Breakdown Cover!

[iCraig]

Well my renewal for the RAC is up in november and I don't want to renew with them due to a few dodgy dealings when I have needed to call them out whilst on 2 wheels.

So I would like to know who you guys are with and how good they are when you've needed them on 2 wheels or in your car etc, how much you pay etc.

Thanks,

Craig.

[Flip]

Used to be with AA and were great. When some chav tried to nick my bike and just wrecked it, I told them it had been vandilised (because they won't out if it's been stolen) the AA came in 30 mins and took it to the garage I chose. Laughing. Even towed it on a proper bike trailer

Insured with C Nash now, so get a free breakdown cover. Most likley sh1t though.

[Ste]

I've used Bike Assist (0800 9173365) who charge £30 for 12 months full recovery to your home or a garage, or £45 with homestart. They just contract out to some local garage so the person who comes to recover you isn't actually bothered as they get paid whatever, and used their recovery to recover someone elses bike with my number plate on it despite the fact it was a different colour to the colour I'd told them my bike was:lol:.

Would go with International Breakdown and get their personal cover as it covers you with any vehicle as driver or passenger and isn't too expensive.

[Kickstart]

Hi

We are with Direct Line. They do cover bikes but don't really advertise it.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[headlamp]

When my bike was under warranty i got free cover with the RAC. I had to call them out three times due to a flat battery. I found that they always came within 30 minutes which was not too bad. I'm now back on my general AA cover and they sub-contract to a bike recovery firm. They were not so good when I last used them - 2 years ago!

My own view is that all the recovery companies are 'much of a muchness' and at the end of the day go with the one that offers the best benefits for your circumstances and is good value.
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Using a mobile phone while driving a car should be made a capital offence!

[Sadie]

[mattsmith95]

The AA messed me around so I told them where to stick it!!!

Joined the RAC who have served me very well over the past
5 years. They Even recovered my bike after an accident with
no fuss.

[WildGoose]

had 1 callout for the RAC, for when i was in my mates car and it pissed all its petrol away

wasnt all that impressed, when he showed up in a completely bad mood, shouted at my mate to get off his mobile phone, cos the bonnet was open, despite him being more than 15ft away from the car

basically a nackered fuel line, which i knew before i called them out, the RAC man vaguely poked at the car, got out a crowbar, and started swinging off it on my mates back seat claiming he couldnt get the fuel line to fit, after 45 mins gave up, and buggered off. in order to tow the car back, another service was needed apparently

a non RAC recovery van turned up, exactly the same transit style van that appeared the first time...but with the addition of a towbar

not impressed tbh

will not be renewing with RAC
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So in other words, he stopped you for being flagrantly in posession of a motorcycle in direct contravention of the Hippies, Darkies and People Whose Face I Don't Like The Look of (Police Powers) Act. 1976

[iCraig]

Goosey, thats one of the reasons why I am not renewing with them!

One cold November morning last year my GS lost power and died at the road side at 6am going to work. Rang the RAC, whom came after 45 mins and he poked at the bike, and then said "were not really mean't to mess with bikes", why hell send him then?

He then said to me he'd need to send for a truck to come and pick me up cos he couldn't take me so waiting for another hour for the truck to come!

I wasn't happy!

[Flip]

[katana]

I went through a spate of four bike breakdowns. Each time that the bike went to a garage now. The AA told me thats my cover for the year gone and have to pay an extra £95 for another call out.

Takes the mick as they called each call out as two calls as had to call out a truck after being told. The men are excellent but on the phone thay are terrible. Both times I was left out in the cold for over two hours without an excuse.

If you happen to be in South London AA use Kavanagh and they are really poor service as you wait for hours.

So from my experience AA is very poor. Am now looking around to find someone new to look after my fleet.

[karen_moomin]

I was with RAC for 6 years and this time I've renewed with NCI Vehicle Breakdown Cover - www.ncionline.co.uk

They are bike specialists which each mechanic being ready to deal with your bike or car. I have a personal policy meaning I'm covered on anything, but my bike and car are both registered with them. It was £55 for a year. I haven't had to use them yet, fingers crossed!!!

I've heard excellent things about them, they are super efficient on the phone and I like the idea that they know their bikes....something which I did not feel from RAC.

[Gazdaman]

I got free breakdown cover with my third party insurance with motorcycledirect.com.

they'll take you home or to a garage, they'll also pay for a call out and up to an hours labour from whoever's closest to you. They'll also put you up in a hotel at £45 or under if need be.

Not bad for a freebie if you ask me.

Gaz

[popadop]

[iCraig]

Thanks guys, I have decided to go with NCI Biker Rescue.

[karen_moomin]

[karen_moomin]

[Annabella]

I can't understand the troubles everyone has had with the RAC. I have called them out on two separate occasions in the last year and both times they were absolutely brilliant.

The first time was to recover James' bike from the recovery yard the police took it to. They picked it up within an hour and delivered it to my back yard (not my vehicle, a bike, not the registered address of the RAC membership and not an emergancy...) - including a very skilled reversing manouver to get their truck down our lane, and helped us unload the bike.

The second time was when the clutch gave up on my car in the middle of Wolverhampton. I waited for about half an hour, and was taken home via the pub where my dad's surprise 50th birthday party was going to be so that I could drop off the "Bob cake" (much to the amusement of the driver) which the driver had very carefully loaded onto the flat rear seats of the truck. I had explained that it was my dad's birthday and I needed to be home quickly and without said "Bob cake" and champagne. No problems at all...

Maybe I have just been lucky with them
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Avast! Pirates ahoy!
I did Cadwell!
www.bikepics.com/members/bella

[WildGoose]

their service was fairly good, its just the way that the guy turned up in such a foul mood, that put me off straight away

yes it was a hot day, yes it must be a frustrating job....but you applied for it, and your representing a company, be a professional ffs!

it wasnt my car, but my mate was looking slightly puzzled at the guy, crowbarring at the metal framework of his seat to try and get the fuel line in, not the most professional way of doing things, if the driver knew that ideally the fuel tank needed to be dropped to replace the fuel line, he should have said straight out, and not made an improvised effort for 45 mins

must just be luck of the draw
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So in other words, he stopped you for being flagrantly in posession of a motorcycle in direct contravention of the Hippies, Darkies and People Whose Face I Don't Like The Look of (Police Powers) Act. 1976

[iCraig]

Well maybe it is luck of the draw but I hate the fact they send a patrol truck to you, they come say there not allowed to touch bikes and then say they'll send someone to pick you up.
Why not just send someone to pick me or atleast someone with provision to pick me up if he can't get me going, to start off with?

They were however very good when my dads car brokedown at home and he doesn't have homestart, I do. And they towed him and the car to the nearest garage and even did all there efforts to try and get it to go!

[GONAD THE LIBRARIAN]

hi i'm new to this site ,,,looks good i work for a breakdown company as a recovery driver the company i work for has contracts with all the breakdown clubs,,,,, in my personal opinion either green flag or britania rescue are the best ones personally i'm in green flag hope this message helps

[Minky_monkey]

[cagiva gezzer]

For the first few years of having a bike i had recovery with the insurance and never used it. My mate had to use the RAC once and it took them hours to not event get there. We could of pushed it home in the time it took them to finally tell us to look into other options. We could of towed it in the time it took to get through on the phone lines.

The couple of times my bike has seized i've pushed it home/ to work as most my trips are under 20minutes riding. The furthest away it gave up was only a 5 hour walk.

The fact that i've got easy access to a trailer helps and my bike is maintained well enough for it not to fail (apart from the odd piston).

I'm forever getting rac/aa people trying to sell me their services at service stations and i talk to them for entertainment. They spout loads of crap about being able to fix X% of problems on the spot and if not they would take the bike to the nearest garage.

A) 95% of bikers have never heard of my bike, its not a run-of-the-mill JAP 600, so i don't think they would have a clue about it.
B) Nearest garage my arse, most garages wont touch two strokes, let alone rare ones, and the ones that will generally are not the sort of places i want messing with my bike.

The only reason why i would take out a recovery service on my bike is for taking advantage of the ones who offer to "take you to your intended destination." If i every had to do a +200mile trip again i would take out the recovery service, pack up all my gear, ride a few miles and remove a few vital bits and get recovered the rest of the way.

No AA man is going to mess around with a two stroke engine on the side of the road.

But, having said all that. I normally cycle to work and rarely use my bike for anything more than a toy.
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"because one stroke isnt enough and four strokes waste two"