Adventure Rider Rescue Network

I got this crazy idea that it would be great to have a forum area to post up phone contacts of other riders who would be willing to offer assistance , within reason of course, to lone rider adventurers who are way out there.
The tow truck system or local bike shops are a bit spartan and iffy if at all.
Speaking for myself, some of us dont have much of a life and might be amused at going out to (say for instance) pick up a BMW with a failed drive line , or a KTM that blew a crank, or some dude on a KLR who is 27 miles out from the nearest interstate on a dirt road with a broken chain.
Willing potential rescuers would be inmates who may have a little local knowledge and maybe mechanical knack or not . Might have a 4x4 or be able to pick up parts and bring them out within a certain radius that they would post up along with a phone contact # or notes like "text only" , that way if the rescue inmate was not in the mood they could just ignore, or text back "sorry jack" gettin my axle lubed at the moment.
Lots of rules could be established like "dont be a dick" and agree on a price before going out,
Rescuers and recuees could be rated with feedback to weed out any advantage takers or whiners and limit the level of ridiculosity that could ensue .
ADV rider website itself would probably have to post a liability disclaimer and creepiness or price gouging would be banned
Dorky pozers who dont carry inner tubes or tools or even try to rescue themselves first would be shunned and ridiculed, but riders who walked 43 miles to find a phone spot would greatly appreciate the system if it happens to work at the time.
Like say I am just fiddlediken around on the weekend and looking for an excuse to get out of the box and get a text from some Joe Bloe on a sightseeing trip from Finland texts that his V strom is stuck up to the seat in mud 4 miles from the nearest paved road in the Valley of the Shadow Of Death and he is surrounded by coyotes.....well, you see what I mean, he could pull out his notebook that he filled up with notes on area rescue prospectors and offer me gas money to come out and laugh at him

I just think it would be really cool if I was out on a long adventure ride and something terrible was to happen that someone fairly local might be willing to bring out a part or come out on a dirt road in the middle of Utah to tow my bike to a shop , and Id give em a few hundred for their troubles and generosity

Just a thought

It's not a bad idea at all.

I'm thinking what we have in place already is OK. Perhaps it could use some tweaking.

I've used ADV on more than one occasion to great effect:

Needed a brake caliper in Green Bay, Wisconsin, 'freeflow' was at my location within 30 minutes!

'Hit a cow in baja.' I had so many offers for help I had to choose the most convenient for ME!

I had another ADV riders trailer for 5 months..YES 5 months!

The online help for tips and ideas and directions and places to stay in invaluable.

I think the idea is to put yourself out there and trust that 'someone' is going to come and help...it may take time..it may cost some $$$$...but 'if you post' they will come.

some may call me an asshole for shooting this down, but if you need help, posting up in the regional forum you need help in usually gets the job done. im just against making these more complicted and against micro managing.

Word. To many countries are represented on this forum to make your idea work. If you did this on a regional level I think it would still be to big. Posting up that you need help seems to work very well. With this community of great people your call for help will not go unheard.

With respect to the OP I think he was just trying to be helpful.

What if you are a willing Good Sam but haven't read the regionals in 24 hours?

I'm with you that posting is the best idea, I've had the joy of helping and being helped.

Perhaps we could have a 911 thread in your region and then Good Sams could subscribe to that thread for new posts? That way they would get an email. I check my email many times daily but don't check regionals even once a day sometimes. Any posts that are 'complete' could be removed.

I wouldn't quickly shout down an idea because it is new. Things bear discussion and contemplation. If we shouted every new thing down ADV wouldn't even be here.

It's as complicated as YOU want it to be.

From Jdowns thread in Colombia:

interesting observation. I forget how Einstein supposedly worded it, but great ideas will be met with violent opposition from mediocre minds. I see it all the time. And look at the condition of our country. It beats us into submission so we hold back our ideas. Part of it is ignorance and part is selfishness/envy. They don't want to share us and they don't want us having any fun they aren't having. Our inactions may be due to a fear of alienating the people we care about, and to that of the unknown. But the fear of the unknown is also where we get a lot of the adrenaline rushes pleasantly associated with travel.

Damn Tuckers, thou art a philosopher. Well written words.

Like I said, I'm not totally against it, but then if you really need help, you would have to post in two boards. The help section, and the regional section. Along with whatever else you have, Facebook, texting the wife etc etc. simple is better. Einstein would agree.

On other forums, they've created google maps and members can drop pins wherever they are. Then if anyone needs help, they can contact those members directly. Posting in regional forums is great, but I'd rather be able to ask for help when I need it than sit/wait/hope.

Just kick it around a while. Perhaps nothing will change.

BUT...each region could simply have a 911 thread. If you need help in that region you post in 911 of that region.

THEN...if I am SUBSCRIBED to 911 in my region I get instant email of any new posts...pretty simple really and I'm no genius.

There hopefully wouldn't be more than one or more help calls at any one time in a region and as they are complete they get deleted.

but then you have to check your email every day. its like apples and oranges. there are thousands on adv that look at these regional boards every day. maybe some of the smaller sights are more sophistocated but when theres thousands, you dont need to be. like you said and stated, you freakin crahsed deep in mexico and had to pick and choose what kind of help and who was going to help you. how could you possibly improve on that? a list of inmates who own an airplane that could take an injured person and bike? lol i bet theres even some of those around here.

I like this idea

I know very few people who DON'T check their email many times each day. Plus now with Iphones people get immediate notification.

The BMW crowd has something similar to this in their publication. People willing to help with transport, shop space, a place to crash, etc. comes out every year and is updated. I like this idea. And I second the statement that email is received by the phone these days, if you're in this millennium!

I'll gladly add my name to this list, if it comes about.

I've had my contact info in the BMWMOA Anonymous book for 12 years now. I've also used that book a few times. For breakdown help, for lodging, for tenting, for directions.