The Hanover Insurance Group has expanded the reach of its motorcycle and off-road vehicle (ORV) products in the US, as the carrier continues to pursue a "total account" personal lines strategy through the independent agency channel.
The insurer's motorcycle offering has been extended into Maryland and Virginia, while its ORV cover is now available in Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Both product lines can be added to any Hanover motor policy, giving agents additional options to round out personal lines accounts in states with established riding and powersports communities.
Motorcycle cover is now available in Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin. ORV cover is offered in Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin, with further expansion planned later this year.
Key product features include an agreed value option for motorcycles, allowing policyholders to insure eligible bikes for a pre-agreed amount rather than relying on actual cash value at the time of loss. For agents, agreed value is particularly relevant for higher-end, customised or classic motorcycles, where book values may not reflect true replacement costs and underinsurance is a common concern.
The Hanover has also enhanced physical damage cover for both motorcycles and ORVs, including built-in protection for customer investment in upgrades and safety kit. The products provide £1,500 equivalent in custom equipment cover and £1,000 for rider safety apparel, aimed at riders who have spent significantly on accessories, aftermarket parts and protective clothing.
A Hanover Platinum waiver of deductible feature is available to reinforce the benefits of placing multiple policies with one carrier. In practice, this supports multi-policy households that combine home, motor, recreational and other personal lines with The Hanover, and strengthens the case for account rounding from an agent’s perspective.
Daniel Halsey, president of personal lines at The Hanover, has framed the expanded recreational offering as part of the group’s wider total account strategy, focused on protecting customers’ homes, vehicles and lifestyles under a single relationship. The approach mirrors a broader trend in US personal lines, where carriers are seeking deeper, more profitable relationships with selected households, and independent agents are looking to defend and grow accounts in the face of direct and digital competitors.
Recreational products form one element of that approach. Households that own motorcycles, ORVs, boats, collector cars or other specialist vehicles typically have higher disposable income and present cross-sell opportunities for personal umbrella, cyber and valuables covers. Being able to place those niche risks with the same insurer that writes the core motor and home business can simplify administration, support higher retention and reduce the potential for gaps between stand-alone policies.
For agents in the newly added states, the expansion provides another A rated market in a segment where appetite can fluctuate with loss experience, weather patterns and economic conditions. Additional capacity with features such as agreed value and enhanced equipment cover may help intermediaries differentiate on coverage rather than solely on price, particularly when competing against direct writers offering more limited recreational endorsements.
The move comes at a time when the wider US personal motor and powersports markets are still absorbing elevated claims severity, driven by higher repair costs, parts inflation and labour constraints. Motorcycle and ORV portfolios are also sensitive to theft trends, off-road usage habits and regional weather-related losses.
In this environment, many carriers have favoured segmented, account-based growth over aggressive stand-alone expansion in recreational lines. The Hanover’s decision to tie motorcycle and ORV products closely to its motor portfolio, and to emphasise multi-line relationships through features such as the Platinum deductible waiver, is consistent with a strategy that prioritises retention and profitability over pure premium volume.
For insurance professionals, the development underlines several themes. Recreational products remain an important tool for personal lines insurers seeking to deepen relationships with preferred customers. Multi-policy bundling continues to be a core defence for independent agents against direct and insurtech competition. At the same time, coverage design in specialist niches such as motorcycles and ORVs is being used as a differentiator, with agreed value, equipment protection and lifestyle-oriented benefits featuring prominently.
The Hanover’s motorcycle and ORV offerings sit alongside other recent personal lines investments by the company, including umbrella, cyber and a collector car product introduced in 2025 through a partnership with Hagerty. Motorcycle and ORV cover can be added to any Hanover motor policy, reinforcing the carrier’s focus on integrated household solutions.
How far the latest expansion will shift competitive dynamics in the motorcycle and ORV segments will depend on pricing, claims performance and agent take-up in the new territories. For now, the move signals continued interest from The Hanover in recreational niches as part of a broader push to strengthen its position with independent agents in the US personal lines market.
