Forum

[Wheaters]

I used to insure my commuting car via a broker. Around renewal time, the broker didn't contact me as expected so I contacted them. They apologised and said the delay was due to a company reorganisation and gave me a renewal quote, which I accepted. They sent me a 30 day cover note in the post, as was not uncommon in those days.

After 30 days, they hadn't sent the policy details and I asked why not. They messed me about then sent another cover note. This happened three times. I finally got the policy documents; they had used a different insurer to the last time. I read the small print. It stated "This policy will be deemed invalid if the vehicle is driven in, on, or around any aviation location".

I rang the broker to ask what this meant; I hadn't ever seen this clause before in any policy. They said they would check with the actual insurer. They came back and said it meant exactly as written. I was more than a little annoyed and asked them to look at my stated occupation. It read "RAF pilot". As I lived off base, this meant my car had been uninsured every time I drove to work!

The broker's advice was to cancel the policy and take out a new one (obviously any losses would be at my own expense). I eventually got this sorted out without cost to me (mentioning the insurance ombudsman helped!) but it could have been disastrous if I'd had an accident. Needless to say, they didn't keep my business.

So my advice to myself when it comes to insurance is that it's vital to read the small print!

[Rattlebattle]

All my bikes are modified to some extent. I spent well over an hour on the phone listing them all. I always check that the broker has a record of the previous mods etc. Note that there is a difference between modifications and accessories. The former includes things like remaps, brakes, suspension whereas the latter includes stuff like panniers etc. The insurer wants to know about the latter because if the insured has a claim the value is greater than a standard bike would be. The insurer wants to know about modifications because they affect the risk.
Contracts of insurance are contracts “uberrimae fideo” (of the utmost good faith). That means you must truthfully and fully declare all relevant facts about you and the vehicle. It’s third party damage claims that can bankrupt.

[Rattlebattle]

That should read “fidei” not that I suppose anyone noticed.....

[McMurdo]

Here's a quote from Bennets Insurance regarding a garaged bike -

"If a theft or attempted theft of your vehicle happens within a 500 metre radius of your home address when the vehicle is not locked in this garage or building we will not pay the claim."

So if you pull up anywhere near your house at any time and some scrote tries to grab your bike you have zero cover. If you have a policy from them then I'd brush the dust off the fine print!

Stuart

[Breezin]

Interesting discussion. Can anyone give a ballpark figure on how much declared modifications would add to the premium?
I'm terrified of changing anything. It seems even a booster plug would invalidate the policy.

[Rattlebattle]

No. Your circumstances will be entirely different to anyone else's here and there is no standard policy on modifications between insurance companies. The way to do it properly is to contact your broker before doing the mod. Explain to them that the modification is a common one to this type of bike because it eliminates an awful flat spot just off idle. Stress that it doesn't affect the power produced by the engine ie it is not a performance modification; it simply helps the engine run more smoothly. I did this when I replaced the EFI with a carb on my C5. Apart from the telephone operator initially thinking I was adding a turbo (!) when she went and asked a grown-up (sorry, supervisor) she came back to me to say that was fine. The only way to find out what a mod has added is to know the premium without it and then with it. That said, none of the mods I have made to my three bikes has increased the premium, but the accessories have (which is fair enough).
BTW the OP asked a question about declaring the 612cc mod re insurance. Having some knowledge of the powers of HMC&E, I would say that another risk is being prosecuted for tax evasion (ie failure to pay the correct amount of RFL according to the true engine size - there is an increase at 600cc IIRC). A small likelihood perhaps, but a big impact if they do discover it. A moral issue on resale too....

[Wheaters]

RFL...What is that?

Edit: Aah, got it ....."Road Fund Licence" this is now called "Vehicle Tax"

[Rattlebattle]

Sorry, my mistake. It’s a long time since revenue raised from vehicle use was spent on roads, more’s the pity....

[Wheaters]

I think it’s a long time in some areas since any money from any source was spent on the roads! I live on the Notts/Derbys/South Yorks border and its often possible to tell where the boundaries are from the state of the road surface. South Yorkshire often seems to be the worst.

[windmill john]

The roads in East Sussex have really gone downhill in the last two to three years. Far more holes and degradation.

And this being the south, it’s far more important...