Insurance must-haves and don't needs?

[Mookie]

Just bought my "re-entry" to riding today: 2005 Honda Shadow VLX 600cc. Used of course. It has 8K miles on it. I'm 63, I live in Colorado and the bike will be used for commuting, and sharpening my skills. No two-up riding for a very long time. So, what basic insurance do I need and is there anything I don't need and don't need to be talked into?

Also, since it's still sort of winter here, how long can the bike sit between rides before I need to put it on a battery tender - if at all?

Thanks

[dr_bar]

If available, underinsured driver coverage... That way if some donkey as no insurance or bare minimum, your a$$ is covered...

[JackoftheGreen]

You definitely want uninsured/underinsured coverage, carry at least as much of that as you're carrying in liability, if not more. Other than that, here's my thoughts -- bike insurance is cheap. Especially at your age, so you may as well carry a ton of property and medical with full comp/collision. I think my wife and I carry 100/150, with another 10 or maybe 20 in PIP, PLUS the uninsured/underinsured coverage. Don't bother with a low deductible -- if you lay the bike down, any claim you file will just get totalled out. And the policy will probably come with some insurance for accesories, and the bare minimum that starts at will probably be more than you need. And, make sure you have roadside. For the record, I recommend Progressive. I think we pay about $44 a month to insure a 2001 Vulcan 800 and a 2003 Shadow ACE 750.

As for the battery tender, everyone will tell you something different on that score. I've heard of some guys that have pigtail leads to their batteries and plug it into a trickle charger any time it's parked. And I know other guys that leave their batteries in their bikes all winter and just fire it up for a few minutes every couple of weeks. You're going to get a bunch of advice on that question -- take it all in, and then decide what sounds right for you.

I will say this though -- if your bike is going to sit for more than a week at a time, you really need to keep the tank full and use a fuel stabilizer. Ethanol can get nasty if it sits unstirred for more than a few days.

[Wrider]

Welcome from another Coloradoan! I'm in the Springs, whereabouts are you?

As far as insurance, I tend to get high coverages, usually about the highest they offer, with either a 500 or a 1000 deductible.

[Mookie]

Thanks to all of you for your input. I have my house and another vehicle insured with State Farm so they did a good package for me for the bike since I was "bundling" my other policies with them. The second place contender was Geico. Good coverages and pretty reasonable price. And yes, the underinsured and un-insured coverage was most definitely included. The only thing State Farm didn't offer was roadside assistance, but I checked and I have that with my AAA membership. They actually will pick up a bike and haul it to a shop or home. Usual mileage charges etc. I was surprised since I had heard years ago that they won't touch bikes. I guess they changed their policy. I hope I don't need it.

Hey 'wrider' I'm in Wheat Ridge, a suburb of Denver.

Next step, I'm gathering gear now that I have the bike. Is there a dealer/store in Denver or C. Springs that you frequent or are better deals and selections to be had online?

[Wrider]

I try to patronize local shops so that they don't go under. In Denver, try TFOG motorsports. The owner, Jim, is an absolute bike nut (guy rides to work unless there's more than 4 inches or so of snow), and I'm sure could use some extra business as he got taken out by a few cagers in the last snow storm.

Also, Fay has a pretty good selection. After that, it's probably Coyote, and if you're a gun nut too (like me), 303 Motorsports has a gun store and motorcycle shop in it.