On the road tube repairs.

And I'm right back to what I said in post #15. I understand if I have two bikes to work with and clueless how this works with one bike with a wheel off.

PGlaves said:

And I'm right back to what I said in post #15. I understand if I have two bikes to work with and clueless how this works with one bike with a wheel off.

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Watch the video again, full screen, he is using the sidestand. Notice the position of the side stand just before bead breaking, and during. Look at the sidestand springs. If he is not using the sidestand, where is it?

I have used the sidestand method on my Dakar.

How about a little free advice; I might need to repair a tubed tire when traveling. Any opinions regarding these fix a flat goop that is sprayed into the tube? Also, which air compressor brand / type works the best that runs off of my 12volts? Taking off the wheel, especially the rear is impossible sometimes.

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When I was younger I had a lot of flat tires on tube type tires. Over the years I have had about 25 flats with tube type tires. All of them on airheads. Unfortunately, I lived in a region where there was a lot of home construction. This was also before air nail guns. Sometimes more then 1 flat a week. Today with air guns, there are very few loose nails that make it onto the roadway. But, you can still pick up drywall screws. But, today the risk of getting a flat is much lower. Here is what I have learned over the years:

1. Don't use goop (Slime) on tubes type tires. Slime is great for car tires. Not good for motorcycle tires. It will leak out between the tube and tire. This will cause the tube to slip and may rip out the valve stem and cause a blow-out. Tube slippage is dangerous. If it gets outside the tire, it will make the tire very slippery, and could cause an accident. Do it right and fix the flat with a patch.

2. Carry at least 3 tire irons. The 6" tire irons that BMW gives you are too short. Get 8 or 9 inch tire irons. It will save you a lot of grief. It can be done with two 6" BMW tire irons, but you better be pretty good with them. I don't like them any longer because they will not fit into my BMW tool pouch.

3. Carry a tube type repair kit (patches, scratch pad, and cement).

4. If you have an airhead, you should have the factory manual air pump. If the pump is good, keep using it. If you need or want a battery operated pump, I have had excellent experience with the Slime Tire compressor. It is small and seems to be bullet proof. You can get them in Walmart for around $20. It comes with a bottle of slime, air compressor, and carrying case. I keep one in each of my vehicles. I used the Slime pump to pump up a backhoe tire (5' high by 2' wide) to 60psi. We can't seem to destroy it. Other pumps I have tried haven't worked out well. There may be others that are good. But, why change when the Slime compressor has performed so well.

5. Only buy natural rubber tires tubes. Natural rubber tubes are more expensive, but worth every penny they cost. Synthetic or blends rubber tubes have a reputation of splitting vertically when they are punctured. This can led to an instant blow out and may cause you to crash. Natural rubber tubes deflate very slowly when punctured. I have never had one instantly deflate (blow-out). I am a strong believer in natural rubber tire tubes. Very important for your safety. I can't emphasize this enough. In the past I had good luck finding natural rubber tubes at Competition Accessories. There may be other sources that are good too.

6. Before inserting the tube into the tire, inflate it slightly. This makes it much easier to insert into the tire. Secondly, keep the tube from folding while inside the tire. A folded tube can rub together and cause a blow-out. Third, you are much less likely to pinch the tube while putting the tire bead over the rim with the tire irons. Forth, it keeps the tube from getting between the rim and the tire (will ruin the tube). Once the tire is remounted, then inflate it to the proper tire pressure.

7. If I have to patch the tire, I will order a new tube, and replace the repaired tube when it is convenient. For me, it is a safety issue. I have never had a repaired tube fail, but safety comes first in my opinion. But, I have ridden up to a 1,000 miles with a repaired tube before replacing it.

8. Today sometimes there are tube type tires on tubeless rims. In those cases, you will need some way of breaking the bead. I have a couple bead breakers in my shop. I do have a commercial grade clamp. But, it is heavy and takes up space. But, is required on tubeless rims.

Here's another video where the sidestand is being used.


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I install heavy duty top quality name brand tubes used for off roading and MX for starters.

Then I used the old tubes as spares and bring along a repair kit.

As for a compressor, I use a manual pump...simple and reliable and ultra compact.