Roadside assistance for bikes?

[rwh]

I've been an AA member for the 20 years I've been driving, and it's occasionally been useful. They tell me they will help to some extent with bike problems, but can't tow, and I imagine they aren't really set up for that.

I'm interested to hear what options there are for bikes.

I've heard good stories of the Honda Riders Club, and it does sound reasonable, but all going well I'm only stuck on my 250 for another 4 months or so, and there's a reasonable chance the replacement won't be a Honda - I'd rather not go for something that narrow.

I'd also rather go with a non-profit rather than a company (which is what the HRC is run by - doesn't really sound like a 'club' at all to me).

Any suggestions?

Richard

[sAsLEX]

Dont need a honda to join the HRC I am fairly sure

[rwh]

Dont need a honda to join the HRC I am fairly sure

The info I have suggests strongly that I do, and details of my honda are required on the application form. Whether they care if it's gone in six months, I don't know.

I guess I could keep my old rusty petrol tank and call it a 'project bike'

Richard

[xwhatsit]

I've been an AA member for the 20 years I've been driving, and it's occasionally been useful. They tell me they will help to some extent with bike problems, but can't tow, and I imagine they aren't really set up for that.

I'm interested to hear what options there are for bikes.

I've heard good stories of the Honda Riders Club, and it does sound reasonable, but all going well I'm only stuck on my 250 for another 4 months or so, and there's a reasonable chance the replacement won't be a Honda - I'd rather not go for something that narrow.

I'd also rather go with a non-profit rather than a company (which is what the HRC is run by - doesn't really sound like a 'club' at all to me).

Any suggestions?

Richard

Yeah, they do tow, though! I'm part of the AA, they saved me when my engine seized. Took ages for the truck to get there though, as it can only be a flatbed, and every man and his dog was breaking down that weekend, the tow truck driver had way more business than he could deal with. Cost me $40 for him to tow me from the North Shore to South Auckland, which seems reasonable. I know of a scooter rider who got towed by the AA too.

I'm pretty sure you do need to have a Honda to be in the HRC -- if they allowed non-Hondas, the amount of breakdowns they'd have to deal with would triple and they'd go bankrupt!

[yungatart]

Ummm, kiwibiker? I'm sure there is one in almost every town in NZ, most would be willing to help if you got stuck..
Isn't that part of what we do?

[sunhuntin]

my insurace is through star, and i had to use the call out number while in chch. the truck that showed up was a state one. couldnt tow, but it says on the card they will tow if needed. the guy who came, his jumper pack was flat, and he didnt have any tools [battery being under the seat]

[James Deuce]

I'd probably go with the KB idea now too.

AA left me in the lurch twice and then my wife once, so I'm not ever paying them for anything ever again.

Last thing you want is a towie turning up to pick up your bike. He's likely to attach a couple of ratchet tie downs to the hoist, loop them around your bike, and then crank your bike up into the air letting it swing backwards and forwards. Into the hoist and tailgate most likely. Destroying fairings and exhaust systems in the process.

[notme]

Re the honda riders club - you DO have to have a honda to join, but they don't ONLY help you while you have the honda.

I had a real good chat to the club when i changed camps from honda to suzuki.....this was what i wuz told officially:

- you need a honda to join
- we will allow your membership to run it's (1 year) course if you change bikes mid membership, and all member benefits apply to the new bike regardless of brand, but will not renew membership unless you again own a honda at renewal time.
- if you own a honda and another brand bike, we will only help you out with the honda.


So i still have 4 or 5 months left of honda rider's club cover on my suzuki

I also have an AA membership, and by coincidence told a guy all about how to get them to tow bikes earlier tosday on the side of the road near clevedon. I have had a bike break down and get towed by the AA, here's how to swing it:

- call the breakdowns number and tell them you need a tow.
- be real polite and say it's for a bike (just in case it helps them direct a better tow truck to you), if they give you any trouble ask for a supervisor and mention that membership entitles you to a tow truck, and that you will take responsibility for securing the bike to the truck and you understand that the truck is for cars and won't have proper bike facilities.
- when the truck arrives be nice to the driver, he's just a guy doing a job, and try and take as active a hand in securing your bike as you can. They have lots of tie downs and stuff and usually a few blocks of wood, depends on yer bike but i got mine pretty secure by tying it down against the sidestand, compressing the suspension a bit.

The best option by far is to call on a friendly KB'er with the right facilities

EDIT: as Jim2 points out, and kinda what i mean when i say to tell the AA call centre person that it's for a bike, you really need a truck with ramps...

[yungatart]

AA left me in the lurch twice and then my wife once, so I'm not ever paying them for anything ever again.

What exactly, do you pay yur wife for, Jim? Am I missing out on some possible income stream here, something that Mstrs gets for nothing, that, by rights, he should be paying for??

[James Deuce]

I pay for everything mate, you know that. I've seen you talking to her!

[MSTRS:Me]

I pay for everything mate, you know that. I've seen you talking to her!

And sometimes the return on investment is closer to one of those Nigerian operations!!!

[sAsLEX]

I'd probably go with the KB idea now too.

AA left me in the lurch twice and then my wife once, so I'm not ever paying them for anything ever again.

Last thing you want is a towie turning up to pick up your bike. He's likely to attach a couple of ratchet tie downs to the hoist, loop them around your bike, and then crank your bike up into the air letting it swing backwards and forwards. Into the hoist and tailgate most likely. Destroying fairings and exhaust systems in the process.

like this
EDIT: name and shame rep to who else remembers this incident

[sunhuntin]

id tell em to fuck before they got a chance to even do that. wtf!!

[Mom]

Ummm, kiwibiker? I'm sure there is one in almost every town in NZ, most would be willing to help if you got stuck..
Isn't that part of what we do?

Thank you for saying that!........One of the things that I love best about KB is knowing that if we ever get stuck anywhere a simple text msg to someone will get us help..........I dont have a trailer, or a ute, or a.........o shit I am no help at all........lol..........I have a car and other friends that I can call on to try to assist........at worst I have a bed for you, and a phone for you to use.....KB is your friend

[xwhatsit]

...here's how to swing it:

- call the breakdowns number and tell them you need a tow.
- be real polite and say it's for a bike (just in case it helps them direct a better tow truck to you), if they give you any trouble ask for a supervisor and mention that membership entitles you to a tow truck, and that you will take responsibility for securing the bike to the truck and you understand that the truck is for cars and won't have proper bike facilities.
- when the truck arrives be nice to the driver, he's just a guy doing a job, and try and take as active a hand in securing your bike as you can. They have lots of tie downs and stuff and usually a few blocks of wood, depends on yer bike but i got mine pretty secure by tying it down against the sidestand, compressing the suspension a bit.

The best option by far is to call on a friendly KB'er with the right facilities

EDIT: as Jim2 points out, and kinda what i mean when i say to tell the AA call centre person that it's for a bike, you really need a truck with ramps...

Hmm, don't really understand needing that entire process... when I called up, I wasn't aware I had to do anything special, so I just told them my bike was broken down -- girl on the phone asked what was wrong, I told them you couldn't fix it on the roadside, the engine was seized, so I needed a tow. She said OK, sure, couldn't seem to get the name of my bike right (Honda CBT, lol?), but eventually the tow truck turned up, he was just late because of high demand. It was a flat bed truck, with ramps, the works. I imagine if I had a car, I would've got faster service because I could've used one of those winch-type setups as well, so I would've had more tow trucks available. But the guy was real good, helped me push the bike up the ramp, get it up on centre stand, ratchet it down super tight so the suspension wasn't moving around at all. Was even worried about scratching the chrome on my bars, so chucked some rags between the tie-downs and the bars.

AA will keep my membership, after that experience. Especially costing only $40 for the tow, whereas talking to the towie, it's often >$200 normally. May look at HRC though, if they'll let a guy with such an old Honda join