A long time ago I worked in the Insurance industry for a while, and make no mistake, insurance companies are in the business of collecting premiums, not in the business of paying claims where there is any chance of dodging a payout. Great to see you not just going along with this but addressing it head on and publicizing the outcome. Thanks for posting this.

I've used RACV roadside assist as well BMW's roadside assist and both were fantastic. Very attentive and professional. I was riding my R1200CI with the intention of ending up at Uluru. Stopping at Ouyen I noticed the bike making strange noises and sure enough it got worse. I decided to head to Mildura and that was some task as the clutch completely froze making gear changes rather difficult. I had to time round-a-bouts and traffic lights so I didn't stop. Made it to the Yamaha dealer in Mildura and phoned BMW assist and within half an hour my bike was picked up. There was some talk of taking the bike to Adelaide as it was closer than Melbourne, the bike ended up in Melbourne. BMW arrange for a car to finish the trip. Most impressed with how things worked out. Top marks BMW!

Great video Steve. RACV Total Care are the same. There quick to take your money but when your in the shit they don’t want to help. That’s the way it’s going these days everyone is out to rip everyone off it’s getting worse. Ride safe buddy

Im pleased your claim with insurance went well and your bike is back. Good on ya sir!

Excellent show as usual

Cheers Steve glad got your bike back 🤙

Great to see you back! glad you got some results.

Always interesting, always informative as usual.

Good to hear from you mate. I too am looking forward to the adventure. Jim, UK. 👍

Steve, I have followed your channel since the early days and scratched my head wondering why you didn’t have more subscribers. Thankfully that is being corrected over time. Love your content. Being a CPA I get your frustration with BMW roadside assist but I think you got the best out of a bad situation breaking down at Ayres rock. Well done you! I have an ageing Winnebago MH and I take premium roadside and pay nearly $500pa. When shit happens you want certainty and plenty of insurance cover. Horses for courses. Cheers.

Great to see you back on the ol girl, I'm 2 days away from home after my 6500km lap of Tassie, been riding through 40-42deg heat for the last two days, not fun, back to Brissy Saturday. Ride safe mate

Good to hear they coughed up in the end. Shame you had to take them to task in the first place.

19.5k Subscribers might of been the encouragement they needed to review there decision…😉

Glad to see this content, and pleased you were able to resolve this issue with BMW support. Hah, I know the feeling for the bike, the one I bought as a newbie (gen1 Versys 650) is still my #1 road bike. And even though it's not perfect, it's done a whole bunch of road miles and taken me all over creation, and been a mostly reliable and loyal steed, so yes, I will keep it. Keep riding :)

Good to see you got your bike back Steve..... :)

In all seriousness, this road side services for cars or bikes is a real concern. Majority of travellers dont get road side assist on the chance they are going to break down in the city, they get it for when the shit hits the fan. Bloody disappointing. Your a calm character steve , not sure i would of been the same dealing with the weavers and dodgers. Would of been interesting if your bike was insured by alliance also.

Thanks for the update.

Glad use both have been reunited, looking forward to the new adventures in cooler weather

Thanks for explaining the results of the B'mer, had been wondering, thought ya must have sold up and moved to Bali !!!!

Good to see you back in the saddle mate!

Great to see you back out on the old girl Steve and thank you for sharing the story about the roadside assist and who the Insurance company is that provides that cover. I’ve started looking around to find a company to cover all my bikes and with this latest piece of information you’ve given us I now know one Insurance company I won’t be contacting for a quote. Looking forward to following your upcoming adventures mate. Cheers

Your headline statement is my creed. I smiled when I read that part of the Allianz letter that apologised for “YOUR breakdown”. Not the BMW’s. Lol. The BMW sounds sweet as, Steve. Keep it up! Cheers 👍🏻🙏🦘

Glad to see you back on your 1200.. bit quicker than the electric bike! Take care out there .. Nik South Oz

Happy to see you on your bike again. Looking forward to watching your next adventure 🍻

I was just thinking this afternoon that you'd been very quiet of late and up you pop. Good on you for taking the fight to the insurance company, job well done. It's been a hell of a summer alright, although not quite as hot in SEQ as I know you are having it in the west. I've done minimal kilometres on the bike these last couple of months, just the odd fang around Mt. Glorious...David Hunn

great to see you back ! 🤘🤘🤘

Some years ago I was going on a family holiday towing a caravan. At some stage one of the brake return springs in the caravan broke allowing a shoe to drag and build up heat without being obvious. When we stopped in Tiaro we realised the caravan was on fire. As I walked around to the right hand wheel it exploded from the heat. A guy from the IGA ran over and handed me a small extinguisher which I used to put out the burning brake fluid behind the wheel but the interior was on fire. We opened the door and pulled out the bicycles and folding chairs we could reach while smoke poured from the door. Someone had obviously called the CFS and amazingly within a couple of minutes a single guy pulled up in the fire truck, put on a respirator and went into the caravan and put out the fire inside the cupboard. There was actually no damage to the caravan interior apart from inside the cupboard. The caravan could no longer be towed due to the damaged brake and tyre. I had been an RACQ member for about 25 years and paid the top rate for premium cover which included any towed trailer. When I called and explained the situation they said that roadside cover did not cover fire damage. I explained that a mechanical breakdown made the van unable to be towed and had also caused the fire which had been extinguished and was irrelevant to the breakdown. They were adamant that they would not send help so we were stuck there with 4 kids including a 9 month old baby. Luckily a private tilt truck happened past and stopped so we got the van taken to a caravan repairer in Maryborough which luckily wasn't far but cost us a few hundred dollars. When we got it back I asked the repairer for a comprehensive report on the cause and sent it to RACQ with the invoice for the towing and a strongly worded letter of complaint. In return I received a cheque for the full cost of the tilt truck but no apology, explanation or anything. We had all our multiple vehicles as well as our house insured with RACQ and changed then to other insurers as they came due and apart from roadside assist for which there is no alternative we do not deal with RACQ any more.

If I’d known you be coming to my hometown (Harvey), I’d have come down to say g’day. Thanks for sharing. BT.

The bike is back 👍 let the adventures begin.

That dash cover though ❤

i agree with you Steve 40 degrees is to cold for riding enjoyment. greetings from the US where we read our thermometers right side up, you may have been stranded without your moto, but i throughly enjoyed your E bike journey.

I had a similar problem with the RAC in the UK last year. However, they did admit they got it wrong and compensated me OK. 👍

great feedback brother

Wow great informative video.. i forgot your also in Perth.. I'm on a road bike so dont do the dirt roads you do.. that said I've done 124.000kl,s in 6 years. 2 laps of Oz. Anywho back to,your vid, mate very impressive making them accountable for the rd side assist.. well played. Stay safe

A big sigh of relief I bet. Your mechanic is certainly looking after you and the bike too.

Good to hear you got a reasonable outcome looking forward to more of your work 👍🍻

Great video, have a good mate who’s taking his BMW ‘brick’ on the big lap. The bike is 50 years old!!!

They are great bikes. Unfortunately the dealer network and parts availability don't back up a great bike. In part that's why we have to rely on Rider Assist. Glad you took them to task and got your money back.

Every roadside assistance program I have looked at has limits as to how much they cover, including limits on the distance of the recovery. A policy that had a "we'll cover it at any cost" clause would be very expensive indeed. On one occasion many years ago I had a motorcycle break down a long way from home. The cost of the needed repairs, parts availability issues, and recovery made selling the bike where it is, as is the most economical solution. The money I received via the sale of the bike managed to pay for the flights for myself and my wife. I have to admit I moaned about the experience for some time afterwards, but now, looking back, the experience invokes a bit of a chuckle. Over my 40+ years of riding, I have taken many road trips some of which I have all but forgotten. But for those trips where something went very wrong, I have a clear and distinct recollection of the trip and the events surrounding the disaster. Just last year I bent a $2500 BMW front wheel after hitting a curb. The image of that curb is indelibly burned into my brain. Cheers

Good to see your B'mer is back up and running Steve. Also a bonus they honoured your policy. Harvey has a great bakery for a coffee and a snack. That bike in front of you all day would be quite annoying though. Roll on the winter riding season.

Thanks glad you're back. Recommendations for breakdown service?

Great to see a new adv motorcycle video on the channel. Always fun to follow your adventures ; - ) Can I please ask what helmet are you wearing? I've been in the market for a few months now, visiting all the shops in Melbourne, looking for a good fit, white adv helmet and still looking ; - )

Nice 1 mate

yea you are back

Some observations Seems you drove south to pick up the bike in a Norwegian sauna. You never stamped your passport when going over the narrows bridge. Once south of the river the weather improved, the traffic improved and the iq of the people increased 25% Good to see you back 😊

Sorry to hear about your trouble. There is a hard but simple lesson in this: In remote areas of Australia, YOU ARE the Roadside Assist! I wish you better for the future.

3 months is a very good turn around for W.A.

It would have saved so much grief for everyone if they'd have let you take the torque rod off the bike that had the accident when you were there.........but glad you're back in action. Look forward to the next chapter. Cheers.

Good to see you back on the bike. At least you got an acknowledgement they they did the wrong thing and a refund. And yes it's too hot.

Probably a good time to replace the final drive. I had the main bearing in my R1150GS fail at around 120,000k’s. I had thought the bike didn’t feel right but couldn’t work out why. I wasn’t till I walked out of the shops, a few days from home, and saw a group of riders standing around my bike checking out the pool of oil under the rear wheel that I realised what the problem was. On the 1150 the final drive in bigger then the 1200 and I got away with a set of bearings and seals. The mechanic told me that generally the 1200 final drives usually required a total replacement. It’s funny how afterwards a number of BMW riders told me that the final drive bearing often fail shortly after 100,000k’s I had no idea it could be an issue before it happened.

Thanks Steve, great to see the follow up. What is the App used at 09:43? Cheers, Stu

Good to see you back. Now I might sound like a whinger, that exhaust you were following was just plain obnoxious 😂

Thanks for the update Steve, glad you got the old girl back and running well

Nice one looks like you’ve lost some weight after that push bike adventure.

"The pen is mightier than the sword, but no match for a gun". - Source: The Beach Boys: Student Demonstration Time [1971]. Mike Love. Keep on keepin' on.

Really enjoy your videos (Subscribed) but, if I could ask a question, would it be possible to show the route/s you take (Signposts, Town named buildings, etc.) for the benefit of us other riders who would like to try the same route/s? I find myself always trying to work out the route/s you take and I should imagine others do too. Thanks.

Good to know as I have the same BMW Assist that I am paying since I bought my R1200RT brand new in 2014.

Hi Steve, considering the exposure for BMW adventure bikes receive soley because of you and your channel [at least 19.6subsribers to be precise]. The outback places you go and the terrain and weather conditions you put that bike and yourself thru and showing the world in the process. I would have thought they would have bent over backwards to help you especially in front of your audience, BMW should be sponsoring you in the first place. On a brighter note, what was that beautiful sounding bike in front of you with the L-plate? Very nice sounding bike, bit of a moto-guzzi or ducati sound to it? Safe travels, Cookie QLD.

Dont use Recover my ride Steve. Split tyre in Port Augusta. Speaking to the recover my ride guy, he was on his laptop at a train station with reception cutting in and out. With a number of call backs, I ended up getting a temporary fix at a car tyre joint. I had to do the work. They wouldn't touch bikes. No bike shops for a few hundred kays. No talk of a tow truck. The first time i rang, they told me they will call me back. 20mins later i had to ring them.

G'day Steve, glad you got that sorted. On a side note, what pannier bags are you running on the GSA?

Thanks for the follow up. Good to hear you got compensated. But it’s a bit sad that BMW touts itself as the king of adventure bikes, but doesn’t back that up with actions.

Good Result 😅

Mate, you did the hard yards with BMW Roadside Assist and even got a letter of proof from them that they will do better. You should have stayed with them because ur next breakdown would have been a guaranteed fix!!!

Gawd insurers.. Fought insurers after floods in QLD.. pack of dogs. Damn MC went under but chose not to claim and went it alone.. Good to see you have your ride back..

should have given the other insurer the idea to demand on allianz and bmw roadside assist. Im sure they would have had instant success

Looking forward to watching the next 100,000 K's. (What's the name of the song in this clip?) Cheers

The pen - yes, but whose pen Steve, and which little piggy did you let out of it???

There’s a guy in Tatong in Victoria who has a shed full of these adventure bikes, wrecking parts if only you knew

Wouldn't mind hearing hearing who your new road service ends up being. This affects a helluva lot of beemer owners. Side question, Is your fluro vest vented/mesh? I've been buying from Revzilla but would prefer to purchase local.

Was it cheaper for them to deny your road side assist then if you hit them up about it, pay your costs?

And a kombi!. You got a beach buggy hidden away there Stevo? Go take ride in one.

Shannons! Go Shannons!

My bike broke down in NSW due to something I was responsible for 15,000km earlier. It was an easy fix, but I didn't know it at the time as I didn't have my diagnostic unit with me. BMW Roadside Assist organised a tow truck and took it to the "nearest" BMW dealer. From what I could tell that tow truck probably travelled 600km round trip. I might have been lucky but it was an excellent experience for me.

Good result from a crap situation, I’m hearing more and more story of insurance company’s not honouring policy for trivial reason, how many 10s of thousands of $$$ do we spend on insurance over the years and most people will never make a claim.

Just wondering if you have ever been on the Anne Beadell Track, as l have been following a Dutch rider Adventure_Fever who has ended up coming a croppa 600km out from Laverton.

Highly disappointing from the roadside service! Especially since these bikes are marketed as a 'go anywhere' machine.

Mate, we need to understand that they have one goal: take as much money from the customers. Do they really care about you. NAH. Just like Govt's and Councils. That is unfortunately the reality. I am in the process of buying a new bike. Do I really care for my warranty, NAH, It's not worth the paper it's being written on. I will take it to my local mechanic for services and I am most likely to pay less. Roadside assistance in NZ, Maybe, a BIG maybe if you are very close to a Major city. I am so sick and tired of this BS from companies making false promises and ending up dodging their responsibilities. Owning a BMW is not our fault. With a comp that has many and many recalls and a 40% failure, you must make better choices. That is my peace of the coin. When I grew up, there was guarantees. Now, a Warranty is just a nice word to dodge responsibility. We do live in a screwed up system. I have being doing research and testing various different brand of bikes for the last 7 months. I will make sure, I will buy the bike with the least chance of failure and best value for money. At this stage, it looks like the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro. The Yamaha 900 GT P IS NOT AN ADVENTURE OR TOURING BIKE AS WELL AS THE 900XR BMW. FALSE ADVERTIZING. The BS really gets up my nose. I do sound negative but with very good reason. Stop wasting your money on roadside assistance and life policies. It's all BS. I have 3rd party insurance and theft insurance. That's it. If my bike gets stolen, I am guaranteed to only get 70% of the value although I ensured it for the full replacement value. If you read your agreement carefully, they have got so many hidden costs that you are actually lucky to get 70% of the real value. Life is a bitch, and then we die.

Your policy doesn't have a deductible? Insurance for big motorcycles in Thailand is very expensive and the deductibles are very high.

I can't speak highly enough of BMW roadside assistance In the 100,000 km I have my f800 GSA I was rescued with two flat tires for which I should have been better prepared both times they were incredibly helpful but to be fair I am very easy to deal with on telephone I had low expectations but exceptionally high results The final time I blew my rear shock absorber 1300 km out of Brisbane they had me picked up within 2 hours on a truck to Brisbane accommodated me for 5 days in Brisbane all work done under warranty As I say I cannot speak highly enough of the results that I had

Loved my GS . Had it ten years. Did remap and decat with Akropovich end can. Stonking bike. Would not swap my Tenere T7 and Honda CRF 300 rally replacements for another one as too heavy for me now.. Best bit about GS, bought for just over £10 k second hand with all the extra goodies and sold ten years latter and got £6 k for it.

thats why you buy Suzuki as you never ever ever ever need roadside assist

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with BMW Roadside assistance Steve. Maybe you just encountered the wrong person on the end of the phone (I'm not using that person's behaviour as an excuse because there is none) because I've used BMW Roadside assistance in the past over the years and I honestly couldn't more highly of them, they literally went out of their way to help.

I no longer use any insurance company, after yet another one ripped me off some years back. That includes the car and the house. Total boycott. I think people should instead open an additional bank account, look up an appropriate insurance payment, and pay it into your own account. I haven't as I'm now a pensioner and can't afford even that.

Sounds like you were placed in the 'Too Hard' basket. Insurance companies are the bottom feeders of the business world.

You're due a free replacement drive shaft. If there was any cost to you, you should be able to recoup the cost of that final drive. Every bike of our series (1200 and 1250 from 2013-2023) have just been included in a new BMW service upgrade (Feb 2024) for a FREE drive shaft replacement every 60,000 km. You read that right.... free.

Next adventure? Riding a BMW is an adventure.

Thier quick to take your money! You did the right thing, went elsewhere! 🍺🍺

Bought a beemer First and last !

That insurance company should have done their research... denying straight-as-a-die Steve his claim when he has almost 20k subscribers... well, now everyone knows who not to insure with, own goal, shot in the foot...

The old was it an accident or breakdown chestnut. You did well as a breakdown wouldn't have covered your expensive repairs. Yes, you cop the excess but you are way ahead. BUT!!!!!! With most policies you need to be on a gazetted road to claim accident insurance. The road into the Bungle Bungles isn't gazetted. A lot of tourists dont realise.

Good your back in the saddle….why couldn’t that bar be welded and braced? A competent welder with a TIG could have got you back on the road, at least to get you home.

Hi Steve, Glad to hear that purring engine again. Perhaps insurance companies should add a clause to their claims which excludes Bum Fuck Nowhere. The only problem with that would be defining BFN, I would add leafy innercity suburbs into my idea of BFN areas. I am always reminded that insurance companies were described to me as "condoms on the pricks of progress". PS Is your speedo or tacho not working or are my old eyes deceiving me?

Get a simpler bike, from a manufacturer that serves their customers locally or is local. Choose specially a Brand that’s doing no big shows to sell Adventures, and lifestyle, but builds bikes, cares about their dealerships and good stock and service on any rider. Less Myths, more down to earth. Yamaha and Suzuki.

I would have got some fibreglass cloth tape and epoxy and wrapped that rod you could have drove off

Hi Steve, at the end of the day you at least had enough resources to get yourself home in 1 piece On another note being a GS owner there's been an update from BMW regarding drive shafts kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bMtoobmLv9zJdHk.html

BMW will sell you the service but don’t expect them to actually honour it .. couldn’t you alloy weld the part with some reinforcement during those 3 months ?

I had a 2018 F800 GSA and the bearing in the sprocket hub flogged out the hub. Rang BMW for a new one, and was informed "no longer in production, and none available in Australia USA or Europe. Took me 6 weeks of searching the interwebs to track one down at a wreckers in the Netherlands. Bought it, fitted it, traded the F800 on a new Transalp. Fuk BMW, never again. Even the dealer told me BMW have given up caring about their customers

Stuff BMW Roadside non assist. You just cost them 100 grand in lost business and they dont give a stuff.

That's an awesome outcome Steve, pity you didn't get the assistance you paid for when you needed it most, but thankfully you could recoup some of the monetary costs associated with the breakdown. Looking forward to your next trip once it's cooled down a bit , it's been a bloody putrid start to the year in qld with the heat as well.

I’m sorry but 6 weeks to get a basic part from Germany is completely ridiculous. How can BMW Australia not have that part in stock, or how come they can’t air freight it for you? How many gsa’s are there in Australia? Are you telling me they have never broken one before? I import parts from all over the world all the time, usually within a week or two. That sounds like the worst customer service I’ve ever heard of. You should have told them to stick it where it fits and bought one on eBay. Apologies again, but if a company like bmw doesn’t want to look after its customers then stop supporting them. They are too used to guys with too much money putting up with their bs and need to be taught how to treat customers imo.