Motorbike recovery on the M55

What to expect

There are no services on the M55. On a busy summer Saturday traffic queues back from the Blackpool end, and air-cooled bikes and heavy tourers overheat in the crawl. If the temperature light comes on, get onto the hard shoulder, switch off and leave it to cool.

The road is flat and open across the Fylde, and crosswinds off the coast can be strong. If you’re towing a trailer or riding a big tourer two-up, take it steady.

Where we’ll take it

If you’re visiting Blackpool and the bike won’t go, we can take it to a local garage, your hotel car park, or all the way home.

Nearby: Blackpool and Preston.

If your bike stops on the motorway

1. Get to the left. Hard shoulder, emergency area or the next exit if the bike still moves.
2. Get behind the barrier. Leave the bike, climb over the barrier and stand well up the bank, away from the traffic.
3. Stuck in a live lane? Call 999 straight away. Keep your helmet on and get off the carriageway if you safely can.
4. Call us once you’re safe, and send a WhatsApp location pin or the number on the nearest marker post.

Never try to fix the bike on the hard shoulder. On smart motorways with no hard shoulder, use an emergency area (the orange-surfaced lay-bys) and the SOS phone there connects you to National Highways.