Increasing the scope of your standard bike insurance policy is possible with the help of add-ons.
What Are Add-ons for Two Wheeler Insurance?
Unforeseen events can bring hiccups in your riding journey. And they can lead to some unfortunate financial, legal, and emotional setbacks. Herein, comes the crucial role of add-ons that ensure you a smooth ride. Add-ons are those extra coverage options that you buy for a better financial protection during accidents and other mishaps.
Different add-ons have different costs and could add a few thousand rupees to your basic premium cost. The add-ons, thus, affect the premium amount you pay. The more the number of add-ons, the higher would be the premium.
When Can You Buy Two-Wheeler Insurance Add-ons?
A Third-party two-wheeler insurance is compulsory in India, as per The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. It pays or compensates for any damage or loss caused to another person or property by your two-wheeler. On the other hand, a comprehensive insurance policy offers much more—it covers the cost of damages to your two-wheeler, injuries or disablement you suffer, as well as third-party losses.
However, there are certain liabilities that even a Comprehensive Insurance Policy will not cover. To be protected against these liabilities, you must buy add-ons for your two-wheeler insurance policy.
You can enhance your coverage by opting for the following add-ons:
- Zero Depreciation Cover
- Return to Invoice Cover
- Passenger Cover
Let’s see how these add-ons come to your rescue with the following example:
Bike details
- Age – 9 months
- Original Value (Ex-Showroom Price) – Rs. 80,000
- Depreciation for 9 months (15 percent of ex-showroom price) – Rs. 12,000
- Value of the bike (IDV) – Rs. 68,000
Situation
It is a cold winter evening. You go out for a ride with a friend. Everything goes well until the visibility reduces and your bike rams into a tree. You would now have to spend Rs. 6,000 on the repairs.
Benefits of Add-on Covers
In the above situation, here’s how add-on covers will help you:
Zero-Depreciation (i.e. Bumper-to-Bumper Cover)
Your Comprehensive Bike Insurance policy will pay or compensate you for the repair costs. However, the insurance company will deduct the depreciation amount of the damaged parts before paying the money.
Assuming that the combined depreciation cost on metal and plastic parts was Rs. 2,000, you’d have to pay at least this much for the repairs from your own pocket.
With the zero-depreciation add-on, you can claim for this depreciated amount too. Such an add-on pays the entire value irrespective of the depreciation amount.
*To make the calculation simple, we haven’t considered any compulsory deductibles.
Return To Invoice Cover
Let’s suppose that the bike rammed into the tree so bad that the damage is beyond repairs. Your insurer will pay the whole market value of the bike if you have a Return to Invoice cover.
However, this market value reduces with every passing year because of depreciation. It’s not the same as the amount you paid to buy the bike.
But, you can relax if you have the Return to Invoice cover. With this cover, you can claim the invoice value of your two-wheeler. This cover also considers the registration charges and the road tax that you paid.
But, remember that such an add-on is usually offered in the first year of buying the bike.
Pillion Rider Add-on
Let’s not forget the pillion rider – your friend, who was sitting behind you.
In case a pillion rider is injured, the additional personal accident cover for the pillion rider will help you seek the rightful compensation. This cover is an add-on and is separate from a personal accident cover for owner-driver.
Roadside Assistance Cover
If the bike is damaged or broken down in the middle of the road, you can call your insurance company for help. With this add-on, your insurer will send a mechanic, who will try to repair your bike on the spot.
If the damage is beyond repair on the spot, your insurer will send a towing car to take your bike to the garage.
So, once you have identified a gap in your two-wheeler coverage, fill it with necessary add-ons. By paying a little more premium, you can avail even more facilities than your standard bike insurance policy offers.After all these add-ons help to cover the least expected expenses following any mishap involving your two-wheeler.
