Originally Posted by
javguy
I think I'm going to call around to various insurance companies and ask them if they would cover e-bikes. I'm not really buying the reasoning that I'm given by state farm.
Your first step should be to find out exactly what your policy says about what property is covered under the personal property coverage of the policy. The specific language of your policy will define what the insurer does or does not cover, and will provide you with the appropriate framework for arguing that coverage exists.
My homeowners policy, for example, says: "We do not cover ... any engine or motor propelled vehicle or machine .. designed for use on land." There are a couple of exceptions to this exclusion, but none of them would be applicable to an e-bike.
If your policy has similar language, then the relevant question would be, "is the bike propelled by an engine or motor"?
How does the BionX work? I'm assuming that you can operate the bike solely by pedaling, without using the motor at all. But is it possible to operate the bike exclusively with the motor, without pedaling at all?