So I was getting my other bike MOT'd last week by a one man band mechanic I've been going to for a few years, and he told me a shocking/scary story of events that had occurred a few months ago. Before I say any more, I should point out that i'm pretty sceptical on the whole, but from past experience I know this man to be honest and if anything understated, certainly not a billy bullsh***er!
As my bike was pretty far from standard, he proceeded to tell me about a customer he'd known for over 20 years (with a chequered accident history for whom he'd repaired a bike once a year on average). He turned up with a fairly lightly modded bike that had been crashed for a repair quote for the insurers, which the mechanic duly did. Assessor arrives, mechanic offers him the repair/quote details, and before he's even laid eyes on the bike assessor says he wont need them. He proceeds to nit pick every tiny modification (eg polished standard levers!, not to mention power commander etc), before walking out. Mechanic hears nothing from anyone for a week, cant get in touch with owner. Then insurers are on the phone, saying they'll collect bike in the morning, and aren't paying the owner out. Mechanic says no, its not your property to take, and immediately tries without success to get the owner on the phone. 5 mins later phone rings again - insurers saying we'll be there with police & bailiffs in morning for the bike, & if its not there mechanic will be hearing from solicitors. True to their word recovery truck arrives, but agent pushes the lightly damaged bike onto its side, attaches a chain to it, drags it with winch onto flatbed then ratchet straps it down - mechanic videos this, every component from engine to swingarm, frame forks & wheels seriously damaged in the process.
Then the owner gets in touch, confirming they aren't paying out & aren't returning whats left of his bike ( I don't know how they can do this legally but the mechanic did try to explain it to me, something about breach of contract & small print). BUT the even worse news is, ALL of his insurance with DIFFERENT insurers have been instantly cancelled and he can no longer get cover!!! So he cant use any of his vehicles (which included a work van and a car). He'd been with the same insurer for 5 years.
I'm so glad I have declared all of my mods for both my bikes this year!!! What bas***ds these companies are, I hope nobody else has been treated this way (and to those who are going to say its his own fault, I don't agree they should merely have refused to cover the cost of repairs and cancelled his policy, at worst). I hope this helps to prevent anyone else suffering a similar fate
As my bike was pretty far from standard, he proceeded to tell me about a customer he'd known for over 20 years (with a chequered accident history for whom he'd repaired a bike once a year on average). He turned up with a fairly lightly modded bike that had been crashed for a repair quote for the insurers, which the mechanic duly did. Assessor arrives, mechanic offers him the repair/quote details, and before he's even laid eyes on the bike assessor says he wont need them. He proceeds to nit pick every tiny modification (eg polished standard levers!, not to mention power commander etc), before walking out. Mechanic hears nothing from anyone for a week, cant get in touch with owner. Then insurers are on the phone, saying they'll collect bike in the morning, and aren't paying the owner out. Mechanic says no, its not your property to take, and immediately tries without success to get the owner on the phone. 5 mins later phone rings again - insurers saying we'll be there with police & bailiffs in morning for the bike, & if its not there mechanic will be hearing from solicitors. True to their word recovery truck arrives, but agent pushes the lightly damaged bike onto its side, attaches a chain to it, drags it with winch onto flatbed then ratchet straps it down - mechanic videos this, every component from engine to swingarm, frame forks & wheels seriously damaged in the process.
Then the owner gets in touch, confirming they aren't paying out & aren't returning whats left of his bike ( I don't know how they can do this legally but the mechanic did try to explain it to me, something about breach of contract & small print). BUT the even worse news is, ALL of his insurance with DIFFERENT insurers have been instantly cancelled and he can no longer get cover!!! So he cant use any of his vehicles (which included a work van and a car). He'd been with the same insurer for 5 years.
I'm so glad I have declared all of my mods for both my bikes this year!!! What bas***ds these companies are, I hope nobody else has been treated this way (and to those who are going to say its his own fault, I don't agree they should merely have refused to cover the cost of repairs and cancelled his policy, at worst). I hope this helps to prevent anyone else suffering a similar fate