my ducati card assistance has expired and I wondered what recovery service to use for UK and Europe travel. Anyone recommend a good service provider?
Don't use RAC, after my mates experience last year. Had an accident in snow and broke his leg. Phoned the RAC and they informed him that as his situation was caused by an accident not a breakdown, they wouldn't recover him for free, but were prepared to recover him for a fee of £165 plus £1 per mile. We were about 40 miles short of Millau.
I'm not sure to what extent ducati card assistance services provide,thankfully I have never had to use it but from their information...... Ducati Card Assistance includes the following assistance to the motor vehicle: • Emergency road service and towing • Transport of passengers following emergency road service • Return home of passengers or continuation of journey • Recovery of repaired motor vehicle • Repatriation of motor vehicle from foreign country • Localisation and dispatch of spare parts to foreign country • Hotel charges • Retrieval of motor vehicle from off the road in case of an accident • Advance of penalty bonds to a foreign country It also provides the following assistance to individuals: • Medical consultation • Dispatching of doctor • Ambulance for transport to hospital (Italy only) • Return home due to health problems • Family member (dependent) • Dispatch of urgent medicines to a foreign country • Cash advance
I have Flux UK & European rescue with my insurers (Bikesure) but never tested cover includes accident but if you are interested & want to read the small print see LINK!
I think the service whoever the operator depends on how much use of contractors and who those contractors are where you break down. I got a 2inch slit in a rear tyre 30 miles from Cherbourg a few years ago with an hour until my ferry. RAC call center was brilliant and a French guy turned up and drove like a looney to make my ferry, smiling and laughing all the way that he might get arrested for speeding. RAC said I would be met at Portsmouth by UK recovery. After 4 hours waiting at Portsmouth and multiple calls to RAC, it then being 1am my mate drove from Horsham with every manor of puncture kit he could get. 4 BMW tyre plugs and sealant later it stayed up and I rode it slowly to his house. Turned out RAC used a local contractor in Portsmouth who had basically lied constantly to the call center. Contractor claimed they arrived at 11pm and was told by harbour staff I had gone. Which is funny as the port gates closed at 10pm that day as the staff pushed me out onto the road as they were going home. It's a lottery basically. I also hit a deer in my car recently. AA recovered me no probs and that was an accident not a breakdown.
Perhaps the AA have a better policy than the RAC. Just goes to show you have to ask the right questions before purchasing.
Does this mean that they'll only retrieve the bike from the said field back on to the road which you have just left. Or does it mean they'll retrieve the bike from the field back to home ?
I use these guys for recovery/breakdown: Can't comment how good they are as I've never needed their services,but the reviews and premiums are fair. http://www.qdosbreakdown.co.uk Miles cheaper than AA or RAC
