• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

A small easy good thing to add to the Rally

39520

New member
Last summer a friend of mine was riding to the Bloomsburg rally on his GS and he had a flat tire about 10 miles from Bloomsburg. It was 100+ and he was ATGATT.

He called AAA and they would not help him because a motorcycle was involved. He called me at home and asked if I would get on the phone to try to find some help for him. I found a cell phone number on the MOA website advertised as belonging to someone who was at the Rally and would answer questions via phone. Perfect, I thought, that someone will have some local phone numbers for a motorcycle-friendly local tow company, or maybe that someone is set up with a truck and trailer to go fetch members in distress.

Nope. The pleasant person who answered was unable to help.

So maybe at the next Rally someone could contact a few tow companies ahead of time and maybe be available to provide some basic assistance to members with bike problems? Not much work or responsibility involved, but it could really be a big help to someone with a broken bike.

In the end, a tow truck was found. He towed the bike to the front gate, but no further. My buddy had to ride the last 1/2 mile to the tire vendors, mostly because it was too frigging hot to push it.

BTW he was on the main road into town and was passed by hundreds of BMW riders heading for the rally, and not one bike stopped. A couple of cars did and gave him some water.
 
Last edited:
Last summer a friend of mine was riding to the Bloomsburg rally on his GS and he had a flat tire about 10 miles from Bloomsburg. It was 100+ and he was ATTGAT.

He called AAA and they would not help him because a motorcycle was involved. He called me at home and asked if I would get on the phone to try to find some help for him. I found a cell phone number on the MOA website advertised as belonging to someone who was at the Rally and would answer questions via phone. Perfect, I thought, that someone will have some local phone numbers for a motorcycle-friendly local tow company, or maybe that someone is set up with a truck and trailer to go fetch members in distress.

Nope. The pleasant person who answered was unable to help.

So maybe at the next Rally someone could contact a few tow companies ahead of time and maybe be available to provide some basic assistance to members with bike problems? Not much work or responsibility involved, but it could really be a big help to someone with a broken bike.

In the end, a tow truck was found. He towed the bike to the front gate, but no further. My buffy had to ride the last 1/2 mile to the tire vendors, mostly because it was to frigging hot to push it.

BTW he was on the main road into town and was passed by hundreds of BMW riders heading for the rally, and not one bike stopped. A couple of cars did and gave him some water.


Generally speaking I have CAA (AAA) Recreational Vehicle coverage for the bike. Never a problem. However, to your more vital query, my immediate thought was for the availability of an on-site trailer service at the rally site for such instances happening within a specific range ie 10 miles or so. That trailer could bring the bike directly to a vendor or other rally based support. Just an idea. Maybe a local towing service makes more sense :dunno

Unfortunate that so many passed without observing the situation and lending assistance. Maybe the situation was not easily determined...... although cars stopped. - Bob
 
Generally speaking I have CAA (AAA) Recreational Vehicle coverage for the bike.

It's not available from southern New England AAA and when I try to access other AAA clubs to see what they offer, I get redirected back to SNE AAA.
 
It's not available from southern New England AAA and when I try to access other AAA clubs to see what they offer, I get redirected back to SNE AAA.

As far as I know CAA is equal nationally but that too may have some regional inequities. Maybe this is another reason to have a rally based resource or local arrangement. - Bob
 
Tom,

Not sure how NE 3A works up there.. With Texas 3A in order to get motorcycle towing you have to choose the Plus RV and not the standard coverage.
 
Tom,

Not sure how NE 3A works up there.. With Texas 3A in order to get motorcycle towing you have to choose the Plus RV and not the standard coverage.

that's the same here. Excellent response and service..... but I suggest carrying your own ratchet straps as best you can because not all tow shops are equal or experienced in loading/securing bikes. - Bob
 
BTW he was on the main road into town and was passed by hundreds of BMW riders heading for the rally, and not one bike stopped. A couple of cars did and gave him some water.

Wow, I find this astounding. Personally I couldn't imagine myself passing a fellow rider in trouble without at least stopping to help. A tire plug and a CyclePump are the least one could do to get him back on the road.

This is a classic opportunity for a vendor to promote themselves at our rally. Most tire vendors come to the rally with a truck and a trailer and this is a great way to create sales and good will.

Fwiw, tell your buddy to join the AMA. In addition to your membership, you also get roadside assistance for your bikes, your cars and your RV if you have one. Pretty good service too.

AAA is another resource, but as noted above, you have to buy the additional recreational vehicle coverage in order for them to tow a bike. AAA probably has the best referral resources available, but they are significantly more expensive than the AMA if all you want to cover is a bike.

sorry this happened to your friend.

Ian
 
With Texas 3A in order to get motorcycle towing you have to choose the Plus RV and not the standard coverage.

I know about this from other sources, and also know for certain that the package you're referring to does not exist in my local AAA club.

AAA seems to be a loose affiliation rather than a single entity.

Personally, I have AMA towing as well as MedJet Assist. I also have AAA for 4 wheeled purposes.
 
Some years ago & for several years there was a volunteer committee at the rally that provided assistance to attendees in this situation within a reasonable distance. This took the form of on scene assistance as well as trailering the broken down to the rally where further arrangements could be conveniently made. I was unaware that this had been discontinued.

It would seem likely that there would be at least one towing agency in Bloomsburg that would also be listed in the phone directory, or that the Police agency in the area would have knowledge of. Perhaps the phone answerer did not think of this.
 
justabump because I think that this should obtain some sort of official protocol for Missouri. Enough time remains to get it arranged and info out. So, what did happen to that previous resource? It really should be very cost effective because not everyone arrives with a 'gold card'. - Bob
 
Last edited:
Breakdown Indicator

I think i will try to find a folding red triangle before my next long trip. With this deployed, i would be very surprised to be passed by other bikers.

A tire pump and plugs too, for sure.
 
I hate to be talking like a historian here But years ago, let's say late '70s there was a push supported by the MOA to make setting your helmet at the side of the road the signal that you were requesting assistance.
 
I hate to be talking like a historian here But years ago, let's say late '70s there was a push supported by the MOA to make setting your helmet at the side of the road the signal that you were requesting assistance.

I believe that the helmet is to be placed on the road, behind the bike, for the above signal.
 
Both correct

Paul, I think Amiles is saying the same thing. The Helmet far enough back, depending on type road, speed, ect... that a motorcyclist moving either direction can notice the helmet/signal so that other movement near the bike is not confused.
 
I believe that the helmet is to be placed on the road, behind the bike, for the above signal.

Two problems with that - given temps, rain, wind or a crappy shoulder surface - no way will my expensive helmet end up sitting on the ground X number of feet behind my bike.

Secondly, non-motorcyclists would be clueless as to that being some sort of alert.
 
two solutions

1. sit it on something

2. its NOT for cager's unless they are mororcyclist and will know; its for the riders
passing by to assist you... ie.. two heads better than one, and they may have that
plug & pump you need
 
some thoughts:
1) AMA has their Mo-Tow service; that alone is worth the price of admission.
2) your car insurance will very likely include motorcycle coverage. ask about it.
3) given that a breakdown is not likely confined to _____ miles (insert some arbitrary mileage here) from a rally site, why put a towing need back onto the rally committee, rather than just recommending the value of DIY status?

sure, it would be nice to have emergency towing at/near a rally available "just in case"- but best choice is to have coverage that you can rely on wherever you happen to be.
 
I have the CAA premium package for towing which includes motorcycles, just in case the need should arise. In the U.S, AAA will cover my CAA membership. However, from what I have been reading, AAA may not have motorcycle towing coverage in some areas of the U.S. I hope my luck continues to hold.
 
I have the CAA premium package for towing which includes motorcycles, just in case the need should arise. In the U.S, AAA will cover my CAA membership. However, from what I have been reading, AAA may not have motorcycle towing coverage in some areas of the U.S. I hope my luck continues to hold.

I can't buy AAA towing coverage where I am, but that doesn't necessarily mean you won't be able to use yours if you need it.
 
Some years ago & for several years there was a volunteer committee at the rally that provided assistance to attendees in this situation within a reasonable distance. This took the form of on scene assistance as well as trailering the broken down to the rally where further arrangements could be conveniently made. I was unaware that this had been discontinued.

Welcome to the world of a litigious society. :(

We stopped having this committee in 2007. The reason was because if something would happen to the motorcycle during transport, the volunteer with the trailer/truck is responsible for the damages. Because of that, we were advised by our insurance carrier and our legal counsel that the club should no longer offer this assistance.

It's a sad reflection of the times we live in.
 
Back
Top