Shopping for motorcycle insurance.   Bad/good experiences?  Which do you prefer?   Thanks in advance!

I sold my Goldwing sometime back and the BMW is parked because I got tired of Hawaii
drivers trying to kill me.
Progressive was the best priced.  I don't know about service in the event of an accident as
I managed to never get hit or go down.
Because My bikes were over 1,000 cc,  Allstate and State Farm wanted nearly the same amount as
a car of similar age and value. Progressive was significantly cheaper.
Stay safe!

I've been a USAA member since 1984 in college, just before I graduated college and entered the Air Force.

While they may not be the cheapest, they have always been standing ready to assist me in all my claims, made payment on the spot, and never once tried to prevent paying a legit claim.  Hail damage, stolen audio equipment, hit & run damage to my truck, a totaled 2001 Tundra ... always fair and always paying what was covered.

Your rates are going to be based in part on your driving record and your chosen deductible.  Location is also a factor.  One source says the average price per year of MC insurance in Hawaii is 22.98% BELOW the national average.  By comparison, California is 93.92% ABOVE the national average.

Also, give the insurance companies you get quotes from the same exact specs on the bike.  As mentioned, the size engine matters, as does the year and model.  I remember when Harley's were much higher to insure because the after market accessories are very expensive, making them a high risk target for theft. 

I usually start shopping for things like insurance by reading these stats.  It gives me a baseline to compare quotes.  Then, I look at reviews to see if the company has too many complaints regarding service and claims.  The cheapest insurance rate isn't a bargain if the company refuses to pay a legitimate claim .... or worse, drops you for filing 1 or 2 claims.

https://www.valuepenguin.com/average-cost-of-motorcycle-insurance#average

Geico has been running a ton of commercials for MC insurance.  I'd start with them to get a feel for the prices.  If you're a USAA member, you can get multi-vehicle discounts, plus the more you pay each year for your family's cars and bikes, the more you get back in the annual subscriber's savings account distributions.

Same as Grover, I also parked, then sold, my Honda Shadow 1100 ACE for the same reason.  While I feel I have the formal training and experience to be a safe operator, there's little to be done when drivers are colliding with you as you sit at a red light!!  This is the worst state of the 5 I've ever driven in when it comes to drivers watching out for motorcycles.

Progressive is the best priced for me. Comprehensive coverage, I have not had to file a claim.

Every carrier is different when it comes to premium. But with the internet, most carriers can get you a quote within minutes.  Claims on the other hand is subjective.  I've had good XP with 1 company and another person had bad XP and vice versa.

Example: I've had 1 comprehensive auto claim with GEICO and had no issues getting my car fixed and a rental car. Someone hit n run me.  I've had friends who had GEICO and they under paid the repair estimate and it was like pulling teeth for the body shop to  get more money to cover the loss.  Said body shop had fair prices as well.  Then they were non-renewed because of 1 at fault accident for less than $3,000 of damage.

I have Progressive through USAA, since USAA does not cover motorcycle in Hawaii. I carry basic, whatever the minimum is for the 3k bike. It costs me less than $80 a year.

I have Progressive through USAA, since USAA does not cover motorcycle in Hawaii. I carry basic, whatever the minimum is for the 3k bike. It costs me less than $80 a year.

I didn't know USAA wasn't covering MCs now.  I sold my bike around 2007-ish IIRC.  Had it on a "garaged/storage title" for a few years with just basic fire and theft coverage -- not allowed to be on the streets.  Very cheap.  Maybe $25/yr.

USAA also doesn't (didn't) offer homeowner's insurance last I checked.  I had to cancel my policy on my rental property in VA, because they won't cover a rental unless you also have your residence covered with USAA!     So, I have State Farm now for both houses.  All this because I finally bought a home in HI.  While I was renting here, USAA was okay covering my VA rental.

I'm starting to wonder if it's USAA, or this Democrat-run state, that's making them unable to do business here.

Every carrier is different when it comes to premium. But with the internet, most carriers can get you a quote within minutes.  Claims on the other hand is subjective.  I've had good XP with 1 company and another person had bad XP and vice versa.

Example: I've had 1 comprehensive auto claim with GEICO and had no issues getting my car fixed and a rental car. Someone hit n run me.  I've had friends who had GEICO and they under paid the repair estimate and it was like pulling teeth for the body shop to  get more money to cover the loss.  Said body shop had fair prices as well.  Then they were non-renewed because of 1 at fault accident for less than $3,000 of damage.

Interesting about the underpayment.  Usually the estimate is completed using a book of standard hours required to do a job as well as the reasonable cost for parts.  If you give 5 adjusters the same list of repairs, they should all come up with the same dollar amount if they use the industry standard repair documents.

I know sometimes the shop will try to squeeze the insurance company just because they know they can pay.  I also know some people try to pad the estimates, get a bare minimum of repairs done, and pocket the difference.  Not saying your friend falls under anything like that, but it's not always the insurance company causing the problem.

Normally, all it takes to increase the claim amount after work begins is for the adjuster to visit the shop.  They can take pictures and talk to the service personnel.  I've had that happen before when there was hidden damage that needed to be added to the estimate.

I have a feeling there's more to your friends' stories.  Of course, different adjusters might do things differently, too.  Wouldn't surprise me if there are shady adjusters who expect kickbacks or who get bonuses based on how cheaply they can settle claims.

I once had a collision where a Cadillac pulled out directly in front of my path.  Blocked both lanes, so I had nowhere to go but straight.  Impact was minor, but the cost was more than expected because the forks were bent and unable to be totally straightened.  The other driver tried to fight the ticket, saying the road was the problem -- he couldn't see far enough to make it into the road before traffic was on top of him.  Total BS, but he didn't want the ticket to stand.

Luckily, I got a rental car right away.  After renewing the rental for a 3rd month, his insurance company was wondering what was taking so long.  They only expected a month or less of rental car expense.  After they found out it was their customer's fault, they authorized not only another month of a rental, but they also authorized the full repair.  Got my bike back less than a week and a half later.

People get stupid when there's money involved.