Scootering Woes

[lwflee]

So yesterday, because i've got absolutely nothing to do and because it looked like such a lovely day, i decided to take my scooter out into the country.

The plan was to take the B591 to Beacon Hill, have a nice sandwich or two while enjoying the scenary and be back before dinner. I set out at 3ish, reached a mostly deserted beacon hill in good time (for a 100cc scooter), had some sandwiches, and took a walk in the woods. It was great. I even decided to take some pictures:

https://tinypic.com/dm4jsn.jpg
https://tinypic.com/dm4k1h.jpg

After about 45 minutes, i've just about had enough of nature. After all, one can only tolerate only so much horse poo and insects. So i decided to head home. I started up the bike, coasted down a slope, signalled left, and then the bike cut off. And it wouldn't start again. Because i have absolutely no clue about how a scooter runs, i decided to let my insurance coy sort it out. I whipped out the Ebike Insurance Claims line number, and after about 4 mins i finally reached a human. Here's what he said:

"We can't help you unless you've had an accident."
"So what do you do if i've had an accident?"
"Well, we would send someone with a recovery vehicle out to help you"
"So why can't you do the same for me now?"
"Because you've not had an accident! Look, Ebike is sort of like a broker. If Ebike says you have free breakdown recovery, you should call ebike yea? We can't help you"
"BUT I CALLED THE EBIKE CLAIMS LINE!"
"We're not ebike. We're another company".

So i called 118118 and got connected to Ebike only to hear the following message "All our agents are busy at the moment. Leave your name and telephone number after the tone and we'll call you back". I left my name and telephone number twice at about 1720hrs last night. (They still haven't called me back.)

I waited and waited for Ebike to call me back. It started to get dark and when it started to look like this:
https://tinypic.com/dm4mdc.jpg

I deicided that Ebike wasn't going to call me back in this lifetime. I then got a private bike recovery coy to help me. It was about 2030hrs when he arrived.
https://tinypic.com/dm4mkn.jpg

I reached home at about 2130hrs. Total cost of recovery: 100 GBP.

This morning i called the Ebike breakdown recovery line and they were extremely helpful. They got a guy out to my home in about 30 mins and he fixed my bike in about 5. The problem?

THE SPARKPLUG CAP WAS LOOSE!

All he did was press it back in.

Moral of the story is to read through your insurance policy T&C and to store ALL the numbers in your mobile phone. Especially if you're insured with Ebike.

[instigator]

The moral of the story is learn how a bike works.

[GearboxGeezer]

Sounds like an eventful day, Least you got your bike going again

[GearboxGeezer]

Sounds like an eventful day, Least you got your bike going again

[0ddball]

Sounds like a basic maintainance course is in order. My mum would have spotted a loose plug cap
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ZXR750L

[GearboxGeezer]

Leave it out, You cant even see a scooter engine unless you taken the whole bloody thing apart, And as if he would do that on the side of a fucking road

[instigator]

[0ddball]

First of all it was said in jest. Secondly, most people who know what to look for would have done it at the side of the road. Thirdly, remove the broomstick from your ass.
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ZXR750L

[priller]

[GearboxGeezer]

"Even my mum would see that"

And your not being acheecky arse saying that?

And I was only just saying that you need to take all the panels off to get to the top of the engine, and most probly remove the seat as with most scooters.

Jesus christ

[tatters]

People should really learn to at lest change a spark plug on a two-stroke bike/scooter (they eat plugs) and to carry a spare (plus socket/wrench) its one of the most common faults especially in the wet.


never had a loose spark plug cap before though.
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[GearboxGeezer]

Cable tie it on

[Rookie]

Do you lot all carry around a full tool kit or something? Even if everyone did know the mechanics of their bike, they couldn't ever be prepared for every eventuality.

99% of car drivers do not know how their car works to the slightest degree, why is it that someone gets slated because of the same 'problem' if they ride a bike? Lord knows I don't know how to sort something like that out, even if I could diagnose it, but I don't think it makes me any less of a 'biker'.

[SoND]

Usually on scooters you can get to the spark plug by taking off a small panel inbetween your legs. Easy enough.
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Go back to bed - You have no rights - "Streetfighters ~ Mainstream motorcycling's crackwhore sister."

[Ste]

You can carry a full tool kit around, or you can just put your breakdown companies number into your phone.

[0ddball]

It's not slating. It's friendly advice with a bit of banter and it would save some people a long, boring and uncomfortable wait for help.

Most car owners should learn a little bit but cars are generally more complicated than bikes. A lot of problems with bikes can be fixed or at least bodged up to get you home.
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ZXR750L

[Rookie]

...How much is AA membership?

[priller]

I carry enough tools to remove the bodywork because the rac take hours to turn up and I wouldn't want to wait 4 hours just because the spark plug lead is loose.

[muddycoffee]

[Rookie]

In the year I had a 2 stroke, it didn't need any work doing to it aside form new brake pads! Even if I knew how to diagnose and fix something, I wouldn't expect to spend money on a bike and have to repair it by the side of the road, and have that worry on my mind all the time!

[Sheepy1209]

FYI, the breakdown insurance with ebike is a different company and number (0800 731 6147) from the claims line (0870 756 6877), hence the reason they didn't help you.

It's bloody infuriating that the claims people don't know basics like that, but that's call centres for you.

[colin1]

ive got breakdown cover with my insurance, and the first time i used it, it was for something daft, just a fouled plug, but the last time i used it was quite recently with a clutch that had gone. Not something I could have fixed.

I have been thinking of using ebike for my next insurance as ive got online quotes from them, I hope it was just that u didnt know the number for breakdown. I wdnt like to think their breakdown cover is crap.

I think id check if had all the numbers on my phone and I would call them to check they had my details on file.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[lwflee]

Yea, once you get the correct number, they're great. My call was answered within a few rings, and i was connected straight to an operator. The recovery man came within 45 mins as well.

Ya, perhaps i should learn something about the mechanical side of bikes. TBH, though, i don't like getting my hands dirty.