A grown up question....

[Kall1400]

Myself and Tugg are heading over into Europe later in the year for a bit of an adventure on the bikes.

Do any of you that have been, use specific recovery insurance?

Imagin the horrible moment where your bike breaks down and cannot be repaired by the road side recovery bloke. Do you accept your bike will be repatriated with out you and you have to take the hire car/plane ride back home. Or is there a company that will repatriate you with your bike.

To be honest i have been lucky in the past as haven't taken or needed such cover. But i am not too sure i would leave my bike with a guy i cant understand next to the side of the road......

Your thoughts please........

On a side note, that's my weeks supply of grown up thoughts used up in one day... So please don't expect anything but childish and immature for a while....   

[Burchy]

I think you will find that just about all continental recovery firms will split you from your bike.  They tend to send a wagon on a loop of Europe picking up the casualties on the way and it can be up to a month before the bike gets home

[Charlie747]

I think you will find that just about all continental recovery firms will split you from your bike.  They tend to send a wagon on a loop of Europe picking up the casualties on the way and it can be up to a month before the bike gets home

If that's the case I would fear for a lot of damage in transit during the lap of Europe before making it home. 

Has anyone got first hand experience ?  Like Kall & Tugg I'm hoping to do a bit of local Europe this summer so any info would help us all

[flatfour]

During a trip to France with friends a couple of years ago, an alarm that was dealer fitted (as part of a factory sponsored sales incentive programme) refused to allow a bike to start, after being soaked in a storm. The bike was collected very promptly by a recovery service through the owner's insurance policy (many now include Uk and European breakdown cover as standard) and taken to the nearest dealer for that make.

As they could not work on the bike for some time (it was mid - summer) it was passed around to a further two repair shops (non - franchised) who removed the alarm, but still could not make the bike run. Eventually, after several weeks the bikewas recovered to the UK.

From the time of collection, the owner had the greatest of difficulty in finding out the whereabouts of the bike (telephone UK call Centre, they  need to speak to locals, the promised call - back does not come, owner rings again, new person on shift knows nothing) etc.

As in the UK, any recovery service will only "relay" the vehicle to the end of their geographic area and pass to another for the onward journey, so the bike may be unloaded between transporters many times. Best hope it does not happen!

[Kall1400]

During a trip to France with friends a couple of years ago, an alarm that was dealer fitted (as part of a factory sponsored sales incentive programme) refused to allow a bike to start, after being soaked in a storm. The bike was collected very promptly by a recovery service through the owner's insurance policy (many now include Uk and European breakdown cover as standard) and taken to the nearest dealer for that make.

As they could not work on the bike for some time (it was mid - summer) it was passed around to a further two repair shops (non - franchised) who removed the alarm, but still could not make the bike run. Eventually, after several weeks the bikewas recovered to the UK.

From the time of collection, the owner had the greatest of difficulty in finding out the whereabouts of the bike (telephone UK call Centre, they  need to speak to locals, the promised call - back does not come, owner rings again, new person on shift knows nothing) etc.

As in the UK, any recovery service will only "relay" the vehicle to the end of their geographic area and pass to another for the onward journey, so the bike may be unloaded between transporters many times. Best hope it does not happen!

Deep joy....... 

Ok, plan B. Does any one own a transit van and want to come get me if it goes wrong?

I am NOT leaving my pride and joy on her own in a foreign country if she gets sick....... And defo not leaving the bike!

[Charlie747]

Deep joy....... 

Ok, plan B. Does any one own a transit van and want to come get me if it goes wrong?

I am NOT leaving my pride and joy on her own in a foreign country if she gets sick....... And defo not leaving the bike!

Funny you should say that ...............................

[Kall1400]

Funny you should say that ...............................

[SirToU]

If your willing to pay diesel and accommodation costs....  I'm sure something could be arranged, depending on where you break down......  But it's a GTR, it'll be fine.

[viper]

speak to customer services at The RAC and The AA and find out what level of service they provide. They may allow the bike to be taken to a local kawasaki dealer and you could then camp out while they are fixing the bike. A main dealer is the only wany of getting the bike working again quickly while abroad .
when ever we go abroad on the bike I only use those 2 . if the bke is under 10 years they also offer a repair/parts warranty for about £60

[Boomer]

I've always used RAC. Have made 3 callouts: one for a busted throttle cable (mechanic repaired the cable after the breakdown recovery people got me off the motorway), one was a destroyed gearbox (bike repatriated) and the 3rd was a seized motor (bike scrapped).
They will separate you from the bike but there is a paper trail as you have to sign the bike over to them.
My bike with the trashed gearbox got home without a scratch but it did take 3 weeks.
I got a rental car to complete my trip with, which was interesting.
Me (6'4") in a VW Polo was a challenge. 
Be aware that if the bike is deemed to be a write off or of low market value, they will not repatriate it.
The seized motor was valued at £800 and not worth repatriating.
Frustrating as I had a spare motor for it.