Just been looking around because the 750 SS renewal is shortly due and Footman James have transferred their modern bike business to Bike Team...Part of Equity Direct. I'm not particularly enamoured with quote I got from them, so I tried one or two quotes from the others, Ducati Insurance being mildly favourable but their breakdown/recovery is cr*p. However, I used to be with Bennetts three years ago.....I didn't like them then, but I thought I would give them a try for the hell of it........I also thought I would also tell them all of the mods done to the bike (some of which I have discovered through working on the bike), again for the hell of it...... So I explained I have 900SS front forks; 900SS front tyre profile; Goodridge Hoses; a dark screen instead of a clear one; non-OEM decals, but not race replica stuff; aftermarket exhausts (which they already knew about); Stage 2 Dynojet; Bar ends, but not the OEM ones; and that I can use either the FF or HF fairings....... .....she (tw*t, miserable boring idiot) had to check with the underwriters about the mods, despite her being told it is basically a 900SS with a 750SS engine and if the underwriters don't know about the specs of the three carbed models, they should either contact me or do some quick research...... Guess what....they declined to offer cover because of the mods........D*ckheads.........Typical of Bennets from what I hear, but what makes it worse is that Equity Red Star who have been the insurer for three years despite whichever broker I went through, are the underwriters who have declined.......so trying to get a quote via another broker now, it means that Equity Red Star will still decline, which of course I have to now declare with any other quote I try to get. So, I guess if any of you have a prang, you had better carry all the OEM stuff around with you!! AL
Ducati insurance does quote via equity red star. I think way to go in future is fixed value insurance. One obstacle is they want you to get the bike inspected by dealer who makes the list of mods. Do not get that why they can not just insure up to X amount you want?
It seems to me that the underwriters (and many of the brokers) don't have a clue about the specifications and that the SS carb models are fundamentally the same across the range.... AL.
I'm not sure that's actually classified being declined insurance - they have refused to quote due to the circumstances, no contract has been formed. As far as I am aware being declined insurance means having your policy cancelled for whatever reason (failure to declare mods, accidents or whatnot), but only after a contract has been formed. I would definitely seek expert advice though, but for it to be otherwise would effectively make it a lottery as to whether you were classified as declined or not.
Doodle none of us are insured correctly with mods insurers want us to declare, you have heated grips by any chance? AL underwrites do not care. Depending from deal they have with broker they either accept mods or not. My mods list with Ducati insurance is an arm and a leg long and it is done via equity. Only specific bike brokers will me mildly interested in differences between models but less then one in 50 will know actual differences, rest will know the sticker difference as in 750 is not 900.
Bennetts declined my 916SPS a couple of years ago, citing the fact that it had Mag rather than Alu alloy wheels as the reason
Beenw ith Carol nash for a few years now and juts recently put a new policy on my 900SS. No major mods on it apart from cans and they were fine. got fully comp - euro and uk breakdown - protected no claims and can ride other bikes 3rd party etc... for £130 and also this morning received a nice little DNA kit from them free of charge too..
If you list that little lot any insurer is going to struggle, as yes strictly mods but are they, really?! Clear screen v dark one?! You will confuse the usual teleworker who works on standard plus 2 mods principle. And to expect them to know all the stuff you're describing,for a big company ( or a small one for that matter), is asking a lot imho. If you want that level of knowledge you're going to have to pay for it with a specialst broker. But dont come complaining about the cost lol
You know as well as I do that any insurer will do anything to get out of paying a claim and if you look here..... Bennetts Modifications Quick Guide | Bennetts - ....you will see what Bennets / The Underwriters consider to be notifiable modifications....I would say that list is pretty clear, wouldn't you? AL.
They also have to behave reasonably. If you take to its extreme, amd some have tried to stop payong, adding a fluffy dice to an interior mirror is an extra to be listed And when the insurer tries that, the regulator is pretty quick to drop a rather large anvil on them Can it be proved that any addition either contributed to the claim(dark screen and you werevflat out on tank and didnt see the car you were catching) or coved in carbon bling and someone nicked it for that amd not the rest of the bike. Oherwise I'd expect any claim to be fulfilled
As I see it from the Bennetts/Underwriters link; if it isn't declared, then they have every reason to reject the claim......unless the assessor is totally ignorant of the bike's original specification..... Ignore the dark screen, that's a red herring issue. ....however, just got a quote from Carole Nash, having declared the same 'modifications' for the hell of it.......£347 Comp with Aviva.......which is plainly stupid as my car is with Aviva, two drivers, Comp....£250. It appears to me that the Underwriters etc simply aren't aware that the specs of the carbed SSs are fundamentally the same and that anything from a 900ss (except the engine) would be an improvement to the 750 and 600 without a recognisable performance increase. AL
Just looked at the Bennetts list. According to the stict rules, as my pillion seat cowl is a mod' must I tell them when I put it back on after taking a pillion? Pleased I don't carry friends often. That'd get really boring really quickly...
Bennets have been a Bain with bike mods for last 2 years!!! The list was pathetic... One being at one point the addition of a tank pad?? That was a mod . 4 mods and they wouldn't touch you!! Mine would fail on decals , tank pad , heated grips nav mount I think and seat. Yeah like they make me king of the road.... 4 years ago Bennets kicked off about me respraying a bike.. Their biggest bugbear is stripes ! It was add a stripe my insurance shot up an extra £250 a year. Basically word went round bikers and I'm surprised their bike insurance has survived . I use Swinton now .. I have a branch here which means any probs I go and talk to then
If you want a giggle look at my post on 'How much do you pay for comp' insurance'! Just thinking about it makes me grimace!
Swinton have given me a favourable (nearly) quote; and Carole Nash have now got concerned about the mods being loaded, so I'm expecting them to call back.............I also spent about half an hour talking to Equity Red Star underwriters today pointing out to them their lack of knowledge of the specifications and that the mods I have could be easily termed as standard parts across the OEM range...at least the guy I discussed it with seemed to cotton on and said he couldn't see why they were a problem.....so I'm expecting a call back from Bike Team as well. AL.
Confused.com :smile: I tried it for a quote and it came back with £87 tpft for the 851.. ducati wanted £176!
