Day 7 - Yet Another Breakdown

At midday, I loaded up my bike and pressed the starter button. Instead of bursting into life, it made a funny clicking noise. I diagnosed it as having a flattish battery, although I couldn't understand why. After several more attempts, my bike finally and reluctantly fired up.

Luckily I had over half a tank of fuel, so l could give my bike a good run before I needed to fill her up. I hit the motorways of the M23 and M25. The right tunnel of the Dartford Crossing was shut and I smugly rode around and through the gridlocked traffic and through the tunnel free of charge.

After coming out the other side of the tunnel, l decided it was an opportune time to stop for a wee break, then fuel up IF my bike started. I pulled into Thurrock Services, parked up, turned the engine off and headed in to use the facilities.

I returned to my bike and confidently turned the ignition on and pressed the starter button. To my horror it made the same clicking noise without it firing into action. Oh for f**k sake.

After numerous attempts, I accepted my fate that I was not going to be able to start my bike and I would not be going to Norwich tonight.

Luckily my bike was covered for free vehicle recover. I activated my Call Assist Vehicle Recovery App, which required me to enter my details and location. A few minutes later, the App informed me that a recovery truck would be within an hour.

Less than 30 minutes later, Martin from Fairlight Recovery arrived in his truck. We loaded my bike on the back of the truck, tied it down with cargo straps, then set off back to Haywards Heath.

Martin was a nice bloke who used to be a London Bus driver for 14 years before getting the sack apparently for wearing earphones whilst driving because he was bored with driving the same route day in and out. Martin was on his second marriage and had 5 children with 3 different women. When I questioned why he had so many, he replied “That’s what us black men do”. He went on to say that his friends had up to 11 kids!

I bored Martin with details of my travels, a history of New Model Army and my other favourite bands until luckily for him, we arrived in Haywards Heath. We dropped my bike off at Panmoto, a motorcycle repair shop which I have previously used, then Martin dropped me home arriving at 3.50pm.

Instead of watching New Model Army in Norwich, I had to make do with a nice home cooked meal in front of the log burner that evening. It wasn’t such a bad alternative.

My Call Assist experience was excellent. There was no fuss, they were efficient and they even rang me twice to confirm that the recovery truck was with me and there were no problems.

My only real annoyance of the day’s events was that it had only a few hours earlier that I had booked my hotel in Norwich and I now couldn’t get a refund, although Jackie is now on the case!

I await to hear the diagnosis and cost to repair my bike.

NMA Song of the Day - Never Arriving by New Model Army.

Non NMA Song of the Day - Breakdown by The Buzzcocks.Читать далее