What to carry for dealing with flats?

[Photog]

Last night I stopped to try and help another motocylist who was guiding his bike up the other side of the road on foot. (happened to be a BMW boxer)
Turns out he had a flat which he had plugged but leaked still and he had used up all of what ever inflation/sealant he had along.
I had no anti-flat equipment at all. He was managing with moving the bike under it's own power, and there was a gas station about a block further. So I ended up with only being able wish him well and head off into the sunset.

So, what recommendations do you motobrickers have for a flat kit?
On my bicycle, I carry CO2 and a pocketable pump, and I even  have a spare pump that I could add to the moto, but inflating a moto tire with it would be a pretty grim affair, and probably not feasible if it were leaking.

What works well?
What do you carry?

CO2
Battery powered pump/compressor
plug kit
sealant
AAA card
all the above?

[johnny]

greetings photog...

i carry...

1) slime pump with a powerlet adapter on the end...

2) ezair accugage pressure gauge...

3) stop n go mushroom plug kit...

4) pistol grip sticky string kit...

j o

[G.Kennedy]

I got a flat yesterday commuting home on the 405fwy( one of the busiest in the world).

I carry a cheapo flat repair kit found at any auto store. It has the tool, long slimey sticky plugs and glue.

It took two plugs side to plug the hole.

I carry an old Mt. Bike pump to reinflate. Doesn't take much air. Maybe 10psi to inflate enough to get off freeway.

I rode it the remaining 10 miles home. Maybe added 15mins to my commute.

As with many things in life. Knowing how to use it is more important than having he biggest/best tool. Buy a whole package of stringing plugs and practice in your garage before needing it on the 405

[CRASH]

1) slime pump with a powerlet adapter
2) Longacre pressure gauge
3) stop n go mushroom plug kit with gun
4) T-handle gummy worm set I pieced together at the auto store.

I got to prove the gummy worms work about a month ago.  Forget CO2 ... pump is the way to go.  I was back on the road in 10 minutes ... took longer to unpack and repack the stuff than to fix the flat.

[Duc750]

The most effective get you home fix I've found for tubeless tyres are self taping screws screwed into the offending hole they generally seal well enough to ride at normal speed for a couple of hundred miles to get you home. Other than that I still carry a tubeless bung kit with co2 carts 

[wmax351]

I have the gummy worms and an electric pump. Never had to use it (eilenberger's laws).

[DRxBMW]

So, what recommendations do you motobrickers have for a flat kit?
On my bicycle, I carry CO2 and a pocketable pump, and I even  have a spare pump that I could add to the moto, but inflating a moto tire with it would be a pretty grim affair, and probably not feasible if it were leaking.

What works well?
What do you carry?

* cell phone if all else fails - pray to the BMW Gods you have coverage

* 12V air compressor for inflation (plastic removed aka "gutted out" for weight & portability)

* CO2 cartridges and inflator head  (plan B backup)

* FRESH gummy worms

* FRESH glue replace at least yearly

* plug insertion & rasp tools for the gummy worms

* Scab self adhesive type patches (tubed tyres only)

* spare tubes, front & rear if I'm on the GS, especially in the boonies

For the record, I NEVER had much luck with the Stop & Go mushroom plugs.  Ended up throwing the damn insertion tool in the trash after a frustrating episode several years back, IMHO worthless.

Anyone here ever futz with Dynplugs ? 

http://www.dynaplug.com/

Salesman was at a rally, must have had 6 dyna-plugs on his front tire,all were holding pressure.  However, NO personal experience using them.

Call me paranoid, but a plug is to get you home & emergency use ONLY !  I rather spring the bucks for a new tire than risk a plug working out at speed, rapid deflation truly sucks, trust me.

Do NOT plug a sidewall puncture !

Ha, one time I rode over 500 miles unaware that a HUGE roofing nail/metal washer was imbedded in my rear tire. Turned out the nail was the only thing holding the air in. Upon removal, instant whoosh, thank God I was in my garage. Unsure if even two or more gummy worms would have plugged it successfully.

[johnny]

i had the mushroom kit in the bung for a few years then i saw several reviews were they didnt hold on the side tread... so i added the sticky strings with the t handle tools... have not used either one beside the road...

a few weeks ago we were rolling some socal canyons... it was about sunny and 100 degrees out... i sees a pirate with his pirate woman standing beside the road next to a hd... i give them the tumbs up... they just look like we are martians... the mickster says to me thats they gotts a flat rear tire...

we reverse route and pull up behind the hd... the tire is flat but not f ed up... so i says to the pirate... whats the deal bro... he says flat tire... i says i can see that bro... is there a puncture in the tread or what... he says yep in the center tread...

i says to the pirate... i can get you rolling right now... he says to me... you gotts some fix a flat... i says no bro i gotts a puncture repair it and a compressor...  his woman getts a smile on her face like we are outta here...

the pirate says to me... no... he called a buddy who is bringing him a can of fix a flat... his woman says to the pirate... butts that was 2 hours ago... i says to them... i gotts some cold water here if you are thirsty and i can have you rolling in 10 minutes... the pirate says to me that they dont want any water or any help...

visor down... hit the switch... we were outta there...

j o

[Chaos]

Fix a Flat saved my butt 3-4 times.  More than I can say for co2 and gummi worms.  Easy, portable, works for me. 

[CRASH]

Why am I not surprised? The mentality of some of these people is amazing. "I can at LEAST get you to a place with shade" Nope, I am a bad ass pirate, I will wait for the buzzards to pluck my eyeballs out.   Getting harder and harder to realize they aren't all a bunch of fucktards ... hell, their choice in machine proves it anyway.

i had the mushroom kit in the bung for a few years then i saw several reviews were they didnt hold on the side tread... so i added the sticky strings with the t handle tools... have not used either one beside the road...

a few weeks ago we were rolling some socal canyons... it was about sunny and 100 degrees out... i sees a pirate with his pirate woman standing beside the road next to a hd... i give them the tumbs up... they just look like we are martians... the mickster says to me thats they gotts a flat rear tire...

we reverse route and pull up behind the hd... the tire is flat but not f ed up... so i says to the pirate... whats the deal bro... he says flat tire... i says i can see that bro... is there a puncture in the tread or what... he says yep in the center tread...

i says to the pirate... i can get you rolling right now... he says to me... you gotts some fix a flat... i says no bro i gotts a puncture repair it and a compressor...  his woman getts a smile on her face like we are outta here...

the pirate says to me... no... he called a buddy who is bringing him a can of fix a flat... his woman says to the pirate... butts that was 2 hours ago... i says to them... i gotts some cold water here if you are thirsty and i can have you rolling in 10 minutes... the pirate says to me that they dont want any water or any help...

visor down... hit the switch... we were outta there...

j o

[frankenduck]

I've got a couple of the Slime pumps.  I use them for topoffs but don't trust them to last very long.  When I'm traveling I carry an Airman Tour compressor that I DO trust.

Sticky stings: Safety Seal brand are supposedly the best.  After I got stuck for a day in bumf*** Montana since the auto shop wasn't open until Monday I now carry those.  I used one last year to repair a flat on the side of I-5.  It worked.

[Snowy]

I carry a Slime pump and Stop'N Go Tyre plugger kits on both the K11 and GSA.  Used it twice for rear punctures on the GSA on the road and put several thousand more miles on the tyres until their normal replacement time without issue.  I know the repairs are for "emergency only" and just to get you home but I think the manufacturers have to take that stance for legal reasons.  For personal choice, on a rear tyre I'm happy to use them for the life of the tyre. I would'nt be as confident on a front tyre, but in 33 years of riding bikes I have never had a puncture on a front.

[Scott_]

I also carry the sticky string plugs and compressor. I also have some co2 cartridges as a plan B.

The way my luck goes, the last 2 years I've managed to get a nail in the rear at the beginning of the riding season on a new tire w/less than 500 miles. I've plugged each one and been able to ride each tire till the end of the season/life of the tire.

I had a front punture 2yrs ago in town. it was a slow leak, slow enough I just pumped it up and rode it home. Replaced that tire.
On the road I'd plug one to get me to a new tire. Don't like the thought of riding on a plugged front tire. Not that riding on a plugged rear should be any safer but........

[awshucks]

I have a tube patch kit on the airhead w/ frame mounted hand pump, which is next to worthless but got me home once in the 70's.  I have the Stop-n-Go plug kit w/ 3 Co2 carts on the 'K'.  Think I'll  throw the hand pump from airhead in one of the bags if/when I get out of here again.

My buddy, 'Bill' recently had his front tire let go on his GS, relatively low speed on hwy curve.  He had a thrill in the ditch it put him in, but used 3 cart's of CO2 to get about 10 psi.

I buy Slime here by the gallon.  Before I sold my boat, I had it's trailer, a wagon for ATV, the ATV, a snowmobile trailer converted to bike use, and a log splitter.

I'll have to google Slime pump............

[frankenduck]

I'll have to google Slime pump............

$10 at Wally World....

[awshucks]

Since I have leads coming off the batteries on both bikes for battery tenders, I've overcome my Luddite in me and ordered an electric air pump. ;D  Our Wally World doesn't carry much compared to others. >:(

[frankenduck]

If you go to Fleabay and search for "Hella plug" then you can find plugs for your air compressor and battery tender to use in the power socket above the coils.  The socket above the coils is unswitched so is good for battery tending.

[frankenduck]

Since I have leads coming off the batteries on both bikes for battery tenders, I've overcome my Luddite in me and ordered an electric air pump. ;D  Our Wally World doesn't carry much compared to others. >:(

You can get free ship to store on Wally World products but on most stuff their shipping to home is so cheap that it costs less than a trip to the store on $4 gas.  Plus, you don't have to find parking and then hike three miles to the back of the store to get to the auto parts section.

[awshucks]

Both bikes tender connections are straight off the battery, the airhead came w/ Powerlet.  Both are fused.  Seems to work for me............

I'd sold my 04 Tri BA to a friend who put a batt tender on it.  When it/he got stuck in town w/ low batt, we tried jumping it thru the battery tender connection.  Blew the 7.5a fuse, lol.  It was due for new battery anyhow.

[Brettmass]

And the most important flat tyre accesory is 1 x Bottle of JD or Wild Turkey, if ya can't fix ya tyre u can get pie eyed an not care any more. ;D ;D ;D

[wmax351]

Carry Tires.

[Rick G]

And I thought I looked fat with my spare tyre

[argent brick]

FWIW, I just joined BMW MOA and they sent me a Co2 kit for free.

Got home from class today and there it was!

[voodooskin]

I was changing my front tire anyway so thought, what the heck, put a nail into the tire and tried to use the patching kits I carry:

1) stop n go: stop n curse IMHO.  Did a good job of mangling mushroom plugs in the tool, never got it to work even with shop tools at hand to add bonus leverage, a luxury not afforded on the road

2) slime tire snake kit: worked a treat

I'm sure I paid 4x for the former than the latter, but at least now I know what to carry and how to use it.

YMMV...

[johnny]

greetings...

been successful with the stop n curse on car tiors... been successful with the sticky strings on moto tiors...

what i carry... update from my post here from october 21 2011... spare tiors... 2 by 4s... ratchet straps... many spoons... air compressor... weed fruit cake this time of year... aaa rv plus...

j o