Thunder Roads LA Magazine July 2017 TRLA-JULY-Final-Web | Page 28
As we’re getting a bit further into the summer here in the Louisiana, there
seems to be no shortage of water falling from the sky. In fact, we seem to
have fallen into a bout of surplus. If this happened every once in a while, I
could maybe see finding something to do indoors. The problem is, if we wait
for the rain to stop falling to go out and have some two-wheeled antics. I
wouldn’t recommend holding your breath. Instead, we do what you do in
the Bayou State. We adapt, improvise, overcome...and figure on having a big
time, soggy or not.
Chances are, if you have any designs on putting on miles, you’re bound to
run into some less than ideal weather. I don’t just mean a little rain here and
there either. All in one day in the wind you may run into a light drizzle in
the early morning, scorching heat and humidity at lunch time, and torrential
downpours in the afternoon. This kind of thing doesn’t have to spoil a run
though. All we have to do is be a little prepared.
We’ve all heard the mantra, “Dress for the slide, not the ride”. That’s all
about planning ahead so that a bad day doesn’t have turn into something
much worse. Handling the weather while riding motorcycles, isn’t too much
different. What if you get caught in a monsoon? Are you gonna get wet? I
don’t mean a little wet either. I mean the kind of wet where you can’t hardly
swing your leg to get off the bike because you’re stiff cold and are carrying
a thousand pounds of water in your leathers. What if the temperature
drops twenty degrees on top of it? Think about it for a minute. What would
happen? Would your ride be ruined? Would your girl have the red-ass?
Would you even be able to safely ride your machine? If you haven’t thought
about these things yet, you should.
For conversation sake, I’m just going to look at staying dry...or maybe
getting wet depending on how it shakes out for you. This is pretty important
for a few reasons. First, being wet in an unplanned fashion is not fun. That’s
just comfort though. Second, from a functional point of view, you can put
yourself and whomever you ride with in danger if being wet messes with
your ability to ride. Your feet may slip off of the controls. You may not be
able to see through a bunch of water blowing in your eyes. Hell, just the
distraction of being cold and wet, combined with slick roads may be the
difference between a good story and an obituary. Third, I don’t care how
hot it gets here, if you get wet and then go riding at highway speeds,
hypothermia is a real possibility...and let me tell you, it can make for a really
bad day.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but while leather is a tough material
to make a riding jacket out of, not a lot of those are waterproof. Even oiled
up, water will find a way through some seam somewhere and then you’re
in for a less-than-warm ride. Jeans and chaps aren’t too water repellent
either, if you weren’t already aware. They’re pretty darn good at wicking
cold and wet into places I’d just assume it not be though. Having wet feet
sucks too, so what your do with your footwear is a concern. Oh yeah, and not
being able to see is not a good long-range plan, so keeping water out of your
peepers is a must. Sometimes those cool-guy shades keep the wind away,
but funnel water right into your eyeball when it rains just right.
Most of us don’t have the simoleons readily available to go out and buy a
full waterproof riding clothes setup. More power to you if you can. As for the
rest of us, it’s not as simple as getting a rain suit or just dealing with being
wet either. I’ve been on countless rides where we all stop to put raingear
on only to find that someone has to actually take their rain suits out of the
original packaging, winding up getting as much water inside as out as they
hop around trying to get the stuff on. I’ve been on countless more where
somebody thought they would tough out two hundred eighty miles through
torrential rainstorms. They were sadly mistaken on that notion.
The bottom line is that yawl need to come up with a plan how you’re gonna
handle it and then go out and test it out. How else are you gonna practice?
If you choose a rain suit, practice putting it on a few times at the house so
you know how it all has to go on. Go sit on your bike in the driveway with
the thing on and take a look for places it might snag or maybe weld onto
something (melted plastic is a wonderful addition to a fine chrome finish). If
you’re gonna carry a change of clothes, pack it up and put it in whatever pack
or saddlebag you have...better be water tight though (garbage bags work
great). Then, go ride in the rain...on purpose! I’m not saying go jump on and
ride a hundred miles the first time. Just make it a point to not let rain stop you
from taking your scooter up to the store, into work, or the like.
As motorcyclists, we should
be practicing every time w e
ride. Every time we shift, stop,
or fold into a curve, we should
be trying to get better. All of
that doesn’t amount to a hill
of beans if you only do it in
the bright and shiny. On top
of that, if you get comfortable
running in the rain, think of
how many more untapped
days of riding there would be!
So, go out and embrace the
weather in this beautiful state.
Give that rain some hell and
tell it I sent ya.
Until next time, keep it between the lines and shiny side up. Shovel on.
26 Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana | July 2017 | www.thunderroadslouisiana.com
GLENN MCGOVERN
MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE: HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH FOR YOU?
By: Glenn C. McGovern, Motorcycle Attorney and MSF Instructor Email: [email protected]
Motorcycling riding is not without its risks. The chances of one being injured on
a motorcycle are much higher than being in a crash in a car. The injuries sustained
in a motorcycle crash are usually more severe due to lack of the structural
protection automobile occupants enjoy. Some wise motorcyclists know he/she
must manage these risks. This is especially true due to the increase in distracted
driver crashes and drug and alcohol impaired automobile drivers. That is why
a wise motorcyclist has an endorsement, has taken initial Motorcycle Safety
Foundation Courses, takes recurrent training annually, wears the best available
protective gear all the time, including the best helmet, ballistic jacket, ballistic
pants, full fingered gloves, eye protection, and boots above the ankle. One other
important, (but often neglected aspect), risk management task is to make sure
you have sufficient motorcycle insurance not just the state minimum. This is not
just to protect you financially in the event of a crash with serious bodily injuries,
amputations, traumatic brain injuries or death, but to protect your family in the
event you have large medical bills and cannot work due to disability.
I’d like to talk about some mistakes made by almost all motorcyclists (99% I
see weekly) that I have seen over 40 years of handling motorcycle cases.
MISTAKE NO.1 TRUSTING YOUR DEALER OR INSURANCE AGENT
Most insurers do not want to write motorcycle polices for more than the
state legal minimums. In Louisiana, you are only required to have the following
coverage’s:
• $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person.
• $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident.
• $25,000 of property damage coverage.
If you buy a motorcycle from a dealer, he knows you are concerned about
the monthly payments and the will ALWAYS offer you a cheap motorcycle
insurance policy with ONLY the minimum coverage’s to keep your payments
low and get you out the door to close the sale. NEVER buy your insurance
through your dealer. The dealer gets a commission from the insurance broker,
who is usually out of state. The dealer does not care about protecting neither
you nor your family. The dealer and the referred insurance broker just want
to sell you a motorcycle and a cheap motorcycle insurance policy. To con you
into doing this they often say (i.e. LIE) the inadequate policy provides FULL
COVERAGE. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FULL COVERAGE! THE TERM FULL
COVERAGE IS A MYTH AND A LIE TO LULL YOU INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.
Always talk to your attorney about coverage’s and get him/her to explain it to
you BEFORE you buy your motorcycle insurance. You cannot even trust your
agent as discussed below in the next section.
NEVER TRUST YOUR INSURANCE AGENT Insurance agents work at the
whim of insurance companies. Insurance companies know that motorcycle
injuries are usually very serious and costly. Only 3% of the public has ever been
on a motorcycle. Most policies written are on other areas of coverage that
are more profitable. I have seen insurance agents mislead motorcyclists in to
buying cheap insurance and promoting it as full coverage. To me and you full
coverage would seem to mean all the protection available.
Here is a list of what insurance coverage’s you need to consider and buy:
• Bodily injury to someone else or damage to someone else’s property
• MOST IMPORTANT-ALWAYS NEEDED-Bodily injury to yourself because of
an accident with an UNINSURED MOTORISTS or UM insurance.
• Damage to your motorcycle caused by an accident
• Theft, fire, vandalism & other losses-even if the motorcycle is in storage
• Custom motorcycle work, such as paint or upgraded components
• Attached side cars
• Emergency roadside expenses
• Damage to protective gear • Trip interruption expenses
• Medical expenses
• Excess or umbrella insurance policy
YOU NEED AN INSURANCE POLICY WITH ALL THESE COVERAGES TO ACTUALLY
HAVE FULL COVERAGE!
What the insurance agent means by “full coverage” is not the maximum
protection but the MINIMUM insurance policy limits you have to carry under
Louisiana state law. These limits have not been changed for decades. They are
wholly inadequate to protect you and your family. If you get hit by a motorist
with no coverage or just the minimum coverage from The General or Go Auto
or other TV advertising insurers that only sell minimum coverage $15, 0000
liabilities limits policies, you will probably never recover your $100,000 to
$600,000 in medical expenses. The insurance agent does not care about you.
The insurance agent does not want his insurance company to write policies
they don’t want to write but to do business in Louisiana the insurer is required
to write to sell other insurance in the State.
INSURANCE OPTIONS YOU HAVE You have three options:
#1 Really bad option: Buy No insurance- This is not a good option for many
reasons. One it is a criminal act and illegal to operate a motorcycle with no
insurance. This is really not a cheap option. If caught, your motorcycle will be
impounded and you will pay storage fees, fines in excess of $800 and court
costs. This does not include criminal defense attorney fees. You also will not
be able to sue and recover for the first $15,000 in damages if you do not carry
any liability insurance under Louisiana’s “no pay, no play” insurance law. You
cannot title your motorcycle without proof of curren t insurance.
#2 Bad option: Minimum Insurance of $15,000/$30,000/$25,000- (also
commonly mistakenly referred to as FULL COVERAGE). As discussed above YOU
HAVE NO UNINSURED MOTORISTS COVERAGE and the other driver may have
no insurance (40% chance in Louisiana the driver is uninsured) or inadequate
$15,000 liability limits. Your medical bills and lost wages will exceed $15,000
in even most minor motorcycle crashes. You can sue for more but the driver will
probably file bankruptcy making recovery difficult.
#3 The best option: Purchase all coverage’s available including
$250,000/$500,000 liability coverage’s with uninsured motorists and an
umbrella policy to provide coverage from $250,000 to $1,000,000.
You should buy coverage’s for:
• $250,000/$500,000 Bodily injury to someone else or damage to someone
else’s property for which you are legally responsible
• $250,000/$500,000 Uninsured motorist’s coverage. MOST IMPORTANT
AND USUALLY NOT PURCHASED BUT ALWAYS NEEDED-Bodily injury to yourself
because of an accident with an UNINSURED MOTORISTS or UM insurance
• Damage to your motorcycle caused by an accident including vintage or
special rare motorcycles.
• Theft, fire, vandalism, and other losses — even in storage for the winter
• Custom motorcycle work, such as paint or upgraded components
• Attached side cars if applicable
• Emergency roadside expenses
• Damage to protective gear
• Trip interruption expenses
• MEDICAL EXPENSES-this is very affordable for the coverage’s offered.
• EXCESS POLICY OR UMBRELLA POLICY-Umbrella policies are cheaper .
The costs of an excess or umbrella policy can provide more complete
protection for you and your family if you are disabled or killed and cannot
provide for them. Umbrellas are surprisingly affordable for the extra coverage.
CONCLUSION Can you afford to be in a crash situation where you have to
go bankrupt and lose your possessions due to a $500,000 or more medical bill
you cannot pay because you were hit by uninsured or underinsured motorists
with only a $15,000 liability policy? Don’t let yourself be duped by your dealer
when buying a new motorcycle and getting cheap insurance from the dealer
or by your insurance agent. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FULL COVERAGE! You
cannot afford to be without all the insurance coverage’s discussed in Option
#3 including uninsured motorists and a policy of at least $250,000/$500,000
or $500/000/$500,000 and an umbrella policy to raise your liability and UM
limits up to $1,000,000.
www.thunderroadslouisiana.com | July 2017 | Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana 27