Breaking down sucks! Whether in a car or on your bike, it’s never a fun experience and it’s usually a pretty expensive one at that. First of all, if your trusted biker buddy is too busy to grab the truck, ramp, and tie-downs and come to your rescue, then you’re going to need a tow-truck. Tows are expensive if you don’t have AAA, and even then you’re only allowed so many miles before you’re charged. And what if you’re thousands of miles away from home? Then what? Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters won’t help you unless Slimer stole your bike. I can go on and on about how much breaking down sucks, but instead I’ll be optimistic and offer up a glimmer of hope for all bikerkind.

I discovered a free service started by motorcycle attorneys’ Russ Brown and Chuck Koro, known as Free Breakdown and Legal Assistance for Motorcyclists (BAM), a national network of more than one-million motorcyclists that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide assistance to those in need at no charge (breaking down on the side of the road). Basically, BAM members consist of bikers who help other bikers in need. BAM has been around for 20 years and help is available to those when unforeseen events, accidents, and breakdowns occur. Basically, you sign up, provide your information (name, number, address, etc.) and you’re plugged into a database and given an ID card that you carry with you whenever and wherever you ride. If you break down, you simply call the toll free number (1-800-4-BIKERS), and a representative searches the BAM database for someone near your location that’s available to help. That’s it! And if the time comes when you get the desperate call, be prepared to get up in the middle of the night and help out your biker brother in need. Just remember, it could happen to you. For more information, check out Russ Brown’s BAM site at russbrown.com/what-is-bam.