Insurance and Mods

[bikeral]

Hi


Has anyone notice any difference in premiums when they declare mods to the insurance company (ivans mod, end can, levers, belly pan etc)


Cheers

[Dudeofrude]

Depends on the mod and the company. For instance Bennetts don't require you to declare things like Levers, grips ,mirrors indicators etc where as Bikesure do.
Mods that change the power output (ivans/power commanders) always cause the companies arses to twitch so expect an increase for those. Things like end cans, belly pans and panniers aren't usually too bad, comes down to cost more than anything with those.
How much you choose to tell them is down to you though. Personally I wouldn't mention an Ivans kit as the kind of thing you wouldn't even know about yourself unless you'd done it, so in the event of an accident you'd had reasonable excuse to plead ignorance. However fitting a something like a power commander would be a little harder to defend 😅
All in all its lose lose no matter what you do, the insurance company will only ever do what's I their best interests not yours I'm afraid 🤷‍♂️

[Capt]

Having gone through the turmoil that is renewal insurance recently as we all do, whilst I cant remember everything the list of mods lots of insurance companies you don't have to declare was surprisingly quite allot.  Like Dudoefrude states, belly pans, levers, screens, end cans, seats, sissey bars, brake lines, huggers, scottoilers and I recall 'modified air filter' came up on one company's list and many more items.  I wouldn't bother mentioning the IVANS, you would be wasting ££ and more importantly you time.  All the modes I've done in the past to my Gen 1 have been used lighter versions of the more expensive OEM parts so the insurance should come down but NO.   

[Stupid Luke]

I have had some bikes with a lot of mods over the years and I have learned the hard way that you are wasting your time trying to explain mods to your average insurance call centre gibbon. What I do these days is get my quotes from the comparison sites, pick the cheapest two or three for the levels of cover you want. Then email them a list of mods and ask them if they can still do the same price. Otherwise you end up trying to explain why you would change a perfectly good standard clutch for a slipper clutch or the benefits of carbon wheels for hours to someone that doesnt really understand or care and just wants to tick boxes and get commission.


Back in the day (2006 ish) I had a crash on a heavily modified fireblade which went to insurance. I wanted to buy the bike back because the bits on it (undeclared) probably doubled the value of the bike. The insuance assessor didnt give a monkeys about any non standard parts all he was interested in was if any of the damage would have made the standard bike uneconomical to repair. He decided that a tiny scuff on the swinging arm would qualify it as a write off and was happy to get me a payout and let me buy the bike back for next to nothing.

[teecee90]

All insurance companies are different. This is the current list of things you don't need to tell Bennetts about:
• air filter changes
• bar ends
• braided hoses
• decals/stickers (unless race replica)
• disability adapted
• exhaust (road legal)
• grippers
• heated grips
• huggers
• lights/indicators/mirrors
• scott oilers
• screen changes
• seat cowl/single seat units
• seat replacement/changes
• sissy bars (long backrest)
• tail tidy
• tank pads.

Everything else (except 'consumable' parts like tyres, chain and sprockets (as long as the gear ratios remain the same), bulbs, etc.), you have to tell them about.

I added a Nitron rear shock this year and premium changed very little.

[b1k3rdude]

When I have replaced like for like oem with pattern I have never told them, as often it costs less than oem and/or dosent add any performance benefit.

[mtread]

You wouldn't tell your car insurance company if you replaced or added  bits?
Apart from performance enhancing bits - power commanders etc - don't understand why we have to do this

[b1k3rdude]

You wouldn't tell your car insurance company if you replaced or added  bits?

Like I said if it replaces OEM, nope and I don't.

[celticbiker]

I'm a programmer, not a mechanic. Was like that when I bought it. How do I know what is standard and what is a modification?