Anything to declare?

daytripper!

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Some insurance companies ask if you have fitted any ‘performance enhancing mods’ whilst others seem interested in EVERYTHING non-factory. So regarding companies anal about mentioning everything would gradually adding say: panniers, touring screen, crash bars, hugger, etc ~whilst the policy is operational~ attract an amendment fee ea time at say £50 a pop??? Maybe you just fit the crash bars or whatever and keep shtum but I can see that said ins company could reasonably refuse to reimburse you for the cost of your expensive ‘undeclared’ crash bars following an ‘off’. If insurers are going to be anal then what happens about panniers & top boxes which are frequently fitted or removed?? So to declare or not farkles added during the policy or just accumulate (possibly a high risk strategy) then list en-masse the next time the bike gets insured??? TIA :nenau
 
Or just go with an insurance company that isn’t so pedantic.
 
When i insured mine,

I answered all questions, made sure everything was correct,

and got the paperwork through.

In bold print, please check all modifications are declared etc.

And in the small print below, "Any options that are fitted at the factory at the time of manufacture are not modifications and do not need to be declared"

:bow :bow. i called back and said what about panniers, they were specced but they didn't come with the bike when i bought it ..

No problem, as long as you replace with oe, your covered was the reply ...
 
Any recommendations, Nutty? I suppose I should get round to declaring quite a few things. :D

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/customer/help-advice/modifications gives a baseline

It's a grey area though. If you buy a used bike, how are you to know if it has had an invisible performance mod such as an ECU flash? Are you supposed to know if a hugger is an accessory? You might know that there is a different exhaust but are you supposed to be able to tell, as a lay punter, that the catalyst has been removed?
 
https://www.bennetts.co.uk/customer/help-advice/modifications gives a baseline

It's a grey area though. If you buy a used bike, how are you to know if it has had an invisible performance mod such as an ECU flash? Are you supposed to know if a hugger is an accessory? You might know that there is a different exhaust but are you supposed to be able to tell, as a lay punter, that the catalyst has been removed?

I have no such excuse and then there are my cars.....
 
https://www.bennetts.co.uk/customer/help-advice/modifications gives a baseline

It's a grey area though. If you buy a used bike, how are you to know if it has had an invisible performance mod such as an ECU flash? Are you supposed to know if a hugger is an accessory? You might know that there is a different exhaust but are you supposed to be able to tell, as a lay punter, that the catalyst has been removed?

Many BMW motorcycle accessories - especially those from Wunderlich etc - advise that they are TUV certified.

Google tells me that TUV stands for Technischer Überwachungsverein (or Technical Inspection Association in English). Also GS is an acronym for Geprüfte Sicherheit (meaning “tested for safety” or “certified for safety”). TUV/GS is a voluntary certification but it confirms that samples of the product were tested for safety and found to meet the minimum requirements of the German Equipment and Product Safety Act.

This may (or may not) be helpful in any discussions with an insurance company - any TUV-certified addition to your P&J could be considered as "rider-safety enhancements"?
 
Any recommendations, Nutty? I suppose I should get round to declaring quite a few things. :D

Bemoto only wanted to know about performance enhancing modifications. Said stuff like bar risers, different screen etc wasn’t necessary.

As they don’t charge admin fees on amendments they probably realised the time they’d spend every time Bob from Cardiff, or Rupert from Chichester called up to tell them he’d fitted another useless bit of tat to his bike would cost them a fortune in staff time.
 
Any recommendations, Nutty? I suppose I should get round to declaring quite a few things. :D

I like Cornmarket (Belfast-based brokers) - as the underwriter they use for multi-bike cover (more than 2 bike limit like some others), also not only accepts modifications (Carbon Fibre wheels, Ohlins suspension, Power Commander, Exhaust etc etc)- but covers those parts too.

All other brokers/underwriters I have used prior to that - accepted the mods, but only insured the bike in its original spec.

When I took out the the first policy, they asked for a photo of each bike and the only important question they asked was: “Has the suspension modification altered the ride height?”

I recommend them.
 
the only important question they asked was: “Has the suspension modification altered the ride height?”

I recommend them.

That would be interesting if you have a factory low bike , are they going on the premise that a lowered bike is more sporty and therefore more desirable to scrotes??
 
That would be interesting if you have a factory low bike , are they going on the premise that a lowered bike is more sporty and therefore more desirable to scrotes??
I very much doubt if there is someone there who has even thought about it.

They base their premiums and policies on actuarial statistics, not by a committee examining every possible modification to every model of bike and deciding whether it might increase the risk of an accident.

Same for postcodes. They don't have armies of people wandering around seeing if your area looks a bit dodge or not.

Statistics are everything.
 
That would be interesting if you have a factory low bike , are they going on the premise that a lowered bike is more sporty and therefore more desirable to scrotes??

I don’t know for sure, but I surmised that it was to highlight if someone had fitted non-standard height forks/shocks which altered the geometry and stability of the bike. Buy a low-model from BMW, it gets mentioned in the basic spec you tell them, but if I had fitted say. The Soupy’s lowering kit, and dropped the forks to match - I would make sure they knew it was thus modified.

They may ask for more details / impose special conditions-costs / refuse to cover?

Only one way to find out
 
I don’t know for sure, but I surmised that it was to highlight if someone had fitted non-standard height forks/shocks which altered the geometry and stability of the bike. Buy a low-model from BMW, it gets mentioned in the basic spec you tell them, but if I had fitted say. The Soupy’s lowering kit, and dropped the forks to match - I would make sure they knew it was thus modified.

They may ask for more details / impose special conditions-costs / refuse to cover?

Only one way to find out

Mine never batted an eyelid, as i mentioned earlier, they went on the premise of all factory options fitted at manufacture are covered.

TBH a lowered GS isn't going to get a lot of heads turning lol
 
TBH a lowered GS isn't going to get a lot of heads turning lol

Depends who's done the lowering.... there's many a twat who owns a socket set with no idea how to use it, except what they read on the internet and invariably written by other clueless twats = a recipe for head turning calamity on an epic scale. . .

I see some people offering technical and "how to" advice on UKGSer whom i wouldn't trust to put air in my tyres.

I mean, altering ride height, geometry, steering characteristics isn't the same as adding a set of lights or a coffin shaped rear view mirror.
 
Depends who's done the lowering.... there's many a twat who owns a socket set with no idea how to use it, except what they read on the internet and invariably written by other clueless twats = a recipe for head turning calamity on an epic scale. . .

I see some people offering technical and "how to" advice on UKGSer whom i wouldn't trust to put air in my tyres.

I mean, altering ride height, geometry, steering characteristics isn't the same as adding a set of lights or a coffin shaped rear view mirror.

Understand where your coming from and totally agree,

it was more along the lines of how does lowering a bike in this case a gs make it more desirable, (unless your a short arse like me lol).
 
Went with Bennetts as seemed reasonable and used Aviva rather than an 'offshore' type company (think i should have gone for the 'cheap' bundle which inc EU wide breakdown etc etc but as I will probably venture norff rather than souff this year a skinny policy seemed wise). Whilst they do charge for future amendments (£32) they seem to be primarily concerned with mods that improve engine performance and have massive list of other stuff which needed NO notification tho oddly i don't recall lowered footpegs and centre stand in the list. Anyways I stated a few such mods later and it did not affect the quote. The webchat took forever so phoned up and got quick response! Now i just need to figure out how to retax a SORN bike as the 16digit number on the (old) V11 didn't seem to work..................... any advice gratefully received! :bow
 
Are you supposed to know if a hugger is an accessory?

If insurance gives you grief about a hugger, you should be able to sue them to oblivion.
I know the FCA is a bit of a joke, but... they're still there.
 
Bemoto only wanted to know about performance enhancing modifications. Said stuff like bar risers, different screen etc wasn’t necessary.

As they don’t charge admin fees on amendments they probably realised the time they’d spend every time Bob from Cardiff, or Rupert from Chichester called up to tell them he’d fitted another useless bit of tat to his bike would cost them a fortune in staff time.

But they have removed one of the few pleasures from Bob and Rupert’s lives, arguing the toss with call centre chimps four hours on end, then moaning that they have been ripped-off.
 


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