I've got personal cover with the AA it covers everything including my bikes also if I'm passenger in or on another person's vehicle basically if I'm with the vehicle it's covered
I agree regarding cover and can't really fault the RAC the few times they've been called out to our cars I over the years, but found last year that the RAC will no longer haggle nearly as hard as I was used to. Previously, I was able to use my 'been with you over 30 years' line to get personal cover for both me and the wife for less than £55. I've done this for at least the last 5 years. However, last renewal I went through the usual malarkey of speaking to the 'Retentions Dept' manager, but was only offered about 10% off standard web price max! Reason given is a policy change, as they feel haggling is 'devaluing their brand'. Used Martin Lewis' Money Expert site for recommendations and have gone with AutoAid. Same cover as RAC for £43. Yet to use them, but RAC finally pissed of one of their longest payed up members.
Do these breakdown organisations recover you in the event of an RTA? What about if you slide off & the bike can't be ridden home (no other vehicles involved)?
My policy with BeMoto includes recovery and the recovery blurb excludes RTAs. So I called Bemoto and they say recovery will still be done for a fee that can be reclaimed from your insurance company. Can't say that reassured me, the cynic in me thinks if I have an off I'm up the creek. Can't remember the name of my previous broker off hand, but I had a small off, broken gear lever and indicator and got recovered without question FOC, and by a proper motorcycle recovery van. Couldn't have been more pleased. TB
Yes, thought that would be the case. I ask because I recently did have an off; no other vehicles involved & couldn't ride home (broken clipon). At the time, I didn't want to go through the insurance & wondered if my breakdown cover would recover me. In the end, a friend with a van helped.
Normally, you will be charged (after event is regular, some upfront). If you make a claim, you can charge to your insurer. If you don’t make a claim, you’ll pay the fee and insurer won’t know. use your insurer and you may not pay a fee but they know... ‘imho if you have bikes and cars, AA. You get what you pay for.
I must say, I was very surprised when my mother in law ran out of petrol on her driveway. As an AA gold member, they came out and gave her a free Jerry can of petrol and went on their way.
Beware that some breakdown companies will not recover you from our UNITED KINGDOM northern islands up past that there Scotland place (I hear its full of pagans anyhoo). Remember an article in a bike mag that a guy broke down and the AA or some such wouldn’t go and get him till he made his OWN way to the mainland!
I took my Monster from JHS Racing (who didn't have a clue) to Louigi Moto in the back of a people carrier! JHS had the bike for over a week and didn't have any idea what was wrong. I phoned Richard at Louigi and he wouldn't get the bike from JHS. The guy there had threatened him once for repeating what he had been told about how crap they where. So I had to get it and Richard told me to be careful and not tell them that it was going to Louigi Moto. So I turn up expecting a good punch up but the guy wasn't there. Richard at Luigi sorted the bike out the same day and even dropped it back to me in his van. Turns out the the fuel filter that was meant to be replaced in at least one of the services that I had done at Riders was blocked. When I bought it new, I had the first 3 year of servicing done at a Ducati dealer in case there was ever a warranty claim. Richard showed me the old fuel filter and it looked like the original fitted at the factory. It blocked up because it was never changed in spite of it being in the service plan - so much for using a Ducati dealer for servicing... the coffee shop is good though!
It just shows that sometimes you can deal with these guys on an off week and have a bad time with a business which is otherwise pretty well regarded. I had a dreadful experience with a Ducati guy about 15 years ago who gets nothing but praise from other people, but after what I went through I wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole. I crashed a full Ohlins 748R and damaged the fork bottom and damaged a few other bits such as the fairing and clutch spring posts. He gave me a quote but then once the bike was in bits and I was over a barrel, the quote suddenly tripled with no apparent justification. For the last 5 years, Ray Petty and only Ray Petty and his guys get their spanners on my bikes as I’ve had nothing but good experiences with him and on the rare occasion things don’t go smoothly, he puts things right with no quibbling.
I try to do my own servicing but if I ever needed professional help then Louigi Moto would be the place for me! It's worth the money just to have a look around the workshop! There is always interesting Ducatis there. Only trouble is location for me - in the middle of nowhere!
