breakdown cover?

[Biker Biggles]

Yes you pay for repairs.It's not a warranty you are buying,just a breakdown service to get it running or take it to someone who can repair it.

[rictus01]

Originally Posted by hovis

but once you pay the fee, does it cost to fix your bike?

Oh wouldn't that be nice, you pay your £20-30, and have a mechanic on call all year round, not in this lifetime

I had AA relay years ago when I had an RG250 with a CDI problem. And with our FZR which someone tried to steel leaving unsfae to ride. They responded on a least 4 occasions getting us home.

Now we have two big machines I have got RAC cover for both of us. Pricey? It was £70 ish per year for both of us, for any vehicle (even if we are just a passenger). I don't think that is too bad even if something never goes wrong. Our cover will pick us up if they can't fix it and take us to our destination/garage/home.

No other costs.

Ok if things go wrong I'll have to wait for a response (probably longer than mrs as a lone female etc) but its better than having to try and sort something myself - I'm no mechanic.

I feel better going for longer joints and don't worry so much about the possibility of coming off or just breaking down.

[Biker Biggles]

Longer joints?
More likely to cause mental breakdowns than mechanical ones

Originally Posted by Biker Biggles

Longer joints?
More likely to cause mental breakdowns than mechanical ones

That was a 'dopey' typo!! - Jaunts!!!

Have had good experience with the AA in the past, they once came out Christmas Eve (well, it was Christmas Day by the time they arrived) to rescue my RG250 from the middle of nowhere.

As for cost of repairs, if it's just odds and sods like a bolt, squirt of WD40, stuff like that then no (though technically it's probably in the contract that they will), obviously any "proper" repairs and you're on your own. I think they (AA) run schemes that work more like a warranty and will cover this too, but I'd be dubious of the value of those.

One thing that is worth knowing (and I found out to my cost) - they won't recover you in case of an accident, the best they'll do is put you in touch with a local towing firm who'll come out (and charge, naturally). I find this ridiculous as an accident is when you're most shook up, dazed, confused and in real need of help.

What I'm not sure of is whether they'll come out and recover if you have a breakdown which causes an accident - my last off involved coolant leaking all over the place - all over the back tyre as it turned out - which caused an almighty highside and bike + me somehow swapping places mid air before landing back on terra firma. I didn't really have the mental dexterity at the time to argue the point that this was a breakdown first and an accident second so am not sure how it would work.

Been with Green Flag for years but recently been signed up to RAC cos it came with the insurance cover. Green Flag have always been cool. Wouldn't touch the AA too many scary stories plus too expensive. RAC? We'll have to see but I've only ever had cars break down never bikes.

Had the rear axle break in half on a Reliant Robin in the middle of Wensleydale in the rain once...before mobile phones too. 5 mile walk to the nearest phone box and a 6month old baby in the car. Not a fun day!

Same car...had new michelin tyre on front wheel set off to Finningly air show, half way there on the A1 and new tyre blows out. Artics jack knifing behind us etc! Wife with arm in plaster pushing car with me pushing and steering no one helped typical Brits! Put on spare wheel.

Coming home later that day pull into petrol station and fill up with fuel. Car won't start and in front of a forecourt full of people push car back out of forecourt! We ought to be on stage us! The jolt from the tyre burst earlier had caused the bracket holding the alternator to slip, so slack fan belt = no battery charge and intermittent current!
I'll bet the forecourt cashiers had never seen that one before!

A bit left of fied but try auto aid. You pay £34 for the year which includes your husband / wife / civil partnership significant other, home start, recovery, onward travel, overnight stay etc etc see the website.

h**p//www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk

When you call them out you have to pay all of the costs for towing / repair etc up front (as they send nearest and quickest available local service). Keep the receipts, send in a claim and be refunded within 10 days.

As long as you can cover the costs (credit card etc) you get your cash back. In essence you're buying an insurance policy and if you're unlucky enough to need it you just claim your costs back. AND unlike some breakdown services they will come out for anything that prevnets you from being mobile (no fuel, flat tyre etc).

I went over to them after the RAC refused to come out to my wife and kids when she had a flat, at night, in the middle of nowhere and because they were 'busy' she was told thet she was not a priority as the car had technically not broken down she just couldn't drive it. T*SSERS. If it wasn't for a friendly white van man she'd have been stuck. Complained, got my cash back and took my business elsewhere.

I get 'free' breakdown cover with my insurance.

I have yet to read my policy booklet (includingthe small print), but apparently I am only allowed 4 call outs per year. Only found that out last week when I had a flat battery and had to pay £53 to get the recovery truck out ( because I had used up my call outs for the year). Had I needed to be towed home, I would have had to pay per mile!!!

Melody