Roadside Assistance

[docc]

Most insurance companies offer some sort of roadside assistance coverage. Years ago, I learned the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) included roadside assistance with their membership (currently #49US per year). They also send a nice magazine with motorcycle stories, history, and news. My first riding buddy, and dear friend Mr. Bruce Heath R.I.P., was a lifelong member as he felt they are a significant ally for motorcyclists' rights in the USA.

The roadside assistance benefit was especially compelling as it included all owned motorcycles and all passenger vehicles including those of children away at college. The AMA has come through for me, and my son away at school, several times over the many years of my membership.

Recently, I learned that the additional passenger vehicles are only covered under an additional cost plan and the motorcycles must be registered with the AMA to be covered. This change occurred March 2024.

So, if you are , or know anyone, who is an AMA member counting on roadside assistance, be certain to contact the AMA and register your bikes!

https://americanmotorcyclist.com/

[docc]

AMA members: Also note that your bikes have to be re-registered at every renewal to remain covered.

I am currently looking at alternatives including Hagerty Insurance.

https://www.hagerty.com/

[Lucky Phil]

2 hours ago, docc said:

AMA members: Also note that your bikes have to be re-registered at every renewal to remain covered.

I am currently looking at alternatives including Hagerty Insurance.

https://www.hagerty.com/

I expect the Harley insurance will be very cost effective due to shear scale of the business. Not sure about wait times though, cuing up behind all those Harley riders waiting to be carted back home. Here in Aus every Harley club ride has a following retrieval van/ute. Thats why they call them them "Cattle dogs" here. After a bit of a run in the country they just love a ride home in the ute.

Phil  

Edited Wednesday at 11:02 PM by Lucky Phil

[docc]

Heh, "cattle dogs" . . .

The "Hagerty " Insurance I linked is not "Harley" (as in Harley-Davidson), but a respected classic and collectible vehicle insurer.

I have been a member of the Hagerty Drivers Club for many years and it includes a good roadside assistance coverage (100 mile tow etc). I confirmed today that my motorcycles are covered. They balked at the Honda, but immediately declared the Moto Guzzi "collectible!"    

[Lucky Phil]

2 minutes ago, docc said:

Heh, "cattle dogs" . . .

The "Hagerty " Insurance I linked is not "Harley" (as in Harley-Davidson), but a respected classic and collectible vehicle insurer.

I have been a member of the Hagerty Drivers Club for many years and it includes a good roadside assistance coverage (100 mile tow etc). I confirmed today that my motorcycles are covered. They balked at the Honda, but immediately declared the Moto Guzzi "collectible!"    

Sorry docc, misread.

Phil

[footgoose]

My personal experience having owned 7 Harleys is that all 3 of my pre 1980 bikes were quite unreliable. Spewing gas, or oil, or parts intermittently. Once my battery cable was severed by vibration. I was young and took it in stride. All 4 of my post 1990 bikes were quite reliable, as in zero problems. Wish I could say the same for my Guzzi. Getting better results with constant management but owning it these days, feeble and pissy as I am, it requires roadside assistance insurance. Thanks for the update Docc.

[activpop]

I have AAA Premium. 100m tow, with one 200m tow per year. Covers all my vehicles and my two daughter's at different addresses.  Bikes, trucks and cars. Plus trip disruption insurance. I'd have to read the fine print on that one.

[Pressureangle]

15 hours ago, Lucky Phil said:

Sorry docc, misread.

Phil

...but not actually wrong lol

[Pressureangle]

I have towing per-vehicle on my Progressive policies, for cars and bikes. Altogether ~45/yr

I have AAA as an add-on to a friend, something like ~$15/yr?
I also have Hagerty towing for my '68 Charger. They recently changed from 'any household vehicle' to only listed covered vehicles. Nevertheless. 

Seems like a lot, but I got wrecked towing the bikes on a trailer and only mixing and matching got everything home without cost. Progressive towed the truck, AAA paid to tow the trailer. Worth it. 

[Lucky Phil]

23 hours ago, footgoose said:

My personal experience having owned 7 Harleys is that all 3 of my pre 1980 bikes were quite unreliable. Spewing gas, or oil, or parts intermittently. Once my battery cable was severed by vibration. I was young and took it in stride. All 4 of my post 1990 bikes were quite reliable, as in zero problems. Wish I could say the same for my Guzzi. Getting better results with constant management but owning it these days, feeble and pissy as I am, it requires roadside assistance insurance. Thanks for the update Docc.

Don't forget the recovery insurance also covers ending up in a ditch on the side of the road. The "Harley ability to negotiate corners" insurance 

[leroysch]

Also, note that the current "AMA Life Member Plus" card no longer has the roadside assistance phone number on the back. When I called to ask why, the rep said that they were considering changing their service provider.

Regarding HD roadside assistance an anecdote: I lowsided a Pan Am in MN, broke my leg, and knew that HOG would haul it to the nearest HD dealer. I was close to Grand Forks, ND and knew that a dealer was there from travels years ago. Googled them to see it they were open (it was a Sunday)...and found out they were permanently closed. Knew the bike would now have to wind up in Fargo.

Called for roadside assistance and it went something like this:

"Need a tow from E. Grand Forks, MN"

"No problem, we'll haul it to the dealer in Grand Forks, ND"

"They're closed."

"Well.....it is Sunday, after all...."

"Nooo....out of business type closed!!!"

"One moment......(off-line supervisor consultation).....we'll haul it to Fargo."

This pretty much foretold the luck I had for the other steps getting the bike back to MO.

[docc]

Another note on registering a bike with the AMA:

Apparently they require the VIN to verify that the vehicle is a motorcycle since they charge a membership upgrade (double the dues) to cover passenger vehicles now. The system could not verify the Moto Guzzi VIN. Contacting a nice lady via email, she added it but the ID card only produced for the Honda. Notifying her, she said she could see that and would look into it. Haven't heard back, yet (just a few days, but must stay on the "to-do" list . . .)

In the meantime, I made sure I have Hagerty Drivers Club cards on the bikes (100 tow, versus the AMA 35 miles). On the phone with Hagerty, they could not verify the payment method for my automatic renewal. Apparently, they too are making some changes and there is some question whether they will continue "stand alone" Drivers Club memberships into 2026 (without an insured vehicle).

One take away: just because we had roadside assistance at one time, we should verify the coverage each year before getting a let down at a break down.