What do you ride, HC? For buggs and yourself - have the rates in MB steadily climbed? I haven't insured a bike in MB for over 25 years, so I have no idea. Was very reasonable back then.
I can't recall when MPI cranked up the rates, but I'll say around 2005? I stopped riding well before that but now that I have greater disposable income I had considered getting a bike again. I did a quick calculation for an older bike - plunked in 2008 Sportster 1200 and the rate is just a bit over $1000 for the year. I was actually surprised it was that low but at the same time I think saying $1000 for insurance for 4-6 months is a bit misleading. I also put in pleasure rather than all purpose which may not be representative for many. Make it a newer bike, all purpose and you're probably at least doubling that amount. Ouch.
Oddly scooters (with displacement up to 800cc) are still quite cheap to insure (I did not do the calculation). I have a friend who works at a dealership and he said the number of scooters they sold skyrocketed with the new insurance rates as you still sort of get the same experience.
To an extent I get the MPI approach to it in that motorcycles are almost always written off when they are in an accident and the rider also has high medical costs presuming they survive (although I'd argue that with no-fault insurance and socialized medicine the medical costs should be irrelevant). But there had to be better ways to distribute the cost burden. In many accidents the non-motorcycle driver is often at fault. Where that's not the case you tend to find that the type of motorcycle being ridden combined with a relatively young age (16-25 y/o males on rice rockets) was already presumably written into the formula. So why punish everyone? The 50+ y/o riding a Gold Wing isn't really a risk factor to the same degree. Alas it remains quite a debatable subject.
The other factor that has me not wanting a bike so much is that I bicycle commute to work from the time the snow goes away until it comes back to stay again, so anywhere between 6-8 months. I get the benefits of lower stress, exercise and no parking fees. I like all of that and I would lose aspects if I owned a motorcycle. Sadly I'm no longer of an age where taking my health for granted is an option.