Triumphrat

saphena

My very first motorcycle puncture today, oh joy!

Saturday morning, going out for a spin, need petrol so head for the garage. Pull onto forecourt and bike's all difficult to manoeuvre, yep rear type is flat.

Pump it up and ride to nearest tyre place, five miles away. Arrive with flat tyre to be told "can't do motorcycle tyres". Pump it up and ride to local Ducati dealer.

Their SOP is for their tech to drop wheel and take to local tyre place who has no facilities for dropping wheels but can fix tyres. It's Saturday and no tech is available They did however slime the tyre and pump it up again so I could get home.

Ringing around I found the ONLY place in the whole country who could fix a motorcycle tyre and promptly rode the 20 miles over there.

"You need a new tube. I can do it here and now for £40" - yes that's fine - "or, if you drop the wheel yourself and just bring it into us, it'll be £15"

So on the one hand I pay £40 and get my bike fixed and put back together right away while I sip coffee next door OR I ride back home, figure out how to take the rear wheel off without wrecking the bike or losing parts, put the [dirty] wheel in my [relatively] clean car, drive back to the tyre place, pay £15, sip coffee for a bit, drive the wheel home, remount it in the bike, find the missing parts, get it aligned, get the chain tensioned properly, fixup the Scottoiler, check out the brakes, spend the next three days riding ever so carefully in case I didn't do something right ...

Their fitter took about half an hour (I haven't got a watch).

__________________
Bob - not dead yet
Switch to reserve ~130 miles, fuel panic ~170

SlowPocono

Bad luck, but you made the right choice.

Wombat

I am sure it would have taken me A LOT LONGER than half an hour and then the traveling time on top of that.
IMNSHO, the extra cost would be worth it.

__________________
Bob

Click to see My Photo Album

Age is of no importance, unless you are a cheese.

Tbirdnz

I used to change all my dirt bike tyres myself but (keeping fingers crossed) have yet to have a road bike puncture on me, so it's a free change with a new tyre.

However if I did and depending where it was I would probably take the wheel into a bike tyre shop and have it done. Too much of a chance of stuffing up the rim on spoked tyres and also for tubeless you can't beat a professional job to get it fitted right and correctly balanced for high-speed runs.

Even for a professional job I would re-check that they'd tensioned the chain correctly.


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Ride on !

Baltobonneville

If I were in your position, I would have got it done then and there and be finished with it too. The rear wheel is a nuisance to reinstall without an extra pair of hands, and it's harder if you don't have a lift.

Now go over everything and make sure the wheel was reinstalled correctly and the tire is pointing in the right direction (don't laugh, it happened to me after I paid $100 to have a flat repaired on-bike), and check the chain, as mentioned already.

If I'm dealing with the tire on my own schedule, such as the new tires I just put on, I take the wheels off and haul them to the mechanic.

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Marty
2005 Bonneville Blue 790cc, AI removed, Staintunes RC, Unifilter, no snorkel, 120/40/Thrux needle/1 shim/3 turns, fly screen, tacho, D9 gauge panel, center stand, Ikon 7610s, Hagon fork springs, gaiters, Pirelli Sport Demons, 3 seats.