Would a "not for road use" exhaust void insurance?

[alan36]

As above really? Fancy a new can but unsure if the SC Project I want would void insurance.

[airsafari87]

3….2…..1

[andburg]

Call your insurer, the wording on legality won't affect insurance but the act of having a modified bike may so always safer to ask them

[catso]

I once had an insurance proposal in which the wording specifically stated that a non road legal exhaust would void insurance in some way but, generally I think not and that most insurers would be OK with it, but probably best to state that it is modified with an aftermarket exhaust to be clear.

My current insurance is for modified bikes with an agreed value and so they wanted pictures and details of the mods to be able to agree the value, so it is clear what exhausts are fitted, though nowhere does it actually mention or ask about road legality or otherwise.

[SteveKTMer]

Difficult to tell..... until you have a crash and somebody gets injured, might not even be your fault. Once the underwriter gets hold of the police report they might then decide to repudiate the claim, despite the broker suggesting it might be acceptable. I always think if it's not listed on the policy as a modification, it could be used by the underwriter to not pay !

[RGG]

To try and give you and idea of how to get the clearest picture.

I would suggest asking for real world experiences from us - where insurance companies have been involved in claims where a non E marked can had been fitted.

I would make an assumption that the vast majority of claims have proceeded and been resolved without a problem.

However! -

It would be the ones, if there are any, where the claim has stalled (been influenced) that will be of interest to you.

You could set up a poll or ask for real world experiences.

[OutInTheShed]

Undeclared modifications can affect your comprehensive cover. Some insurers don't offer cover to modfied vehicles or increase premiums, so they could reduce payouts.
They could also take the view that an illegal vehicle has a lower value.
Regarding 3rd party insurance, it's unlikely they would refuse a 3rd party claim and you'd probably be insured in the eyes of the law, but you may find words in your policy document about 'keeping your vehicle roadworthy' which in extreme cases might enable your insurer to pursue you to recover 3rd party costs. Read the documentation carefully. It varies from company to company.

Getting nicked with an illegal exhaust could jack up your premiums.

[alan36]

Just for clarity the bike is insured comprehensive and mods have been declared inc exhaust, just the not for road use part that hasnt been mentioned.

[Krikkit]

alan36 said:

Just for clarity the bike is insured comprehensive and mods have been declared inc exhaust, just the not for road use part that hasnt been mentioned.

Unless there's something specific in the policy wording for it, then it makes no difference.

"Not for road use" means it doesn't meet type approval. If you were to go to Switzerland and stopped by the police you might have some bother, or the Austrian noise-testers, but otherwise it's not an issue.

[SteveKTMer]

alan36 said:

Just for clarity the bike is insured comprehensive and mods have been declared inc exhaust, just the not for road use part that hasnt been mentioned.

If an underwriter is faced with paying out £50k to an injured pedestrian or having a couple of arguments with you on the phone and keeping his £50k, I think I can tell which way that would go. It's just a gamble isn't it on if you have an accident, even not your fault, and if plod spots the not for road use bit....

[OutInTheShed]

Just had a shufty at a certain well known insurer of specialist vehicles' website.

Looks like any illegal exhaust, they will disown you.
Void your insurance and make it hard for you to get insured in future.

Note that 'illegal exhaust' could include any de-cat system, even if the end can is BS marked.

[smifffymoto]

The whole exhaust thing is a scam.
A not for road use has no influence on an accident.
A not for road use exhaust didn’t make you crash or your bike fall off the side stand.

After market brakes or non spec tyres ,yes but not an exhaust.

[OutInTheShed]

smifffymoto said:

The whole exhaust thing is a scam.
A not for road use has no influence on an accident.
A not for road use exhaust didn’t make you crash or your bike fall off the side stand.

After market brakes or non spec tyres ,yes but not an exhaust.

An illegal exhaust marks you down as a certain sort of arse.
It correlates with high risk.

Insurers are seeking to do business with people who've grown out of all the childish nonsense.
And they're lookimg fpr basic honesty in filling in the proposal form.

[Jag_NE]

Cannot believe someone is wetting the bed over this.

[smifffymoto]

OutInTheShed said:

smifffymoto said:

The whole exhaust thing is a scam.
A not for road use has no influence on an accident.
A not for road use exhaust didn’t make you crash or your bike fall off the side stand.

After market brakes or non spec tyres ,yes but not an exhaust.

An illegal exhaust marks you down as a certain sort of arse.
It correlates with high risk.

Insurers are seeking to do business with people who've grown out of all the childish nonsense.
And they're lookimg fpr basic honesty in filling in the proposal form.

What utter clap trap!

[srob]

If you've declared the modified exhaust, just grind the "not for road use" bit off, surely?

[Hairsy16]

OutInTheShed said:

An illegal exhaust marks you down as a certain sort of arse.
It correlates with high risk.

Insurers are seeking to do business with people who've grown out of all the childish nonsense.
And they're lookimg fpr basic honesty in filling in the proposal form.

This is basically it. No insurer puts an actual price on the risk of an exhaust. Or heated grips!

They use data. And they use it well. The data they have includes information about each bike and rider that they’ve insured and what claims they’ve paid. Then clever people look at that and find correlations between the data and the claims.

They want to insure as many people as they can but also to pay less in claims than they receive in premiums. So they use as much of that data as they can.

There IS a correlation between modifications and claims paid. I’ve never seen the data but I’ll bet a small fortune that there’s also a correlation between ‘people who make not-for-road-use modifications’ and claims.

In response to the original question, answer every question in full and with honesty. And read your policy and any documents that it references and comply with them. You’ll then be covered.

[podman]

I have a vandemon full system on my H2 and akro headers on my S1000R declared on my insurance, no issues what so ever, didnt even cost any extra on the premium.

This is with Adrian Flux.

This recent video from White Dalton answers some of the comments / guesswork above as well.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9AE8KLdQ5tk&pp=y...

[SteveKTMer]

podman said:

I have a vandemon full system on my H2 and akro headers on my S1000R declared on my insurance, no issues what so ever, didnt even cost any extra on the premium.

This is with Adrian Flux.

This recent video from White Dalton answers some of the comments / guesswork above as well.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9AE8KLdQ5tk&pp=y...

Except the question posed by the OP. If you tell your insurer you have "an aftermarket exhaust" and they accept that, it doesn't automatically follow that they are accepting that it's OK if it states "not for road use" on it. You're probably assumed to be replacing one road legal part with another road legal part.

Legislation is here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/2370/made

[podman]

SteveKTMer said:

podman said:

I have a vandemon full system on my H2 and akro headers on my S1000R declared on my insurance, no issues what so ever, didnt even cost any extra on the premium.

This is with Adrian Flux.

This recent video from White Dalton answers some of the comments / guesswork above as well.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9AE8KLdQ5tk&pp=y...

Except the question posed by the OP. If you tell your insurer you have "an aftermarket exhaust" and they accept that, it doesn't automatically follow that they are accepting that it's OK if it states "not for road use" on it. You're probably assumed to be replacing one road legal part with another road legal part.

Legislation is here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/2370/made

Again, more guesswork…They have the exact make model and cost for each system…The Vandemon cost me a fair few quid so I wanted it covered.

Watch the White Dalton video as well…