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20 Jan 2007
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Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: St Helens
Posts: 763
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Breakdown/Recovery services in the USA
Taking the bike over to the US for 3 months (from June) and I have been looking around for breakdown/recovery cover similar to what we have in the UK (ie get me to a garage if it all goes pear shaped). I looked at the AAA site but they only sem to cover bikes in connection with RVs.
Is there any form of bike breakdown cover available in the US ? Or is it a case of call the nearest garage ? And if so what sort of recovery charges would be expected?
TIA
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20 Jan 2007
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Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 992
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The AAA coverage is called the RV package and it's from bike whether you have an RV or not. I have this coverage myself, but no RV.
There's also www.koa.com
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20 Jan 2007
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Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Reno,NV,USA
Posts: 560
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There is Motow they are with the AMA. I have that but I have never used it. I have read good and bad reviews about them. You have to join the AMA for that.
http://www.amadirectlink.com/joinama/index.asp
Some reviews at this link.
http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthread...?Number=793629
The problem is always that you just want to find a towing company. Then it is the driver, some don't know how to tie a bike down and they will not let you do it.
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21 Jan 2007
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Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: St Helens
Posts: 763
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Lone Rider
The AAA coverage is called the RV package and it's from bike whether you have an RV or not. I have this coverage myself, but no RV.
There's also www.koa.com |
Cheers, I'll carry on looking into that then(AAA), I obviously wasn't reading it right 
I have been looking at the KOA site for lodges/camping but they don't seem very cheap (we will be on a 100USD/day budget :-) )
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21 Jan 2007
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Contributing Member
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: St Helens
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by John Ferris
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Thanks John, thats good stuff. Google never came across the AMA with searches for "Recovery/Breakdown" , what do they call it in the USA ?
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21 Jan 2007
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Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 638
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GoldWing
One of my bikes is a GoldWing so when I made my trip to the US in 2002 (I rented a BMW there) I became a member of the GWRRA ( www.gwrra.org).
They have a very basic service included in the membership but for a little more you can get more coverage.
For me the most important thing was to get a phone number to call to, so someone can help.
As a GoldWinger, I like the message board and the club magazine very much so after five years, I'm still a happy member.
__________________
Jan Krijtenburg
My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a Harley-Davidson FXD Dyna Super Glide
My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl
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21 Jan 2007
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Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Pennsylvania,USA
Posts: 107
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Suggestions
AAA offer the RV membership for $66/year. The AMA membership is $39/year, plus an additional $25/year for MoTow coverage. As stated above, depending on what kind of cycle you will be using here, you may want to check with different organizations or clubs. They may offer something that your looking for.
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22 Jan 2007
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Contributing Member
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: St Helens
Posts: 763
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by ct_miller13
AAA offer the RV membership for $66/year. The AMA membership is $39/year, plus an additional $25/year for MoTow coverage. As stated above, depending on what kind of cycle you will be using here, you may want to check with different organizations or clubs. They may offer something that your looking for.
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XJR1300, and another couple on an RF900 (which I will be using after SanFran)
I've email AMA as they look promising
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22 Jan 2007
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Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Yongin, South Korea
Posts: 327
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There are campsites just about everywhere. KOA is a bit spendy. Look at state parks. Many of them allow overnight camping. Nearly all big lakes have overnight campsites. Most national forests have campsites. We will be on a a circumnavaigation of the states this summer (attending the HU meeting in Silverton as well) and NEVER expect to exceed 50 bucks a day including gas, with the exceptions of what is spent at some of the tourist attractions that charge, like Yellowstone, Rushmore, Grand Canyon, etc. The scoot gets 60mpg and 5 gallons a day is all we figure on riding. Camping out and cooking ourselves will run 15 a day. As seniors, we get breaks at the parks' campsites and entry fees though, so you might have to allow a bit more. A hundred a day would be, for us, luxurious extravagance. We a bit more frugal than most though.
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22 Jan 2007
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Contributing Member
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: montana usa
Posts: 547
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Towing services
As someone who unloads quite a few towed in bikes each summer (yamaha/honda dealership). Most of them come in for flat tires...carry a plug kit for the tubless tire bikes and learn how to fix your own. Alot of the tow truck drivers are hired because they work cheap. Around montana the norm for AAA is a tilt back truck where the whole bed of the truck slides back and down and the bike can be winched or pushed on and off. Don't let them come with a "wrecker" which mainly has a big hook and a winch. Check on how far the service tows the disabled vehical. There are some vast distances in the US. A tow bill in montana can cost you $500.00. I personaly have AAA for my old cars that the wife drives. The one time we used AAA the driver hauled it out to our house out of town for no extra charge. Also in this part of the country almost every towing service honors AAA towing insurance. That said you should have a great trip and stop in if you pass by Helena Mt.
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22 Jan 2007
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Registered Users
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: USA
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I mentioned KOA, not for their campgrounds (high as Hell), but for a tow insurance offered. I understand that it´s quite reasonable.
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26 Jan 2007
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Contributing Member
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: St Helens
Posts: 763
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Hindu1936
There are campsites just about everywhere. KOA is a bit spendy. Look at state parks. Many of them allow overnight camping. Nearly all big lakes have overnight campsites. Most national forests have campsites. We will be on a a circumnavaigation of the states this summer (attending the HU meeting in Silverton as well) and NEVER expect to exceed 50 bucks a day including gas, with the exceptions of what is spent at some of the tourist attractions that charge, like Yellowstone, Rushmore, Grand Canyon, etc. The scoot gets 60mpg and 5 gallons a day is all we figure on riding. Camping out and cooking ourselves will run 15 a day. As seniors, we get breaks at the parks' campsites and entry fees though, so you might have to allow a bit more. A hundred a day would be, for us, luxurious extravagance. We a bit more frugal than most though.
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After we split from our friends in SF, we hope to drop out goings below the 100USD/day, as we will be on 2 bikes then :-)
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26 Jan 2007
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Contributing Member
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: St Helens
Posts: 763
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Bill Ryder
As someone who unloads quite a few towed in bikes each summer (yamaha/honda dealership). Most of them come in for flat tires...carry a plug kit for the tubless tire bikes and learn how to fix your own. Alot of the tow truck drivers are hired because they work cheap. Around montana the norm for AAA is a tilt back truck where the whole bed of the truck slides back and down and the bike can be winched or pushed on and off. Don't let them come with a "wrecker" which mainly has a big hook and a winch. Check on how far the service tows the disabled vehical. There are some vast distances in the US. A tow bill in montana can cost you $500.00. I personaly have AAA for my old cars that the wife drives. The one time we used AAA the driver hauled it out to our house out of town for no extra charge. Also in this part of the country almost every towing service honors AAA towing insurance. That said you should have a great trip and stop in if you pass by Helena Mt.
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Good tips, thanks, my reading of the AMA is a 35mile tow :-( so will look back at the AAA again.
We will be taking plug kits, and foam filler so should be happy with punctures. Fingers crossed we will not have any problems. I'll have to work out where Helena Mt is :-)
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26 Jan 2007
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Contributing Member
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Join Date: Jun 2006
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Lone Rider
I mentioned KOA, not for their campgrounds (high as Hell), but for a tow insurance offered. I understand that it´s quite reasonable.
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I'll re-read the website and email hem for more info, ta
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