Roadside Assistance
 

Is there a national network for roadside breakdowns or are you on your own? I'm most concerned about punctures, having never had to deal with one on my own. RAC has always been there for me.
Do people carry a plugging kit and compressor? Isa the slime stuff as good as it claims to be.
I should say that my Varadero has tubeless tyres (Tourances)
Thanks
Dave

No national network that I am aware of, though I understand that the Dutch version of the AA have agents in country, including Pete at Bikershome (search the HUBB). I've also heard that German ADAC covers Morocco, but don't know if that is true. There are plenty of tyre shops all over Morocco, who are very capable, and will fix you easily, though decent bike rubber is rare.

Re punctures, I've used tubeless tyre plugs a number of times, and found them very straightforward to use. On my first trip from UK to Morocco in 2008 on an old Hinckley Daytona we covered about 7000 miles and I got 2 punctures - one in Spain, and one in France! Both repaired with tubeless plugs. Hadn't had one since til I went to the NEC last November, and picked up a screw on the M40 - arse! Tubeless kit did the trick again, though.

The TipTop ring shaped plugs as supplied in BMW tool kits are excellent, but I've not been able to buy replacement plugs, so use the cheap Weldtite plugs with the TipTop reamer and standard patch glue. At a push you can get 2 or even 3 of these into a big hole and it stays put for the life of the tyre. Not recommended for autobahn use, but it'll get you home! Don't forget a pump: a decent push bike one is probably a better bet than CO2 cartridges, as you'll need 5 for just one inflation of a rear bike tyre, and the cheapo £3.99 compressors take forever, and are not very long lived in my experience.
Have a great trip - much Moroccan tarmac is better than the knackered surfaces we're having to endure these days.:thumbdown:

I shall be joining ADAC next time round. They offer full European assistance at a fraction of the cost the AA charge just for UK cover. They have English speaking phone operators and your call is subcontracted to local firms as a priority rescue.
If they have agents in Morocco as well, that's the icing on the cake!!

Adac
 

I've been with ADAC for a couple of years now. Membership was 98€ which covers me and my wife and any vehicle in which we're travelling including travel insurance.
I took out this cover as they provide subcontracted assistance in Morocco & Tunisia. ADAC arrange repair/recovery, you pay the local guys and ADAC refund all payments made. Will let you know how well it works in practice if I ever need them.

Happy trails,

Peter

Great tip about the ADAC for non-Germans. If it works, that changes everything for us usually unassisted Brits.

Ditto to everything Bob advises and says; there are some great paved roads down south and many pistes are easily manageable, even on a 'dero with Tourances.

Ch

The name Mondial jumped out of my brain when I read this - pretty sure they offer this in Morocco from memory:

https://www.allianz.com/en/about_us/...s/morocco.html

Website link doesn't work but that not unusual.... or maybe they have changed their name. I'm assuming ADAC would contact Mondial in Morocco?

(Thanks for ADAC info - is their an age limit on the vehicle you use? Mine is 22 years old etc)

I've seen someone call ADAC right down on the WS / Mauri border when they fell off and their BMW was damaged, and ADAC agreed to collect it. I'm not sure I'd want to sit at the side of the road down there waiting for the truck to turn up (the rider flew back to Germany in this case) but at least the bike would eventually get back.

Thanks everyone for your input. Think I'll invesst in plugging kit ande compressor.
Cheers
Dave

ADAC is pretty good for their cover alright and they cover you as everybody says.

Be aware though, that if you have 3-4 incidents inside 2 years outside of Germany they may deem you not economically and downgrade you to cover inside Germany only with no option to upgrade to their Plus cover again.

Pain in the b*** if you don't live in Germany. Just keep that in mind, when you have the cover from them and use it.

That's pretty much the only downside with them. Beyond that there are no other snatches and it's hard to find the same value for money elsewhere.

/M

RAC will also cease cover if you have more than 3 call outs, but within the same year. They don't tell you, you just find out when you ring them up for the 4th time!

Ah no, ADAC won't do that to you. They'll send you a letter one month before they downgrade you. Then they only cover you under their normal domestic service with no option of upgrading again.

/M

Warning: my experience in the UK (from a Morocco trip back in 2007) is that if you ask about Morocco first they won't give you any cover for Europe only! So cover yourself for Europe and don't mention Morocco. Don't forget to practice tyre changes - it's easy once you know how and increases your confidence with the bike. I took spare tubes and a cheap Chinese air compressor (no punctures anyway!).

The ANWB in the Netherlands gives you the choice for Europe or Europe XL coverage. Europe XL is more expensive but it covers Europe plus some other countries like Morocco. I don know if you need to live in the Netherlands to get it.
Website: Wegenwacht Europa XL - Pechhulp buiten Europa (sorry, it is in Dutch)

I am in France now, on my way to Morocco.

That's not my experience eeyore. I specifically asked ADAC if my 23yr old Defender would be covered whilst in Morocco and was assured that it would be.

Here is the email the ADAC sent me...

Dear Mac,

We are pleased to tell you that you can become an ADACPlusMember as a resident of another country within the European Union.

Apart from the classic ADAC membership we can now offer you the new ADACPlusMembership that combines the standard membership with the ADAC-Euro-Schutzbrief policy.

As an ADACPlusMember you are entitled to a wider range of benefits in Germany. Moreover, we offer Europe-wide assistance and financial support. In case of illness and injury we even provide world-wide assistance. However, the ADACPlusMembership does not cover medical or hospital costs .

The attractive service package of the ADACPlusMembership provides you and your partner / spouse with German- and Europe-wide cover for your own or third-party vehicles following breakdown, accident or theft. In addition, any driver is entitled to these benefits when driving a vehicle registered under your or your partner's / spouse's name. If the vehicle is immobilised following a breakdown or accident or has been stolen, we offer the following benefits:

- Breakdown and accident assistance (§ 23)
- Assistance with lost or defective car keys (§ 24)
- Towing (§ 25)
- Vehicle off-road recovery (§ 26)
- Accommodation costs following immobilisation of vehicle (§ 27)
- Transfers following immobilisation of vehicle (§ 28)
- Travel expenses following immobilisation of vehicle (§ 29)
- Vehicle transport (§ 30)
- Pick-up service (§ 31)
- Spare parts dispatch (§ 32)
- Customs clearance and scrapping of vehicle (§ 33)

The benefits of the ADACPlusMembership are accounted for on the basis of the address supplied in the membership. If in our files the UK is kept as your residence, the benefits are delivered to the UK. Should the transport of your vehicle be required it would be transported to the UK.

Comprehensive security provided by the ADACPlusMembership is available at € 79.50 per year.

There is no age restriction concerning the ADAC PlusMembership.
Please notice: In the ADAC Insurance conditions of the ADACPlusMembership, the area of validity is the so-called geographical europe (including the Azores, Balearics, Iceland, Malta, Spitsbergen) plus the non-european neighbouring states of the Mediterranean Sea (Egypt, Algeria, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Marocco, Syria, Turkey, Tunisia, Cyprus) and also the Canary Islands and Madeira. The eastern border starts in the north part of Russia with the Ural Mountains, continues in the south untill the Ural River (Kazakhstan) and ends at the Caspian Sea close to the city Gurjev/Kazakhstan. The States Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia are also included.

The ADACPlusMembership protects all vehicles regardless of the vehicle type, which do not exceed the following measures and dimensions:
max. vehicle length 10,- m
max. total length 2,55 m
max. total height 3,- m Motorcaravans max. 3,20 m
max. admissible total weight 3,50 t Motorcaravans max. 7,50 t
max. number of persons (incl. driver) 9 persons
The insurance covers free of charge the towed one-axle trailer which includes the above mentioned dimensions and weights (including cargo). Trailers whose axles are less than 1 m apart are regarded as one-axle trailers.

For motorhomes exceeding the defined maximum dimensions, the following benefits shall be excluded:
- Off-road recovery (§ 26)
- Vehicle transportation (§ 30)
- Passenger transport "Pick-up" (§ 31)
- Vehicle customs clearance and scrapping (§ 33)

Do not hesitate to contact me for further information.
Yours sincerely
ADAC-Service
Mitgliedschaft und Versicherungen
Tel.: (089) 76 76 66 32
Fax: (089) 76 76 63 46
E-Mail: mitgliederservice@adac.de
Impressum

The little numbers relate to their terms and conditions. There is a thread on the Morocco 4x4 Forum with links to ADAC Terms and condition documents in English. I have been with them a year now. Touch wood, I cannot speak for the service if needed.