Once a motorbike has left the manufacturer, any changes to it are classed as modifications. These range from upgrading your exhaust, to a change in colour, to uprated suspension.   

The question is how many motorcyclists have considered whether these modifications have an impact on the legality of riding their bike, their insurance, or the warranty.

Some insurance companies won't want to cover modified motorcycles, so owners would need to investigate specialist insurance policies. However, many insurers will cover modifications.   If in doubt, contact your insurer to discuss it. 

There's a common misconception amongst motorcyclists that modifications to their motorcycle will always increase their insurance premium. This is not entirely correct.

Insurers have reported that exhausts are the most common modifications made to bikes, and if they're seen as performance enhancing, they could affect an insurance premium.

Changes that increase a bike's capacity by up to 5% are unlikely to increase an insurance premium, but anything over that could lead to an increase.

Motorcyclist insurers strongly urge bikers to notify them of any modifications so they can assess whether they'll affect the premium.

After all, the last thing a rider wants is to be involved in a road traffic accident or to have their bike stolen, only to find that because they failed to notify their insurer about a modification that their policy is invalid.

If this happens, your insurer could even refuse to indemnify bikers against any claims made by other individuals.

If you fail to notify your insurer and you're involved in an accident or your bike is stolen, on some occasions your modifications may not invalidate your premium, but could mean your insurer would only be willing to replace the model of bike you were insured for, and wouldn't include sums for modifications that had been carried out.

Some modifications can affect the legality of riding your motorcycle. It goes without saying that no modification should include objects that protrude from the bike, which in an accident could injure the rider or another individual.

Some modifications could affect your MOT, so it's always best to check before you go ahead and change anything, maybe with your mechanic.

The DVLA must always be informed when you're making the following modifications:

• colour
• engine size
• cylinder capacity
• replacement or modifications of chassis or body shell
• frame number

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