Throttle Ebikes covered by homeowner's insurance?

[radex5owner]

 I live in Oregon and I had a friend who got her bike (not a Rad) stolen and her insurance agent said that it was a good thing she had only "pedal assist" bike and was covered, but that Ebikes that have throttles (which I think all Rads do,) are not covered and require "additional insurance"..

Is that true?

[handlebar]

I don't know your friend, but I assume she told the truth. It sounds like company policy based on statistics. Class I bikes may be less appealing to a thief because he doesn't know where he could get a quick buck for something that looks like an unfamiliar model of a push bike.

[John Rose]

I live in Oregon and I had a friend who got her bike (not a Rad) stolen and her insurance agent said that it was a good thing she had only "pedal assist" bike and was covered, but that Ebikes that have throttles (which I think all Rads do,) are not covered and require "additional insurance"..

Is that true?

Maybe.
It's up to the insurance company to cover whatever they want with a generic all-purpose policy. They may like to offer special coverage outside of the homeowners' policy for additional $$$.

It may also be that her agent is clueless about the finer points of ebike classifications, and assumes that all ebikes with throttles are classed as electric mopeds, which probably also require liability insurance and registration with the DMV depending on the jurisdiction.

In my province, Class 2 ebikes are deemed (in the Motor Vehicle Act) to be bicycles, with the difference of being off-limits to riders under 16 years of age. Bicycles should be covered for theft by most homeowners policies. Then again, they may place limits on replacement cost or some such.

A bit of partly off-topic Rock'n'Roll trivia: The late Alvin Lee (guitarist for Ten Years After) could not use his famous Gibson ES-335 (as seen in "Woodstock") for touring in his later career, because he could not afford the insurance premiums on it. IIRC, Gibson made an "Alvin Lee Signature Model" reproduction of it and he used one of those for his gigs.


Anywhoo . . . My advice would be to study the definitions in https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors801.html - particularly section 801.258 ?Electric assisted bicycle?,

?Electric assisted bicycle? means a vehicle that:
      (1) Is designed to be operated on the ground on wheels;
      (2) Has a seat or saddle for use of the rider;
      (3) Is designed to travel with not more than three wheels in contact with the ground;
      (4) Has both fully operative pedals for human propulsion and an electric motor; and
      (5) Is equipped with an electric motor that:
      (a) Has a power output of not more than 1,000 watts; and
      (b) Is incapable of propelling the vehicle at a speed of greater than 20 miles per hour on level ground. [1997 c.400 ?2; 1999 c.59 ?233]

and section  801.345 ?Moped.?

?Moped? means a vehicle, including any bicycle equipped with a power source, other than an electric assisted bicycle as defined in ORS 801.258 or a motor assisted scooter as defined in ORS 801.348, [blah-blah-blah...]

Then, armed with that knowledge, call your insurance agent for clarification. If they push back on covering an ebike, then ask for the detailed wording of the policy, and take it from there.

But, as I said, they can include or exclude anything they want,  like a casino's house rules, as long as it's written so in the policy. The DMV has different reasons for their definitions.

That reminds me. I gotta contact my insurance company about the two ebikes we have now. They were good about paying out after the theft of my Yamaha (gas) scooter, but our Motor Vehicle Act requires proof of liability insurance (and registration plates) for it and I think they just included coverage for loss in the policy as a package deal. (It was the insurance money that indirectly paid for the ebikes.  )

[surfer8210]

50.000.00 miles beneath my brain?.!!!!


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[mrgold35]

I called my USAA insurance agent when I purchased my two Radrover ebikes back in 2016.  The USAA agent said my ebikes are covered under my homeowner's policy.  They considered my ebike like a regular pedal bike because it doesn't require registration like other types of motorized vehicles. My homeowner's also covers my ebikes instead of my USAA auto policy if I'm driving out of state with my ebikes.  I called because the wife and I decided to take our ebikes to Grand Canyon and Sedona, AZ, from New Mexico back then. 

It is just a quick phone call to your agent to find out for sure if you are automatically covered, if you need to purchase additional coverage, any limitations, or provide additional documentation at claim time.  I haven't double-check since then to find out if USAA had a change in their policy coverage.

[John Rose]

... It is just a quick phone call to your agent to find out for sure if you are automatically covered, if you need to purchase additional coverage, any limitations, or provide additional documentation at claim time. ...

Also there are companies that offer stand-alone bike insurance packages. In Canada there's https://pedalpowerinsurance.ca/ebike_insurance.html , via many different brokers.

[Ddaybc]

In Canada when I looked at insurance for my RW4 I was told our house policy covers it but up to a maximum of $3000.00. They don't include any accessories.
My partner has a new Rocky mountain bike valued somewhere around $6000 or $6500.00 so we got additional insurance from Pedal Power Insurance. So now my RW4 and all of my accessories are covered as well as her bike.
It's advisable to speak to your insurance provider to find out what limits they have and what they include or if there's any strange rules etc.

[Tree]

I called my USAA insurance agent when I purchased my two Radrover ebikes back in 2016.  The USAA agent said my ebikes are covered under my homeowner's policy.  They considered my ebike like a regular pedal bike because it doesn't require registration like other types of motorized vehicles. My homeowner's also covers my ebikes instead of my USAA auto policy if I'm driving out of state with my ebikes.  I called because the wife and I decided to take our ebikes to Grand Canyon and Sedona, AZ, from New Mexico back then. 

It is just a quick phone call to your agent to find out for sure if you are automatically covered, if you need to purchase additional coverage, any limitations, or provide additional documentation at claim time.  I haven't double-check since then to find out if USAA had a change in their policy coverage.

and when i bought mine in 2020, my USAA agent said ebikes aren't covered under my homeowner's policy, regardless of class.

ebike insurance is cheap. i pay 15 bucks a month with velosurance.