Just call out my name...yeah, right!

I was riding along the A45 near Rushden when my ZX-7R caught fire. I bailed out asap. The bike was burnt but salvagable. The three emergency services arrived, called by motorists who stopped to help. I called the AA, the fourth emergency service, and asked for recovery.

They told me to ring back when the fire boys had given the bike the OK to be transported. I did. The AA sent a van, not equipped to recover a bike. As I had burns that needed treating I accepted a lift to my home near Peterborough from the patrolman.

I had to leave the bike unlocked so that it could be recovered soon. Four and a half hours later the contracted recovery team arrived, but my bike had been knicked. The AA accept no liability or responsibility for their error in sending out an inappropriate vehicle in the first place, advising me to leave my bike unlocked, waiting two hours before engaging a contractor who could deal with a bike recovery.

I had the bike from new, 10 years in fact, and had a lot of extras on it, not covered by insurance. That lot, combined with my excess for total loss comes to a considerable sum. This is the third (and last) time I have been let down by the fourth emergency service whilst on a bike.