1. DRZ_400S

    DRZ_400S Limited User

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    Hey there, let me start by apologizing. My problem I'm having is common but a little more specific I think because of my bike model.

    Backstory: Bought a drz400s (street legal DS model)

    I can't afford the 2000$/ year Riders+ quoted me for road use, this year. I also don't even have my m2 yet, so I'm going to insure as a blue plate for next season.

    In the meanwhile, I'm registering the bike as a green plate for this season (so I can at least haul it to trails in truck for this summer)

    My conundrum: intact/ riders+ see the bike as a blue plate regardless of what I say to them and wants me to have at least m2 + advanced rider training + pay the 2000$/ year for on road liability, just to use for off-road use. How the f do I insure this thing as a dirt bike? They're driving me nuts.

    Ideally, the person I'm looking for has a drz400s that is insured for OFF-ROAD LIABILITY ONLY, everyone talks about their "150$ or 200$/ year offroad liability" and at this point, it seems like a myth.

    Am I having such a problem because it's a street legal model? Should I just buy a parts DRZ400 and give them vin off that frame? This is so ridiculous. All I wanna do is ride but it's so hard to do it legally without just insuring it for road use.


    more info:

    2003 drz400s
    used, owned

    more info on me:
    23
    0 claims ever, 0 drops ever, 0 minors/ majors in last 4 years
    home and auto x2 through intact


    Please help me, I've gone everywhere for help and called everyone I've had suggestions I contacted only to get conflicting info or just told off-road liability doesn't exist.
  2. 3BeeJay3

    3BeeJay3 ODSC Past President

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    There are a couple things here-

    If you convert that bike to green plate now, you may have a tough time getting it back to blue down the road. Not impossible, but it may be a challenge.

    If the bike has a green plate on it, no insurer can demand on road insurance for it. Your agent is mistaken & you need to talk to a different one. Also, intact/riders plus is not known as a good place to insure a bike (read- affordable)

    Your age will be an influencing factor here regardless. However, an offroad only policy should only be about $100-200/yr. give or take.

    If you are an OFTR member, I suggest getting quotes from the OFTR group program- on all your stuff -http://www.odsc.on.ca/.xenforo/index.php?threads/update-on-the-oftr-group-insurance-program.22689/
    Or try State Farm - Kirk Norris- see sponsor forum below, or Nicole McCann

    You may also find that after a year or two of trail riding that riding on the road doesn't hold as much appeal & stick with trail riding.......it happens sometimes.
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2018
  3. suprf1y

    suprf1y Limited User

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    NEVER green plate a blue plate bike. There's no reason for it and you can have problems blue plating it again.

    I've had blue plated bikes with off road insurance for years.
  4. DRZ_400S

    DRZ_400S Limited User

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    With who? SF? Service Ontario said I just needed safety to turn green to blue. I thought I might have an easier time finding off-road with a green... What do I do? How did you do it?
  5. suprf1y

    suprf1y Limited User

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    I'm with SF and never had a problem, though I have been with them for over 30 years.

    The only time you will ever use your off road insurance is if a cop asks for the slip or your bike gets stolen.

    Treat it accordingly.
  6. DRZ_400S

    DRZ_400S Limited User

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    If a cop asks for slip and you don't have it though.. That's what's keeping me off the bike. Is it true that even offroad, no insurance holds 5000$ minimum still? I'm having so much trouble. I want to give up.

    What are the chances of intact's loyalty discounts following if I make change to state farm at renewal?
  7. imnothng

    imnothng ODSC-OFTR Member

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    I believe you are an outlier. It may have something to do with being with them for over 30 years.

    My experience was with Kirk Norris's office in Peterborough and they would NOT insure my blue plated bike with offroad only insurance. I tried to explain to them that I would not renew my sticker (as was suggested by Brian), but they would not budge and said whatever it comes up in their system is how they have to insure it.
  8. imnothng

    imnothng ODSC-OFTR Member

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    You should not have an issue because your bike comes from the factory as a street legal motorcycle.

    Some people have been able to blue plate "Competition Only" or "Off-Road Use Only" bikes and they may have a lot of difficulty switching from green back to blue if they decide to. No one has actually been able to say they have successfully done it. If you look where your VIN is, I doubt your bike will say anything about closed course, or competition only, or whatever.
  9. DRZ_400S

    DRZ_400S Limited User

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    I asked Service Ontario and they said to swap green to blue will only take a safety certificate because of it being a 400s, regardless of that. I feel so lost with insurance. Should I have my stepdad insure through his name for off-road liability? I contacted the OFTR group insurance broker, and am waiting for reply.
  10. DRZ_400S

    DRZ_400S Limited User

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    What did you end up doing?
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2018
  11. suprf1y

    suprf1y Limited User

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    I don't know think so I've been with three different brokers and never a problem. Because of the good deal I get with them a few guys from my club tried to insure their bikes with SF and were refused. A few others did with no issues. I think some people talk too much and it causes them problems. I've said it before, the less they know the better. Never volunteer ANY information to your (potential) insurance company.

    If you have a problem with a service Ontario office what do you do? You try a different one. Same with insurance.
  12. TonyD

    TonyD Limited User

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    Your insurance company is the one entity in your life that you must not mislead. They don't mind denying coverage because of material misrepresentation.
    imnothng and taylorericjohn like this.
  13. shawn DRZ400s

    shawn DRZ400s ODSC-OFTR Member

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    It doesn't matter what the plate color is, so don't waste time & money changing it. Green plated vehicles are now allowed on many roads (bikes not included currently!), so now companies are reflecting this in the policies/pricing. I thought about a green plated bike and realized the insurance cost was the same so I got a blue plated bike. The companies didn't ask me about the plate type when calling for quotes. Just be honest about the questions for 'intended purpose'. Finding just off road only liability for 150$ is hard to find, and once you do you'll be switching your house/car as well to get it and likely pay more for those vehicles.
    The problem is your age is under 25. You need someone to insure it for you in their name for a couple years.
  14. imnothng

    imnothng ODSC-OFTR Member

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    I wouldn't recommend that because that would be insurance fraud. Just imagine you crash and they check the VIN. Doesn't match? You're screwed.

    I actually sold that bike and ended up buying another one that just so happened to be blue plated, so I just switched it to green. Sometimes I regret doing it, but I figured even for the extra money it would be worth when it came time to sell it, I wouldn't equal the extra money I would have spent in insurance.
  15. imnothng

    imnothng ODSC-OFTR Member

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    Yes. I believe we've been through this before. All I can say is trust me. I provided the VIN. Period. They provided me the quote which was blue plated price (ie. over $500). I tried two different State Farm agents, Kirk Norris and one from Brampton, as well as TD insurance.

    Unlike other people that post on these issues over and over again, I will not say that someone CAN'T do it, but just like you, I will give them my experience in trying to do it.

    (Btw, I have an urelated question for you. Were you the one racing SCR Sunday on the green KLX?)
  16. suprf1y

    suprf1y Limited User

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    I don't think SCR raced Sunday, but no it wasn't me. I use my KLX as a practice bike. I race the bike in my avatar, though I've so far taken the year off. I may start riding in September so I'm in shape for the 6hr. Are you member now? If so what's your number and class?

    FWIW I never suggested lying or deceiving the insurance company, just not giving them any more information than they ask for. It is their job to get all the information, and in my experience most people that work in agent's offices, and even some of the agents have been far less informed about this type of insurance than me and that should never happen. Giving them more information than they need or understand can just create problems.

    I would put insurance agents and their office 'helpers' just below HR professionals on the list of people to never believe or trust.
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2018
  17. TonyD

    TonyD Limited User

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    Seriously, what's the point of having insurance if you give them a good reason to deny coverage?
  18. DRZ_400S

    DRZ_400S Limited User

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    this is really just a theoretical idea, but what makes a drz400e an e over an s? The frame? The different gearing ratio?

    How would they know it's not an e that's been converted to have mirrors and a beefier S frame for the passenger pegs? Again, this is purely theoretical but seems super plausible when you really take in what makes it an "e" vs an "s"
  19. DRZ_400S

    DRZ_400S Limited User

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    I can get it in my mom or stepdads name but I've been told time and time again that intact sucks for offroad. They renewed with intact all of 2 days ago also and I had no idea. So is this a problem in its own if they needed to switch providers because intact indeed does suck? They've been with them for like 30 years now and I'm pretty sure intact still won't help me out. I already asked stepdad to call about a quote and see if they sing a different tune to him. What a headache.
  20. Chef

    Chef ODSC Executive

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    Call a State Farm agent (I use Todd Spalding in Peterborough) tell them that you want offroad only insurance. Some agents know how to do it, others won’t try. At 23 you shouldn’t have any trouble. Don’t tell them your tale. Just answer the questions. You should be ok.
    suprf1y likes this.