do you have to tell your insurance if you change the bikes colour?

[Nick the wanderer]

Hi,

if you were to change the colour of your bike do you need to inform your insurance company, that's the question. 

Say something happened and you were in the claims process, the bike is at the garage and the garage says yes red Honda for example and the insurance says no, it says blue on the policy, could they cancel your claim?

 

[manxie49]

In the eyes of the law, probably not??  But if it was me, personally, I would.  Phone call costs nothing, why give them a loop hole to potentially wriggle out of paying a claim?  Contact your insurer and check the rules is the safest bet.  You do have to inform DVLA though.

[Yorky]

As @manxie49 says.

 

Morally it shouldn't make a difference but I've never yet heard of a moral insurance company. The slightest excuse and they will not pay out.

[Fiddlesticks]

Declare it under "modifications".

[Steve_M]

3 hours ago, Fiddlesticks said:

Declare it under "modifications".

I would notify them as a matter of course. Make it clear that it’s not an expensive, fancy custom job (it isn’t, is it?) because that would affect their risk and cost of repair. 
 

 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

I think you are obliged to inform the DVLA by law as the colour is recorded on the V5. So I'd tell the insurance just to make they don't have a loophole to get out of any claim. 

[Fish]

Only the DVLA if it's a permanent change of colour, if it's just a wrap then no.

[Nick the wanderer]

Hi,

thanks for all the answers, this is what l have found out.

You have to notify DVLA of a change of colour. They can fine you up to £1000 if you don't. That includes wraps.

If your log book is ok then your insurance should also be ok, the colour is not on your insurance policy. Not mine anyway, Bennetts.

A friend wanted to be able to change the colour of his bike as he wished. The insurance issue was raised but l think as long as it is declared with DVLA everything should be good to go.

 

[Gerontious]

Can you guess what colour (or colours) my bike is according to the V5C?

 

Edited August 16, 2023 by Gerontious

[bonio]

I see a white bike there.

[keith1200rs]

my old K1200RS was listed as Marakesh Blue on the V5

Edited August 17, 2023 by keith1200rs

[Nick the wanderer]

ha haar..

I'm guessing blue, blue and white maybe tri colour for the Honda. Marrakesh blue sounds about right for the beemer..

[M620]

Shown as silver on the v5 when I queried it with DVLA, I was told it was right as that is the frame colour attached to VIN when first registered ? My other Ducati is shown as red, but that does have a red frame as well as the main colour - all seems a bit random to me 

[keith1200rs]

40 minutes ago, Nick the wanderer said:

ha haar..

I'm guessing blue, blue and white maybe tri colour for the Honda. Marrakesh blue sounds about right for the beemer..

I always though my K1200RS was silver with red stripes.  There is a hint of blue in the silver.

 

My R1250RS is a similar colour to the Transalp and is called "multicoloured" on the V5.

[RideWithStyles]

Yes u do plus the dvla if they dont know aswell.

[Capt Sisko]

On 16/08/2023 at 19:10, Nick the wanderer said:

as long as it is declared with DVLA everything should be good to go.

This is the main point. If your bike gets nicked the police will look on the database and it'll say a Blue Honda CB12345 or whatever, and that's what the look out for. A red Honda of the same model goes past them and they won't take a second glance.

 

Fast forward to your claim and some well meaning soul gives then some CCTV or Ring video footage of the scrots actually nicking your bike. Oh, hang on a sec sir, records say your bike was Blue, it's not it's Red isn't it. No wonder we cant find it. Now, that offer we'd previously sent yo; in light of this new information we're reducing it by 50% because. . . . We all know they like to wriggle out of their responsibilities if they can. Don't give them an inch or they'll take a mile.

[Gerontious]

Read your documents.

 

I have, and nowhere is the colour mentioned. And Im not even sure that was a question asked.

 

But. this is just one insurer and underwriter of many.

 

I would check. and if you are still in any doubt. call them. I have read that some insurers regard a change of colour as a modification which may effect the risk profile. less or more desirable to thieves. also it could affect the payout in case of damage to repainted areas.