revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Count Steer wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2026 6:47 pm Oh, and as an aside, when AA patrols were by smart, uniformed chaps on motorbikes they'd salute if you had an AA badge (proper solid, chromed things) on the bumper.

If they didn't salute it was a warning that there was a speed trap ahead.

Logic being that they couldn't be prosecuted for warning drivers....because they'd done - absolutely nothing.

Sadly I missed the RSO’s, I have ridden one at a company day and worked a bike, K75, during my time but I had an Isuzu Trooper, Transit, Maestro van and Escort van before becoming a manager in a non liveried car.
By all accounts RSO’s were a bugger to ride for more than10 minutes,,
Mick

636mick wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2026 9:28 pm Sadly I missed the RSO’s, I have ridden one at a company day and worked a bike, K75, during my time but I had an Isuzu Trooper, Transit, Maestro van and Escort van before becoming a manager in a non liveried car.
By all accounts RSO’s were a bugger to ride for more than10 minutes,,
Mick

When I was a kid, out for a Sunday jolly with the family, my dad had a problem with getting a wheel with a punctured tyre off the car. A passing RSO doubled back and the smartly uniformed chap got him sorted....and dad wasn't even a member! (But he joined as a result so the chap should have got a recruitment bonus ).

I was very impressed with the whole event.

Whatever my insurance company offer me but many good reviews for green flag.

636mick wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2026 9:28 pm Sadly I missed the RSO’s, I have ridden one at a company day and worked a bike, K75, during my time but I had an Isuzu Trooper, Transit, Maestro van and Escort van before becoming a manager in a non liveried car.
By all accounts RSO’s were a bugger to ride for more than10 minutes,,
Mick

What's RSO. ?

Yorick wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 9:14 am

636mick wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2026 9:28 pm Sadly I missed the RSO’s, I have ridden one at a company day and worked a bike, K75, during my time but I had an Isuzu Trooper, Transit, Maestro van and Escort van before becoming a manager in a non liveried car.
By all accounts RSO’s were a bugger to ride for more than10 minutes,,
Mick

What's RSO. ?

Roadside Service Outfit aka bike & sidecar

The AA used to have a guy in Colchester that used a Hardley Movingson, think that spent more time off the road than on!

AutoAid for us, not had to call them out as yet but they seem to get good reviews. Cover the person rather than the car, small excess to pay if the car is over 10 years old and I think there's a small additional premium to cover you in cars 15+ years old.

Over here there are no rescue services and it's illegal to tow a car. So we all get free breakdown cover with insurance

A couple of pals had their bikes shipped over to Gran Canaria free, as there was no official dealers here. BMW & Ducati

I have AA with my Nationwide Flex account. They work well for me. Last time the bike broke down I called them out and they were there in 15 minutes. Got me going again as well with a big bump start. Starter solenoid was dead. Now replaced.

We’ve had AA for years, personal cover for Mrs W and me for 2 bikes, car, 70 year old MG, 38 y o camper. Maybe not the cheapest, but they’ve been excellent, going above and beyond. E.g last time one came out to the van, had a chat about a complicated fault. I asked him how long he was allowed to work on it before he had to give up. He said “I haven’t ‘arrived’ yet, so plenty of time”!
I’ve had a couple of occasions when I’ve become the temporary ‘owner’ of someone else’s bike on a run. One involved a GS being relayed from the N Derry coast back to Cornwall after the NW.
I’ve heard (lots of) horror stories about the RAC, much more than any other Co.

The sad thing for me about the RAC isn't the actual service - on the few times I've needed them over the last umpteen years the actual people that have turned up - promptly - have been fine. It's the operation at the top. It's owned by private wealth funds and private equity outfits* only interested in ROI - and it shows.

Fish rot from the head so I wouldn't be surprised if the front line service does go/has gone down the tubes too. Good people will always find better companies to work for.

In a timely manner, my car insurance people emailed me a deal with Britannia yesterday. Need to get my double payment back first then I'm off.

* as is the AA

I bailed on RAC years ago as I found they sent out someone for assessment and then called the appropriate recovery, thereby massaging their response times. This was with motorbikes and not cars though.

Taipan wrote: Wed Mar 11, 2026 7:59 am I bailed on RAC years ago as I found they sent out someone for assessment and then called the appropriate recovery, thereby massaging their response times. This was with motorbikes and not cars though.

I found that initially, then realised that if you're insistant enough with the call handler that it's "NOT" repairable, they just send the recovery straight away, you've got to realise how they work, and play the game.


I'm still with the RAC, have been for years - but the renewal just came through at £175, so if I can get my arse into gear, I'll probably find something cheaper - depending on how easy their enrolment processes are....

Wossname wrote: Tue Mar 10, 2026 11:26 pm
I’ve heard (lots of) horror stories about the RAC, much more than any other Co.

I had a nightmare with them when the ZXR400 fell over on the recovery truck (inexperienced truck driver* strapped it down using holes cut into the pillion-peg heel guards.... ). Took a LOT of effort to get them to pay up.




* Funnily enough he was someone I knew - his previous job had been a workshop manager with the bike shop franchise where I had been working as a vannie. I'll just say it now.... no bike ever fell over in MY van!

Rockburner wrote: Wed Mar 11, 2026 10:17 am

Taipan wrote: Wed Mar 11, 2026 7:59 am I bailed on RAC years ago as I found they sent out someone for assessment and then called the appropriate recovery, thereby massaging their response times. This was with motorbikes and not cars though.

I found that initially, then realised that if you're insistant enough with the call handler that it's "NOT" repairable, they just send the recovery straight away, you've got to realise how they work, and play the game.


I'm still with the RAC, have been for years - but the renewal just came through at £175, so if I can get my arse into gear, I'll probably find something cheaper - depending on how easy their enrolment processes are....

If you don't renew, they'll phone you and then start emailing % off offers if you ignore the calls. It's something like an 0333 number iirc.

I did once phone them to say I wasn't renewing because the AA were offering an excellent deal via Screwfix. They just said 'we'll match that' with no haggling at all

Count Steer wrote: Wed Mar 11, 2026 11:46 am

Rockburner wrote: Wed Mar 11, 2026 10:17 am

Taipan wrote: Wed Mar 11, 2026 7:59 am I bailed on RAC years ago as I found they sent out someone for assessment and then called the appropriate recovery, thereby massaging their response times. This was with motorbikes and not cars though.

I found that initially, then realised that if you're insistant enough with the call handler that it's "NOT" repairable, they just send the recovery straight away, you've got to realise how they work, and play the game.


I'm still with the RAC, have been for years - but the renewal just came through at £175, so if I can get my arse into gear, I'll probably find something cheaper - depending on how easy their enrolment processes are....

If you don't renew, they'll phone you and then start emailing % off offers if you ignore the calls. It's something like an 0333 number iirc.

I did once phone them to say I wasn't renewing because the AA were offering an excellent deal via Screwfix. They just said 'we'll match that' with no haggling at all

I seem to have auto-renew turned on.... so I'll have to phone them to cancel it.

Rockburner wrote: Wed Mar 11, 2026 10:17 am

Taipan wrote: Wed Mar 11, 2026 7:59 am I bailed on RAC years ago as I found they sent out someone for assessment and then called the appropriate recovery, thereby massaging their response times. This was with motorbikes and not cars though.

I found that initially, then realised that if you're insistant enough with the call handler that it's "NOT" repairable, they just send the recovery straight away, you've got to realise how they work, and play the game.


I'm still with the RAC, have been for years - but the renewal just came through at £175, so if I can get my arse into gear, I'll probably find something cheaper - depending on how easy their enrolment processes are....

What was annoying was twice it was a tubed tyre that was punctured. Okay first time they sent a guy out who said, yeah I cant plug that, I'll call for motorcycle recovery. It was only a short time after the same thing happened and despite my telling them it was the same bike with the same problem and I needed motorcycle recovery as before, they sent out someone (same bloke) to see it and of course we went through the same scenario.

I'd made my mind up not to renew with them after that, but I had to call them out again when my bike boiled its battery cos of the regulator failing. Bloke comes out and tells me what I've told them, that i need recovery, and calls for bike recovery as he doesn't do it. When the recovery arrives (SOS Bike recovery each time) he tells me the RAC don't have any bike recovery vehicles (this was a long time ago and may have changed) and they send a RAC man to respond, as it gives the good response times for their ratings or suchlike, and added that, outside of plugging a tyre, the RAC just call them (SOS) out to take the call and the RAC move onto the next call.

I think this was back in (Visordown?) TRC days, as I remember talking about it and people confirming it. Anyway, I switched to a couple of firms and ended up with AutoAid and received such good service with them , that I haven't looked at anyone else since.

Yes, there’s a lot more to it than just “response time”, tho that’s an easy statistic to manipulate.

Rockburner wrote: Wed Mar 11, 2026 12:05 pm
I seem to have auto-renew turned on.... so I'll have to phone them to cancel it.

Happened to me once so I put a reminder in my calendar - check auto renew is off - 2 months before the due date. (Same with Norton - they'll gouge customers at every opportunity too ).