Got mods - you need to tell insurance

[bumblebeetuna]

This is just for people like me that didn't know,


Ive had akra pipe since i got the bike but recently added a rack, box & screen and was worrying about whether bike was in fact still covered on my curent insurance.

Anyway I rang bennetts and they said if i had an accident with these mods, if I hadnt told them I would be null & void!! Dunno if this is scare tactics - but better safe than sorry.

Anyway ive reinsured with the mods and it didnt cost much more but now i have the peace of mind that im covered.


Anyways my point is that if any of you guys have your bikes modded you probably need to tell the insurance company, and it seems that the majority of insurance companies will only allow up to 3 mods and some of them only 1!!!

Bit of a bugger when you own a vespa which is a very mod'able bike.


What are your thoughts???

[mottza]

Bennets are quite clear about mods. But this is the case with any insurance company.

[Noggin the Nog]

Things seem to have really changed regarding insurance, since I last insured a bike 10yrs ago.
Then a top box rack, panniers or after market screen were classed as accessory's not a modification.
Race exhausts etc. were a mod.
What has surprised me is that some insurance companies will refuse to cover you if your ride isn't garaged overnight.
G.

[Liam]

To be honest, I've never notified insurance companies when I've done work on various Vespas I've had, such as bigger carbs, non standard exhausts etc.

I've currently got a tmax plus rack. If I notify them I've fitted a top box to the rack for France, do I notify them when I take the top box off on my return? Non standard screen? Non o.e. brake pads? Where would it end?
Anyway, would the insurance company check to see if work had been done? Are they likely to take a Tmax to bits to see if I had a Jcosta ? And would they know what they were looking at anyway??
I just hope I never have to make a claim!

[Turisu]

I have modified indicators, screen, a top box, and exhaust (non-performance enhancing). I always declare everything when renewing my insurance but I find that if I put these mods into a comparison site it pushes the premium up, whereas if I talk to the insurance company on the phone they concur that none of these mods affect the premium and it's always lower.

[StevenM]

Same here I have a few and haven't told the insurance company about, and again where does it stop, I have mivv exhaust, clear lenses, fancy brake levers, new dash, non oem brake pads, heated grips, maxi-muppets stickers lol. Should I tell them if I don't put in normal unleaded and put in super unleaded.

[bumblebeetuna]

As it happens I did well out of it.

When I told bennets about the 3 extras, box and rack, exhaust and screen they couldn't believe it when the under writers said no and as the alternative was loose my custom they did me a deal.

I had 3 month to run on previous insurance which they cancelled and set me up for another policy with different under writer with the 3 accessories covered and £98 for the year TPFT which was a bargain IMO.

To be fair I'd be happy with that price for a standard bike.

[Whatsisname]

The insurance company might not know but the loss adjuster they call in might. I had a bump with the car some years ago and they sent me to a place to have the damage checked. The first thing they did was check the tyre treads! Luckily I'd already swapped the two near bald ones for part-worns after the accident...

[MrGrumpy]

The insurance company might not know but the loss adjuster they call in might. I had a bump with the car some years ago and they sent me to a place to have the damage checked. The first thing they did was check the tyre treads! Luckily I'd already swapped the two near bald ones for part-worns after the accident...

Well, you can understand that. I hope they wouldn't see fit to strip my TMax down to find it had a Malossi variator..........

[Bluebottle]

I think it depends on the monetary value of the claim.
If there is a fatality they could be looking at a million in liability, if you lied about how big the risk to them was it can become your problem not theirs.
It is clear that performance mods will cause them concern but lights and body kits, spoilers etc can also affect safety/legality.
spoilers that are designed for looks instead of aerodynamics can cause severe handling problems for example