London - Edinburgh 2023 and the hopeless AA

[paul.jameson]

Organsied by Rob Jameson, seen here at the Ace Cafe on Wednesday evening. He completed the trip which he enjoyed thoroughly but is currently sitting by the side of the road as the bike has developed a serious misfire which he cannot solve. He called the recovery service he has via his Peter James Insurance. This is the AA, who he called about 1230 hrs today. Their current estimated time of arrival is 2220 hrs. So he is steaming, as any of us would be after sitting by the roadside for upwards of 8 hours so far.

[robjameson]

The London-Edinburgh run was largely a success, although rather smaller in numbers than I had hoped.

I wanted to do something memorable for my 40th birthday, and I have to say that acting the hooligan with Roger Gwyne on the road between Middleton in Teesdale and Stanhope will be a very good memory, along with the ride from Yorkshire up.

These days, progress through the heavily built up areas of the south is hard and slow going.

Sadly, as Dad says, on my return journey this morning, I developed a severe misfire on the side of the A7, and despite my best tinkering, at 12:24pm, I gave up and rang the AA.

3 hours after my call, I was advised that it would be another 3 hours before I was recovered. In sheer frustration, I cancelled my call out request and decided I had fixed the bike - which ran beautifully until it was warm, when it began misfiring so badly that I had to limp it in to the nearest town, a mere 5 miles from my initial breakdown point.

I called the AA back, reinstating the recovery. I was advised of arrival times which didn’t transpire. By the time I was moving again, it was 10:45pm.

I am currently stuck at Charnock Richard services, having been relayed by two different patrols. It’s 4:30am. My next relay is not going to be here until ‘estimated’ 8am.

This means that IF I get recovered at the time they say, it will be approaching 22 hours between the first call and me actually getting home.

[Steven.Carter]

Thats awful Rob. Thats no service at all. I feel for you .

Just looked at the time you wrote it,, 3:30am. Ouch

Steve

[keith.mettam]

That's worrying Rob as I am sure many members and classic bike owners are insured with Peter James. I trust you will be contacting Peter James to inform them of your troubles with the AA as well as bitterly complaining to the AA for such a miserable (non) service ?
Best wishes,
Keith.

[Bob Tuck]

I had two very similar experiences with the RAC , In the end it was clear that they were not comming at all and I then arranged my own recovery. Sounds like a failing Mag . It must be possible to carry a small double ended coil fitted with a circuit that gives a wasted spark settup and can be triggered by the existing points after being jury rigged . The Norton club used to have an emergency aid list of members who would be prepared to help in dire times , Not now.

[robjameson]

Hi All,

A quick update here.

My first call went in to the AA at 12.24pm on Friday, where I was told there would be a 2 hour wait for recovery, as I told them they didn't need to send a mechanic as I am one and I know that they couldn't fix it at the side of the road. An hour later I received a phone call to say that there could be an additional 2 hour wait from the 2 hours they already told me.

After 3 hours, I called again, to be told that the wait time was now 3 hours plus 3 hours, and that the earliest I would be likely to see someone would be 6.30pm ish.

At this point, I stripped the carb at the side of the road, finding that there was some muck in the float bowl and this could have been blocking the main jet, so I did my best to clean this roadside, which is difficult as it is not possible to remove the cap screw for the main jet on my soles at the roadside. Something I will have to rectify!

Having put the bike back together, I ran it and it seemed to be okay - so I called the AA back and said words to the effect of 'I have got the bike running again, and I am going to attempt to ride home, however if it goes wrong I will still need you'. The response was that they would keep the file of the break down but cancel the recovery request unless they heard otherwise.

10 minutes and 5 miles down the road, the symptoms returned, but worse this time. I pulled off the A68 in to a small town and the bike spluttered to a halt at the bottom of a hill. Since there was a pub at the top of the hill, I pushed the bike outside it and proceeded to call the AA. This time they put me in to the system and tried to get a garage to come out to me. The garage called me and said 'well, we can't fix that, and we can't take you home either, so we will call the AA and tell them'. Which they didn't - I did.

This admin error meant that my 'new' recovery time was unconfirmed. I got to past 7pm and with still no update, I called the AA back and gave them a severe telling off, given that I had not eaten or drank anything for 12 hours (sadly, the pub I broke down outside of was very rough and I did not want to go in there), it was 22 degrees outside, and there were multiple undesirables around my bike and several of them circling the village in vans, I told them that I did not feel safe, and had I been a woman in the same circumstances, they would have recovered me hours ago.

At this point, I was knocked off my feet by an offer from a South African gentleman who lived close by and had witnessed my plight, and presumably seen my increasing frustration in the AA's determination to abandon me. He came over and said 'I have a proposition for you, my wife and I are having a barbecue, why not come over and sit in our garden, have a few drinks and share our food, and we can chain your bike to the railings outside the house'

I could have kissed him! So, I was taken under the wing of this lovely couple, who restored my faith in humanity.

I was eventually recovered at about 10.15pm, and loaded by about 10.45 and away. The first recovery truck got me to Scotch corner, where the second was waiting, getting me to Charnock Richard services at 4am. Next leg didn't arrive until 8am and I eventually got home at about 10.15am Saturday - approximately 22 hours from my initial call to the AA.

I have to say that the patrolmen who relayed me were all fantastic, but the office staff and dispatchers were absolutely woeful, and when I return from New York (my wife and I fly there early tomorrow for my actual 40th birthday), I shall be sending strongly worded complaints to the AA and I will copy in Peter James.

On the positive side, the run itself was unforgettable, and I have raised over £200 for charity too.

All's well that ends well.