Breakdown Cover for Bikers

Anyone else had bad experiences with the AA or RAC?
Long call out times? Wrong equipment? Inexperience mechanics?

I am looking into marketing for Green Flag Motoring Assistance for Bikers, as they are my employer. Currently, they only market to the car community and despite covering motorcycles, do not promote it in anyway.

Who would renew there policy with Green Flag if we had:
-Competitive prices,
-Kept our 30 minute average callout time
-Kept our £10 cashback for bikers not getting assistance in 1 hour
-Ensured all mechanics or roadside assistance teams were provided with the correct tools and equipment for your motorcycle!
-Ensured all methods of recovery supported motorcycles safely, harmlessly and damage-free.
-Quarterly biker newsletters
-Chance to win big prizes for being part of the motorcycle community
-Multi-bike or Multi-vehicle policies and/or Personal Cover
-Donations to charity of your choice everytime you renew your policy
-Discounted first year
-Continual high level of support and service from the entire Green Flag team
-Free to call breakdown numbers - with dedicated 24/7 UK based support
-Allow us to relay messages to others for you - while your broken down
-5 Levels of Cover; contining our EU breakdown for EU riders!
-Low cost instant callout price!

Would anyone be interested? I am looking to get into the marketing side of this - and would need your help!

Not what you want to hear, but I find this cheapest to incorporate into my bike insurance.
For example ebike insurance include UK breakdown.
Carole Nash include it for UK and EUROPE.
I have gone with Carole Nash this year precisely for this reason.

I also use AutoAid which is £37, include all vehicles in the household and legal spouses as well.
So sorry but you have very stiff competition out there.

i would be interested, i'm currently with gem but the above sounds good to me

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Originally Posted by Ducatista

Not what you want to hear, but I find this cheapest to incorporate into my bike insurance.
For example ebike insurance include UK breakdown.
Carole Nash include it for UK and EUROPE.
I have gone with Carole Nash this year precisely for this reason.

I also use AutoAid which is £37, include all vehicles in the household and legal spouses as well.
So sorry but you have very stiff competition out there.

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Competition has always been tough for Breakdown Cover - but then again, Green Flag has always been cheaper than AA and RAC. Never really struggled to keep up with prices, so competition has never really been a trouble.

My insurance doesnt come with any breakdown. My last insurance that did provided AA and I had to wait 3 hours to be recovered lol!

If you're cheaper than AA/RAC then perhaps one route to also look it is the busines to business one i.e. sell it to insurers like ebike & carole nash that include it with their insurance.

Looks like good featuers for bikers though :)

Been with the AA for many years. the most cost effective for me and the wife to cover the car and bike.

I've called the AA out 2 times so far. both for the bike. First time the AA (local garage) turned up 50 minutes after the call. Taken home on a back of a lorry :)

Second time my starter relay stopped working. the AA turned up after no more than 30 minutes.

Side fairing off and got the bike started within 5 minutes. Rode home and got the part I needed to fix. Job done.

Renewal time was coming up and I was not looking forward to the cost.
I was not penalized for the callouts :) Result.

2 years later, still with the AA [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

We are with the RAC as it covers us for any car we are driving or bike we are riding.

Never had a problem with the AA, but only done call outs for car so far.
Remember you can always get Euro cover later even if you have a cheap breakdown company. Loads on internet will cover a Euro trip for about £20, may be cheaper to get cheap breakdown cover and add this later.

Same as Sue
RAC covers any bike or car you happen to be on or in, (as long as it aint nicked!)
But, read small print because i have known people that got caught on weird clauses like maximum 30 miles recovery! :o

Give them my number could always do with getting in with some more companies??? [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Relay sucks too. Mate used to once on a mates Astra from Cornwall to Bristol. Cause it works well - as suggested "Relay" - he had to stop 3 times to get home. Totalling 8 hours in travel looool!

I just got my renewal with the RAC - £90 for Raodside Assist and Recovery. Never had to use them so far but they will also (I believe!) come out for an accident which the AA won't.

Yep I heard that too, and an "accident" can be defined as hitting a lump of concrete in the road.

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Originally Posted by BMWGraeme

I just got my renewal with the RAC - £90 for Raodside Assist and Recovery. Never had to use them so far but they will also (I believe!) come out for an accident which the AA won't.

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Just renewed mine for both me and SWMBO (so that's 1 car and 2 bikes covered) for £140. I thought that was pretty good for home assistance, recovey and roadside.

[smiley=thumbsup.gif]

One of the members of the Aircooled RD club decided to go to John O'groats and back on his old rode RD250 one weekend.

The bike Broke down at Glasgow... :'(

Carol Nash breakdown recovered his bike all the way home - Essex!! :o

The recovery driver told him the cost in real terms was about a grand!!

Some of our members have had breakdowns and they tell the AA or RAC people on the phone the bike is broke (seized engines, etc) and its a definate recovery job but they still insist a man comes and looks to confirm a truck is needed.

So sometimes they have had too wait for a second truck.

Other members have been recovered half way only too be left in a car park while they wait for a second truck to continue the journey.

I don't really woryy if I wait 10 minutes or 1 hour as long as you get recovered..

If you can beat the price and level of cover of ADAC Plus then I'd go with you.


But ADAC Plus covers the missus and I, any vehicle, anywhere in Europe including recovery to UK. It's somewhere around £140 for the two of us.

Well if someone does break down in the local area or even areas like bristol, swindon etc ive never charged much more than about £50, thats for my time and the recovery and helping stick it in your garage when you get back? I know financially if you pay £100 a year for unlimited call outs to the aa or rac etc it makes more sense but then you could go 2-3 years without ever calling them out and youve spent the best part of a family holiday on piss all??? :'(

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I know financially if you pay £100 a year for unlimited call outs to the aa or rac etc it makes more sense but then you could go 2-3 years without ever calling them out and youve spent the best part of a family holiday on piss all???

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But it's not necessary to spend that amount.
AutoAid provide platinum cover for £37 which covers all your vehicles.
If you are married or in a legal civil partnership then this covers both of you for the same price.

http://www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/

It's a pay n claim policy so you have to pay up front and claim back, so won't be any good for anyone without a credit card, but anecdotal reports for getting paid out are very good.

By platinum I mean - rescue, recovery, at home and onward travel.
BTW - it doesn't cover small bikes (below 150cc).

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Originally Posted by BMWGraeme

I just got my renewal with the RAC - £90 for Raodside Assist and Recovery. Never had to use them so far but they will also (I believe!) come out for an accident which the AA won't.

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Can you check that with them?
I had a particular problem finding anyone who would come out after an acident for example where maybe the riders not hurt but the bikes a wreck fault or no fault. The AA will come out only when they get the go ahead from your insurance company which isnt any good if its 11pm and pouring with rain and insurance companies worh 9 to 5. If the RAC realy does come out after an accident then I will swap my AA insurance tomorrow.

:(

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Originally Posted by Lexx0r

Anyone else had bad experiences with the AA or RAC?
Long call out times? Wrong equipment? Inexperience mechanics?

I am looking into marketing for Green Flag Motoring Assistance for Bikers, as they are my employer. Currently, they only market to the car community and despite covering motorcycles, do not promote it in anyway.

Who would renew there policy with Green Flag if we had:
-Competitive prices,
-Kept our 30 minute average callout time
-Kept our £10 cashback for bikers not getting assistance in 1 hour
-Ensured all mechanics or roadside assistance teams were provided with the correct tools and equipment for your motorcycle!
-Ensured all methods of recovery supported motorcycles safely, harmlessly and damage-free.
-Quarterly biker newsletters
-Chance to win big prizes for being part of the motorcycle community
-Multi-bike or Multi-vehicle policies and/or Personal Cover
-Donations to charity of your choice everytime you renew your policy
-Discounted first year
-Continual high level of support and service from the entire Green Flag team
-Free to call breakdown numbers - with dedicated 24/7 UK based support
-Allow us to relay messages to others for you - while your broken down
-5 Levels of Cover; contining our EU breakdown for EU riders!
-Low cost instant callout price!

Would anyone be interested? I am looking to get into the marketing side of this - and would need your help!

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what about coming out after an accident, I know a lot of breakdown companies wont unless they get go ahead form Insurance company.

Here's the autoaid definition

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Breakdown – mechanical or electrical breakdown
(failures or breakages), or damage which is caused by an
accident, vandalism or theft and results in you not being
able to drive the vehicle.

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check your bank account, some banks give you cover free of charge as part of your account

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some banks give you cover free of charge as part of your account

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Yes but also check the level of cover.
The cheapest policies are rescue only.
The most comprehensive include recovery, at home and also onward travel.
There's a big difference.

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Originally Posted by Ducatista

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some banks give you cover free of charge as part of your account

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Yes but also check the level of cover.
The cheapest policies are rescue only.
The most comprehensive include recovery, at home and also onward travel.
There's a big difference.

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9/10 of bank policies dont include home. Just recovery and onward travel.

mine covers me for recovery, home start, accident and onward travel at home and in europe but agree cover can differ greatly but its also worth a phone call as they want to keep your account and may improve the cover

I have been recovered twice over a 20 year period, the first time after an accident a lorrry turned up, a slide back recovery truck. The operator had never recovered a bike and promptly broke the mudguard as he tied it down. Lots of forms to fill in and was then told it must have been weak to start off with, the second a man with a proper trailer turned up and was helpfull and polite. I am with the RAC and neither of the recovery men were proper RAC just contractors.
Both call outs were about 15 years ago in Kent