Major motorcycle breakdowns.

[gtm]

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On long trips, we've always trailered to somewhere near the area we are going, and then ride out from there. On occasion, we have had to send someone back to get a vehicle for a rescue mission ...

I knew someone whose bike spun a rod bearing on I-75 in Ohio while riding back from Deals Gap. I looped back and picked him up ... which took a while, 10 miles to next exit then southbound about 12 miles, saw where he was, then back northbound 2 miles. Left the bike there, took him to nearest town where we arranged a local tow. I rode back to Toronto, he took the bus, then took his truck down and got the bike. This was in the days before cell phones ... (and the Gap was posted at 55 mph back then, too. Good luck with that!)

Oh man. How did you know he had a mechanical failure? I guess no one noticed he was no longer with the group and you essentially had to go back hoping to find him not at the bottom of a cliff (ive never been to deals gap but I hear its pretty sketchy)?

 

[frekeyguy]

AAA will not bring it over the border....

 

[oomis]

I just came back from a trip to Colorado and Utah where there were mechanical issues on the road. Long story short, a valve stem cracked, and the rear tire deflated on the highway. It was a quick fix, nothing huge like a spun bearing, but were were dead in the water nonetheless.

I called AAA, and with my CAA coverage it was all good. I had to wait for 3+ hours because I was in a very remote area, but a truck and a trailer showed up. And I didn't have to pay anything up front - just signed the paperwork.

 

[jeero]

Call a friend and have them come with a trailer / truck or fly home after leaving your bike in storage and return with a trailer. Not easy but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

This

this happened to my friend and he rented a truck and drove it back, had no problems at the border. returned the american rental and got a friend to meet him at the border to bring it back home.

And this


CAA is like U-Haul, they will gouge you til there is no blood left. They make their money on kms.

 

[Brian P]

Oh man. How did you know he had a mechanical failure? I guess no one noticed he was no longer with the group and you essentially had to go back hoping to find him not at the bottom of a cliff (ive never been to deals gap but I hear its pretty sketchy)?

Read the post again ... this happened on Interstate 75 in Ohio, we were on the way back from the Gap.

Actually what happened is that we had just stayed overnight at a campground and there was a huge storm on the horizon, so we packed up and hit the road hoping to outrun it, so as soon as we turned onto I75 the throttles opened ... and not too long afterward, the other bike was nowhere to be seen in the mirrors, and it was pretty apparent that he wasn't following. I turned back southbound and eventually spotted him at the side of the road on the northbound side, then I looped back northbound to where he was stopped and got the story, and it was readily apparent at that time that the bike was going no further.

 

[nobbie48]

I haven't done the math but the main factors are the type of bike and the distance.

If the bike is a small enough to fit into a minivan it will be cheaper than renting a cube van for a HD or Goldwing. Renting a car and trailer could be a problem because some renters don't allow towing.

I would guess that a small bike not too far way would cost hundreds to bring home and a big bike on the other side of the continent would run in the thousands. If it's going to be in the thousands to DIY, the bike shippers would make more sense.

Alternately get the bike fixed where you are if time permits and the costs make sense.

If the bike isn't worth a lot what are the rules for getting rid of it in the USA as a scrapper?

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