What Breakdown Service do you use?

[natv4]

I remember helping a biker who was stranded on Embankment in London in December 2003.

He had dropped his bike on the ice (it was snowing very heavily) and mangled peg/brake pedal etc. Basically unridable.

So he phones his breakdown service (the AA) and asks them to collect him. They refused saying he would have to pay £150 as it was a road traffic accident and he was not covered.

Well after much cursing and so on, I showed up and asked if he needed a hand. He explained what had happened. I rang the RAC (who I am currently with) and got them to pick up the bike, saying I was riding on the back at the time.

My question is, are the RAC the only breakdown company to provide cover (onward transport) if you drop your bike? I have refused to consider the AA since I learnt this.

Has this changed since? What breakdown cover do you use?
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Travelling around the world...a bit at a time. Where am I now? / Visit my BLOG
Bike: Blue Honda VFR800fi (*NEW*) Mileage: 22k Countries visited: GB/F/D/CZ/PL/E/I/B/A/HR/H/Rus/E/MA
West Europe...2004, East Europe...2005, Russia/France...2006, Morocco...2007

[Black Knight]

The AA don't seem to be doing to well with bikers at the mo! Slated on BCF, slated in MCN,s not ggod business at all.

The car and work van is with the RAC, always been good apart from one time I span out in the car and put it in a ditch. Operator said thay didnt have a vehicle with a winch on which I find very hard to believe.

The bike is covered by Carole Nash. Only had to call them out once but service was pretty good.

[Method]

Yeah im with RaC aswell, always have been.
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CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[numark1]

I'm with Carole Nash, i would assume their service is pretty good due to the fact that they will not always be as busy as the RAC/AA who are covered by thousands of people.

[wantser]

I had the same thing happen to me. Was with the AA, my mini at the time slid into a wall, bold tyres and wet down hill job, bent the wing and wheel. They refused to pick me up due to it being an "accident". Some legal wording that their policies abide by. Bunch of crap really. Wasnt an accident as such, it just made the car undrivable and I wanted to be taken home. Waste of money. Been with the RAC ever sonce, but am yet to try it on them and hopefully I wont!
The AA are really losing it these days. Breakdown cover and Insurance. Has anyone ever saved money with the AA? I am yet to hear of someone who has!!!
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An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field

[EuropeanNC30R...]

Interesting about the Carole Nash breakdown service. I'm on my family's RAC policy so in the past have always used them when needed. Now I'm insured with Carole Nash I've got two options if I break down.

[Bendy]

I went with International Breakdown this year, on G's recommendation. They don't seem to care why you need picked up, and that's what we like.

[v4forlife]

RAC platinum cover, thanks to daddy
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www.wilcollinsphoto.co.uk

[Method]

Yea im just on my family's RaC - Dad signed me up and gave me the card one morning... Nice.
____________________
CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Used to be with the RAC, but after a 4 hour wait when they forgot I called them (despite ringing up regularly to chase them up) we went elsewhere. Heard about the AA policy on acccidents (basically they want to claim on your insurance to pick you up following an "accident") and checked with them and they confirmed it. Landed up with Direct Line, although to be honest I am not happy with that as (despite good service) they sponser the pressure group Brake.

All the best

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

[Johnny GSX-R]

My dealing s with 'AA' were a kinda mixed experience, very fast to attend and a superb bit of kit to recover the bike however the 'monkey' patrol man tried to replace a caliper bolt with some old rusty piece of crap out of his toolbox. I had a caliper bolt come out as result of an incompitent mobile tyre fitter and the resulting damage was unknown at the point and he was willing to send us on our way with a mild steel bolt .
I managed to convince the guy that the bike WAS going to be relayed home NOT botched. The ride home in the cab was superb, very clean, air con, sat nav, safe bike carrying etc so i cannot grumble too much.

[Odie]

I have been using the RAC for the last 15 + years barr 1 year i used the AA.
I will never again use the AA, they are the most innept tossers on the planet!
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You are so ugly when you were born the doctor said "I?m gonna drop it, if it falls is a rat, if it flies is a bat."

[steveh]

Been with Carol Nash for 2 years now, never had any problems.


Steve.
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[G]

As Bendy mentioned, internation breakdown.

Have heard and seen far too many dodgy things with the RAC and the AA.
For £68 or so International Breakdown will take you whereever you want to go, whatever the problem. Includes any vehicle, be you driver or passenger and up to 7 other people as well as what ever you're towing.

Mostly a quick service.

Reccomended.

[karen_moomin]

NCI

I'm covered with both my car and my bike with them under one contract, as all their mechanics are qualified bike mechanics and they always turn up in a van that can take a bike.

[iCraig]

Also with NCI here too, and only had one dealing with them when my exhaust bolts came loose and they promptly sent a recovery agent whom reffited the exhaust bolts for me and sent me on my way, I was very satified with the recovery man too, whom knew his stuff and was very friendly.

Though all this AA slating is baffling, I crashed in 2002 and the AA came out and picked the bike up and recovered it home for me even though I was 10 miles away at the time in hospital.
The policy came with that bike and it stated on it that they would pick me up and recover me in the event of an accident so long as it was on the queens highway?

[battleaxe]

[quote="karen_moomin"]NCI

Me and the wife, car or bike, about £30.00 cheaper than A.A I phoned the A.A and asked about recovery in the event I had a mishap told they would claim against my insurane as I am fully comp
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It's better to say nothing and appear an idiot, than open your mouth and prove the point

[Method]

GRRR! if you read up i posted that i use the RaC - and that i had never had to call them out in my 2 years of riding on the road... well i head out into the sun and bam 30miles down the road my clutch cable snaps.. had to call the lads out, the call center told me they had someone within 45minutes, i get a call 20mins later saying "Im just turning down your road now, ill be there in 5 minutes mate, hold on" he sits down, whips out the blow torch to melt the damn solder on the cable (bodge job by previous owners obviously), and quickly attaches a new cable... no problems, was back on the road 1 hour later, Excelent! The guy was the freindliest bloke i have ever met, explained everything to me in great detail (even though i allready knew, but thats not the point), re-assured me all the way through and was generally a top bloke! even offered me some soap and hot water to clean my hands
So yes, the RAC Have done me proud!
____________________
CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[Nighteyes]

I'm with the AA as well, but that cover started out as free with my bank account at Lloyds. Only upgraded to roadside recovery (£60) after possibly facing being stranded miles from home when bike was pissing fuel on the floor. But then I've never had any trouble with them so far so have never really considered changing. But if the 'no help when dropped' business is true it may well be worth investing in an extra bike only type cover!
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My Precioussss!, My Bikes, The Lord & Master, Canis Lupus!
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[Craggles]

RAC...

I've got a joint personal membership with my Dad - called them out once when a friend managed to ditch his car right outside college (very funny, he's still not lived it down yet). Told them I was a passenger, they towed him out.

Very good... don't know what they're like on bikes though.

Craig
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If this signature is blue, you're riding too fast

[Method]

Well they seemed pretty good with my bike... although its pretty simple to work on, they didnt tow it away, not sure how well they would do with that... but this was the guys first clutch cable and he managed pretty well so, fair play to them, did a good job in my oppinion! especially with the response time, that was excelent!
____________________
CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[natv4]

Bendy : Do International Breakdown (Rescue? Just me?) have their own fleet? do they use the independant garage network?

I know from experience that both AA and RAC use the network. As do Green Flag.

Carole Nash use AXA Assistance (who provide full European cover) AFAIK.
____________________
Travelling around the world...a bit at a time. Where am I now? / Visit my BLOG
Bike: Blue Honda VFR800fi (*NEW*) Mileage: 22k Countries visited: GB/F/D/CZ/PL/E/I/B/A/HR/H/Rus/E/MA
West Europe...2004, East Europe...2005, Russia/France...2006, Morocco...2007

[Bendy]

[natv4]

^^^^^^
I'm glad I'm not alone!
____________________
Travelling around the world...a bit at a time. Where am I now? / Visit my BLOG
Bike: Blue Honda VFR800fi (*NEW*) Mileage: 22k Countries visited: GB/F/D/CZ/PL/E/I/B/A/HR/H/Rus/E/MA
West Europe...2004, East Europe...2005, Russia/France...2006, Morocco...2007

[iCraig]