Insurance

Amen brother

 

It's reasonable to expect the declaration of performance mods but I once questioned the listing of minor modifications with an insurer and the answer was that cosmetic and styling alterations can not only add to repair cost but can "make the bike more appealing" to a prospective thief. Horse shit.
It's the underwriters that require listing and approval of mods, not the broker and it can and does vary between companies.
Some years ago I fitted 1 1/2" bar raisers to the ZZR. When I got the insurance renewal I called them and their response was "Oooooo, no, no, no,no! Handle bar position altered. Not allowed". Well feck of then. I ended up with Kawasaki's own insurance,......"yes, risers are fine".

 

Nothing gets people ranting like insurance and politics!
Sending in a copy of your driving licence has been required for every policy I've taken out for some years now as both proof of validity and ID. When I had my XR stolen in 2010, the insurance company wanted proof of ID for the claim but a driving licence was "not acceptable!" WTF!!
I now have an ID dossier prepared for such requests which includes my inside leg, my shoe size, my hat size, a full set of fingerprints, a blood sample, a stool sample, my sperm count and a high definition scan of my nutsack. I think that should cover it.

 

Interesting thread! It looks like things here in the U.S., or at least in Arizona and through my insurance provider, are much simpler. I don't have to declare mods to my bikes at all and my insurance costs don't increase if I have anything done. And that includes performance mods! When I had a Stage IV engine (re)build on a Road Glide Special I used to have, I called to see what the impact would be on my insurance. figuring my rates would go up. Nope. They insure the bikes as they are stock which surprised the heck out of me. My motorcycle policy includes replacement for up to $3K of parts and modifications per bike (and $500 for gear like helmet, jacket, etc.). You just have to have proof of those parts/mods with receipts and (they request) photos.

 

Wow, it does sound like I'm very lucky, Tony! Maybe we pay more up front but it doesn't seem to matter what the mods are as long as a claim doesn't add up to more that $3K for any aftermarket parts.
What does sound the same for you as for me is that it doesn't seem to matter whether you've made claims or not in terms of insurance costs or rates going up. Sigh.......

 

An interesting thread, and one that makes me think/worry.... I don't know enough detail, it seems, to even be able to make a decision on whether my insurance is even valid!!

How, out of interest, would it even get to a point where someone would even question - for example - whether the seat had been recovered?

You have now told them it has, but what if you hadn't, or what if you didn't know?

I do not know if my bike has original or "modded" mirrors, or indicators...

So ... where does that leave my insurance?

(I happen to agree, it's all a "get out of paying" con....but what do we do about it)!?

Funnily enough, a chap this afternoon, I saw riding his scrambler across the local park this afternoon... He didn't have a number plate, so I'm going to tentatively suggest he didn't have any insurance, let alone a licence or a road worthy bike - he then rode it down the road...

I got a wondering.... "Who's the schmuck"?

 

The commonality here is that they like taking your money but hate paying it out …!

 

Makes you wonder how many car drivers with tinted out glass ( impossible to see out of when dark) tell their insurance companies

 

...or put alloys on. Or an after market stereo. New floor mats? A body wrap? Maybe even low profile tyres?

 

Dump valves, larger turbos, through pipes - the list could go on. I read that they are trying to catch bikes that are not OEM at the MOT stations - that is the reported plan.

 

One policy I nearly took out made a turn for the worse when I questioned the small print as it didn't seem realistic and started wondering if I'd got the wrong end of the stick.
As I read their rules it sounded far too impractical irrespective of price quoted so I rang them and posed the following...., if I were to wash my bike with a bucket and sponge then, as I understand your clauses, either I would need to wash it INSIDE the garage at my registered address or, if I decided to do it outside, then I would have to wheel it into the garage between bucket replenishment as I would be leaving it unattended on my drive with the outside tap on the other side of the building, is that correct?

Yes!
Whilst your motorcycle is at your registered address then you told us it would be garaged so it must be at all times when left unsupervised.

WTF don't think so, bye.

(The more usual and far more practical wording is something like "must be garaged between 22.00 and 06.00 whilst parked at your registered address". Now that seems reasonable and I can work with that).

Make sure you read and interpret your policy carefully guys!!!!!

Caveat Emptor.

 

I have just renewed my insurance with guess who,yes Markerstudy..
This was through Triumph insurance who are Adrian Flux.
A look at the Meercat showed the quoted price would be in the top five results.
Looking at the proposal it said that the bike must have a Thatcham 2 immobiliser or theft would not be covered.I've been told that The standard Triumph system meets the Thatcham standard.
I hope i don't get to find out if it is.

 

Also be mindful of other equipment being excluded.
Think I've already mentioned on here the following but here goes...

Theft from garage, naturally you would have thought house contents policy will cover it.
Ten year motorcycle enthusiast loses, amongst other items taken, his boots, helmet and gloves. They accepted they'd pay out for his boots only. I questioned it and laughably the employee stated the owner could walk around the house in his boots so they would be classed as personal clothing.
I stated he could walk around the house in helmet and gloves if he so wished so what's the difference?
I was told quite firmly that as they were safety ppe then he would have to claim off his motorbike policy!

I asked, how many TEN year olds have a motorcycle policy?

To be bluntly told thats the rules

Even paying out for the boots (£50 ish comes to mind) required photographic proof showing him wearing them