Motorcycle & Recreational Vehicle Insurance
Minnesota gets a short season and makes the most of it. Motorcycles, boats, campers, ATVs, and snowmobiles each carry coverage rules that differ from your auto policy — and the gaps usually show up in storage months, not riding months.
Why Recreational Coverage Is Not Just Another Auto Policy
A personal auto policy does not extend to a motorcycle, and it does not follow a boat onto the water or an ATV onto a trail. Each of these needs its own policy or endorsement, and the coverage triggers are genuinely different — liability on the water, for instance, works differently than liability on the road.
Minnesota also has requirements worth knowing. Motorcycles need liability coverage to be registered and ridden on public roads. Watercraft above certain horsepower and length thresholds have their own rules, and lenders almost always require physical damage coverage on financed boats and campers.
The seasonal pattern creates the biggest gap. Most owners store their vehicles half the year, and it is tempting to drop coverage entirely during those months. Theft, fire, and storm damage in storage are exactly what comprehensive covers — and a stored bike or boat is still a target.
For a full list of the coverage lines we offer, visit our services page.
Coverage for How Minnesota Actually Rides
Farmers-backed recreational coverage through Bradley Hansen Agency spans the vehicles that come out between thaw and first snow — and the ones that come out after.
Motorcycle Coverage
Liability, collision, and comprehensive built for bikes, including custom parts and accessories that standard limits often undervalue.
Boat and Watercraft
Coverage on Prior Lake, Lake Minnetonka, and the river system — including liability on the water, trailering, and wreck removal.
RV and Camper
Motorhomes and towables carry both vehicle and dwelling exposure. Coverage reflects that, including contents and vacation liability.
ATV, UTV, and Snowmobile
Trail and off-road coverage for the machines that see the most use in Scott and Carver County — on private land and public trails alike.
Custom Parts and Equipment
Aftermarket exhaust, electronics, fish finders, and trailer upgrades typically exceed default limits unless specifically scheduled.
Seasonal and Storage Coverage
Layup provisions reduce cost during storage months while keeping comprehensive in force against theft, fire, and storm damage.
Before the season starts is the right time to check limits — not after something happens on the water.
The Mistakes That Show Up at Claim Time
Dropping coverage entirely for the winter is the most common one. Cancelling a motorcycle or boat policy in October saves a modest amount and leaves the vehicle fully exposed to theft and fire in the garage or storage lot. A layup endorsement keeps comprehensive in force for a fraction of the full-season premium.
Underinsured custom parts is the second. Manufacturers cover the stock machine; a policy without scheduled accessories will settle a heavily modified bike as though nothing was added to it. Keeping receipts and scheduling the upgrades is the fix, and it costs very little.
The third is assuming homeowners coverage handles a boat or ATV. Homeowners policies typically include small watercraft at low limits and exclude most motorized recreational vehicles outright. If a machine is worth insuring at all, it usually needs its own policy rather than a corner of another one.
An Agent Who Rides the Same Roads
Recreational policies are where generic quoting engines struggle most, because the value of a machine depends heavily on what has been done to it. Bradley goes through the specifics — model year, modifications, where it is stored, how it is trailered — rather than accepting a default valuation.
As a Farmers PRIME-designated agency, Bradley Hansen Agency has earned 175+ five-star reviews from local clients across Scott County and the southwest metro.
Motorcycle and Recreational Vehicle Questions
Is motorcycle insurance required in Minnesota?
Yes. Minnesota requires liability coverage to register and operate a motorcycle on public roads, and the minimums mirror the auto requirements. Notably, motorcycles are not covered by Minnesota no-fault PIP the way cars are, which makes medical payments coverage worth discussing separately.
Should I keep coverage on my boat or bike over the winter?
Keep comprehensive, drop the rest. A layup or seasonal endorsement suspends collision and liability during storage months while leaving theft, fire, vandalism, and storm damage covered. It costs meaningfully less than full-season coverage and closes the gap that cancelling entirely creates.
Does my auto policy cover a trailer I tow behind my truck?
Liability generally extends to a trailer while towing, but physical damage to the trailer itself usually does not — that requires listing the trailer on a policy. For boat and utility trailers, coverage is typically written alongside the watercraft or recreational vehicle policy.
Am I covered riding an ATV on public trails versus private land?
It depends on the policy. Some homeowners policies extend limited liability on your own property but exclude public trails entirely, which is where most riding actually happens. A dedicated ATV policy covers both, and Minnesota also requires registration for most public-land trail riding.
How are custom parts on a motorcycle valued in a claim?
Only up to whatever accessory limit the policy carries — often $3,000 or less by default, which a set of pipes, a seat, and a paint job can exceed on its own. Scheduling the modifications with receipts raises that limit and is the difference between a full settlement and a partial one.
Get Your Season Sorted
Bradley can quote motorcycle, boat, RV, and ATV coverage together and look at how it fits alongside your auto and home policies.