Many motorcycle owners are risking their cover by failing to notify their insurer about modifications, according to broker Devitt.
But many of the most common modifications actually have little or no effect on premiums, the company said. These include crash bars, crash mushrooms, road legal after-market exhausts, up-rated braking systems and a 5% increase in engine capacity.
Failing to notify an insurer about modifications could result in the insurer refusing to pay when a claim is made –particularly if the modification is a factor in the claim.
Devitt's managing director, Martin Pretlove, said: “Motorcycle owners are often scared of declaring their modifications because they think there's going to be a big price tag attached. Yet the vast majority of modifications will be accepted by insurers at either no additional charge or a small premium increase.
“This is definitely one of those situations where it's much better to be up-front with your insurer than to end up having to pay for a damaged bike, or possibly worse still, having to personally pay a third party's claim.”