The AA chooses Honda

Honda Silverwing 600 scooters and NT700VA Deauville motorbikes are coming to the streets of London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow, as the AA chooses Honda motorcycles as part of its rapid response two-wheel patrol fleet.

Motorcycles are making a return to the AA fleet for the first time since the mid-nineties, and the Silverwings and Deauvilles are welcome additions for the AA to help tackle urban congestion and reduce breakdown response time in city areas.

Of the fifty motorcycles being introduced to the AA’s fleet across six major cities, twenty-one of these will be a Honda with London having five Silverwings and four Deauvilles, Birmingham having four Silverwings and two Deauvilles, Manchester with three Silverwings and one Deauville and Glasgow and Leeds both fielding one Deauville each.

The Silverwings and Deauvilles are standard machines with the addition of a model specific top-box from Honda’s genuine accessories range, although they have been adapted by the AA to carry the patrols’ tool-kit and a beacon light at the back when attending breakdown duties, as well as sporting the AA’s distinctive yellow paint scheme and graphics.

Head of Sales and Customer Service at Honda (UK) Motorcycles, Dave Hancock, commented, “We’re very happy that Honda has two motorcycles in its current range that the AA believes are ideal for its two-wheel patrols. Honda has enjoyed a long standing relationship with the AA for both cars and bikes and we’re pleased to be able to assist the AA with the re-introduction of bikes to their fleet. Motorcycles are a great solution for combating congestion and it’s good to see a national organisation such as the AA using two-wheels to provide an even better service for its customers and also promoting the benefits of motorcycles.”

The AA decided to re-introduce motorcycle patrols in to cities across the UK to tackle congestion as a new rush hour ‘snapshot’ finds up to one in seven commuters wasting time, fuel and money getting nowhere. At any time during the morning peak up to 15 per cent of drivers on key inner city routes are stuck in queues according to a five-city ‘go-slow league table’, revealed by the AA earlier this month.

The AA’s research revealed that over a third of all breakdowns are caused by either flat batteries (23%) or tyre problems (13%), often resulting in lengthy traffic jams which in turn hinder access for breakdown services. The motorcycle patrols will initially focus mostly on these and other ‘quick fix’ breakdowns such as simple electrical faults, but their capabilities extend to a wide range of other repairs. They will primarily cover the central city areas between 8am and 8pm.

The use of bikes in Birmingham, Glasgow, Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester follows a successful three-month trial in central London. The new motorcycles are expected to cut up to 25 per cent from the AA’s breakdown wait times, which average around 40 minutes.

Edmund King, President of the AA, says: “As up to 15 per cent of drivers are stuck in queues during the morning peak, we want to make sure that our patrols are not stuck in the same queues. A broken down car often causes disproportionate congestion so we want to get to those cars and get them moving as quickly as possible. In our experience, two wheels are better than four in beating congestion and we’re delighted to have Honda motorcycles included in our fleet. AA members should get a faster service and all motorists should benefit from us being able to remove broken down cars that add to congestion. The AA wants to be part of the solution to create freer flowing traffic in our major cities.”

For more information on the Silverwing 600 scooter and NT700V Deauville motorcycle, or other models in the Honda motorcycle range, visit honda.co.uk or visit your local dealer. Honda motorcycle dealers can be located using the ‘Dealer Search’ facility within the motorcycles area on honda.co.uk, where you can also find all the latest news and information about the full Honda motorcycle range, offers, genuine parts and accessories and forthcoming events.