Subject: Re: On Second Thought
Author: Frank Casssese
Date: Sep 18, 2002, 5:57 PM
Post ID: 1711039856
Sorry for your problems Pat, but at least we all know what to expect.
Coming to the Olema Campout?
Frank
On Wed, 18 Sep 2002 20:36:32 EDT Patrick Hayes <peha-@aol.com> writes:
| Recently I posted to the list seeking opinions about emergency road services. I have been an MTS member for 8 years with only two tows. At the end of August, I jumped ship and converted to the new AMA MoTow service mostly for lower price and better features. I have already had my first experience. You be the judge. I ride a new (4 months ago in May) 50cc Aprilia scooter for my short daily commute. Started fine this morning. Started again at noon for a lunch errand. Came out of the store after 5 minutes and it was dead. Key would light the dash lights and prime the fuel pump slowly, but hit the starter button and everything went black. Everything goes off with the key, so it is not possible to inadvertently leave something on and drain the battery. Had a passerby help me jump start with battery cables. Starts and runs fine until you take off the cables and it instantly dies. Is strongly suspect an internal battery failure. Diagnostics tonight. I called the AMA service. The people were very nice. Truck was there in ten minutes. A regular hook truck with some big nylon straps. How are you going to hoist this, I asked? Oh, I do this all the time to full-dress Harleys. OK, I'll watch. This scooter is about 10% metal and 90% plastic panels. He starts by wrapping the strap around my little 3/4" hollow exhaust header pipe and my rubber water hose for the liquid cooling. That's no good. Now he wraps the straps around my luggage rack that has an 11 pound carrying capacity label. That's no good. Well, he says, you obviously don't want us to tow it. Tosses his straps in the truck, hops in and leaves. WTF? I called AMA back and said the only way to haul this was with a flat-bed truck and NOT a hook. First, a 5 minute hold to seek a supervisor. They don't allow you to have two services within 72 hours. Huh? Never saw that in the fine print. Anyway, I still haven't had the first service. The supervisor authorizes and I discover that the flat bed service will be about 45 minutes away. I wait. He shows. No special motorcycle restraining straps such as bar end straps, etc. After it is loaded onto the bed, he wants to wrap his nylon ties around my mirror stems to anchor the scooter. We finally got it fairly secure for the 5 mile ride to home. A very rough ride since we weren't compressing his suspension springs much at all. Three hour delay because I was running an errand over my lunch break. Thankfully, my boss is out of town. Looking at the remaining bikes in my garage, I can't imagine any of them on a sling hook. My SPII with those plastic lowers? Regina's Centauro with all those voluptuous bulbous protrusions? If you call, INSIST that they arrive with a flatbed. Maybe you could even lie and tell them you have a sidecar? I could have gotten a ride home and come back in the evening with my own trailer. Probably should have in retrospect. But, I paid for the service and I expect it to perform when I need it. Patrick Hayes Fremont CA |
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