DOES MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE COVER CUSTOMIZED MOTORCYCLES?

While we can't speak for other major carriers, Harley-Davidson Insurance Services has clear answers about our coverage for damages to aftermarket parts.

The short answer is, yes, adequate coverage for modifications to your motorcycle is a good thing to have outside of the standard legal coverage requirements.

However, choosing the correct coverage amounts will depend on several factors, including:

• the cost of custom parts you select

• your original agreement

• your bike's payment plan

• your risk tolerance threshold

Despite this, affordable motorcycle insurance that includes custom parts isn't out of reach for most riders.

Customizing to add value is very different from personalizing a bike. If you want to customize a bike to add value, make sure your insurance aligns if you have a loss.

Harley-Davidson Insurance Services offers "Optional Equipment Replacement Cost" as an added coverage. This may cover the cost to replace your accessories.

Without that coverage, the value applied to your loss will consider depreciation and/or general value of the upgrade, which may not be the same as what it cost you to add it to start with.

To get the most out of this protection, it’s crucial to keep detailed records of all upgrades. Save receipts, installation invoices, and even photos of your customizations. These records help substantiate your claim and speed up the claims process if something goes wrong.

Remember, this coverage doesn’t just apply to flashy upgrades. Whether it’s a new alarm system or chrome accents, if it’s aftermarket and it matters to you, it’s worth protecting.

Performance modifications and cosmetic upgrades are both popular ways to personalize your ride—but they’re treated very differently when it comes to your motorcycle insurance policy.

Cosmetic enhancements, like custom paint, plated trim, or a new seat, are typically insurable under Optional Equipment coverage.

Performance modifications, on the other hand, can raise more red flags. Upgrades such as high-performance exhausts, engine kits, or nitrous systems are often excluded from coverage. For instance, adding a nitrous kit not only voids most bike manufacturer warranties—including those from Harley-Davidson—but also disqualifies that component from coverage under many insurance policies, ours included.

Performance mods may also increase the risk of unplanned incidents, leaving you with potential medical bills or property damage liability, which can impact your insurance rates or even lead to loss of coverage. If you're modifying your bike for speed or power, it’s crucial to talk to an insurance expert about how those changes affect your protection.

When in doubt, reach out. A Harley-Davidson^® Insurance Services representative can walk you through which upgrades are eligible for coverage and help you avoid surprises down the road.

When you purchase comprehensive and collision insurance, we automatically include $1,000 of optional equipment coverage.

This is also sometimes referred to as accessory coverage. If that amount doesn't cover your upgrades, additional coverage for aftermarket parts can be purchased in $1,000 increments up to $30,000.

We know the importance of having adequate coverage, that's why we offer so many increments and additional coverage types. There are a few things to think about when deciding how much optional equipment and accessory coverage you need, but the main objective is to correctly factor in the replacement cost for upgrades.

At Harley-Davidson Insurance, we replace factory parts with genuine H-D^® parts and OEM for all manufacturers parts in case of an unforeseen motorcycle accident that damages your bike, but if you've added new handlebars, for example, how do you ensure that you have adequate coverage?

Let's say your bike came with handlebars worth $500, but your new custom handlebars are worth $1,000. You don't need $1,000 worth of extra coverage; you only need $500 because the original coverage for stock handlebars is part of our factory standard policy.

These coverages are also often called "Optional Equipment" policies. For Harley-Davidson Insurance Services, optional means options, equipment, or enhancements that were not factory standard on the motorcycle.

So "optional equipment" includes (but is not limited to):

• Equipment added by anyone, including the customer, dealer, or previous owner(s) of the motorcycle or by a company that specializes in retrofitting motorcycles.

• Any electronic equipment, custom alarm, antennas, and other devices used solely to send or receive audio, visual, or data signals, or playback recorded media. Such equipment must be permanently installed on a covered motorcycle using bolts or brackets, including slide-out brackets.

• Sidecars or trailers designed to be towed on public roads by a motorcycle or trike conversion kits

• Custom paint, custom plating, and custom exhaust

If you are unsure which coverage limit you need for your custom component, reach out to a Harley-Davidson Insurance customer service agent for a personalized, competitive quote.

Determining what type of motorcycle coverage you need can be a little daunting.

That's why we always recommend speaking with an insurance professional that can walk you through any specialized coverage or additional insurance protection your bike might need. If your needs are a little simpler, click here to obtain an online quote.

With Harley Davidson Motorcycle Insurance Services, you can rest easy knowing that you have adequate, affordable coverage for damage with continuous protection for all your parts.