Alternatives to AA?

[Cynos]

Hi all, newbie poster and rider, so bear with me.

My little brother is doing the epic scooter ride (Christchurch - Auckland - Christchurch) which is making for some interesting stories, but it's the one I heard half an hour ago that's made me grit my teeth.

He had a puncture about 45km south of Auckland, and as it was getting dark and he didn't fancy pushing his scooter along the side of the road at night, he rang the AA. He's a fully paid up member and what have you.

And, they wouldn't help him. No, it seems that their terms and conditions of membership state that:


Service cannot be provided if:

...the vehicle is immobilised due to failure to carry a serviceable spare wheel and wheel changing equipment suitable to the vehicle...

(from http://www.aa.co.nz/Section?Action=View&Section_id=122&Story_id=1234)

If this is really the overall policy, and not just one contact centre schlep being a douche, then my AA membership is pretty damned useless. Do they really expect me to carry a sodding spare tyre on my daily commute?

Is anyone with State? Are they any better?

(Also, I've seen puncture repair kits for dirt bikes that have some kind of glue and a canister of CO2 to reinflate the wheel - has anyone had any luck with these on a tubeless road tyre?)

[Steam]

If that's true then they've just lost every motorcyclist in New Zealand. It must be some schlep at the call centre, surely!

[Mom]

I'm a bit bored.........shall I ring and ask the question?

[Steam]

I'm a bit bored.........shall I ring and ask the question?

I just did, it's outside their call-centre hours.

[Cynos]

You'd think so, (and bear in mind this is all second-hand via my Mum as he's been calling her) but my Mum reckons she rang the AA's contact centre and had that confirmed - she told me that she said to the advisor "So, you're saying that an AA membership is worthless for a scooter rider" and the advisor said "I guess so"...

...hopefully someone here has had a different experience...

[Delphinus]

You'll be wanting to get a refund for that methinks...

[gambit]

yeah mate there are tubeless tyre repair kits with co2 bottles etc

[shaneh]

AA has assured me that they will rescue me if I have a flat. Hasn't happened yet, cross fingers.
Ring them up and pursue it.

[sAsLEX]

Honda Riders Club............ 25 a year? and a Honda

[k14]

Honda Riders Club............ 25 a year? and a Honda
Nope, don't have to own a honda.

Send an email to fair go, see what happens.

[Nasty]

Got a puncture on the Rimutakas .. AA sent a truck to pick up the bike and sclep it off the hill .. for a small cost the guy took it all the way home for me as well rather than to a bike shop not open on a Sunday. they do ask dumb questions .. do you have a spare tyre (where do I store it) why don't you have a spare tyre (cos its a motorbike) ... but they did deal in the end.

[Cynos]

Hmm, thanks all for that. When my bro gets back in town, I'll encourage to seek a refund from AA at the very least. Last I heard he was leaving the Tron.

I still think he's a bloody nutter.

[Storm]

Of course he is- he's a motorcyclist !!! We're not exactly famed for being rational y'know. Good on ya brother, thats a hell of a ride on a scooter:D

[vifferman]

I'm with AA, and called them three times when I had "That Evil Black Bike". Once was when I ran out of gas, the other two times were for electrical problems (R/R on its way out). No trouble at all, apart from the wait (one call for R/R failure took 2 hours to dispatch a truck to pick me up from Ponsonby, but it was a Friday night, IIRC).

On long trips I take my Slime kit, which has a small bottle of Slime and an electric tyre pump, but I really should get some of them there plugs as well. In 32-ish years, I think I've had only three punctures, and two of those were in near-new rear tyres that picked up nails from me riding on the bits of the road you're not supposed to ride on (while lane-splitting / undertaking / overtaking). All the debris on the roads gets swished into the gutters and between lanes, waiting for bikers to collect it...

[Cynos]

Of course he is- he's a motorcyclist !!! We're not exactly famed for being rational y'know. Good on ya brother, thats a hell of a ride on a scooter:D


Hahaha, that it is... to be honest, I wouldn't do it. I'm too scared of cagers to travel 40km an hour less than them... I ended up buying my Balius instead of my planned GN250 for the exact same reason - didn't feel safe puttering along slower than everyone else.

He's already had the "Do a u-turn directly in front of you" crash on this trip, silly woman outside of Runanga on the West Coast, apparently she "didn't see him" despite overtaking him just prior...

...luckily (from my POV) his nose fairing wasn't damaged, as I'd just spent a good week and a couple of hundred getting it welded up and repainted (I owed him a favour or three)... Suzuki wanted ~$500 for a replacement from Japan.

He's also had his whiskey bottle full of spare petrol explode in his backpack on the road from Havelock North to Picton... nothing like being soaked in petrol to make the ride more interesting.

But yeah, apparently he turned up to a Toyspeed meeting on it in Wellington and no-one believed him when he mentioned he'd come from Christchurch. I think he was going to go to Cape Reinga but has changed his mind.

[Steam]

I called the AA just now, and asked them the specific question about motorcyclists having to carry spare tyres, and the guy put me on hold and asked the team leader and he said "if someone here said they wouldn't come out for a bike, then they certainly need some retraining in our policies".
He confirmed the AA do indeed come out for punctures, and your bro should ring the AA and seek an apology and a refund.
Interesting eh??

[Steam]

He's also had his whiskey bottle full of spare petrol explode in his backpack on the road from Havelock North....
That's just stoopid, sticking petrol in a glass bottle.
Get a metal Kathmandu fuel bottle, they only cost $10.

[surfer]

Go that dude on the scooter, very impressive.

[Cynos]

I called the AA just now, and asked them the specific question about motorcyclists having to carry spare tyres, and the guy put me on hold and asked the team leader and he said "if someone here said they wouldn't come out for a bike, then they certainly need some retraining in our policies".
He confirmed the AA do indeed come out for punctures, and your bro should ring the AA and seek an apology and a refund.
Interesting eh??

Cheers mate, good to know. :)

[buellbabe]

Yes that is good to have confirmation ;-)
I am one of those people that only has good things to say about the AA. Been a member for about 15 yrs...

Here are just 2 examples...

My boyfriends Triumph shit itself in the middle of nowhere...AA sent out a truck to pick it up and take it to a safe place to store it and pick up from.

I broke my drive belt last year ( in the middle of nowhere cos thats always where these things happen! ) and the truck took me AND bike all the way home... Maramarua to Manurewa! I did have to pay a small fee since it was such a long way but it was a pittance considering the circumstances.

Since then AA have introduced an upgraded membership for which there are NO limits. They will pick you up from wherever and take you to wherever for NO cost.

Also, and this is a bit off topic... AA insurance have just paid out for a BRAND NEW helmet on my house & contents policy...

[vifferman]

AA insurance have just paid out for a BRAND NEW helmet on my house & contents policy...
Stolen, or broken?

[Freakshow]

Just out of curiousity have any of these calls been about thier standard policy or the advance policy?

When I was in the AA shop last they stated that my standard policy doesn't cover me on the bike. However the advance policy would??

[Steam]

Just out of curiousity have any of these calls been about thier standard policy or the advance policy?

I asked about the standard policy, dunno about any others.

[buellbabe]

Stolen, or broken?

The helmet was broken. All they needed was a photo. They don't usually cover helmets as their reasoning is that the helmet is a bike accessory and should be covered by a riders bike insurance.
So I asked why they were happy to cover bike jacket, gloves, trou and boots???
They thought about it and agreed to cover it.

As for a policy not covering a bike!!!! What the? Sounds like they need to update their operator training schemes. Obviously all staff members are not on the same page...
Membership covers ALL the vehicles you own and you can call them out for friends and family as well so long as YOU(the member) are there WITH the vehicle. That has always been my understanding of the AA roadside assistance.

And when I upgraded to the advanced I repeatedly asked the staffmember... "any of my vehicles?? from anywhere to home or my mechanics place???" YEP.

[jetboy]

g'day with insurance policies taken out through my office I can offer you an alternate roadside sos product. $39.95 a year covers you on any motorcycle you are riding or pillion on, $59.95 extends that cover to any car you are driving or passenger in. if you would like to know more PM me :)

[gw555]

As for a policy not covering a bike!!!! What the? Sounds like they need to update their operator training schemes. Obviously all staff members are not on the same page...
Membership covers ALL the vehicles you own and you can call them out for friends and family as well so long as YOU(the member) are there WITH the vehicle. That has always been my understanding of the AA roadside assistance.

And when I upgraded to the advanced I repeatedly asked the staffmember... "any of my vehicles?? from anywhere to home or my mechanics place???" YEP.

The AA told me you are only covered if you have the AA plus card (the gold card). I have called them out for my bike and got it picked and taken to
TSS in Lower Hutt.

If you have the gold card then they will cover ANY vehicle you are driving.

[Steam]

The AA told me you are only covered if you have the AA plus card (the gold card). I have called them out for my bike and got it picked and taken to
TSS in Lower Hutt.

If you have the gold card then they will cover ANY vehicle you are driving.

That's in the standard policy too. STOP READING THIS THREAD if you want a proper answer from people who know WTF they are talking about, and actually call the AA today with a list of questions. Things change.

[ynot slow]

good to hear aa cover bikes,didn't realise that,i'm thinking of upgrading my aa cover to total as well.i.e break down anyplace they get you home,as doing sth island trip soon,had honda accord shit the top tank in hastings in jan,cost over $320 to tow into palmy from hastings to fix(no accomodation in area that weekend clapton concert,which was fucking great)and with auckland anniversary weekend n.z closed down on the monday,still was going to stay in p.n. then couple weeks ago car written off.

[Colapop]

AA DO cover motorcycles. The standard membership doesn't, but if you have AA plus then they will come out and at the very least will transport you and your bike to a location of safety. And being that they are mechanics they may be able to help.

[Squiggles]

std membership covers you but not if you're more than 100k's from home (they do a call out, but you dont get the free tow home / put up for the night if you're that far away), which you do with aa plus, thats what i was told when i went plus a year ago at least...

[gw555]

That's in the standard policy too. STOP READING THIS THREAD if you want a proper answer from people who know WTF they are talking about, and actually call the AA today with a list of questions. Things change.


It is NOT in the standard policy - they do NOT cover motorbikes, camper vans or any vehicle except cars RVs etc under the standard policy.

I rang the AA last week to check this out so I think you should find out what the f*** you are talking about

[buellbabe]

Well under the standard roadside assistance I have had assistance for 3 different bikes and only ONE of them my own!

So go figure!

[gw555]

Ah well it must be the operator at the time....

[buellbabe]

ahhh yeah! that was the point I was making earlier...:-)
pretty piss-poor that some of their operators don't seem to know whats covered and whats not eh?
Not much help if you are in stranded in the wops...

[sunhuntin]

im with star, and love it! had to call them out twice, once for a flat battery [doh... kill switch!] and once for mum locking her keys in the car. mums car got taken off my callout allowance, so thats good.

[Ewan Oozarmy]

I'm insured with eBike and they include breakdown recovery with the policy. Pretty cheap insurance too - $400 fully comp driving on an international license....

[deanohit]

heya man,you should post some pics of your bro an his scoot.awsome effort to do a journey like that.I recently went to picton an back to tauranga on a 200cc trail bike which was great fun.