Riders Plus Inc.

Riding Distractions to Avoid

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:00:15 PST

Most people see tips about the distractions of riding as self-evident and common sense, and they are right. However, like everything else that seems simple and straightforward, recognizing the potential for distraction before you get on your motorcycle and planning ways to avoid or eliminate those potential distractions could, at worst, make your ride a little less stressful and, at best, keep you out of a potentially devastating situation.

Port Dover Friday the 13th April 2012

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:46:35 PST

The town of Port Dover has connections. There's no other way to explain the perfect weather conditions that occurred in the area surrounding this welcoming little Lake Erie port town on Friday, April 13, 2012. The extent to which this unofficial motorcyclists' holiday has infiltrated motorcycle culture in Ontario and beyond is hard to imagine until you see it with your own eyes. We took lots of pictures for you, however, and you'll have an opportunity to be part of it when it happens all over again on Friday, July 13, 2012.

International Spring Motorcycle Show 2012

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:43:08 PST

When you think March 17 or 18 do you think 20 degrees Celsius, sunny, and even humid? Ok, of course you think St. Patrick's Day, but really, the sort of weather that we lucked into for the International Spring Motorcycle Show in 2012 with this new, earlier date (this show used to always take place in April) was typical of this non-winter. And no one was complaining, least of all the hundreds of attendees who rode their motorcycles to the show.

Spring Bike Preparation

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:02:13 PST

Getting your bike road ready in the spring is one of the most time honoured rituals in the life of a motorcycle enthusiast. It's all about fresh starts. Your ride can be at its cleanest, its shiniest, its peak. It purrs or roars at a perfect pitch when you've got it at the gates and ready for the first ride of the season on roads that have been washed clean of salt and sand. It's time to spring free of winter's constraints...

Your Motorcycle Insurance Renewal

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:16:38 PST

Every motorcycle owner knows that motorcycle insurance in Ontario is a sizable chunk of money no matter what the coverage is. Many people, however, don't look at the details of coverage as closely as they should, because in carefully reviewing those details they could potentially find ways to fine tune their coverage and ensure that they are getting what they want. The price is meaningless unless you know what you are paying for.

We offer a few tips in this article because now is the time that a lot of Ontario motorcycle riders get their offers of renewal from their insurance brokers since a lot of their policies start in the spring.

Kitchener Motorcycle Show 2012

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:10:40 PST

The Kitchener Motorcycle Show on March 10 and 11, 2012 is perfectly timed to take advantage of motorcycle riders' anticipation of the onset of Spring. It feels like spring is imminent, because the days are just a bit longer, some days (especially this year) have been as spring-like as can be imagined, and, most of all, because there is a venue chock full of motorcycles and motorcycle related products and services that screams out for the riding season to begin.

Motorcycle Travel to Ontario Beaches 2012

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:43:13 PST

The great province of Ontario has thousands of miles of roads just waiting for you and your motorcycle. It's a bit overwhelming to consider how many options you have in terms of destinations.

So let's think beaches. Ontario has no end of them. Long beaches, short beaches, fine sand beaches, rocky beaches. Most are pristine; most have great restaurants, accommodations, sights and other attractions. Here are just a few of our favourites:

London Motorcycle Show 2012

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:45:41 PST

You have to give the motorcycle enthusiasts of London, Ontario full marks for their unwavering defiance of whatever Mother Nature throws at them. If there's a motorcycle show going on, they know that the weather will turn ugly precisely on that weekend. It seems to always happen that way. London folks don't cower in their garages and wish they could get out to the show; they (intelligently) wait for the roads to be cleared, but they get out there, every year, to take advantage of the deals and to soak up the optimism in the air.

The 2012 Hamilton Motorcycle Show

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:49:15 PST

There are a lot of motorcycle riders in the Hamilton area, and even more within a close proximity when you include Niagara and the rest of the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario. So staging a motorcycle show in this city makes a lot of sense.

The Inaugural Hamilton Motorcycle Show took place on January 27, 28, and 29, 2012 at the Careport Centre. There was a lot of enthusiasm from a lot of people for making this event grow in the future and there is certainly a solid base from which to build.

The 2012 Ottawa Motorcycle Show

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:20:01 PST

The motorcycle riders who live in the Ottawa area set the tone for the third annual Ottawa International Motorcycle Show. Despite outdoor temperatures that plunged to the minus 30 Celsius range (ok, with windchill... we're not trying to be dramatic here), the number of motorcycle enthusiasts who braved the weather was quite impressive. The mood was very upbeat, dollars were being forked over for the excellent deals, and a good time was had by all.

The Mammoth Motorcycle Show

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:06:59 PST

As we all suspected, the North American International Motorcycle Supershow delivered on its promise to be all things to all motorcyclists. A huge variety of vendors combined with picture perfect weather to entice a gargantuan crowd of motorcycle enthusiasts. The mood of everyone involved ranged from happy to ecstatic; many vendors ran out of incredibly well-priced product time and again, and the masses of riders just kept on coming back for more...

Bill and Jeanie's East Coast Trip

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:08:49 PST

We met Bill at the North American International Motorcycle Supershow. He told us about his trip to the east coast which included the Cabot Trail. Bill and Jeanie made an excellent blog of their trip, one day at a time, with excellent pictures and interesting entries describing what they saw and did along the way.

We've included the entry from Day One of their trip below; after you see the amazing scenery, we're sure you'll want to visit their blog Eighteen Till We Die and read all about the rest of their trip.

$3 off Coupon for Friday All Day or Saturday Night

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:43:43 PST

Click on the link to access the pdf copy of the coupon:

[ Download/View RidersPlusCoupon.pdf ]

Happy Holidays from Riders Plus

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:52:21 PST

One of the big stressors of the holiday season is trying to think of that Perfect Gift for each person on your list. That's why nobody minds having a motorcycle enthusiast on their list, whether as a family member or a Secret Santa pick. The range of items available that will make that biker happy is so extensive in scope and price range that it's like picking off sitting ducks. And that's why writing an article telling you where you can find excellent gifts for your motorcycle enthusiast friend/spouse/Secret Santa is like an early gift in itself...

Please also note that Riders Plus will be closed from noon on Friday, December 23, 2011 until Tuesday, January 3, 2012. If you need to report an emergency claim, please call 1-866-931-0570.

One Ontario Motorcycle Show at a Time

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:08:01 PST

Like most providers of motorcycle-related products and services, we at Riders Plus Insurance face a full schedule of motorcycle trade shows in Ontario starting in December. Yes, it's a marathon of long days standing and talking, leaving us stiff jointed and hoarse, but we wouldn't do it if we didn't love it. Every conceivable product and service associated with motorcycles is represented at these shows, as well as products and services that are less directly related to bikes. So without further ado we'd like to give you a bit of a rundown of what to expect, where to expect it, and why you wouldn't want to miss your local motorcycle show for the world.

Riding Las Vegas

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:13:27 PST

There are a few things that happen in Las Vegas that should, for various reasons, remain unsaid. However, the motorcycle culture and the riding opportunities in that city cannot be kept secret by anyone who has been there. Wherever there are people looking for a good time, you know that you will find motorcycles in abundance. And if you're looking for some of the most ideal riding terrain and conditions, you will have a hard time finding somewhere better than Sin City.

Top Ten Reasons Your Insurance Rates Go Up

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:39:38 PST

The number one question asked by motorcycle insurance clients throughout history (but not necessarily every year) is: Why did the cost of my motorcycle insurance increase this year? There are a lot of potential reasons, some having to do with the individual's riding or driving record and others to do with causes that are greater than any one individual. The Top Ten List that follows is not intended to be comprehensive, but it does give you a bit of an idea of the complexity of the question.

Contact Your Broker For All of These Reasons

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:54:46 PST

There are so many things to remember to do when you move. Contacting your motorcycle insurer with your new address is, understandably, not high on the list of things to do... but it must be on the list.

There are a lot of other reasons to call your motorcycle insurance broker as well, some of which aren't as obvious as you would think. Riders Plus star Customer Service Representative, Heather Malone, outlines some of these situations in the following article.

A Biker's Thanksgiving

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:04:24 PST

Thanksgiving is a bittersweet holiday for motorcycle riders in the chilly environs of Ontario. Oh sure, it's usually as close to perfect riding weather as you can get. Except when it's not. Except when an unexpected snow storm hits. Or cold, possibly even freezing, rain falls on the Oktoberfest Parade. Most depressing, though, is the simple fact that the advent of Thanksgiving means, at best, a meagre few weeks of riding are left before we have to strap the bike onto a trailer and head on down to Florida. If we're snowbirds. The rest of us just have to hunker down and wait for spring...

Why Should Motorcyclists Care about Liability?

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:22:13 PST

Liability limits for motorcycle insurance policies in Canada can vary from $200,000 to $2 million. Many motorcycle owners don't think much about this aspect of their insurance coverage since they reason that they are unlikely to cause significant damage with a motorcycle. Those motorcycle owners need to rethink that perspective, because it simply isn't that simple. Here's why...