Schnell Panzer said:
Stu-13
I didn't mean to suggest you where taking a pop at BMW Assist, my reply was to WindyChuffer who asked what my point was.
I just hope that nobody has a "real emergency" during their daily riding activities, but if you should you'll be very pleased that BMW Assist will be there to help and posts that suggest they're w*nkers or ar$es when you've only got a flat tyre but can't get off your own ar$e to fix it isn't justified.
So there's my point, its made, now I'll get off my perch and go for a ride.
Schnel,
With respect, you are missing my point.
Rightly or wrongly, I didn't know how to fix a puncture, and I'll bet a large majority of motorcyclists don't know either. Of course, members of this forum will probably think otherwise as tend to be enthusiasts and perhaps love to get to know the oily bits of their bikes intimately...
Punctures are thankfully quite rare - I've never had one in 5 years of road riding and some 50K miles.
However, with any breakdown cover, it is reasonable to expect them to attempt a roadside repair in the first instance, provided the location is safe for the technician to work on. It is madness to default to the large cost of a recovery when a simple roadside repair will do the job. At the end of the day, someone pays for that recovery be it BMW or BMW Assist (Mondial?)
Further, I was told by BMW Assist that they would attempt a repair when I logged the call. It just that they told a porky, as a recovery guy was sent out with specific instructions to go to the dealer....
It is also madness, having resorted to recovery without attempting a repair to default to the nearest dealer some 25 miles away the other side of London, when a local tyre shop was 1 - 2miles away and could have done a temporary repair.
Its all about using the appropriate service for the problem in hand, engaging brain, and delivering.
That's all.
Another point. When I bought my new BMW bike, I asked about recovery and assistance, and mentioned the need for AA / RAC cover. Salesman said you don't need it, as the equivalent service is all included in the bike price. Indeed, this is the same with most new vehicles - some sort of cover is supplied as standard now. Its just you learn through bitter experience that its not all its cracked up to be.
Personally, I'd rather take a discount and not have the BMW Assist service, and pay for something like the AA. With hindsight, I've bought AA cover at £130, but thats not a problem. At least I know I have the cover I need now.
BTW - The AA insurance that comes with Lloyds isn't all its cracked up to be. If you have a LLoyds Gold accouunt, you need to upgrade the AA service to get the equivalent of AA Option 400 (the max cover) which is what I bought for £130. The upgrade to the LLoyds account costs £120...marginally cheaper.
So, I have now bought a puncture repair kit now as one wasnt supplied with the bike (but thats not a problem). I must admit the instructions are not exactly easy to follow, for some that has only ever played around with bicycle tyres & tubes. Now to find an old tyre & wheel to practice on - don't really want to do the first repair by the roadside in a dodgy spot.