Insuring your Modifications

[JimmyUK]

Hi Everyone.

Sorry this is a boring subject, but here goes. What do you all do about insuring all the extras that you put on the bike eg, all the Touratech bits, extra lights, panniers, top box etc.

Do you actually mention all of them to your insurer or leave them out. I find that if I mention them it racks the price up something awful. I also assume that if I had to make a claim, my dealer would probably include the repairs to my extras in the price given to the insurance company as well anyway. I'd be interested to know what you guys do about this. I don't think this is a problem that matters that much to other bikes or other manufacturers because they don't have the amount of extras to fit so when an insurer asks if its been modified, I say yes knowing they probably expect performance upgrades..

 

[birdseye]

Its usually a matter of declaring modifications but not extras - so the non standard exhaust you declare but not the panniers.

Certainly when my bike was written off, I had no problem getting paid for undeclared panniers, top box, etc - they priced the bike against others with those extras. And they happily coughed up for the gps (truck went over it!) and even the throttle rocker. none of these had been declared.

Must admit I have never had "performance mods" on the bike. if you do have these then you would be daft not to declare them even if it meant paying more - otherwise they could invalidate your insurance if you have an accident. And its not even a case of wriggling - you have a legal obligation to tell them of anything that might affect their judgement of the risk they are taking on. In law its called "ultima fides".

 

[ronnie69]

insurance - like Bart Simpson .....

....as in you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.

Don't tell em - you may be stuffed if you claim. Do tell em - premium goes up. Life isnae fair. I'm hunting for quotes myself at the mo' and it's a proper ballache every bleeding year.........

If you don't tell them and it gets nicked and recovered with lots of what they may call "bling" (even if you argue that it's safety or function enhancing kit, rather than just go faster stuff a la 17 year old in his Nova), you're just making it easier for the insurnace co or their loss adjuster to avoid your claim and void the policy.

All insurance contracts are "uberimae fidae" , meaning of the utmost good faith - you've got to tell them everything which could possibly affect the risk and enable them to consider whether they wish to insure you or not and if so on what terms. If you hold anything back, they can say "we wouldn't have insured you" or "we would have charged different terms". Even if they say the latter and you then offer to pay up what would have been the difference in premium if you'd told them before the policy started, it may be too late.

I'm sure some peeps will say "don't tell 'em, it'll just cost more", and some peeps may have got away with it and been lucky, but IMHO, you're just asking for trouble if you don't tell all. And if your mate gets away with it and you do the same, but then need to make a claim, unfortunately the "my mate did it and he got paid out" argument might not cut any ice with your insurance claims dept.

The galling thing is, they'll often hike the premium and then tell you either that your "extras" aren't covered at all, or will be subject to a "standard replacement item only" endorsement of some kind. Some insurers can't / won't differentiate between manufacturer extras and "aftermarket" stuff and some won't list your particular alarm/chain/padlock/whatever. Grrrrrrrrrr You can't win IMHO, but you can at least minimise the risk.

Try not to let the Barstewards get you down, dude.

My tuppence worth, anyhoo

 

[GSmonkey]

You declare performance mods to keep your insurance valid, but it normally adds very little if anything to the premium. You won't get paid for them only the 'standard' parts. This is normally not a problem, because:

-If its just the 'performance part' e.g. Remus can thats knackered, they'll give you the cash for the standard equivalent. The BMW can is more than the Remus, so you're quids in.
-If its a right off, you can salvage your 'performance parts' from the wreck if still OK.

 

[JimmyUK]

Thanks for the replies everyone and your input. I'm fairly sure none of the parts I have fitted could be classed as performance extras. I don't have an aftermarket exhaust or anything like that. I remember a couple of years ago when I had a GS500 I tried in vain to explain to the insurance person that the engine bars would make a repair bill cheaper if I had to claim, but they were having none of it, just put the premium up!!

The thing I am most worries about which you have touched ronnie is ways in which they can try and get out of paying up. Things like the Touratech lights I have on the bike. They could probably argue that they aren't manufacturer approved and therefore could have caused as accident by dazzling someone. Obvious b*ll*cks, but they could try it. Other bits and bobs could have had an effect on this...... or......that. On the occasion when I tried to list everything I had fitted, I just got told that they wouldn't insure me.

There is off course the whole price issue. Once I have mentioned the panniers and topbox, lights, Sat Nav etc the price of the insurance goes up by £200. I think the insuring of extra's etc only really matters when its a claim thats your fault. So if someone else damages your bike, they have to pay for whatever damage is done, including anything you don't mention when taking out the policy. If its your fault, you are covered only for what you declare.

It's a real pain, I will keep ringing around tomorrow. I don't want to pay £600

 

[davedyer]

Don't forget that you are not just insuring against accidents. Insurers argue that by blinging up your bike you are making it more attractive to thieves and therefore increasing the risk that it'll be half inched. If one of their assessors inspects the bike after a crash and lists the extras, they'll either invalidate the insurance or greatly reduce the claim.

 

[SonicTheHedgehog]

My standard principle's been "Modifications are.... *lists*... these are all included in my stated value of the bike". That might get you somewhere; as long as you've not fitted nitrous or superchargers you should get away with a very similar quote, and you've also jumped through their hoops so you're safer in the event of an incident...

 

[Thunder]

From personal experience to keep yourself right you have to inform the insurance company of any extras you have added to the bike which increase its base value to cover yourself in the event of a claim.

As has been said this can be in the form of a list or some companies (eg EBike) have a section on their online form to include extras.

As anyone who knows me will confirm I've a few bits and pieces which are not standard and to cover them added about £30 to the premium.


Having been involved in a no fault accident which damaged lights, after market screen and luggage and had it confirmed that these would not have been covered unless they had been declared under my fully comprehensive policy I think its worth the cost.

I could have claimed the costs from the 3rd party direct of course but that's more hassle. If it had been an own fault incident I'd have been seriously out of pocket.

 

[birdseye]

The thing I am most worries about which you have touched ronnie is ways in which they can try and get out of paying up. Things like the Touratech lights I have on the bike. They could probably argue that they aren't manufacturer approved and therefore could have caused as accident by dazzling someone. Obvious b*ll*cks, but they could try it. Other bits and bobs could have had an effect on this...... or......that. On the occasion when I tried to list everything I had fitted, I just got told that they wouldn't insure me.

There is off course the whole price issue. Once I have mentioned the panniers and topbox, lights, Sat Nav etc the price of the insurance goes up by £200. I think the insuring of extra's etc only really matters when its a claim thats your fault. So if someone else damages your bike, they have to pay for whatever damage is done, including anything you don't mention when taking out the policy. If its your fault, you are covered only for what you declare.

It's a real pain, I will keep ringing around tomorrow. I don't want to pay £600

Ronnie - your Latin was right and mine was wrong. And I did a Latin O level

Jimmy - what you declare on your own insurance (or even if you have insurance) wont alter the liability of the other party to you. You dont have to involve your own insurance company in any claim where the other party is 100% at fault and in my experience its best not to. Avoids any question of "knock for knock."

If you are claiming off your own insurance, then its undoubtedly best to have declared everything - that way you cant be wrong footed can you?. Insurance companies dont try to dodge liabilities on the basis of a minor quibbles - who would buy their insurance policy if they thought it would never pay out? Much of the moans you here are from people who either never insured that particular risk (ie took out a policy but never read what it covered) or are trying to pad out a claim unreasonably.

 

[JimmyUK]

Hi Everyone. Thanks for all your input. I seem to have found a reasonable quote from Carol Nash. I have one more question to ask you and this might sound like a stupid one.

Does the 1200GS have an immobiliser? I think it does because the key has a chip (thing) in it and it won't start without the right one. The reason I ask is because talking to Carole Nash they said that it didn't have to be a Thatcham approved one, they could put it down as factory fitted instead.

 

[miles away]

the 1200gs does have an immobiliser fitted as standard.. dont think its thatcham rated though..

 

[JimmyUK]

Thanks for the heads up miles away. Helpfully Carole Nash put in down as an 'unknown immobiliser' which does give you a discount even tho its not thatcham rated. Worth bearing in mind when looking for insurance because a lot of places won't look at it unless it is.

 

[Wizard]

£1500 of extras on the GS cost me £20 on my premium..... because it's crash protection, GPS, panniers etc...... no can, no K&N, nothing else to make it go faster. I did tick the box for a can just to see...... £50 bleedin quid!!!

Don't forget, as well as extra cost to repair and increased likelyhood of theft, insurers will also look at the kind of person who puts on a can and K&N and load you as being more of a hooligan and therefore more likely to have an own fault or third party claim.

 

[ChasMill]

Carole Nash for me as well - their only stipulation is that the replacement end can has to be stamped as road legal. My price was not increased when I mentioned the various bling additions (Remus, panniers, crash bars etc). I called them for confirmation after an article in MCN last year which was about the possibility of some insurance companies rejecting claims if there were any alterations from standard at all, including replacement tyres.

Needless to say, Carole Nash had no idea what MCN were banging on about but it was a worthwhile call anyway because the made another note on my file about my bling.