Road Side Assistance? (Don't Laugh!)

[commande]

That is actually a really nice trailer.

[RubberSideDown]

I wonder if Honda Big Wing has a distance limit? It's possible to be quite far away from the nearest shop.

This is my roadside assistance program (not my bike- it's a promo shot from the trailer company- I'm waiting for them to finish building mine):image.jpg

Waiting to finish!

Amazing with a shop properly set up they should knock those out hourly...

I've been really busy and away from home, so I've been putting off delivery- I made a deposit months ago, but only recently asked them to get it ready (I also didn't want to waste any time off the initial registration and insurance as I don't even have my bike yet;))- they have the trailer and all paperwork (it's the paperwork that takes the longest) ready within about two weeks from when you ask them to get started on it.

[SpectrumAudio]

Greetings All,

I'm from Chicago but been living here in BKK for about 4 years now. Here are your options

AAA for USA

but here in Thailand, there are a few choices:

Royal Thai Ajutomobile Club

http://www.raat.or.th/home

Car World Club

http://www.cwc.co.th/

I have used both and carry both as it covers all of thailand Roads and expressway. For a Bike, I have seen them bring out Pickjup trucks to haul away non riderable bikes, they had a ramp they attached to the back of the pickjup.

As I have a business here, and I drive all over the country at very late nite, help is limited so i opted for these AAA type clubs. Also, keep the Royal Thai Highway Police number handy, or 191 (which is 911 for us Americans) jjust tell them car broke down and they have a list of 24hr tow trucks, most flatbeds tows to take your car/bilke to repair show. I have towed my trucks and Audi from Chomporn in the south to bangkok for repair.. tow was about 9000thb (300USD) and thje funny part was my audi was fixed by my trusted mechanic for like 2000 thb..

But anyways, Good luck if you need any more info just contact me or MSG me.

PS.. Just by being a member of American Express, they have 24hr roadside assistance..very good one. Also many credit cards and bank ATM cards have 24hr roadside asistance.. they are all networked meaning CWC,RTA and american express or mondial (uk) roadside uses the same team for ea area. meaning a Tow Truck for CWC will also have logo's for other Clubs as they sub contract from American express and all.. cheaper that way.

OAKIE

Oakie

[jollyrog]

I'm always prepared to 'self rescue' when touring on a motorcycle in a third world country. Here is an extreme example of one of my experiences.

50 kilometers South of Panjim, Goa, India riding alone on my Enfield Bullet I blew the engine while going downhill passing a row of busses.

With the premission of the home owner I parked the motorcycle behind a nearby house and hitchhiked into Panjim.

Upom making contact with the Enfield dealer I hired a dump truck and found 4 coolies nearby, then traveling to where I had left the bike.

After returning to the Enfield shop I spent the next 3 days watching the teenage mechanics doing a top/end job, ensuring their honesty.

Total cost was $40.00 USD and the bike ran great for another month through South India until I sold it for what I paid for it in Poona.

Riding in Northern Thailand since 2002 I have found a little bike for city errands and a big bike for traveling works well.

Enjoy Thailand ......it's good motorcycle country !

[bbradsby]

if you tour Thailand on an older ride, or even if you just plan on being in remote locations, you'd best know your bike's quirky bits and have spares and/or workarounds, along with a carefully-curated set of tools stowed for the ride. Thai roadside shack mechanics can do more damage to a proper bike [non-scooters are alien to them] than good as they randomly pull things off/apart/cut&re-solder wires for no logical reason but for chasing bad spirits out... heck, even with a new bike, a minor get-off can bend/break controls (parts of yr body, too) to the point of non-op status. If remote, you need to mend/replace/bypass bits enough to get you down the road.

By workarounds I mean, along with a pint of patience, have a working knowledge of the bike's components & systems so that you can fashion a quick fix by the roadside to get you home or to the next reasonably-sized town for the night. If yr bike has a series of Black Boxes for all systems, yr SOL if one fails, until a replacement part can be freighted in. Lesson: be kind to yr parts supplier in yr hometown.

A workaround example; having a Swiss Army Knife allowed me to surgically cut, strip & join two wires to bypass the kickstand kill switch on a bike years back that just died at-speed as I was riding home from Laguna Seca MotoGP one night. Knowledge of that particular model's known quirks helped me find the malady, along with some simple logic in troubleshooting.

On another trip, in Thailand, a solenoid just went tits up at a country gas station. Pulling the fairing to by-pass it to start the bike at each refueling stop was not ideal, but was also not a big deal, and got me home.

If you want to tour in Thailand on a non-Brand New Japanese scoot, you need to be self-reliant, and well equipped. Others maybe should just take the bus and enjoy the thrill of the ride and the scenery.

[bbradsby]

Benelli also offer 24hr assistance included in their warranty package.

24 hours seems a bit short but then again it's a Benelli, you might need it...

It's actually 3 years And who knows, It might turn out to be a better bike than the Thai built Hondas, only time and those pioneers who buy one will be able to tell.

the Benellis are now Italian-badged Chinese bikes, so are doubly-cursed

[jbrain]

Car in Thailand much safer than a bike - don't write it off so quickly. I own both, definitely much easier to be killed on a bike in Thailand than in a car. One more thing that will shock you is the insurance here. In the states it's rather expensive but has a lot of coverage, here in Thailand, if you dump the bike on the side of the road your not even covered if you have Premium Insurance (consider this full coverage in the states as a comparison although in the states you would be covered). Medical payments are low among other things. Then again it's cheap which is why the insurance is very limited.

I am from the USA also. If you plan on moving here permanently I suggest you still consider getting a car, you don't need anything special or expensive even though cars here cost almost 2 times what they cost in the USA, I recommend purchasing a new one and take care of it for 10 years, used cars and bikes are expensive here in a lot of cases not making them worth purchasing because you don't know the real condition or maintenance. But having both is a good thing, hot as hell in the summer here, riding a bike in 100+ F degree heat is painful in the summer after a time.

My solution for getting around. I have a little Ford Focus as my car, couple years old but and runs great with Air Conditioning , 500cc Honda CBR for fun riding when the weather is good mostly not in town, and finally a scooter - Honda Click for getting around town 90% of the time provided the weather isn't melting hot outside. All of them with basic insurance as I don't see the value of Premium Insurance here but this is my personal opinion others opinions might be different.

Roadside assistance, suggest you make good contacts and friends and carry money with you at all times. Money talks here, just about everything else doesn't.

You are a very brave man or you got 200K baht handy for bail bond in case you kill somebody in your car even if it's not your fault.

I never drive/ride 4 wheeled vehicles/big bikes without class A coverage, theft- bail bond- hospital coverage for millions of baht for involved parties.

If the shit hits the fan you can go to jail and/or be broke very quickly here so take your precautions which means: fully insured vehicles.

The vehicles are fully insured so I am not sure what your talking about. My insurance covers everything except my vehicle loss to include limited medical for me and my passengers and which I have a separate medical insurance policy that kicks in after that one is exhausted. I just don't pay for Premium Insurance in Thailand, I get the legal requirement and that's it. So no, I am not brave, I just assume risk for the replacement cost of my vehicles. As for your bail bond comment, your insurance is not going to post bail for you if you kill someone in a car accident and before you can post bail a judge has to deem you can be released on bail, that's an involuntary man slaughter charge among other charges they may throw at you, they don't even do that in the west. At least they don't in the USA, maybe they do in the UK or somewhere else.

Yes I have more than 200k baht handy sitting in my Thai bank account, again irrelevant...

Good luck with your basic insurance, and believing that they cover everything, when in fact they cover nothing.

I think it's a maximum of 15000 Baht in medical threatment for the other party.

You should have somebody Thai read the conditions for you.

[BirdsandBooze]

Benelli also offer 24hr assistance included in their warranty package.

24 hours seems a bit short but then again it's a Benelli, you might need it...

It's actually 3 years And who knows, It might turn out to be a better bike than the Thai built Hondas, only time and those pioneers who buy one will be able to tell.

the Benellis are now Italian-badged Chinese bikes, so are doubly-cursed

But, what's been your experience of your own Chinese built Benelli 600? At the M-Bike franchise in Nonthaburi Thais are buying the 600 as fast as the shop can get them, even though a Ninja 650 can be had for the same price. The bike is offered with a better warranty and a bigger dealer network than either Honda Big Wing or Kawasaki. My own experience of Kawasaki ownership here has been a bit of a disappointment compared to owning Japanese built Kawas in the UK.

[fxe1200]

The most probable reason for a breakdown on a MC is a flat tire. If you are going long distances it is worthwhile to have some tools to fix a tube, and remove the cause of the flat from the tire, as well as a pressurized container with some air inside. A tire pressure gauge also comes in handy, as a lot of gas stations, do have pressurized air, but no gauge connected. The most accurate tire pressure gauge can be found TESCO, the brand is DIFF, and the reading is up to 60psi, price 189 THB.

[bbradsby]

the Benellis are now Italian-badged Chinese bikes, so are doubly-cursed

But, what's been your experience of your own Chinese built Benelli 600? At the M-Bike franchise in Nonthaburi Thais are buying the 600 as fast as the shop can get them, even though a Ninja 650 can be had for the same price. The bike is offered with a better warranty and a bigger dealer network than either Honda Big Wing or Kawasaki. My own experience of Kawasaki ownership here has been a bit of a disappointment compared to owning Japanese built Kawas in the UK.

Who, ME? ... falls under the NBL(notbloodylikely) category... unless it were THIS model, but, then again she doesnt look very Chinese:

Sorry, the BN600 may be a great option here in LoS - I just hate to see a historic legacy motorcycle company such as Benelli sold down the river to some nobody firm who wants to buy a "name" and some Cred. But, will a wheezy 80hp 600 actually DO that?

[fxe1200]

Benelli also offer 24hr assistance included in their warranty package.

24 hours seems a bit short but then again it's a Benelli, you might need it...

24 hours is what the service mechanic needs to set the valve clearances on a 600ccm 4-cyl.

[Mudcrab]

if you tour Thailand on an older ride, or even if you just plan on being in remote locations, you'd best know your bike's quirky bits and have spares and/or workarounds, along with a carefully-curated set of tools stowed for the ride. Thai roadside shack mechanics can do more damage to a proper bike [non-scooters are alien to them] than good as they randomly pull things off/apart/cut&re-solder wires for no logical reason but for chasing bad spirits out... heck, even with a new bike, a minor get-off can bend/break controls (parts of yr body, too) to the point of non-op status. If remote, you need to mend/replace/bypass bits enough to get you down the road.

By workarounds I mean, along with a pint of patience, have a working knowledge of the bike's components & systems so that you can fashion a quick fix by the roadside to get you home or to the next reasonably-sized town for the night. If yr bike has a series of Black Boxes for all systems, yr SOL if one fails, until a replacement part can be freighted in. Lesson: be kind to yr parts supplier in yr hometown.

A workaround example; having a Swiss Army Knife allowed me to surgically cut, strip & join two wires to bypass the kickstand kill switch on a bike years back that just died at-speed as I was riding home from Laguna Seca MotoGP one night. Knowledge of that particular model's known quirks helped me find the malady, along with some simple logic in troubleshooting.

On another trip, in Thailand, a solenoid just went tits up at a country gas station. Pulling the fairing to by-pass it to start the bike at each refueling stop was not ideal, but was also not a big deal, and got me home.

If you want to tour in Thailand on a non-Brand New Japanese scoot, you need to be self-reliant, and well equipped. Others maybe should just take the bus and enjoy the thrill of the ride and the scenery.

Buy an old Harley, Norton, Triumph or Beezeer...fix yourself and much more fun to ride......if you can ride

[fxe1200]

if you tour Thailand on an older ride, or even if you just plan on being in remote locations, you'd best know your bike's quirky bits and have spares and/or workarounds, along with a carefully-curated set of tools stowed for the ride. Thai roadside shack mechanics can do more damage to a proper bike [non-scooters are alien to them] than good as they randomly pull things off/apart/cut&re-solder wires for no logical reason but for chasing bad spirits out... heck, even with a new bike, a minor get-off can bend/break controls (parts of yr body, too) to the point of non-op status. If remote, you need to mend/replace/bypass bits enough to get you down the road.

By workarounds I mean, along with a pint of patience, have a working knowledge of the bike's components & systems so that you can fashion a quick fix by the roadside to get you home or to the next reasonably-sized town for the night. If yr bike has a series of Black Boxes for all systems, yr SOL if one fails, until a replacement part can be freighted in. Lesson: be kind to yr parts supplier in yr hometown.

A workaround example; having a Swiss Army Knife allowed me to surgically cut, strip & join two wires to bypass the kickstand kill switch on a bike years back that just died at-speed as I was riding home from Laguna Seca MotoGP one night. Knowledge of that particular model's known quirks helped me find the malady, along with some simple logic in troubleshooting.

On another trip, in Thailand, a solenoid just went tits up at a country gas station. Pulling the fairing to by-pass it to start the bike at each refueling stop was not ideal, but was also not a big deal, and got me home.

If you want to tour in Thailand on a non-Brand New Japanese scoot, you need to be self-reliant, and well equipped. Others maybe should just take the bus and enjoy the thrill of the ride and the scenery.

Buy an old Harley, Norton, Triumph or Beezeer...fix yourself and much more fun to ride......if you can ride

In this case I would attach an oil cooler to he bike, and carry a spare set of contacts, spark plugs, condenser, and an extra auto advance unit with me. Besides, with a kick start model you won't have to bother with a "tits up" or sticking solenoid.

[Myaimistrue]

Just get a Honda, problem solved! Been here 7+ years with a Honda City, CBR 150 and now CBR250, which I just rode to Nakhon Si Thammarat and back; no problems!

[pinosho]

1st cause of death of foreiners in Thailand is....? u guessed right , Motorcycle accident +

Thailand is also among the top worldwide for the same cause!!

Why? because many Thai buy their D.L. + drunk and drive is a national sport + laws r poorly enforced !!

[illdietryin]

Thanks RSD, I figured it was something like that. I was just hoping there was some help to be found. I drove 1500 miles in Thailand last December in a rental car. It was like Mad Max. I drove like a madman when I was a teenager here in the states so I was sort of enjoying the wide ride for a while. Not look forward to getting into a car anytime soon again in Thailand.

Another statistic that all foreigners planning to visit, or already resident in, Thailand MUST be aware of is that this past year (a pretty standard one annually in fact) more than 26,000 people were killed in the road accidents nationwide. The number of injured is at least 10 times that. Riding a motorcycle in any developed part of the country is paramount to attempting suicide.. However, for those who are bent on finding out if there really is a 'Hereafter', or - for the fundamentalist warriors - an endless procession of young virgins awaiting them in paradise as reward for services rendered, it would probably be a pretty good 'Fast Track' option though... My advise - for what it's worth coming from a Thai national - is: Forget the bike and forget the 'roadside assistance'.. That of course is available, and you don't even need to join a club, but the 'bike owner' and any passenger onboard will in all likelihood end up being the ones who needs to be repaired, minus, of course, their wallets, bike and in many a case 'life itself'.

[RubberSideDown]

Thanks RSD, I figured it was something like that. I was just hoping there was some help to be found. I drove 1500 miles in Thailand last December in a rental car. It was like Mad Max. I drove like a madman when I was a teenager here in the states so I was sort of enjoying the wide ride for a while. Not look forward to getting into a car anytime soon again in Thailand.

Another statistic that all foreigners planning to visit, or already resident in, Thailand MUST be aware of is that this past year (a pretty standard one annually in fact) more than 26,000 people were killed in the road accidents nationwide. The number of injured is at least 10 times that. Riding a motorcycle in any developed part of the country is paramount to attempting suicide.. However, for those who are bent on finding out if there really is a 'Hereafter', or - for the fundamentalist warriors - an endless procession of young virgins awaiting them in paradise as reward for services rendered, it would probably be a pretty good 'Fast Track' option though... My advise - for what it's worth coming from a Thai national - is: Forget the bike and forget the 'roadside assistance'.. That of course is available, and you don't even need to join a club, but the 'bike owner' and any passenger onboard will in all likelihood end up being the ones who needs to be repaired, minus, of course, their wallets, bike and in many a case 'life itself'.

Sorry, but your advice isn't worth much, Thai national or not (most of us have been living and riding here for years, and very possibly have more experience on the roads in Thailand than you do).

Many of those deaths (26K is an exaggeration) were attributable to alcohol usage by the riders, and many more were due to improper gear (especially lack of a helmet)- most were caused by the same thing that causes motorcycle accidents all over the world- rider error (usually due to lack of training or practice, and, again, often compounded by drunkenness).

This is the motorcyclists section of TV (where we discuss roadcraft and safety precautions)- we know the risks, and your melodramatic, chicken-little post does absolutely nothing to change any opinions here. Encourage your fellow countrymen to wear proper gear and actually learn how to ride their bikes if you want to make a helpful suggestion- we'll all be better off.

'Paramount to attempting suicide...'- get a grip.

[SumetCycle]

Looks like Big Wing's roadside assistance is done by Mondial.

[NCC1701A]

Thanks for all this input. I have been reading Thai Visa for about two years, and so far I have been warned I am going to be killed by my Thai wife or girlfriend for my money, killed by bargirls, killed my the Thai mafia, Russian mafia, Chinese mafia, Japanese mafia, killed by Thai wild dogs, killed by Thai ladyboys, killed drving my motorcycle, killed driving my car, in a night club fire, killed walking on the sidewalk, killed crossing a bridge, killed by road side bombs, killed on a speedboat, in a van, in prison, in a hotel closet, by drunk Americans, drunk Ausies, drunk Brits, drunk Soviets, human traffickers, by my real estate agent, by the police, the Thai Army and eating street food. Did I miss anything?