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The Thousand Dollar Flat


Unk Greg

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Almost made it to work yesterday. Early ride with me peeling off to sprint towards work...bike gets squirrelly in turns. I think oooo.....just had front tire put on and something didn't get tightened! Gingerly slowed to stop along side road in the middle of nowhere. Looked around, nothing out of the ordinary...then I see the collapsing rear tire. Okay, call off, wife then contacted...bring my air tank...me thinking broke seal on rim, even though ... Yes I checked the air pressure before I left. Pleasant afternoon,great weather and lots of friendly folks stopping to help. Plenty of beverage offerings as well. Wife on other end of phone, "but I was going....yes I know it's your day off, but I am out here with a flat.

Didja ya know a call to triple A and giving card number, and being real helpful by suggesting a roll back and hold down straps for my bike would be.... Wait yer on a motorcycle? Yes.....hesitating...."we don't do motorcycles. Guess you have to have yet another program beyond the Plus. That was when the call went to wife....eventually wife finds and arrives...air tank quickly exhausted of the 80 lbs of air. Tire dumping it as quickly as I put it in, well not as quick, but a real good second. Dear, would you go get tank filled and find some fix-a-flat. Uhmmm get two cans, please. "I haven't had lunch yet!" I'll buy lunch. More pleasant conversations with nice people while I work on my tan. Wife returns, insert fixa to back tire valve...it rises, and I see a huge puddle form under the tire of the gooey stuff.....as tire slowly deflates again.

Okay can't leave it....wife returns again with.....air tank number two and .... up comes tire, audible hiss, but not too bad....attach fixa can again and finish the can off. Hey! It's holding....I 'll run up the road to the gas station. You follow.

At station and dismount...what a mess all over back of bike...wife pulls in..."why was your bike smoking?"

We realize not smoke but fix-a-flat was rooster tailing off of back tire....slowly tire sinks. Gas station, We ain't touching it!

Can I leave it here until I can get back to pick it up. Expensive flat? How?, you ask.....lost day of work, lunch for wife since she had to help....so now it is a crappy little trailer, that surprisingly was large enough to hold the bike, title transfer, plates, tax ..... It's adding up. Car trailer sits at home piled high with tree branches and limbs from that storm...when was it again? The crappy lil' trailer matches perfectly to the dent in the back of the SUV. There's an even crappier looking trailer - built specifically for 3 bikes back in Danville...if anybody is interested and needs a bike trailer.

Home again, honey do reprisals complete with ....with me saying, okay dear, let me clean up and I will take you out to dinner. Jeez, with wine yet....yep pushing a grand I think....

Oh the folksiness along the road, I learned of two campers for sale and sent the kid to look at the 750 Suzuki...it runs, but carbs need work, said the guy, and there's an extra set that I'll let ya have....enjoy yer wine dear....a toast - thanks for helping....answer text to kid. Offer him this much...

Smiling anyways....the end (nah, never the end)

Ta ta for now

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Sequel: dug the other BB outa the back of the garage...air, gas, oil etc to ride. First two turns and catches, making turn very difficult. Not in the UP sense of these big antique bikes not turning, NO I mean it won't turn!!!

Looks like a steering head investigation may ensue.....jeez.

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Did you go off your meds or something?

Buy a plug kit, keep it with your bike

Or......

Progressive motorcycle insurance has roadside assistance for next to nothin.

Could have sworn I replied with the same info. Roadside and trip interruption are about fifteen bucks a year. I used the interruption in Canada. Gave me 900 back out of the grand it cost me.

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With AAA you need the RV Plus plan,they'll bring the roll-back and all straps.I only needed it once when I cut a tire where a plug wouldn't work.

If the fix-a-flat wouldn't stop it a plug might not have worked for you either.

Ya gotta love country folks...most will stop and offer help.

At least you're keeping a positive attitude.As an old lady I used to know would say in times of trouble..."This too will pass."

Good luck.

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you know when you signed up for AAA they don't do motorcycles. it says right there on the damn thing.  some guy tried it on a group ride when he crashed his bike and they said sorry about your luck lol

 

and this is why I own a pick up truck.  cars and suv's are worthless to me

Edited by serpentracer
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LOL...in closing....yep Progressive does have roadside protection, for an extra charge...so why do they put roadside assistance on my 'golden' card. Trip A, yeah too, I learned, sign up for another fee and get, did see the AMA availability, but didn't join.....de flat tire may not be all that expensive as the title suggests.....do have a lil' trailer, but the 750 Suzuki may not have happened....ain't heard from the kid as yet. Just when I thought the garage was getting emptier...that a word?

Plus 1 on pick em up trucks....while enjoying the afternoon, I scoped out a likely bank to back up against to roll bike into back of truck. Found a cheapie trailer, so now I gotz it as well.

Afternoon along the road meeting friendly peeple. May hafta just park someplace and meet more folks.

Edited by littlecarbsbigsmiles
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I've always got tire plugs, air pump, zip ties, and black electricians tape in my bike somewhere

Ha! i shoulda called YOU, wuz real close to ya.....enjoyed the day off.....hafta look for the tire plug kit...Garver, here in town, showed me a smallish pack ...gun and 5 plugs that he carries, but he has bags on the Ducati. Almost small enuff for a coat pocket

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Nope mid-week....leave 'em in yer car or on yer bike at work...I' ll snitch 'em after dark! Hafta sneak across to the wrongside of the tracks though

Posted Farmstead.....you're too slow. Smiling here.

Edited by littlecarbsbigsmiles
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Just upgrade your AAA. It's like 10-15 extra per year for RV coverage I believe

This is what I did.  I think its an extra $30/year for a two person plan, so yah, $15 sounds about right if its just you.

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The insurance coverage is nice, and I'm glad you weren't out of state when it happened and it all worked out in the end. Its an eye opener though. I'm of the opinion that you try to help yourself before asking for help as theres nothing worse for me than to have to sit on the side of the road waiting for help from someone when I could have had the tools needed to try to fix it myself. The BMW plug kit I have cost less than $20 and will fit in your coat pocket. now, granted, its not the best as I've since bought a small compressor instead of using the CO2 cartridges that come with the kit, but, hey, its better than nothing and if it works, and they almost always do, then you are ahead of the game and know what you need for next time.  

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Speaking of tire plugs - I had a flat on my old bike and was advised to replace the entire tire (was still relatively new with < 1k miles on it) - Are plugs safe on a motorcycle or just safe enough to get it home and replace the tire?

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Speaking of tire plugs - I had a flat on my old bike and was advised to replace the entire tire (was still relatively new with < 1k miles on it) - Are plugs safe on a motorcycle or just safe enough to get it home and replace the tire?

 

:popcorn:

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Many folks will tell you to replace the tire no matter what, and its a good idea, probably the best, however, many will tell you about plugged tires they have ridden thousands of miles, I'm one who after getting a nail in the middle of the treads on a virtually new rear tire with around 100 miles on it, plugged it to get home, took the tire off, patched it from the inside keeping the plug in and rode it another 20,000 miles including a trip to CO.  All situations are different and don't take my word as gospel, I'm just a frugal type of guy, but, what's a tire cost? $150? I give ambulance rides at work that cost $500. $150 isn't so much when looking at costs of other things. Two sides of a story. 

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Plug kit I saw was smallish, may just fit under seat...$20 to $30 I was told. Passed on the "barn find" Suzuki 750. It turned out to be a survivor '77. Ran but not very well. So only have the lil' trlr and a new tire and the great afternoon along the road.

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