Insurance on your track bike?

[VTEC_EATER]

Just wondering about what insurance you should have for a track bike.

I can understand that no insurance company will pay for your damages to your bike if you crash it at the track, so we can take collision off the thing. And I figure that no one will steal your bike at the track seeing as though you are riding it most of the time, or working on it in the pits, so comprehensive can be taken off.

Now, what about liability? If you go down on the track and you are injured, would your insurance cover you? What about if in your fall, you took out another rider? Would insurance cover that person if they were injured?

Or do you sign a waiver before you race saying that you are taking a risk and that if you are injured in any way, you are at fault?

So I guess my question is, should I put insurance on my track bike, or have no insurance on it at all?

[Jammin_Johnny]

The only insurance that may write any of the sort would be insurance through K&K Insurance or other agencies that will write specialty or excess/surplus policies. These policies can be very expensive.

To my knowledge, there is no such insurance available for the general consumer anywhere near the likes of "Automotive Insurance" that would be bound for this type of activity.

For the medical issue, a supplemental insurance policy such as one through AFLAC or others for short-term & long-term disability, dismemberment and/or death.

Hope this helps

[EA6BMECH]

Have a friend of mine that said he's covered as long as it's not compitition racing. "Test and Check" track days are ok. I don't think an insurance co. would want to cover more than a wreck or 2 and then you'd be cancelled and or not to mention what your premiums would be. As for liability, I ass-u-me that the waiver that is signed, releases you and the track from any liabilities.

[VTEC_EATER]

Well, thats the thing. Everyone now-a-days wants to blame someone else. So if I happen to go down at the track and someone gets all jittery from it and happens to go down as well, then they will want to blame me for causing their accident and expect me to pay for their damages. I think its BS, and hope this isnt the case for track riders, so I am trying to be careful for when I go racing.

Right now my FZR has no insurance and Im wondering if I should put any on when the next season starts. I have the Gixxer for street riding, so I dont really plan on taking the FZR out on the street anymore. That would become my "track" bike until I get better on the track, then move up to the Gixxer. I just wanted to know if any of you have insurance on your track only bikes, and what insurance do you have.

As for a supplimental insurance, I have other insurance to cover myself so should that be all I need?

[chuckdblr]

i dont know the rules per say but i was reading a post at jenningsgp forum, that a guy had a wreck last monday and his ins co (progressive i believe) is covering the damage. once again it is word of internet so i dont know the details. i have also herd that as long as it is not a compotention race you are covered. beside all that i would think if i wreck at the track i would rather cover the damage myself, wouldnt it be cheaper? i guess the only way to find out for sure is to call your ins co on the DL and ask them

[Spike]

Yeah, call your insurance company and don't give them your name, ask about a hypothetical situation, and you'll have your answers

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

Bike insurance for the track:

Your race bike is exactly that and you have to consider it a total loss from the start. If you are worried about 'saving your bike' so it will still be usable in the future, or for resale, that will be a massive weight on your shoulders that will inhibit your racing progress. You have to accept from the start that the bike IS GOING TO BE CRASHED on the track, most likely sooner than later. Have yourself an emergency fund set aside for bike repairs. Most repairs won't be major and will be able to be fixed for not more than a few hundred dollars. If you do happen to have the almighty F.U.B.A.R. wreck then you took the chance and lost, but accepted this outcome up front. You would probably still be able to recover some money from parting out the bike on E-Bay if it was a total loss. This scenerio is actually somewhat rare though, In my 9 years involved in racing I have only seen a handful of bikes that were crashed while racing that were so trashed that they had to be parted out. GMD Computrack can do wonders at realigning a frame and repairing the geometry of a bike after a bad crash. (and I have personally seen someones trailer, all racing equipment, and race bikes stolen directly from the track, the guy was the lead Amateur in the overall points at the time!)


Health insurance:

My health insurance company will cover injuries, even while racing, but it can't be while racing 'Pro'. This is the major reason I never raced AMA, but instead have stayed Expert for the last 7 years racing Regionally.

[VTEC_EATER]

Im not planning on getting collision or comprehensive on my FZR. Never had it. The payout isnt worth enough, not to mention if I claimed anything on it, my insurance would skyrocket. My only consern is with liability. I just dont want to be sued because someone got hurt and blame it on me.

[Darkstar]

unless it is something you intentionally did and they can prove it, like stick a metal pipe in some dudes spokes, you dont need to worry about being sued. when you go to a trackday or a ameteur race, at least everyone i have been to, they make you sign a form that pretty much says you accept all responsibilty for what happens to you inside those gates.

[R6JUNKIE]

when I decide to get my track only bike I will have insurance on it and this my reasons.

you never know who will steal it from your house/hotel.

your house may burn down with it in your garage/ this may be covered under homeowners.

since I cant get to track offten I may want to take it out on the road and streach its legs sometime.

[Murf99]

Tom - my insurance company (who will remain nameless, but is very common) will cover motorcycle damage during non-competition or rider-improvement events. Competition is defined as when official times are kept.

NESBA makes you sign an event waiver that states the above (no official time, non-competition, rider improvement). I don't recall STT.

As far as liability is concerned - I've never heard of any neglegence or liability lawsuit resulting from a track crash, and that would probably signal the end of track day and amature race riding... To the best of my knowledge, the liability waivers only protect the organizing coorperation from lawsuit... etc. not the participant.

That being said, I'm getting race plastics this winter...

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

(Temporary thread jacking in progress! Please remain calm and no one will get hurt! )

Hey Murf99, I noticed your picture along with your response and have a question. Is that picture taken at Blackhawk Farms? If so I'm making an educated guess and saying it was taken in the carousel, am I correct?

[javawhz]

Asking insurance to pay for your track crash is pretty silly. If you're serious about getting fast be prepared to go down multiple times. I have not met a single fast guy who has NEVER crashed in his life. Going down is an eventuality, if you must improve then you must push yourself and it will happen sooner or later. How many times are you going to claim insurance? It's silly.

I see many newer riders come to the track with shiny new bikes riding all slow and scared. Well, if you are so concerned about scratching your bike then the racetrack is certainly not the place for you OR your bike! Stick to the bike nights ;-)

The funny thing is that the more scared you are of crashing your bike, the greater your chances of crashing...sort of like a self fulfilling prophecy

[jeeps84]

The waver covers it.
I got hit from behind at Road Atlanta in 1997.
The guy that hit me was on a faster bike and new it but, I was faster in the turns.
He got on the throttle to hard and spun the rear tire the let out of it.
The bike hooked up and drove straight between my pipe and rear tire, knocked my bike out from under me and I ended up with a wrecked bike and a broken leg.

He was banned from the track for life, which has got to suck since he lived in Gainesville.

It is obvious he was way over his head in the video and the safety crew saw it to, which is what they based there decision on.

Don't be stupid on the track or street.
If you don't have medical insurance and disability get it.

[Darkstar]

werd, java.

one instructor suggested to people that are afraid of crashing their bikes to turn it on, get off it, click it in gear, and let go of the clutch