First flat tire experience.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Yes, it was bound to happen, I’m sure it’s happened to most of you. First motorcycle flat. I’d been out riding the dirt/packed gravel forest roads for a couple of hours. Picked up what must be a very pointy stone. When I pulled out from the dirt road left turn onto the paved road, the rear end went all squirrelly, no grip. I saved it but knew something was wrong. Bike didn’t want to ride in a straight line and the rear end just felt loose. I was only about 1/4 mile from Halfway Dam at RB Winter State Park. A popular spot to camp and swim in Central PA.

If you’re going to break down this seems like the ideal spot. A wide parking area and plenty of people around. Except, there is absolutely no cell service. A very nice old couple offered to give me a ride to the ranger station to find a phone. They did, and I did, to call AAA and then my wife to let her know what’s going on/ where I was. AAA Operator told me my membership didn’t cover motorcycle hauling (I need to look into that), so I’d have to pay the flat bed driver whatever they charge, but they should be at my location within the hour. I figure I have no choice so I thanked the young lady ranger manning the station for the use of the phone and walk back to my bike and I wait.

The old couple waited with me for about the first half hour, but figured I was OK and left. 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours. By this time it’s dark and all the swimmers and fishermen have left. The only thing around are a campground on the far side of the lake, and the ranger station. The young lady ranger comes and goes a few times and checks on me. She let me know that if I needed to, I could sleep in the vestibule of the station. At least I’d be warm and dry. Really hoping it wouldn’t come to that.

4 hours, my wife finally comes along to see if there’s anything she can do. I had her go find cell service and call AAA to find out WTF. It was well over another hour until she got back to me, Til she got gas and some food/water for me and about a half hour getting someone at AAA on the phone. Said they tried to text me but I had no service. Apparently the would not be able to send someone to me with the required equipment until 9am.

Well, there was no way I was leaving the bike. So I told her to just follow me with her 4-ways on. We’d take it slow. It’s after 11pm and this road in dark and lonely. I figured if the tire wasn’t toast already, it would be by the time I got it home/if I got it home. I’d need a new tire but save the towing/flatbed fee, whatever that was going to be.

What surprised me a bit, was that after It got dark and I was the only vehicle there in the Dam parking lot, clearly a broken down motorcyclist, not one of the 2 dozen or so cars even slowed down to check if I was OK.

So, I rode the the bike on a flat rear tire at around 15mph, for the 15 miles back home. That hour has my arms feeling like rubber this morning. I don’t want to ever risk doing that again. I was woefully underprepared for a flat.

When I feel like getting up and around I’ll clean up the rear tire and see if I think it can be plugged. But I probably trashed the tire riding on it.

I have some ideas for some things I’d like to get to keep in my bike pack for puncture flats in the tubeless rear.
This plug kit
This small compressor

For the front, which has a tube, I suppose I’d need tire irons and a tube patch kit or spare tube.

I’d love to read about the gear any of you carry to address flats on your bikes.

 

[Baatfam]

A plug kit, and small compressor. That's it.

Haven't had to use it yet, but I've plugged enough car tires to know how.

As for the front, ditch the tube next time you replace the tire.

Oh....And very glad you made it home OK.

 

[Grimly]

A couple of cans of foamy repair aerosols, which have worked well on previous occasions.
Come to think of it, it's been years since an on-road puncture and the cans I carry are getting old enough to worry about them working at all.
Must replace them asap.
I've also been looking at the plugging kits and small compressors as an alternative.

 

[Eli69]

my beemer came with a patch kit w/3 of those little CO2 bottles and an adapter to inflate a tire. i have a tool kit in my old gs1000g that has an electric pump and small tire irons. i guess for them to really be useful i'd need to find a new tire but every little bit helps.

i tried the foamy tire repair stuff once on a tubed tire. it didn't work.

not surprised about aaa not helping. that whole deal always seemed shady to me.

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

I’ve had to use AAA enough with cars that’s it’s seemed worth it. Never a Break-even, but usually good service and that little bit of extra insurance has helped in some pretty tough situations where it would have been really expensive otherwise. I really do have to look into adding motorcycle to my membership but it wouldn’t have helped last night.

 

[Nessism]

Glad you got it sorted. Relying on other people (like AAA) sucks. Best to be self sufficient if possible.

I've got this kit and it works great. Used it just the other day to fix a screw hole through my daily driver car's tire.
https://www.amazon.com/Stop-1000-pa...ld=1&keywords=Stop+&+Go&qid=1597593044&sr=8-5

They also sell a version with CO2 inflators so consider that version instead if you don't carry a pump.

 

[bonanzadave]

BTDT ! That thing with AAA made me much more angry than what you seemed to be. The tow was 12 miles @ $12 a mile. GRRRrrrrr!!!! I did try FAF (fixaflat) but all that did was cause the tire to spin on the rim as I tried to drive up the tow truck ramp. I have a truck but no ramps or trailer. Next time .....(depends on the situation) Ill just source out a rental trailer.

and looking at that pic Id say you needed a new tire anyway........

 

[Steve]

I have used many rope/plug systems over the years. All of them required cement/glue to insert and seal the plugs. The only failure I had with them was the one time I used a very minimal amount of glue, in the hope that it would set quicker and I could get back on the road quicker. It was VERY hard to insert the plug, so in desparation, I used a lot more glue. The plug went in easily and seemed to set quickly enough to ride after grabbing a burger. The other difficulty of using them is when the tube of cement/glue dries up and renders the kit useless.

I had seen Brian (bwringer) post something about the kit that he carries, so I contacted him. On his recomendation, I now carry a kit from the Nealey Company that does not require any glue at all. I have had occasion to use it twice now, it works perfectly. Also have a small compressor (might be from Harbor Freight) to handle inflattion duties. One word of advice if you carry a compressor: make sure you have a way to power it, then test it every couple of months to make sure it still works.

.

 

[Brendan W]

I have a sticky rope plug kit which has served well over the years. Only ever had one on the bike and I spotted that screw at home. Lost less then ten psi in the repair and a footpump was enough.
They are such a rare event and almost always late in tyre life. Our daily car has no spare just one of those bottles of evil gloup and a ciggy lighter compressor.
I laid them on the drive to examine them and the dog cocked his leg on the lot. That about sums up that idea

 

[zuluwiz]

Why do I have The Duct Tapes running through my head when reading this thread? The only time I ever had a flat away from home, I was in Ft. Wayne IN in the evening when I ran over a nail or something and was stuck for the night. Everything was closed. Ran the '82 1100E to a service station and tried to get a little sleep until they opened in the morning. They said they were busy and handed me a couple of tire irons and a patch kit. So I took the wheel off, patched the tire, and got the (bleep) home. Ive always hated using tire irons and patch kits, but at least I knew how.

 

[Nessism]

Why do I have The Duct Tapes running through my head when reading this thread?

You can't get there from here...

 

[Big T]

I had to go from AAA to AAAPlus to get motorcycle towing. goes to 100 miles radius from home

 

[GS1150Pilot]

A plug kit, and small compressor. That's it.

Haven't had to use it yet, but I've plugged enough car tires to know how.

As for the front, ditch the tube next time you replace the tire.

Oh....And very glad you made it home OK.

This, x 100.

 

[GS1150Pilot]

I had to go from AAA to AAAPlus to get motorcycle towing. goes to 100 miles radius from home

State Farm covers mine for towing.

 

[dorkburger]

When my stator cooked far from home a guy in our group had AAA with RV coverage. It covered a bike tow.

I picked up a drywall screw in my back tire years ago in Maryland. The tire was leaking minimally. I bought a rubber mushroom plug kit with the CO2 cartridges. I plugged it a gas station with an airpump and saved the CO2. The plug held up until I had to replace the tire a year or 2 later.

No idea on if the CO2 is a good option.

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

State Farm covers mine for towing.

huh. I’ll have to ask my insurance co. about motorcycle towing.

So, knowing that I’m going to replace the tire anyway, I went to Autozone and bought a plug kit with which to practice. Within 10 minutes of getting home, I had the tire plugged and holding air. I could kick myself for not having one of these and a small compressor with me at all times. The compressor I think I’m going to get has a power connection that plugs into the Battery Tender leads already on my battery terminals. These plugs do not require the use of rubber cement/goo.

There does seem to be an excessive amount of cracking showing in the pics between the treads. Tire only has about 1500 miles on it, with a born on date of 2419. Don’t know if the cracking is worse from last nights’ ride home but you can see it in the first pics I posted which was only @1/4 mile after noticing the flat (and a very near get-off).

 

[Baatfam]

The compressor I think I?m going to get has a power connection that plugs into the Battery Tender leads already on my battery terminals.

Just a word of caution. Try the compressor at home, under load.
I tested mine at home, and it spun fine, but when I tried it under load, connected to the tire, it popped the inline fuse in the battery tender cable.
After that, I switched over to clamps that just hook to the battery. Harder to get at, but more certain.
Plus, if needed, you can power with a different battery, like in a nearby car.

 

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Just a word of caution. Try the compressor at home, under load.
I tested mine at home, and it spun fine, but when I tried it under load, connected to the tire, it popped the inline fuse in the battery tender cable.
After that, I switched over to clamps that just hook to the battery. Harder to get at, but more certain.
Plus, if needed, you can power with a different battery, like in a nearby car.

Will do. Thanks Bob.

 

[Steve]

After that, I switched over to clamps that just hook to the battery. Harder to get at, but more certain.
Plus, if needed, you can power with a different battery, like in a nearby car.

I also power mine with the battery tender cable, but I also have an adapter cable with small clamps that will allow use on another vehicle.

There is another wonderful use for that battery tender lead. I use it to power my heated jacket liner. It's not on a switched connection, but when I get off my bike, the heated clothing leaves, too, so there is no danger of draining the battery.

.

 

[RichDesmond]

huh. I’ll have to ask my insurance co. about motorcycle towing.

So, knowing that I’m going to replace the tire anyway, I went to Autozone and bought a plug kit with which to practice. Within 10 minutes of getting home, I had the tire plugged and holding air. I could kick myself for not having one of these..

Good on ya for practicing, I was going to recommend that. I was lucky enough to have watched a couple of guys do theirs before I had to do one of mine.