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

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

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.

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 :-) )

Thanks John, thats good stuff. Google never came across the AMA with searches for "Recovery/Breakdown" , what do they call it in the USA ?

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.

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.

XJR1300, and another couple on an RF900 (which I will be using after SanFran)

I've email AMA as they look promising

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.

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.

I mentioned KOA, not for their campgrounds (high as Hell), but for a tow insurance offered. I understand that it´s quite reasonable.

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 :-)

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 :-)

I'll re-read the website and email hem for more info, ta