Roadside repairs

zacstewart · 03-20-2007, 11:16 PM

Hey guys. I just wanted to know what you guys do to prepare for breakdowns. I've heard of keeping a few master links on hand and whatnot, but two days ago I had a front tire blow out on my way home from work and I had to walk half a mile back to civilization to make a call because my cell was dead. Then I spent the rest of the day getting a new tube and filling it. The worst part was leaving my bike on the side of the road.

I know there are little cans of compressed air and stuff for bicycles, but is a few of those and an extra tube any help? I also realized how lousy the toolkit is and I'm planning to get myself some quality replacements to carry along.

But anyway. I don't have a car and this bike is my only transportation, so I need to be able to repair it on the spot if anything goes wrong. I also need to know what parts fail often so that I can go ahead and plan to be able to get them. I don't have 2 weeks to wait on a new starter in the mail if they fail regularly. What do you suggest?

FMYStreetRacer · 03-20-2007, 11:45 PM

i thought about keeping tubes in my tail bag with me but i starting thinking to myself......"how am i going to support the bike to take the rim off while on the road?" so instead i bought a bike tube patch kit and a small bike air pump. i figure if i really had to i could break the tire down enough to snake the tune out a small section at a time till i found the hole. then hopefully i could patch it and get the tire back on and fill it with the mini pump.

other than that just carry spare throttle and clutch cables and you should be good.

mdsuave13 · 03-20-2007, 11:52 PM

i carry spare spark plug, plan on carrying spare clutch and brake lever.. (ever try riding with no clutch lever, just a pair of plyers and the end of the cable? oh yea...

ambassador · 03-21-2007, 12:17 AM

Zac,
This has been covered in many posts here on this forum, just do some homework and you'll be good to go... Not trying to be an a$$ but if you've been riding long enough, you'll know what you will need...It's hard to know what each rider will need for which terrain you'll be riding, there are some basics though... The stock tools are crap but better than nothing...

ob1 · 03-21-2007, 07:56 AM

The best roadside repairs are done at the home.

HUH?

Prevention. Replace the cheezy tubes that come with ALL bikes with the best HD tubes available. When you get these tubes, it will be VERY evident how much better they are than stockers. 4-6mm thick, compared to 1-2mm...

Roadside repairs? You will have to have enough tools to remove the wheel and remove 1/2 the tire from the rim, a good patch kit, a CO2 inflator, and be able to remove the object from the tire that caused the puncture {if any}. There are no short-cuts to flat repair. It has to be done right, or done again.

Many tubes these days dont seem to let patches adhere to them well, and the cheaper the tube, the worse they stick. I think there is something in the rubber concoction of the cheaper tube that adds elasticity, and keeps patches from sticking.

Invest in the best tubes, you wont regret it!

frostbite · 03-21-2007, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Roadside repairs? You will have to have enough tools to remove the wheel and remove 1/2 the tire from the rim, a good patch kit, a CO2 inflator, and be able to remove the object from the tire that caused the puncture {if any}. There are no short-cuts to flat repair. It has to be done right, or done again.

Good advice, but I'd replace the C02 inflator with a small hand pump and carry a spare 21" tube (can be used front or rear). Sure the CO2 is less work, but the pump never runs out. :wink:

blimpman · 03-21-2007, 11:13 AM

I echo most of what was posted above. If you need to repair a long way from home on the trail...

My additions.

1. Add a SAE connector to the battery ( similar to what comes with a battery Tender)

2. carry a 12VDC pump. ( small one.. can be had for <$20 at WalMart) You do let some air out of your tires when you go off road right? This way you can air back up to street pressure for the ride home.

3. 21" tube ( used for both front and back repairs) and patch kit

4. Set of tools to work on all major fasteners. ie: frt/Rear axles nuts shock bolts, plastics etc.

5. Spark plug and some extra nuts and bolts for common bike connectors, ty raps, bailing wire, extra fuses, small can of WD-40.

6. small first aid kit.

7. bike jack for the rear or front? I have done it many times using a plain old stick or a pile of rocks, etc. The bike is not that heavy. I have used a stick on my 420lb KLR to change the rear tire. Just brace right behind the right footpeg to make a 3-point balance on the kickstand.

8. Ride with a buddy if possible and always tell someone where you are headed before you leave.

9. Practice repairing a tire with the stick in your yard or garage.... before you have to do it on the trail. Make all your mistakes there first. If you can, do your bike repairs with your carry along tool kit. That way you will know you have all the tools you need for most repairs.

mdsuave13 · 03-21-2007, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blimpman

7. bike jack for the rear or front? I have done it many times using a plain old stick or a pile of rocks, etc. The bike is not that heavy. I have used a stick on my 420lb KLR to change the rear tire. Just brace right behind the right footpeg to make a 3-point balance on the kickstand.

you can also use a good sized, downed log to put under the skid plate.. or tilt the bike on the kickstand against a tree or rock... so that all the rear of the bike is on the kickstand.. but this can be unsteady sometimes... so be careful.

zacstewart · 03-22-2007, 02:23 PM

Thanks a lot. And I have read through a lot of other posts I searched. I don't really do much offroading, this thing is just my work vehicle so my tires are pretty much never subjected to trail riding. I like the different ideas of re-inflating a tire, and I think I'll probably go with the cheapest, which I'm assuming will be the hand pump. The biggest problem with changing a flat for me is that the bike weighs 300lbs an I weigh 100 haha. This bike is a beast to me. I'm going to try an devise some ways to keep it propped up while I work on it.

By the way, she just broke 300 miles so I don't have to ride it like a wimp anymore (does anyone actually keep it under 25mph for that long?) and I clocked it yesterday at 68mph on one of those speed enforcement radio gun signs. However, the speedometer is about 10mph off, saying that I'm going 58. I might try to get a magnetic bicycle speedo.

I'm also going to consider changing sprockets. Since I only weigh 100lbs I'm thinking it could probably handle a little gearing-up.

Ferrit · 03-22-2007, 06:29 PM

Blimpman--did you snitch the tool kit off my bike?!?!?!? You listed item by item what I have on board for any trip out of the 'hood. The 12V compressors are $10 (just bought a new one yesterday)

Invest in some quality tire irons; two will work, three are better.

The alternative to jacking up or bracing the bike is to lay the bike down on the axle nut side.

And as ob1 says the better you maintain it, the less chance of failure enroute.

sheadouglas · 03-22-2007, 07:00 PM

Hey zacstewart,
just b/c the bike weighs 300lb and you weigh 100lb dont mean nothin! Come on now, you're from Georgia, you just gotta get mad at it and pick it up. You gotta use that rednek strength!

ob1 · 03-22-2007, 07:57 PM

There is NO way these chinabikes weigh 300lbs!

My XR400 is only 240.

The most famous racer of the XR400, Scott Summers...

tzrider · 03-22-2007, 08:45 PM

I don't ride the Chinese bike that far, really. I carry a cell phone.

On my road bikes, I have plug ins for a small air compressor wired to the battery and carry tire plugging tools (radial tubeless tires). My tubes are slimed on the Diamo, but I also have tire irons I could/would take along and a tube patch kit if I were going far on it. I'd probably just carry the rather comprehensive took kit in my GoldWing for tools.

I patched a tube on the side of hwy 90 about 10 miles out of Langtry, Texas once in 100+ degree desert heat. Dang, that was miserable. Plug kits and tubeless tires are WAY better. Add to that, what I had along for air then was a bicycle pump. :roll: God, what a pain. Lucky I didn't get heat stroke. I stopped in Langtry at the only gas station around for miles and drank two bottles of Gatorade.

Dry weight of the Chinese 200s is about 250 lbs, or at least with the OHC motor and electric start.

ambassador · 03-22-2007, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ob1

There is NO way these chinabikes weigh 300lbs!

My XR400 is only 240.

The most famous racer of the XR400, Scott Summers...

I hope the bike was cool when he picked it up by the pipes like that, also a good part of his bike is aluminium, I may be wrong but my GY-5 is right around 300#'s...

ob1 · 03-22-2007, 09:32 PM

Dude, that is a steel framed XR600, and the only parts that are aluminum are the swingarm, the triple trees and the motor, so to speak. But, Scott Summers aint no weekend warrior!

After a quick google of "lifan 200 dry weight", 265 lbs came up. I find it really hard to believe...

308lbs is the 200cc "crotch rocket"

The XR200 dry weight is 223lbs. I would add about 4 lbs on my XR2, with the added battery and starter, imagining the 2 motors are roughly the same weight.

Where's the beef?

03-20-2007, 11:16 PM	#1
zacstewart Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North Georgia Posts: 50	Roadside repairs Hey guys. I just wanted to know what you guys do to prepare for breakdowns. I've heard of keeping a few master links on hand and whatnot, but two days ago I had a front tire blow out on my way home from work and I had to walk half a mile back to civilization to make a call because my cell was dead. Then I spent the rest of the day getting a new tube and filling it. The worst part was leaving my bike on the side of the road. I know there are little cans of compressed air and stuff for bicycles, but is a few of those and an extra tube any help? I also realized how lousy the toolkit is and I'm planning to get myself some quality replacements to carry along. But anyway. I don't have a car and this bike is my only transportation, so I need to be able to repair it on the spot if anything goes wrong. I also need to know what parts fail often so that I can go ahead and plan to be able to get them. I don't have 2 weeks to wait on a new starter in the mail if they fail regularly. What do you suggest?
	0

03-20-2007, 11:45 PM	#2
FMYStreetRacer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ft. Myers, Fl. Posts: 416	i thought about keeping tubes in my tail bag with me but i starting thinking to myself......"how am i going to support the bike to take the rim off while on the road?" so instead i bought a bike tube patch kit and a small bike air pump. i figure if i really had to i could break the tire down enough to snake the tune out a small section at a time till i found the hole. then hopefully i could patch it and get the tire back on and fill it with the mini pump. other than that just carry spare throttle and clutch cables and you should be good. __________________ Roketa DB-07a HID Headlight
	0

03-20-2007, 11:52 PM	#3
mdsuave13 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: ellicott city, Maryland Posts: 857	i carry spare spark plug, plan on carrying spare clutch and brake lever.. (ever try riding with no clutch lever, just a pair of plyers and the end of the cable? oh yea... __________________ My name is Justin, my friends call me Stix. 2008 Kawasaki KLR650 Candy Lime Green ______________________________ I am the official China bike registration Guru For the State of Maryland..... HA.
	0

03-21-2007, 12:17 AM	#4
ambassador Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Bradenton, Florida Posts: 1,200	Zac, This has been covered in many posts here on this forum, just do some homework and you'll be good to go... Not trying to be an a$$ but if you've been riding long enough, you'll know what you will need...It's hard to know what each rider will need for which terrain you'll be riding, there are some basics though... The stock tools are crap but better than nothing... __________________ 06 Lifan 200 GY-5
	0

03-21-2007, 11:13 AM	#7
blimpman Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Posts: 267	I echo most of what was posted above. If you need to repair a long way from home on the trail... My additions. 1. Add a SAE connector to the battery ( similar to what comes with a battery Tender) 2. carry a 12VDC pump. ( small one.. can be had for <$20 at WalMart) You do let some air out of your tires when you go off road right? This way you can air back up to street pressure for the ride home. 3. 21" tube ( used for both front and back repairs) and patch kit 4. Set of tools to work on all major fasteners. ie: frt/Rear axles nuts shock bolts, plastics etc. 5. Spark plug and some extra nuts and bolts for common bike connectors, ty raps, bailing wire, extra fuses, small can of WD-40. 6. small first aid kit. 7. bike jack for the rear or front? I have done it many times using a plain old stick or a pile of rocks, etc. The bike is not that heavy. I have used a stick on my 420lb KLR to change the rear tire. Just brace right behind the right footpeg to make a 3-point balance on the kickstand. 8. Ride with a buddy if possible and always tell someone where you are headed before you leave. 9. Practice repairing a tire with the stick in your yard or garage.... before you have to do it on the trail. Make all your mistakes there first. If you can, do your bike repairs with your carry along tool kit. That way you will know you have all the tools you need for most repairs. __________________ The destination is merely a by-product of the journey. '06 KLR650 '06 XT225 '92 XT225 Serow ( MBD.... Multiple Bike Disease...)
	0

03-21-2007, 07:56 AM	#5
ob1 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 499	The best roadside repairs are done at the home. HUH? Prevention. Replace the cheezy tubes that come with ALL bikes with the best HD tubes available. When you get these tubes, it will be VERY evident how much better they are than stockers. 4-6mm thick, compared to 1-2mm... Roadside repairs? You will have to have enough tools to remove the wheel and remove 1/2 the tire from the rim, a good patch kit, a CO2 inflator, and be able to remove the object from the tire that caused the puncture {if any}. There are no short-cuts to flat repair. It has to be done right, or done again. Many tubes these days dont seem to let patches adhere to them well, and the cheaper the tube, the worse they stick. I think there is something in the rubber concoction of the cheaper tube that adds elasticity, and keeps patches from sticking. Invest in the best tubes, you wont regret it!
	0

03-22-2007, 02:23 PM	#9
zacstewart Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North Georgia Posts: 50	Thanks a lot. And I have read through a lot of other posts I searched. I don't really do much offroading, this thing is just my work vehicle so my tires are pretty much never subjected to trail riding. I like the different ideas of re-inflating a tire, and I think I'll probably go with the cheapest, which I'm assuming will be the hand pump. The biggest problem with changing a flat for me is that the bike weighs 300lbs an I weigh 100 haha. This bike is a beast to me. I'm going to try an devise some ways to keep it propped up while I work on it. By the way, she just broke 300 miles so I don't have to ride it like a wimp anymore (does anyone actually keep it under 25mph for that long?) and I clocked it yesterday at 68mph on one of those speed enforcement radio gun signs. However, the speedometer is about 10mph off, saying that I'm going 58. I might try to get a magnetic bicycle speedo. I'm also going to consider changing sprockets. Since I only weigh 100lbs I'm thinking it could probably handle a little gearing-up.
	0

03-22-2007, 06:29 PM	#10
Ferrit Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Lawrenceburg, KY Posts: 178	Blimpman--did you snitch the tool kit off my bike?!?!?!? You listed item by item what I have on board for any trip out of the 'hood. The 12V compressors are $10 (just bought a new one yesterday) Invest in some quality tire irons; two will work, three are better. The alternative to jacking up or bracing the bike is to lay the bike down on the axle nut side. And as ob1 says the better you maintain it, the less chance of failure enroute.
	0

03-22-2007, 07:00 PM	#11
sheadouglas Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi Posts: 349	Hey zacstewart, just b/c the bike weighs 300lb and you weigh 100lb dont mean nothin! Come on now, you're from Georgia, you just gotta get mad at it and pick it up. You gotta use that rednek strength!
	0

03-22-2007, 07:57 PM	#12
ob1 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 499	There is NO way these chinabikes weigh 300lbs! My XR400 is only 240. The most famous racer of the XR400, Scott Summers...
	0

03-22-2007, 08:45 PM	#13
tzrider Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Texas by gawd! Posts: 407	I don't ride the Chinese bike that far, really. I carry a cell phone. On my road bikes, I have plug ins for a small air compressor wired to the battery and carry tire plugging tools (radial tubeless tires). My tubes are slimed on the Diamo, but I also have tire irons I could/would take along and a tube patch kit if I were going far on it. I'd probably just carry the rather comprehensive took kit in my GoldWing for tools. I patched a tube on the side of hwy 90 about 10 miles out of Langtry, Texas once in 100+ degree desert heat. Dang, that was miserable. Plug kits and tubeless tires are WAY better. Add to that, what I had along for air then was a bicycle pump. :roll: God, what a pain. Lucky I didn't get heat stroke. I stopped in Langtry at the only gas station around for miles and drank two bottles of Gatorade. Dry weight of the Chinese 200s is about 250 lbs, or at least with the OHC motor and electric start.
	0

03-22-2007, 09:32 PM	#15
ob1 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 499	Dude, that is a steel framed XR600, and the only parts that are aluminum are the swingarm, the triple trees and the motor, so to speak. But, Scott Summers aint no weekend warrior! After a quick google of "lifan 200 dry weight", 265 lbs came up. I find it really hard to believe... 308lbs is the 200cc "crotch rocket" The XR200 dry weight is 223lbs. I would add about 4 lbs on my XR2, with the added battery and starter, imagining the 2 motors are roughly the same weight. Where's the beef?
	0