Learn from my mistake plus Platinum Roadside Assistance experience

mikegalbicka · Oct 12, 2021

Last Sunday the wife and I took a ride on our 07RT to get some lunch and enjoy the day. About 10 miles into it we were approached by a group of 4 bikes coming toward us in the opposite lane on a straight two lane road. I had been scanning the road ahead and waved to them and briefly looked their way. Just as we passed each other we ran over something in the road that I had not detected. A quick check in the rear view mirrors showed nothing in the road behind us and nothing bouncing around like you would expect. I pulled over about one mile later where safe and we dismounted and I checked everything with the bike on the side stand and didn't see any problems. First mistake. Tires seemed fine with great pressure, no broken bits or oil leaks so on we went. About 10 miles later we pulled in and parked for lunch. I kicked the tires and they were still good so I quit worrying about it. Second mistake. We had a good lunch and about an hour later approached the parked bike and noted the tires looked fine. Third mistake. We geared up and while doing a slow left hand turn out of the parking lot onto the access road the bead broke and the rear tire fully deflated and collapsed and the rim hit the ground before I could stop. We dismounted safely and I put the bike on the center stand and inspected the rear tire closely for previous damage. Should have done that back at mistake one. Also should have gotten my gauge out at mistake two and three and taken pressure readings to confirm actual status. Duh. Found a good size hole in the center of the new Michelin 5 GT. I used my plug kit and the mushroom plug seemed to hold fine as I filled it with CO2. Fourth mistake. Air pump was at home instead of in the trunk. Duh. At 35 lbs it began to hiss a little so I quickly mounted and pulled it out of the road back into the parking lot. Mushroom plugs were not quite big enough for the good size hole so a tow was the order of the day. We both felt very blessed for the timing of everything. It could have been much worse. But I felt like a big failure as I recounted my actions and realized were I really blew it. This seems to be age related but there really is no good excuse for failing to properly inspect the tires at the three previous opportunities I had.

I have both AAA motorcycle coverage and Platinum Roadside through my membership with BMWMOA. I have never used either. I called Platinum Roadside at 2:07 pm first as I wanted to test that service. I realized Sunday service would be problematic. She took my info and told me to expect a call soon and said she would call me back to check on us. An hour later with no contact from anyone I called back. I was told a provider had picked up the ticket then called back after 30 minutes and canceled and they were still trying to find another provider. I told them I would call AAA and to make sure their provider called me before heading out to confirm AAA wasn't beating them. She said fine. A quick search of the city we were in showed 3 local providers who did motorcycle towing. All closed for the day of course.

AAA said it would take about an hour and would only transport one person with the bike due to Covid protocols. My wife arranged for a friend to come and take her home. It was now 3:15 pm. Her friend arrived and she was headed home by 3:45 pm. At 4 pm with no calls from either I reached out to friend in the area with a trailer. He was fine with helping and said he could be to me by 5:00 pm. I felt at this point that was the best bet. With no contact from either yet and not knowing how long I would be waiting or even sure if when they showed up they could properly handle the bike I said come on. At 4:15 pm I called both AAA and Platinum Roadside and canceled the requests. They both said fine. At 4:22 pm I got a text from Platinum that a driver was headed my way. Duh. They gave me his number so I called him. He said he was 90 minutes out. I told him I had canceled the request and he was fine. Poor communication on their end I guess. I really don't fault either company over how long it took since it was a Sunday. Just wanted to report the experience for those interested.

At 5 pm my buddy showed up with a 3 rail trailer he had just got with a purchase of a few dirt bikes. After figuring out a good place to back it in at a curb where I could get the bike up on elevated grass I used my last CO2 cartridge to get a little pressure up and ride to that spot. The ramp incline was way too steep just in the parking lot. We got the front tire up and into the rail but the rear was too big for the ramp rail. Fifth mistake. Pretty disappointed at that stage we had to go back to his house and get his flat bed trailer. We also had to re-install the wheel chock he had removed when he replaced the boards in that trailer. That is why he brought the other one first. We lost one of the nuts in the grass during that process of course and it was beginning to get dark. Found a replacement and finally headed back about 6:30 pm. Bike loaded fine on that trailer and was home at 8:30 pm.

I will update this post with my experience with the tire hazard protection replacement when that gets done. I have used it once before a few years back with no problems. Here's hoping.

Had trouble sleeping that night replaying everything over in my head. Really disappointed with myself as I know I should have and could have done much better. I am thankful we did not have to go down in order for me to learn some valuable lessons.

pglaves · Oct 12, 2021

mikegalbicka said:
Last Sunday the wife and I took a ride on our 07RT to get some lunch and enjoy the day. About 10 miles into it we were approached by a group of 4 bikes coming toward us in the opposite lane on a straight two lane road. I had been scanning the road ahead and waved to them and briefly looked their way. Just as we passed each other we ran over something in the road that I had not detected. A quick check in the rear view mirrors showed nothing in the road behind us and nothing bouncing around like you would expect. I pulled over about one mile later where safe and we dismounted and I checked everything with the bike on the side stand and didn't see any problems. First mistake. Tires seemed fine with great pressure, no broken bits or oil leaks so on we went. About 10 miles later we pulled in and parked for lunch. I kicked the tires and they were still good so I quit worrying about it. Second mistake. We had a good lunch and about an hour later approached the parked bike and noted the tires looked fine. Third mistake. We geared up and while doing a slow left hand turn out of the parking lot onto the access road the bead broke and the rear tire fully deflated and collapsed and the rim hit the ground before I could stop. We dismounted safely and I put the bike on the center stand and inspected the rear tire closely for previous damage. Should have done that back at mistake one. Also should have gotten my gauge out at mistake two and three and taken pressure readings to confirm actual status. Duh. Found a good size hole in the center of the new Michelin 5 GT. I used my plug kit and the mushroom plug seemed to hold fine as I filled it with CO2. Fourth mistake. Air pump was at home instead of in the trunk. Duh. At 35 lbs it began to hiss a little so I quickly mounted and pulled it out of the road back into the parking lot. Mushroom plugs were not quite big enough for the good size hole so a tow was the order of the day. We both felt very blessed for the timing of everything. It could have been much worse. But I felt like a big failure as I recounted my actions and realized were I really blew it. This seems to be age related but there really is no good excuse for failing to properly inspect the tires at the three previous opportunities I had.

I have both AAA motorcycle coverage and Platinum Roadside through my membership with BMWMOA. I have never used either. I called Platinum Roadside at 2:07 pm first as I wanted to test that service. I realized Sunday service would be problematic. She took my info and told me to expect a call soon and said she would call me back to check on us. An hour later with no contact from anyone I called back. I was told a provider had picked up the ticket then called back after 30 minutes and canceled and they were still trying to find another provider. I told them I would call AAA and to make sure their provider called me before heading out to confirm AAA wasn't beating them. She said fine. A quick search of the city we were in showed 3 local providers who did motorcycle towing. All closed for the day of course.

AAA said it would take about an hour and would only transport one person with the bike due to Covid protocols. My wife arranged for a friend to come and take her home. It was now 3:15 pm. Her friend arrived and she was headed home by 3:45 pm. At 4 pm with no calls from either I reached out to friend in the area with a trailer. He was fine with helping and said he could be to me by 5:00 pm. I felt at this point that was the best bet. With no contact from either yet and not knowing how long I would be waiting or even sure if when they showed up they could properly handle the bike I said come on. At 4:15 pm I called both AAA and Platinum Roadside and canceled the requests. They both said fine. At 4:22 pm I got a text from Platinum that a driver was headed my way. Duh. They gave me his number so I called him. He said he was 90 minutes out. I told him I had canceled the request and he was fine. Poor communication on their end I guess. I really don't fault either company over how long it took since it was a Sunday. Just wanted to report the experience for those interested.

At 5 pm my buddy showed up with a 3 rail trailer he had just got with a purchase of a few dirt bikes. After figuring out a good place to back it in at a curb where I could get the bike up on elevated grass I used my last CO2 cartridge to get a little pressure up and ride to that spot. The ramp incline was way too steep just in the parking lot. We got the front tire up and into the rail but the rear was too big for the ramp rail. Fifth mistake. Pretty disappointed at that stage we had to go back to his house and get his flat bed trailer. We also had to re-install the wheel chock he had removed when he replaced the boards in that trailer. That is why he brought the other one first. We lost one of the nuts in the grass during that process of course and it was beginning to get dark. Found a replacement and finally headed back about 6:30 pm. Bike loaded fine on that trailer and was home at 8:30 pm.

I will update this post with my experience with the tire hazard protection replacement when that gets done. I have used it once before a few years back with no problems. Here's hoping.

Had trouble sleeping that night replaying everything over in my head. Really disappointed with myself as I know I should have and could have done much better. I am thankful we did not have to go down in order for me to learn some valuable lessons.

Your roadside assistance experience is not novel. We have Allstate RV Roadhelp and have had excellent service in prior years and events but had horrible (non-existent) service this summer with a dead bike in South Dakota. We also have an old camper van so Voni and I read posts from some RV groups. It seems that service from several of the services has become horrible. There seem to be several excuses. It does appear that several of the services use the same call center(s). When I was wrangling with them for four hours beside the road I was trying to deal with a call center in Mexico City. I have run out of good advice about who to use and who to call.

I wound up calling a somewhat local tow company to get us into town and a motel. What happened after that, with Allstate RV was even more a horror story.

mtraphagen · Oct 12, 2021

MOA towing worked out in the end...

In a roundabout way, we had an equitable experience with our MOA towing coverage. I've never had a car or motorcycle towed before, so this was a learning experience.

I came out of a store in Bethlehem, PA to discover that the entire valve (in the valve stem) on my rear tire had come loose (and subsequently blew out when I removed the cap). I didn't have a way to patch that so called the number for MOA towing. They said someone would be out in 45 minutes.

45 minutes later with no one showing up, called the towing company number MOA provided. They had cancelled the ticket because they don't tow motorcycles. No one told us.

So we called a local towing company, who promised to be out within 30 minutes.

A few minutes later, someone from MOA towing called to ask if their company had showed up yet. My wife told the call center person, "No, they cancelled because they don't tow motorcycles so please add a note to your file that we had to find our own company."

The company we called was there within 30 minutes, the bike made it home OK and my wife submitted the receipt to MOA towing. Ten days later, we received a check for all but $20 of our tow (it was $20 over the max coverage amount).

I'd call that fair enough.

In your case, you can't beat yourself up over a problem that seemed very slow to show itself to be critical. I try to plan for contingencies and worst case scenarios, but having the kind of foresight you apparently needed would require a lot of time and energy.

PoorUB · Oct 12, 2021

The last time I needed a tow I called 911 and apologized for calling as I didn't know who else to call, (before smart phones), told them I needed a tow, where I was at and I had a call back in a few minutes from the tow truck driver. He was there in in 15 minutes, got loaded up and on our way.

brownie0486 · Oct 12, 2021

PoorUB said:
The last time I needed a tow I called 911 and apologized for calling as I didn't know who else to call, (before smart phones), told them I needed a tow, where I was at and I had a call back in a few minutes from the tow truck driver. He was there in in 15 minutes, got loaded up and on our way.

One of the quickest ways to get a tow is to call a police dept. When I worked on two different depts, one had 3 tow companies on call 24/7, the other had 8 [ big city just south of Boston ]. If they call for next in line, the tow will be on it's way within minutes to your location.

It's something to remember when you run into a snag as some here have.

As a side note, I'll not be renewing my MOA roadside assistance when it's time to renew. I've got my normal tow from my insurance company and best roadside assistance that only sends someone who can tow a motor properly to begin with. Far too many issues with bmwmoa's roadside assistance carrier and system.

I would be some PO'd if I called and was told they'd be there in a specific time frame and then anyone cancelled that tow service for whatever reason while I'm stranded on the side of the road in 110F. In fact, a few hours waiting on the side of the road in that heat may find me suffering heat stroke or heat exhaustion and subsequently hospitalized. In that case, atty's would be notified and notices would be sent to those responsible for that long a delay with NO service [ it's a contract for service, and if it's not upheld, well, the attys get involved at that point.

akbeemer · Oct 12, 2021

When we needed a tow for Annie’s GS while it was still under warranty, so I first called the BMW roadside assistance number. It was Sunday so I was prepared for a slow response. A woman answered the phone and she was obviously at home with barking dogs and crying children, but she did turn down the TV. She was unsure on how to arrange a tow so after dealing with her befuddlement for ten minutes I hung up. Next I called the Allstate RV club number… same woman answered

. We got a room and the next day I rode 320 miles home, got my truck and trailer and drove 320 miles back to the motel. The following day I towed her bike to our dealership in Missoula and it was back on the road in less than an hour.

Omega Man · Oct 12, 2021

This is sorta an insurance/brokerage deal. The road service companies need their sub-contractors to give them a lower rate than their regular rate(s). The organizers may have never talked with who they are trying to get to help you out.
I subscribe to a service in the hopes it jinxes me out of needing it. The time I did use it some years ago, I was impressed with the experience. https://coach-net.com/
Mostly, I’m rolling self rescue. :blush

OM

brownie0486 · Oct 13, 2021

akbeemer said:
When we needed a tow for Annie’s GS while it was still under warranty, so I first called the BMW roadside assistance number. It was Sunday so I was prepared for a slow response. A woman answered the phone and she was obviously at home with barking dogs and crying children, but she did turn down the TV. She was unsure on how to arrange a tow so after dealing with her befuddlement for ten minutes I hung up. Next I called the Allstate RV club number… same woman answered &#55358;&#56616;. We got a room and the next day I rode 320 miles home, got my truck and trailer and drove 320 miles back to the motel. The following day I towed her bike to our dealership in Missoula and it was back on the road in less than an hour.

Back in my day, they called that P poor service. Seems the MOA is willing to take the money for the assistance program but not so willing to make sure their plan in place is reliable for members when they most need that service.

Why hasn't all these bad experiences been brought to the table at BMWMOA headquarters and fixed or changes made [ even getting a new carrier who will respond with services purportedly provided for funds received ] that do offer reliable service?

I don't get it, this is a BMWMOA failure when it's been reported for some time there's problems and they haven't been fixed. :dunno

pglaves · Oct 13, 2021

brownie0486 said:
Back in my day, they called that P poor service. Seems the MOA is willing to take the money for the assistance program but not so willing to make sure their plan in place is reliable for members when they most need that service.

Why hasn't all these bad experiences been brought to the table at BMWMOA headquarters and fixed or changes made [ even getting a new carrier who will respond with services purportedly provided for funds received ] that do offer reliable service?

I don't get it, this is a BMWMOA failure when it's been reported for some time there's problems and they haven't been fixed.

In our case it wasn't a service affiliated with the BMW MOA. But I recounted it as it seems to be a deterioration industry wide.

jandhumphreyme · Oct 13, 2021

I spoke with a tow operator who is on the call list of several of the "road side assistance" providers. He will not go out on calls for dead battery, flat tire, no gas, or local tow. The reimbursement rate is so low and time from delivery of service to collection of his bill is so long he wont respond. If you call him direct he'll fly as soon as he can, if the "roadside assistance subscriber" needs a tow outside the 20 or so "included miles" range he'll go, other than that, he's busy.

I don't blame him a bit, these service providers seem to think they have some kind of purchasing clout to drive market prices down, they don't. If they paid a decent reimbursable rate they'd get good, responsive providers, they won't, you get what you pay for.

Omega Man · Oct 13, 2021

Part of the trouble seems to be with customer expectations. A driver for AAA road service told me the story of a call for out of gas during a snowstorm. Upon arrival it was found the it was actually the callers snowblower.
OM

TEDZEMLICKA · Oct 13, 2021

On July 4th, 2005, the final drive on my 1999 K1200LT failed on Interstate 80 crossing the Salt Flats. I had upgraded to the AAA Plus coverage when I bought that bike. It took them about 90 minutes to get to me, about 5 miles east of Wendover, UT. I had packed extra water and was able to work on my tan that day. And it was a dry heat.

22600 · Oct 13, 2021

You came out OK

I've never needed a tow ( knock on wood) but was with a friend in Yellowstone one time that needed one. I took out my handy MOA Anonymous book and called a member in Jackson and he lined up a tow within minutes. Over the years I've used that book a few times and has always been a positive experience.

Seemed you came out alright in the end; you're right it could have been worse but it wasn't.

When passing other on coming riders I usually just raise a finger (index) and keep my eyes on the road. That way I don't have to feel disrespected when they don't wave back.

52184 · Oct 13, 2021

Well, I wave at every MC or scooter coming the other way; if they don’t wave back that’s ok. I figure if they’re clueless, anti-social, or have a cob up their backside that’s no reason for me to be the same.

I keep AAA family just for the maps and so my wife has someone to call if I’m not around. For the bike, my tow package is a cell phone with Anonymous Book and a credit card. In case of a breakdown my first calls are to the closest AB listings and/or the nearest MC dealer, regardless of marque, to ask for a recommendation on a local tow provider who knows what they are doing with a bike. I’d much rather be dealing directly with a tow provider, especially when it comes to hearing wait times and making sure they are properly equipped to handle a bike tow. So far, I figure I’m ahead on $$ expended vs tow services needed and provided.

Best,
DeVern

pglaves · Oct 13, 2021

GTRider said:
So far, I figure I’m ahead on $$ expended vs tow services needed and provided.

Best,
DeVern

A year ago I would have disagreed with this. But after our last interaction with Allstate RV Roadhelp I now agree with you.

vtbob · Oct 14, 2021

PGlaves said:
A year ago I would have disagreed with this. But after our last interaction with Allstate RV Roadhelp I now agree with you.

Yes..fully agree. The idea of calling the local police to recommend a towing service is a new thought for me and seems the most logical.

52184 · Oct 14, 2021

vtbob said:
Yes..fully agree. The idea of calling the local police to recommend a towing service is a new thought for me and seems the most logical.

Many law enforcement agencies maintain a rotation list of tow providers, so as to avoid complaints about favoritism. So, your recommendation is likely to be whichever tow provider is up next on the list. People who use local tow services, or are otherwise familiar with them, are likely to give a recommendation more on-target with your needs or circumstances. For me, that’s local MC dealers and Anonymous Book listers.

Best,
DeVern

brownie0486 · Oct 14, 2021

GTRider said:
Many law enforcement agencies maintain a rotation list of tow providers, so as to avoid complaints about favoritism. So, your recommendation is likely to be whichever tow provider is up next on the list. People who use local tow services, or are otherwise familiar with them, are likely to give a recommendation more on-target with your needs or circumstances. For me, that’s local MC dealers and Anonymous Book listers.

Best,
DeVern

When leo's call for a tow for THEIR impound or broken down vehicle obstructing traffic etc, it's next in line. When you call their non emergency number, asking for a recommendation for a tow of a motorcycle, they can recommend who they believe will be able to better assist on a MC tow. Ask for the number of such a tow operator, not have them call for a tow, which would likely be next in rotation.

If they were inclined to do so, they could recommend a tow service that they believe is better equipped to tow motors and then make the call for you. That's assisting a motorist on the road, not so much having to use next in line. One could also ask if they have a motor unit, and to speak to one of their motor officers for a recommendation.

If you just ask for a tow, then it's likely next in line which I would not do myself [ knowing many tow services aren't equipped to pick up a motor properly without creating further damage ]. Most leo's or communications personnel on a non emergency number will be willing assist in the information you seek. Asking for information on who to call to best tow a motor won't necessarily result in "next in line" service being dispatched.

It's beneficial if one knows how the support system in play works when requesting help and not just asking for a tow.

The Annon app/book and local motor dealers are also great resources as you suggest. My first call for a tow is to best roadside assistance, they send operators who can tow motors properly. Next is resourcing the AB on the app for local help and after that a call to dealer, then the PD for assistance.

mikegalbicka · Oct 19, 2021

I placed a call to the tire hazard protection number and got a pleasant woman on the line very quickly. She started a claim for me and gave me the claim number. When I take the bike in for tire replacement next week the dealer is to call them first to get authorization with that claim number. They will ask for the condition of the tire and tread depth. Once authorized they will reimburse me. Last time I was getting the work done on a Saturday and they pre-authorized it for me over the phone. I will report back after this is complete.

I have to get my lift back in the truck first so I can haul it to Haps.

mikegalbicka · Oct 19, 2021

The tire bead broke and the rim hit the ground for a few revolutions before we got fully stopped. The rim is scuffed pretty much all the way around. It is ugly but shouldn't affect the seal or performance. Any way to dress this out some or is replacing it the only option?

Learn from my mistake plus Platinum Roadside Assistance experience

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