Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Next weekend I'm going to be getting a new bike. I'm not sure what I will decide on yet, but there is a good chance it's going to be from Portland, OR. For those of you not in the know, Oregon (OR) requires motorcycle-specific insurance on all riders. Now, my question is: if I buy a bike and am riding it back home and get pulled over, am I going to be tagged with that $450 ticket? I have coverage on my Rad and I'm not sure how ana the officer would be with checking it out.

Would it be too much to ask the seller to ride from Portland, OR across the river to Vancouver, WA? It's about 9 miles from city center to city center, and I'll be driving about 450 miles to see the bikes, anyways.

Thoughts?

My advice - call the seller and get the vin. If you have already decided to buy it, get it covered on your insurance policy. If you haven't decided for sure yet, try to check it out during business hours for your insurance company, so you can add it on the moment you ride away.

Better safe than sorry, after all. I had my bike insured before I ever sat on it, and I was still willing to walk away from the sale if I didn't feel right. The bottom line is the law says you have to carry liability. Don't get pulled over without it.

I'm with Toyuzu on this one. It's fairly easy to just call in the VIN to get the coverage - especially if you already have a relationship with the insurance company. If you were pulled over, the cop would just have to verify coverage with your insurance company, which isn't a big deal (usually they'll just take your word that it's all been transferred). Besides, there's no guarantee that the seller will still have coverage when he rides it over, and if you've already paid for the bike, it's all on you. Hope it all goes smoothly for you. Enjoy the new ride!

Cheers,
Loonette