Have you ever needed Breakdown Insurance

[The Heff]

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has had to make use of breakdown insurance while in Europe.

Is it really necessary
What is the best type of cover
What companies give good/poor service/value for money
Yearly or trip duration only

Recommended companies/policies or who to avoid

Etc etc

Any ideas, comments or experiences good or bad

This will be my first time touring abroad, so just looking a steer in the right direction

Thanks in advance

Heff

 

[wessie]

I've been lucky and not needed it personally in Europe. I've used it in the UK a few times. I have been in groups where other people have needed the cover in Europe. 1 x car park incident with ZX10R, 1 x Transalp had a charging system problem. 1 x ZZR1100 had front wheel bearing go and the inevitable R1200GS with ring antennae fubarred.

All had different policies. Generally, that does not make much difference as every UK based operation will sub the service out to a local operator. Pot luck if the grease monkey sent out speaks English.

Cheapest option is usually to get the cover in a bundle with your bike insurance. £200 gets me comprehensive bike insurance and European breakdown cover with Carole Nash. Other companies offer similar packages. The Carole Nash policy is well regarded and will repatriate your bike and give you a hire car to continue your trip.

 

[socket086]

needed it twice.
first time i used carol nash[built into policy] bike was droped home to my door two weeks later. they gave me an offer of a flight home but as it was last day of trip i got on the back of another bike.
that was the end of an engine on french soil. r1200gs dropped valve.
good to deal with.

second time i had bmw roadside as bike was still newish with only 9k on clock first day on trip france again alternator broke and that was the start of the nightmare. had to wait for bike to be looked at that was the first delay ,broke down on a sunday,bike shops are closed on mondays.
after they looked at bike and another day wasted they gave me a rent-a-car and was told to just get on with my bike trip,
after another three days trying to get my bike fixed i got fed up and drove to a port and went home.
it was five weeks later before bike made it home with damaged screen/front wheel dented/scratched paintwork and a couple of bits missing.
hope this helps you make your mind up.

 

[Dave56]

On my trip to Spain last year I took out a short term Vehicle Rescue Direct policy on the net and when the bike broke down near Alicante they certainly came to the rescue.
They collected the bike and myself from the motorway, took me to the airport to pick up a hire car in order for me to continue my journey to Malaga, arranged for the bike to be taken to the Alicante BMW dealer, and upon collection of the bike rang me at least 4 times to check everything was OK.
First class service and boy did I get my 24 quids worth.
Would I recommend them, you bet.......

 

[Deak]

Last summer in Croatia I had a tyre valve fall apart. Suprising how it impedes progress with no air in a tyre.

I'd taken out AA 5 star before the trip so called the international rescue helpline. It was a Sunday afternoon but Scott Tracey turned up in his breakdown truck within 45 minutes.

There were no garages open so he rings a friend of a mate who agrees to abandon his Sunday afternoon and open his tyre workshop just for me.

All in all it took around 2 hours from start to finish. The AA rang three times to check on progress. I must admit I was very impressed with the service. Pity the UK branch don't appear to be quite as efficient

 

[Glyno]

Back in 95 I think, touring and villa holiday in Spain. Ended up with a slipped disc and unable to ride home. Travel Insurance sorted me and the missus i.e. repatriation and flights etc. Soooooooo glad I had taken out European cover for the bike which was transported home via Green Flag I think.

 

[Rasher]

My mate tested the Carole Nash cover in the Black Forest 2 years back, very good, they got bike taken to dealer, arranged hire car, returned bike after it was fixed.

Things to check is that polices will repatriate vehicle, covers accidents as well as breakdowns and covers any situation where you cannot continue - you could get ill and be unfit to ride etc.

Carole Nash seems to tick all the boxes, RAC do as well, but as my renewal for CN was only £200 and the RAC cover just for Europe was £100 year or £50 a trip it seemed a no brainer to stick with CN.

 

[GSless Girl]

I know of 2 mates who had to use it to get home from France both had taken out short term holiday cover with carol nash for personnal travel insurance and bike breakdown cover. Both were very well looked after with bikes brought home to the door, they were both on the last days of holiday brought to ferry in France met at Cork and taken to Dublin with bike. One needed overnight accommadation all sorted for him & his wife.

Wouldn't leave the country without it, better to have it than be looking for for it.