Modified Bike Insurance

Modified Motorbike Insurance

Custom motorbike insurance

What is modified motorbike insurance

Modified motorbike insurance is a type of coverage for the many riders who opt to modify their bikes in some form or anther, whether it be cosmetic modifications, heated grips, swapping out tyres. Insurers are aware of this and some are willing to offer specialised coverage to account for the additional value of the modified bike as well as the extra risk they may pose.

When you modify your bike from the manufacturers standard specifications, your insurer will need to know about this. You may end up invalidating your policy if you fail to inform your insurer of what modifications your bike has, you may invalidate your coverage. Whilst many insurers will be accommodating of modifications, they’ll typically have a limit on the number and type of modifications you choose. You may not be able to get insurance for a heavily modified motorbike and illegal modifications will mean your vehicle is uninsurable

How to get modified motorbike insurance

Insurers will ask for information relating to your modifications such as the manufacturer and specifications of any accessories you’ve fitted to your bike. These accessories will be separate from the standard factory model of your bike. The reason that insurers are interested in your bikes modifications are due to the fact that many modification will either increase the value of your bike or the risk it poses for causing an accident. Naturally insurers will be quick to adjust for this risk by raising the price of premiums. Some modifications will be uninsurable as the modifications may be illegal or make your motorbike to risky to insure.

If an insurer can’t offer you the coverage you need for your modified motorbike, you can also compare multiple insurers to find the provider that does. Remember that you will need to be honest about your modifications as failing to disclose this will lead to your insurance coverage being void if you need to make a claim.

Is it worth modifying your motorbike?

This is fairly subjective as for some the increased premiums may be a worthwhile sacrifice for a bike that has the accessories and features that they want. For others, modifying their motorbike may prove to be costly and result in unaffordable premiums. The best thing to do is to contact prospective insurers directly and see how your planned or current modifications are likely to affect your premiums. From here you can make a more informed decision over whether you wish to continue with modifying your motorbike.

What to do if you already have motorbike insurance?

If you have an insurance policy for your motorbike already in place then you will need to inform your current insurer of any modifications you have or are planning to make to your bike. It is important to do this before taking your motorbike on the road as failing to do so can void your insurance. Insurers may also request an engineer’s report to make sure the modifications are within the acceptable level of risk for them to insure.

With that said, if your current insurers new premium for adding a sidecar is too steep, or your insurer even refuses to offer custom motorbike insurance, then you should consider a specialist provider who can offer you the right coverage at the best price.

The common types of motorbike modifications

Modifications for motorbikes tend to fall under different categories. For example, aesthetic modifications such as carbon fibre replacements and specialist paint works are typically done to alter the bikes appearance. These alterations can range from minor cosmetic changes to full physical alterations of the bike’s frame.

Other practical modifications include things such as grip heaters, additional storage boxes and fork protectors. Additional performance modifications include power-increasing exhausts, supercharging and turbocharging and engine fine tuning. All these can increase the bike’s power.

Is it more expensive to insure a modified motorbike?

In general yes, modified motorbikes do tend to be more expensive than standard motorbikes. This will vary of course between insurers and the type of modifications.

There are a few reasons why modified motorbikes, and modified vehicles in general are typically more expensive to insure.

• They are likely to be more appealing to thieves for their unique properties and increased value
• They may be able to cause greater damage and loss if the modifications increase the bikes power.
• Your modifications may reduce the safety of your motorbike

In all, you may need to compare multiple motorbike insurers to see who can offer the cheapest coverage for your modified motorbike, as not all insurers will view modifications equally.

Comparing modified motorbike insurance

Many insurance policies offer the ability to customise your policy to your specific needs. This includes modifications and also means you can choose add-ons to your core policy such as breakdown cover and lost keys insurance.

There was a time when shopping around for motorbike insurance quotes used to mean you needed to contact dozens of individual insurance providers to get a good quote. With Quotezone.co.uk you can compare multiple quotes from a wide range of motorcycle insurance providers after completing just one short form. Our independent and non-biased comparison platform lets you quickly find and compare motorbike quotes from across the UK market, helping you find cheaper motorbike insurance.