Sidewalk Motorcycle Tire Repair

Reader Contribution by Bo Miller
Published on November 17, 2010
1 / 15
2 / 15
3 / 15
4 / 15
5 / 15
6 / 15
7 / 15
8 / 15
9 / 15
10 / 15
11 / 15
12 / 15
13 / 15
14 / 15
15 / 15

Have something you’d like to share with your fellow Motorcycle Classics readers? Maybe it’s a touring story, bike review or helpful tip you’ve gleaned from experience. Whatever it is, we want you write about it and send it in. Just e-mail Associate Editor Landon Hall with the subject line “MC Dispatch” and you might see your story here.

A stifled belch. My oldest daughter, Heidi Rose, and I leave the Sassy Onion. We are more than full of breakfast. Its time for some Sunday back-to-college clothes shopping. We walk down the street to Bonnie, my trusty T100 Triumph Bonneville. Life is good. But something isn’t right. The bike is standing a bit more vertical than usual. It is almost to the point of tipping off of the sidestand. What’s this? A flat rear tire! Looks like it’s time for a little motorcycle tire repair.

I consider my options. One is to take the tire off and bring it to the dealer for a fix. This won’t work. The bike shops are closed. Another is to push the bike eight blocks back to the house. No way. Pushing a bike with a flat is awful work. I could leave the bike here, take the wheel home, fix it, and come back. This will take hours. It seems best to repair the tire here and now. We have a centerstand, tools, and a tire repair kit.

The bike is rolled onto the sidewalk, pulled up onto the centerstand, and spun around so the wheel is hanging over the gutter. Supplies and tools are laid out on the walk to make sure everything is there. Minor surgery is done to remove the right muffler and the brake caliper. The axle is pulled and the wheel is dropped. This task is an olfactory nightmare. Never change a flat in a gutter near a tavern.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-880-7567