Laurie Montoya
The roar of the bikes are heading out every weekend and can be seen at every traffic light and as I am making my tea in the morning I can hear them on Alameda heading to Wadsworth, destination unknown. Riding friends that we haven’t seen over the winter are friends that we run into at our favorite watering hole. Riding and Charity events are beginning to fill up our calendars. Riding season is upon us and it’s time to do a checklist of things we should look at before we get on any powersports vehicle.
Maintenance – it is time to start your bike, charge the battery, and most importantly check your tires. You can find many maintenance checklists on the internet but most importantly don’t skip over the details. Many dealerships are also running spring deals on getting and keeping your ride in top condition.
Insurance – Do you really know your coverages on your vehicle? Accidents happen and now more than ever it is a fact of life when riding. The attractiveness of riding a motorcycle is the freedom, but it also comes with responsibilities. You don’t have to wear a helmet and you don’t have to wear the protective gear, but you DO have to have things in place in the event of an accident. Now is the time to take a few minutes to really figure out if you had an accident would your bike be covered, would your loan be paid off? Having liability only, only protects you if you are at fault. The cost of raising your limits and coverages during riding season is a minimal expense compared to the consequence of finding out after the fact.
- Un-insured or under-insured motorist? – We live in a state where the minimum a driver must have to get plates and get behind the wheel is 25k liability? We live in a state where according to 2012 claims data, 16.2% of Colorado motorists are uninsured. Compared to the national average of 12.6%. Those percentages have to been increasing when we have 10k people are moving to Colorado every month. Do you really have the right insurance that will cover you in the event of an accident?
- Supplemental Accident Insurance – Voluntary accident insurance helps accident victims with out-of-pocket costs associated with serious accidents — costs major medical insurance may not cover. In the event of a covered incident, accident insurance provides cash benefits directly to the policyholder that can be used in any way they see fit (unless otherwise assigned). It can help workers and their families stay ahead of the medical and out-of-pocket expenses that add up so quickly after an injury, including treatment-related costs and everyday bills that continue to roll in. It’s important to note that health exams aren’t required to qualify for voluntary accident insurance.
We ask all riders to take a few moments to make sure things are in order so you can have a safe and protected riding season.
Rider Owned Businesses – this month we are again featuring some amazing rider owned small businesses and encourage all riders to really think about where they are spending their money. Get to know the riders you are riding with and find out what they do. If you are a rider and own your own business, please go to our website and list your small rider business for FREE.
Events and Rides – This month we will be featuring all the rides for April and May. If you have a ride or an event that you would like the riding community to know about, please go to Colorado Rider News and click submit event! We will do our best to feature your event on our social media.
Let us know what’s on your mind. Whatever you ride, Colorado Rider News wants to talk about what’s important to you. Send me an email with your suggestions: info@ ColoradoRiderNews.com
