirt Bike Riding?

No, your premiums won’t go up for asking the question to your medical insurance provider.

Insurance companies are required by law to answer any insurance related questions honestly without it affecting your current plan.

Just don’t tell them that you are a dirt bike rider as they probably WILL make a note on your file which they may use against you for future non dirt bike injury related medical claims.

If I Get Injured on a Dirt Bike, Can I Say That I Just Fell off a Bicycle so I can Keep My Current Plan?

Yes you can, but this strategy can easily end in disaster.

Insurance companies aren’t stupid, they deal with thousands of injuries a week.

Your injuries are thoroughly assessed and if they aren’t consistent with a bicycle accident then you won’t be covered.

It’s way too risky! Instead get properly covered upfront so you have total peace of mind.

So What Types of Insurance do I Need?

There are a few types of insurance you will need to be properly insured for dirt bike riding and racing.

#1 Health Insurance.

You will need health insurance that covers you for the costs of hospital, drugs, rehab, specialists and all other related medical costs associated with injuring yourself on a dirt bike.

#2 Air and Land Ambulance Cover.

If you ride in more remote areas and you have a crash and injure yourself and can’t ride out, sometimes the only way to get rescued is by air.

If you ride on a motocross track and need an ambulance, the motocross track will not cover you for ambulance costs, you need to be covered for that yourself.

Ambulance costs are ridiculous and so you really do not want to get caught out with those kinds of fees.

#3 Accident Insurance.

Accident insurance is where you get a cash payment if you have an injury. This is different from health insurance where the money goes straight to the medical service.

You can use the cash to pay for any out of pocket expenses associated with your injury.

#4 Disability Insurance.

Disability insurance is needed if you sustain a bad injury and cannot get back to work for a while.

Disability insurance will cover you for the majority of your income while you are recovering.

#5 Optional – Insurance for Racing in a Foreign Country.

If you are racing or riding in a foreign country (like the Dakar Rally) you will need International Major Medical Insurance.

This is just like standard health insurance but for medical services in another country.

#6 Dirt Bike Theft Insurance.

You can also insure your dirt bike from theft. If your bike gets stolen from your garage or transport vehicle, theft insurance will cover you for the value of your dirt bike.

Theft insurance also includes cover from vandalism and damage from violent weather.

Questions You Need to Ask Your Insurance Provider.

There are a few points that insurance companies use in the fine print to trip up dirt bike riders when it comes time to claim.

By no means is this list exhaustive. If you are looking for an exhaustive list, have a chat with an insurance broker that has a lot of experience with motocross insurance.

1. Are there any types of dirt bike riding that are excluded from my cover?

These sneaky bastards sometimes exclude certain types of riding from your health insurance to catch out unsuspecting riders.

Make sure you are fully covered for all types of riding that you want to be covered for! Ask for ALL EXCLUSIONS and they will be forced to tell you.

2. How much am I covered for ambulance services?

If you are covered for ambulance services, ask how much you are covered for otherwise you may get a nasty surprise if it comes time to need one.

Just because you are covered, that doesn’t mean you are covered for 100% of the cost.

If you are only covered for say 10%, you will be in trouble when they send you the bill.

3. Am I covered for transport costs to get me and my gear home if I’m injured?

If you are scooped up by an ambulance, it’s a really bad idea to leave your truck and trailer behind. Ask if your insurance covers the cost for towing your gear back home.

Also, if you are injured and you were riding in another state, you will need transport to get back home.

Ask your insurance provider if you are covered for travel to get you back to base otherwise a family member may have to travel interstate to come get you.

4. Will my life insurance pay out to my family if I am killed in a dirt bike accident?

Another sneaky tactic an insurance company can use is to deny your life insurance policy to your family if you are killed on a dirt bike.

This is because there can be a clause that nullifies your life insurance policy if you were killed in an extreme sport.

Make sure you sort this one out as I’ve heard some horror stories.

Some Pointers You Need to Know When Talking to Your Insurance Company.

1. Tell your insurance provider exactly what type of dirt bike riding you will be doing.

If you ride freestyle, motocross, compete professionally, ride trials, enduro or easy trails then make sure it is written into your insurance policy so you don’t get caught out if it comes time to claim.

An insurance company will easily deny your claim if you were injured riding, say, a road bike on a flat track if it wasn’t entered on your policy.

2. Check your policy every year for changes!

The thing about American health insurance is that the rules shift regularly.

Obamacare was a huge upheaval of health insurance which changed the game significantly and Trump has since changed some rules again.

If you get your health insurance through your workplace then this rule is a must as workplace healthcare plans change every year.

My point here is to check your policy for changes every year to make sure you don’t get caught out!

To do this, just give your medical insurance company, broker or representative a call and ask for a list of changes to your policy.

3. Record your calls and write down the details!

The best way to defend yourself from sneaky insurance bullshit tactics is to record your calls and write down the details whenever you communicate with insurance providers.

For example, if an insurance customer service rep tells you that you are covered for something over the phone and they deny your claim in the future, if you recorded the call then that means that you have their balls in a vice.

If you have no evidence of that then you are fucked if they deny your claim.

To do this, get yourself a phone app that records your calls. There are plenty available on app stores.

Also, make sure you write down the reps name and ask for the logged reference number for the call so you can use this information in the future if you need to.

Conclusion

As I said before, my information is not exhaustive and its only information I have learned along the way in my dirt bike travels.

If you want comprehensive information, give ridersinsurance.com a call or send them an email.

I have also written an article about how to claim insurance for knee braces so check it out if you are buying a pair of knee braces for injured knees.