I hope you are right Rich coz I just found that the TTR my son insures is with Bennetts
There was a thread on TBM where the guys seemed to be saying that you Bennetts wouldn't insure a bike with more than three mods. Hope that was wrong then
It was highlighted in MCN a couple of weeks ago. They used an example of someone failing to get a quote having declared he'd fitted a high screen, heated grips, rear hugger and something else, whilst suggesting another declaring a turbo and nitros would be OK.
Bennetts said figures showed that owners who listed more than one modification was low.
However there was confusion between the terms modifications and accessories.
I think it was left with Bennetts saying they would listen to feedback and consider their position, but that all their staff were briefed on the matter, whatever that means.
They really do need to clarify what they mean as a 'modification' to one bike is an 'optional extra' on another. The luggage, heated grips and ABS on the GS, for example, were 'optional extras' but fitted by the dealer/factory so part of the spec as delivered presumably placing them outside their notification requirement.
That said I can see how they really would need to know whether a bike being claimed for really was fitted with £££s of extra bits (like the Touratech catalogue bolted to mine) but limiting it to three items does seem to be a case of a restrictive policy being imposed by an incompetent web designer.
Granted they state more can be added by calling (and losing an online application discount?) but that doesn't explain the difficulty the person had which led to him cancelling his policy - unless the call-centre numpty was trying to fill in the same online application form!
I think this case was just one bad example, it all went wrong for the guy on ADV but that doesn't mean that it will go that way for everyone. Also how come he already had insurance, sounds like retrospective adjustments to me, or he bought without declaring and then tried to correct the details - I dunno as I can be bothered to read all the thread over there.
Finally, on-line forms vs having to call and loosing discount....
Anyone that has ever had a modified anything will know & expect not to be catered for by an on-line form and as such also cannot use comparison websites. Just upgrading the alloy wheels on my last car made is so I was rejected by most companies on those comparison websites, still got a nice deal over the phone though, and from one of the companies on those websites - go figure...
I am with bennetts, at first i thought it was unfair but after thinking about it, it makes sense.
Atleast they should pay out if i have to claim now
I declared ALL of my mods/accesories and it raised my premium by £27
It was only the FMF pipe that raised it, i genuinely forgot i had it when i insured it
I actually thought my bike was pretty standard, its not until you get a note pad out and go through the bike you realise how much is different:
handguards different bar mounts different sprockets different weight rear shock spring heated grips different tyres ktm racking graphics clutch saver pro fork bleeders