Honda Ruckus Insurance

The Honda Ruckus is a seriously fun little scooter.  The off-road tires and skeletal frame make it look more like a dirt bike than anything else, and a whole custom culture has grown up around the machine. Riders young and old either ride their Ruckus stock or customize the scooter to their own tastes, extending the swingarm and swapping out the lights and cladding the machine in custom paint and graphics.

We tend to overlook insurance coverage on small off-road rides and motor scooters–until we wreck them or they are stolen, that is. Occasionally, scooters can be hard to find coverage for, so insuring your Ruckus may be a little harder to buy than you may think. Let’s have a look at a brief history of this fun ride, some insurance coverage you may want think about, and a few ways to keep your Honda Ruckus insurance rates as low as possible.

Brief History of the Honda Ruckus

The Honda NPS50 (Honda Ruckus), was introduced to the North American and Japanese markets for the 2003 model year. Honda wanted to target a motor scooter to individuals that may need to go off-road from time to time and scooter fans who prefer the rugged look of a dirt bike. The Ruckus is marketed alongside its 250cc bigger brother, the Honda Big Ruckus.

The Ruckus is powered by a 49 cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke engine–in some states, riders do not need a motorcycle endorsement to operate a 49 cc ride. Bore and stroke of the engine are 38 mm and 44 mm respectively. The engine has a compression ratio of 11:9.1 and Honda claims that the Ruckus is capable of getting 114 mpg. Given the small engine and a CVT gearbox, the claim is fairly believable if you keep your Ruckus on the street.

Insuring a Honda Ruckus:  Coverage Options

In some states, you are not required to register or insure a motorscooter with a 49 cc engine unless in has a top speed in excess of 30 mph. Those that do, only require a liability policy. Either way, you will be unprotected if your Ruckus is damaged in an accident, stolen, damaged in a fire, or vandalized.

For this reason, we highly recommend collision and comprehensive coverage in addition to basic liability.

• Collision coverage: this will protect your Ruckus after an accident irregardless of circumstances. Collision may not include uninsured/under-insured coverage. If it doesn’t, you should add those coverages.
• Comprehensive coverage: this coverage protects your Ruckus if it is damaged by fire, wind, water, or vandalism. It also protects against theft.

Honda Ruckus Insurance Rates

A variety of factors affect the premiums that you have to pay for Honda Ruckus insurance. Some of these are out of your control like your driving record and the state you live in. Fortunately, there are ways you can lower your premiums. Given that Honda Ruckus insurance can range between $10 and $40 per month for full coverage, you will want to do everything possible to keep your costs down.

• Attend a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Course. Graduating from a two day MSF course will enhance your riding skills, allows you to skip the ”skills” portion of the license process, and lowers your premiums. You can visit the MSF website(www.msf-usa.org) to find a course near you. This may sound odd given that the Honda Ruckus is not considered a motorcycle, but the course offers some great skill training that anyone riding on two wheels can use.
• Good Student Discount. If you are in high school or college, most insurers offer a discount for maintaining a high GPA. This discount is offered for car motorcycle, or motorscooter coverage. For most insurers that GPA is a 3.0 or higher.
• Maintain a clean driving record. Citations for DUI, reckless operation, and speeding will raise your premiums for years and may prevent you from getting the coverage you need.
• Most insurers offer a multi-vehicle discount that can cut your premiums by up to 25 percent, so be sure to cover all of your vehicles with the same company.
• The best way to keep your premiums in check is to shop your coverage around. We can help. All you have to do is enter your zip code to begin exploring rate and coverage options from leading insurers in your area.