Continental Breakdown Recovery

[grbrown]

We all know that Harleys never break down, but that doesn't prevent the niggling doubt that far from home there may just be a bit of bovver! Travel and recovery within the British Isles is one thing, but sur le Continent is quite another matter.

I have just read through a thread on HDH about breakdown recovery, but my specific query is recovery from Europe. We are planning a summer trip through the Netherlands and Germany to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a round trip approaching 3k miles.

Has anyone had firsthand experience of being recovered from Europe with their bike? What service-providers can you recommend?

[BaZa®]

Graham paste in European recovery into the search engine as I have just looked and there is loads on that and Insurance as well because as you well know a lot of cover is included as per Carole Nash.

Personally I use CN and have only ever heard good reports I luckily only have UK experience but have done many care free miles in Europe.

I have as a member of M.A.G bought their European cover as well.

Some I believe like the AA you have to get Europe cover each time you leave blighty.

[porky]

Yep,me mates's sporty broke down 45k's outside a town called Pomferada last sep, (battery terminal fault) he is insured with E-bike. After 1 call to hq & several calls to establish our posistion (middle of a kin mountain) wagon turned up 45 mins later. Matey spoke no EEEEnglishhhhhhh but took said bike & chum to his garage 20 k's away with the rest of us following. Did test's established it was the battery, phoned spanish hq who told him to go to pomferada & drop bike off at local indie shop, (we were heading there anyway)
Found shop, bike inspected by indie chappy & gestured that HD are a bag of shite, after exchanging banter a Merc taxi pulls up driver speaks to my mate, apparently e-bike had arranged a pick up from the bike shop for my mate & (get this) a 4* hotel for all (4) of us overnight whilst matey tweaked the sporty.
Hotel was brilliant, then we headed off to the houses of ill repute, but thats another yarn.
BTW the recovery truck driver woul'nt even take 20 euros for a drink!!!!!! all in all excellent service & all for £49.95

[porky]

forgot to say hotel was free for all of us cos we were in the same party

[essjay]

Apart from breakdowns what happens if you have a smash? well all I can say is CN was excellent when her indoors had a prang in Spain in 2004, no problem very helpfull, even offered to repatriot me! and her bike was fixed up pretty - but that was in 2004 and things change all the time

[grbrown]

Having weighed all the evidence, balanced the pros and cons, faffed and fiddled and provaricated, I went with AA European Breakdown Cover.

[BaZa®]

Graham how much out of interest under £100?

[simonDyna]

Originally Posted by BaZa ®

Graham how much out of interest under £100?

When I've used the AA for european trips, it depends on the length of stay and the countries you are visiting.

[BaZa®]

There are multi trips of up to 90 days max or buy it each time if to be used rarely I think.

Thing is with CN it's all included and I would like to know from Graham is he saving with a multi and his insurance.

[grbrown]

Hi chaps. I am paying £88 for a single trip. We only rarely travel abroad, so a longer term cover was not of interest.

My principal concern was not cost, but dependability if called upon. The only person I know who has used a recovery service from abroad used the AA with great success.

I reviewed my bike insurance this time last year, while sorting out the S&S motor for my bike. Nobody, including CN, came anyway near my own insurers, so I haven't considered them for breakdown cover.

The last time we toured abroad, we shipped the same bike to the USA for Harley's Centenary in 2003. We went with HOG then, simply because it is home-grown! Didn't need them. Their best grade cover is £80 for a year, but I already have AA for UK recovery if necessary. I am not so confident of HOG away from North America.

Later: I should have added that there are no Harley dealers in Slovakia and only four in the Czech Republic, so Harley specific support, such as from HOG, is a long way off! Recovery to the UK is likely to be our greatest concern, if anything goes wrong. 90 days cover, for multiple trips, cost around £130.