Punctures

In over 30 years of riding bikes I've had three punctures, the first
was in 2005 when I had the ZX-9R, and it just had to happen on the day
I was delivering it to Bee - I had that one plugged. The second was 2
months ago on the Versys, which I also had plugged, and today I went to
get the bike out to go for a play and found that the same rear tyre now
has another puncture.

Luckily there's a pair of Avon Viper Sports waiting in the garage to be
fitted, as the rear is damn near at the wear markers.

 

I beat my record for picking up a nail - eight days (or less) and 75
miles after having these Road 2s fitted to the thou I was sitting at
some lights near Tower Bridge when a helpful chap on a scooter pulled
alongside and told me I had a nail in my rear tyre.

One week on and the plug seems to be holding. Hope it stays that way,
it's got to get me to Germany and back, via France, Switzerland, Italy
and Austria.

 

ogden wrote:

It should be ok. I have had bikes with plugs in the tyres last right
until the tread has all but disappeared.

I've a job on my hands now, got to find a dealer willing to let me
change my own tyres on their machine.

 

With his reputation?

 

3 times in the last 3 years. Every time I changed tyres (Bridgestone 014,
Conti Sport-Attack and Pirelli Corsa III and every one within 50 miles of
have the tyrs changed. All plugged and all (apart from the Corsa) ran for a
further 3000 miles each.

If they're anything like the plugs I used (wedge shaped) they'll outlast the
tyre.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

The very same. I checked it an hour ago and there's another nail in it,
but the tyre needs changing anyway.

 

Lozzo said:

Why? do you not trust others to do it for ye?
Not being a ****, just wondering why?

 

Dave Benj said:

LOL, been about a bit, had the piss ripped, got busy, came back, got a
bike (which i love) had lozzo ask me to watch his bike among a group of
rufty tufty scooter boys etc.

OK, some of thats true, some of thats the bottle of red ive downed.

I cant imagine theres many bike shops about that'll allow him to do
what he wants though, thats all pre Health and safety nazism surely?

 

No, I just want to do as much as I possibly can myself. I enjoy
maintaining my bikes to the highest possible standard.

 

It's a Vladimir Putin thing. He'll video the event & post it on the SV650 &
Versys forums in an attempt to validate his alpha male status.

 

I really enjoy doing all the work on my bikes myself, even down to tyre
changes. Having said that, I took the Versys in for its 3750 mile
service a couple of weeks ago and let Sarah the apprentice at the local
Kwak shop service it for me. She did a good and thorough job... once
I'd told her what bits not to touch because I'd already done them, it
was down to her to just change the oil and filter.

There is no steering lock on the trackbike, so I had to ask someone to
watch over it. I knew none of you scootah-bois would nick it cos the
gears are in the wrong place and it's way too fast for any of them to
handle.

There are a number of shops that will, actually.

 

Lozzo said:

Brings me back to the original question.

Do you not trust others to do it for you?[1]

[1]Couldn't resist

 

Lozzo said:

Good point there.

<grabs pen>
And they are???

 

Yes, there are a number of blokes and women out there I trust to work
on my bikes, but where I can do it myself I will.

 

They won't let just anyone use their kit, so it's pointless telling you
who they are. It's taken me years of gaining enough trust to be able to
even ask if I can enter the workshop, let alone use the kit in there.

 

Heh. One of my local dealers lets me use his workshop from time to time.
Very handy when you haven't got an essential special tool.

 

When I was at Uni there was a little garage just outside Bath that used
to let me use their workshop & lift when I worked on my ancient beetle.

They said the reason for letting me in was that I used to buy all my
single-grade oil there, but I reckon it was because I was more
entertaining than the radio in the corner as I struggled with the
concepts of torque and left hand threads.

 

Will they let you use their engine rebuilding bench now?

 

Not usually a problem if you know the people at the shop. I suspect Loz
knows more of them than he's had underpant changes.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Mine lets me take out their "special" tools if I need them too. I borrowed
their chain splitter/rivetter a few weeks ago nd the next time they used it
after I took it back, the fuckng thing snapped in half.

He didn't say anything to me, but he told my mate who's chain I'd swapped,
so I had to go in and explain that even with 50,000 volts uo my ricker, I'd
still not have been able to break the tool with a couple of spanners. His
mechanic eventually admitted he'd used a piece of scaff bar on the thing to
break the chain on a bike he was working on. I was cleared

Mind you, I've made up a few special tools over the years and I've let him
have a universal clutch basket holding tool (fantastic for allowing the
removal of the basket with no assistance) that I was forced into building
for a one-off job, so it's not all one-sided.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19