PUNCTURE STORY

[tracker]

Going home from work last Friday rear tyre punctured not gone down completely so rode to the local Tesco petrol station to inflate, could not get their airline to fit on the valve, so around the corner is a car tyre place,no they don't repair motorcycle tyres but they inflated the tyre for me.Rode about 4mls started to get the rear shake again,right by a Texaco station, their airline wouldn't fit either! Enough, phoned the RAC no phonebox available so used my pay as you go their free number now costs.Estimated arrival time 1hr 30mins ............went to call again no money left in phone(that one call cost about £9).A fellow biker stopped and lent me his phone (thanks mate).Be about 10mins the lady says,20mins later the RAC van arrives.Oh its a tube tyre i don't think i
can repair it,no he couldn't,i'll have to phone for another vehicle as i'm not equiped to recover a motorcycle.JEEZ.The recovery centre is around the corner says RAC man when their driver returns to the yard he wiil pick you up,off he goes about 30mins later said recovery vehicle arrives.Bike finaly strapped on trailer off we go,mentioned to the driver how long i had been waiting he replied he had been sitting in his office for the past hour! He also said the RAC are among the best! From start to finish 4hours.
Saturday jack bike up with a car lift remove wheel,phoned around for tyre, only trailwing available so new tyre, new tube, fitted also bought an angled valve total cost £82.Refitted wheel noticed the chain had stretched dramaticaly,i am spending to much maintance time on my other trail bike
shi*t! So today bought C&S set £58 also a bottle of puncture preventive sealant (goop) £9 then bit the bullet and ordered a Honda centre stand £125.All i need now is a good pump then i'll do my own roadside repairs.

[IanS]

If you think the RAC are bad ask 'Pigugly' about the AA.

You were lucky.

IanS

[piguglyshandydrinker]

If you think the RAC are bad ask 'Pigugly' about the AA.

You were lucky.

IanS

NO PLEASE DON'T ask pigugg.

****E is one word that springs to mind!

Might be worth a phone call of complaint followed by a letter, got me 6 months free.

Phil

[Mudwiz]

re. fitting garage air line hoses to the valve:

if you put the whole air line valve assembly inside the spokes and across the hub you can pretty much get any to go on. Took me years to work that 1 out!

[Wee Jack]

C'mon guys halloween is over - you can stop trying to frighten Wee Jack !! After many, many years of riding large tourers (Pan Euros and BMW "K"s) sporting tubeless radials, and never having one single puncture, despite riding every day of the year and covering about 14K miles a year. I have now got myself an Alp with tubes !! and all I have been reading lately is ".......I got a puncture again and what a crap experience it was...." stories. Am I becoming paranoid or are things really that bad here in tubeland ?? I thought we had moved forward with tyre technology , am I wrong? have I just got soft, riding steel belted radial hoops for too many years ? are you guys just unlucky? or is this normal?

[Mudwiz]

I recon it could just be what you ride over. I use ultra HD tubes and "slime" but it still happens. When you run low pressures (10/12 psi)and hit bricks/thorns etc you are asking for it really!

[vince]

Hi all,
Ive had 2 rear punctures in the last year, I now carry a spare rear tube.
in case the breakdown people dont have one. When you phone the breakdown people its worth telling them that its a tubed tyre. the first one I had this year I waited for 2 hours, only to be told it was a tubed tyre and he didnt carry spares (AA, through Hondacare assistance) then had to wait another hour for specialist motorbike breakdown.

[IanS]

Why do I get the feeling the breakdown company's don't give a monkey about bikes ( that is after taking money ).

IanS

[babybadger]

I carry a 90° valve adaptor that I screw onto the rear wheel before connecting to the airline, it fits neatly in the toolbox, and you can get them from www.sidcupmotorcycletyres.co.uk , ask for Allan, IIRC it was about £4 or £5

Always carry a spare tube if you are out of town. You can stick this in the topbox or may even fit under the seat. Get a motorcross heavyduty.