Lance Oliver is at it again, this time reminding riders of five important things you might forget on your summer motorcycle trip. Check out the excerpt below, and find the full article on RevZilla!
“Your list will vary, so add your tips in the comments below, but here are five things I think are essential for a multi-day trip.
A plan for what to do about a flat tire
For some people, the plan is some combination of a cell phone, a credit card and a roadside assistance plan. That’s fine, but I would still encourage you to carry and know how to use a tire repair kit. (See Lemmy’s tutorial, if you don’t know how.) That’s especially true if you’re traveling far off the beaten path, but even if you’re not, a temporary repair can save you a lot of hassle. Here’s an example from one of my trips.
It was 7 p.m. on a Friday, I was 350 miles from home and 40 miles from my destination for the weekend when I noticed the bike wasn’t handling very well. A quick check showed 22 psi in the rear tire and a closer examination revealed a nail in the tread. In that scenario, the best that roadside assistance could do would be to get my bike to a closed motorcycle shop. I’d just be stuck in a different place. Because I had a repair kit, I was able to get to my destination and handle the situation more conveniently the next day.
If you have tubeless tires, that means a plug kit. (Don’t do as I did and forget to check your kit before leaving. I found that my old tube of rubber cement had become hardened cement.) If you have tires that use inner tubes, you’ll need to have the means to raise the bike and remove the wheel and tire. Carrying both a patch kit and spare inner tubes gives you double insurance.
In either case, don’t overlook a method for inflating the tires. Compressed CO2 cartridges save space, though you may need several. Other options are a small foot-powered pump or an electric one that attaches to your battery.
Remember, a plug in a tubeless tire is a temporary repair to get you down the road when the dealership is closed, like my situation above. I had the tire replaced the next day.
Of course when you’re performing roadside repairs it’s possible for a wrench to slip, leaving you with a gashed knuckle. Which is why it’s good to have…”
See what the other four things Lance reminds you to bring on your summer motorcycle trip by clicking here!
