Insurers vs Modifications - Current Status?

[aesmith]

Hi,

I was just wondering what response people are getting recently, when discussing modifications with insurers. Are there currently any other than Bennetts who accept a range of fairly basic modifications without the need to declare them?

I've been finding that the various online brokers and comparison tools either require you to specify no modifications, or in one case refuse to quote when I declare the silencer (non-performance) and LED indicators. And that's even before I add fender extender, hugger, chain oiler, tail tidy.

So it looks like I'll need to phone round, but I don't want to waste time calling insurers known to be unhelpful, I'd rather go straight to ones that other people have found to be OK with mods.

I assume everyone DOES declare their modifications? I don't think I've ever seen and SV without at least some.

Thanks,

Tony S

[rb8989]

Ebike are good with mods but absolutely abysmal should you actually get knocked off.

And I mean, groin grabbingly terrible.

No that's still too nice, I would rather play Russian roulette than have them deal with a claim again.

Russian roulette with 5 out of 6 rounds loaded.

I'd rather leave it up to my dog to decide the outcome of an incident.

[Doinitmyway]

I added an R6 to a policy renewal I had with Carole Nash recently. It added about £200 for the year! I queried this and asked for a quote on it's own with no no-claims (which came in at £700). The operator suggested it might have been something to do with the double-bubble screen I declared.....he didn't even snigger when he said it.....

[aesmith]

Cheers. Sounds like I shouldn't bother with Carole Nash. Ebike? I wonder if their service matters for third-party only? I mean I won't be claiming off them no matter what. I suppose if it comes to it and someone makes a claim against me, I would really rather it was dealt with efficiently.

[SvNewbie]

I had a conversation with the nice girl at MCE about modifications which went "Of course its bloody modified, you guys even count crash bungs as being modified."

Still, my insurance was half what it was last year with me declaring a new exhaust so not too bad.

[aesmith]

Forgot the crash bungs, that's yet another one. I might end up ringing Bennetts after all, although I had ruled them out for raising the price from £91 up to £511 for adding business use - I've been assuming that even telephone haggling isn't going to turn that into a competitive figure.

What a quandary, do I try to argue Bennett's price down, or start with a low priced offer (Devitt for example) and try and talk them into accepting modifications?

[Littlepeahead]

I've never quite understood crash bungs making your policy go up in price if you are fully comp. They say they won't cover the cost of replacing them if they are damaged in an accident but if they do their job you're insurer will be paying out less as they'll have saved damage to the bike, especially the big bars of the sort you can get for my GS that cover the fairings too.

[PyroUK]

Try Suzuki insurance. Use the link through the main Suzuki site though, there is a pretender out there!

They are (or at least were) underwritten by carol Nash. When I got a new exhaust (cosmetic) they said it was a "free" mod.

When I got the public they were quite reasonable, good service and matched meerkat on price and near as damn it benefits such as breakdown (although they had roadside assistance at the time).

Of course I got stuffed at renewal which is par for the course so moved to Hastings premier :)

Ebike was good for me after my accident a few years ago, only people that would quote under 4 figures!

Edit:

At the time of ebike I had pretty much all the mods you mentioned. Only thing with them is no cover for riding other bikes! And mostly online, premium rate number for call centre.

[DJFridge]

I've just added adjustable rear footpegs (to make things more comfortable, so probably safer too) for the pillion, and Mrs DJF got me heated grips for Xmas (which make me more comfortable, so definitely safer). Now I'm wondering if I should have told the insurer. To get the premium down, obviously.

[ethariel]

Ebike i personally found to be no issue claiming (twice in 3 months! - total los theft and total loss accident - I know, bad end to 2010). Virtually no diff in price between standard and a raft of addons, only starts to get bad of it's over a 5% power increase.

Really hit or miss to be honest and varies so widely every year (Only silly thing is the company I had the speed triple insured with wouldn't insure me on a new tiger 800 and thats Triumph's 'Triumph Insurance' broker!)

[aesmith]

QUOTE=PyroUK;2937726]Try Suzuki insurance. Use the link through the main Suzuki site though, there is a pretender out there![/QUOTE]
Just tried them, a bit expensive but they let you select up to five modifications online. Just for the hell of it I tried a few to see whether they affected the price. None of the following made a difference, crash bungs, hugger, exhaust (or not the options I tried), indicators or "Suspension - lowered/uprated". Selecting "Suspension Change" and they wouldn't quote online.

Shame they're expensive, but maybe it gives an idea of what mods the industry in general might accept.

So far all the other online insurers have put an over-riding condition that the bike is unmodified, and you either agree or they won't quote.

[PyroUK]

Online? Interesting they only had a phone option when I used them! Them

[aesmith]

Back to "bonkers Bennetts", as well as their Standard Modifications that they say you don't have to declare, no price uplift for "Exhaust (Road Legal) - End Can" and "Crash Protection (Bungs & Bars)". Suspension mods not accepted online.

[Bibio]

try Bikesure.

my insurance dropped by £160 (now paying £120 FC+) this year and yes i have declared all my mods (very extensive list) only stipulation is that in the event of a claim they price the bike as a standard bike.

[phil24_7]

C.I.A. make no charge for mods (I have full exhaust, gixer front end, gixer shock, PCIII amongst many other mods) but will only return to standard should you make a claim. Not had any reason to claim but they have been easy to deal with for the last 3 years as well as being very competitive, I pay around £80 fully comp with them.

Regards

[Nutsinatin]

You could give wickedquotes.com a go, just renewed with them, amazingly they actually gave me a 10% renewal discount, I didn't mention to them that they were already £300 cheaper all mods declared than my next best quote with no mods. Not had to make a claim with them yet though, to be honest I'm trying to avoid doing that!

[ZER0]

I'm with Hastings Direct.

Haven't had to make a claim, but no problems setting it up. They even reimbursed the £12.50 (the cost for taking the insurance out over the phone instead of online) as you can't add modifications on the internet.

I've got exhaust, indicators, levers, screen, crash bungs, fairing lowers, seat cowl all on the policy. And all replaced 'like for like' if I claim, not back to standard.

Think I'm paying about £170. Fully comp, with no no claims bonus as I only got my bike last month.

I was told I had to declare any mods, but the premium cost didn't go up with all those added.

Worth giving them a call

[Jayneflakes]

C.I.A. make no charge for mods (I have full exhaust, gixer front end, gixer shock, PCIII amongst many other mods) but will only return to standard should you make a claim. Not had any reason to claim but they have been easy to deal with for the last 3 years as well as being very competitive, I pay around £80 fully comp with them.

Regards

We use CIA and both of our bikes are modified. The wife has a huge wide race exhaust with no baffles and a couple of other things fitted to her ZRX1100. I have mods that include yoke conversion, exhaust, tail tidy, lights, Renthals, brake levers, DB screen, custom stickering and wheel alignment plates. I declared the lot and it costs me £300 for both of us fully comp on both machines. I have been with CIA since MCE screwed me over really really badly about three years ago. CIA are not by any means the cheapest, but after two non fault accidents both of which were dealt with quickly and with out issues, I cannot fault them.

With both of my accidents, the bike came back just as good if not better than it was before with my added mods fitted, despite them saying that they will only repair to standard. With my last accident where I was hit by a 4x4, I used the bike accident company McAms (http://www.mc-ams.co.uk/) along with my insurance and they really helped too. :salut:

[phil24_7]

Cheers JF, that makes me very happy to know they are easy to deal with if the worst happens. They were 2nd or 3rd cheapest (only by about 10 or 20 quid) for me but the other 2 would not insure me because of my GSXR front end and rear shock!