How to fix a Rear Flat on the Trail?

[NeilW]

If you have a solid way to fix a rear tube flat on the trail, please share it. Yes we all know that tubeless is 99% effective for easy repair but not if you rip a sidewall. You tubeless guys will have to put a tube in.

Please only post with your tools and technique for hard sidewall ADV rear tube repair. In other words, how do you break the bead and replace the tube?

If you successfully ( carry)  use a Baja no pinch or C clamps please share your tools and your technique.

I tried to mount my Rabaconda on my T7 but then I had no place to sit....

[lolocastsb]

On my DR650 (and T7, this year), I carry a handful of heavy duty zipties to keep the rear tire on to get me back to civilization and call AAA/a ride.

 

I have no interest in fixing a flat on trail and I'm never more than ~20 miles from a road + carry a Garmin inReach with the riding I do in NV, CA, AZ, UT, etc.

[deanso]

12 minutes ago, lolocastsb said:

On my DR650 (and T7, this year), I carry a handful of heavy duty zipties to keep the rear tire on to get me back to civilization and call AAA/a ride.

Seriously, never heard of it.

How many k's do you think you can manage on zipties? More info on how to apply zipties in cases of a flat?

[Ray Ride4life]

That's not what OP asked @lolocastsb

 

I carry these, Motion Pro Bead Pro tyre irons. I even use them at home to put the tyre back on when i used the tyre device to take them of because i don't like the tyre irons that came with it.

I carry a smal spray bottle with soapy water (one out of a travel kit), some tyre band aids, alcohol wipes to clean the tyre for the patches and a trail jack.

Demonstration with the Bead Pro's

 

[Rider 101]

I did my rear last Sunday morning at 0700.

I have a cut down crutch ( thanks to an errant 'roo ) to support the swing arm.

I only use Metzeler or Ballard's tyre levers ( they are basically the same ) and the job was done in 15 minutes.

The other essential tool is a velcro wrap to lock the front brake when doing the rear tyre.

 

/assets/full/34-004.jpg?20210318052712

Ballards Ultimate Tyre Levers at MXstore

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Buy your Ballards Ultimate Tyre Levers online at MXstore. Australian owned, amazing service & fast free shipping* on over 100,000 products.

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by Rider 101

[Rider 101]

I probably should point out I use 140/18 tyre and when fitting in the shed I use a heap of talcum powder.

It helps with fitting and lubricates the tube in the tyre.

On longer rides I carry a small tub of DRC bead cream. It definitely helps to get the bead on the rim.

[NeilW]

55 minutes ago, Rider 101 said:

I did my rear last Sunday morning at 0700.

I have a cut down crutch ( thanks to an errant 'roo ) to support the swing arm.

I only use Metzeler or Ballard's tyre levers ( they are basically the same ) and the job was done in 15 minutes.

The other essential tool is a velcro wrap to lock the front brake when doing the rear tyre.

 

/assets/full/34-004.jpg?20210318052712

Ballards Ultimate Tyre Levers at MXstore

---

Buy your Ballards Ultimate Tyre Levers online at MXstore. Australian owned, amazing service & fast free shipping* on over 100,000 products.

 

@rider 101 what rear tire  make and model were you able to unmount with those short tire irons and how did you break the bead?

[NeilW]

1 hour ago, deanso said:

Seriously, never heard of it.

How many k's do you think you can manage on zipties? More info on how to apply zipties in cases of a flat?

@deanso You are just trying to keep the tire on the rim with the zipties. I haven't done it personally but I know others that have. You wrap the zipties between the knobbies about every 6" or so. I can see it being a problem with more street oriented tires where the zipties are hitting the ground. I am a knobbie fan myself. If you take it slow and the zipties are between the knobs I would think you could easily travel 20-30km. The only issue is the strength of the sidewall of the tire- which is the reason it is so hard to fix a flat on them. I am planning on riding the Macgruder Trail  (160km long) in Idaho this summer and in the middle you are 80km from either end where you can get a lift. ( and no cell service)

[Windblown]

MotionPro spoons, Trail stand, old 27mm wrench off a long forgotten motorcycle.  I usually only carry a spare front tube and a patch kit. The front rube will work in an emergency to get to civilization in the rear.  

 

Hot tires usually come off and go on pretty easy. As you can see in the photo my Motion Pro spoons are well used. They get used every time I am changing tires on any of my bikes.  I also will use sockets to hold the bead dropped into the wheel to facilitate spooning on the tire if necessary which I typically only need if doing a tubeless tire on a tubeless rim.. I have a video of the socket trick but it's not on a T700 wheel...

 

The tool kit

 

 

 

 

[Rider 101]

12 minutes ago, NeilW said:

@rider 101 what rear tire  make and model were you able to unmount with those short tire irons and how did you break the bead?

Neil,

I use Motoz Tractionator Rallz. Motoz 140/80-18 RALLZ 70R TT MST REAR

I break the bead using the heal of my boot! 

[NeilW]

32 minutes ago, Rider 101 said:

Neil,

I use Motoz Tractionator Rallz. Motoz 140/80-18 RALLZ 70R TT MST REAR

I break the bead using the heal of my boot! 

@Rider 101I think it is appropriate for this American to say "good on ya" for being able to use your boot to break the bead. 

 

[Rider 101]

Brute strength and stupidity wins every time! It also helps if you ride a short way with very little air in the tyre.

[NeilW]

9 minutes ago, Rider 101 said:

Brute strength and stupidity wins every time! It also helps if you ride a short way with very little air in the tyre.

Yes, Others have also mentioned about breaking the bead by riding on the flat a bit.

 

[Uncle M]

As @Rider 101 does, I use a 140 instead of 150 Motoz, the 140's being easier to break the bead. I use Motion Pro spoons and an Enduro Trail stand. My favoured tire change technique is  Lyndon Poskitt's.

 

[Hollybrook]

I bought a set of spare wheels that included the stock Pirelli Scorpion STR on the rear. Having heard horror stories about how difficult to remove it is, I wanted to find out for myself. The tire was at least a year old with about 1,500 miles on it.  As far as I know, it had never been removed from the rim.

 

Not wanting to find out on a trail that I couldn't handle a major tube blowout, I swapped out the rear tire on the floor of my garage with only a thin rug covering the concrete. The tire was at 45°F and I did not use any type of lubrication other than baby powder inside the new tire to protect the tube against friction wear. 

 

The only tools used were a MP bead breaker and a single MP aluminum tire iron/wrench, along with my knees to keep the bead in the groove.  It was a real pain to get done, but the only part I struggled with was getting the TKC80 replacement tire started.  The MP bead breaker worked as expected, though it took almost a full revolution around the tire before the bead first came off the rim. 

 

FWIW, I've seen @Windblown's bead breaker and that photo does not do it justice.  It looks a lot more worn in person!

Edited February 10, 2023 by Hollybrook

[NeilW]

1 hour ago, Hollybrook said:

I bought a set of spare wheels that included the stock Pirelli Scorpion STR on the rear. Having heard horror stories about how difficult to remove it is, I wanted to find out for myself. The tire was at least a year old with about 1,500 miles on it.  As far as I know, it had never been removed from the rim.

 

Not wanting to find out on a trail that I couldn't handle a major tube blowout, I swapped out the rear tire on the floor of my garage with only a thin rug covering the concrete. The tire was at 45°F and I did not use any type of lubrication other than baby powder inside the new tire to protect the tube against friction wear. 

 

The only tools used were a MP bead breaker and a single MP aluminum tire iron/wrench, along with my knees to keep the bead in the groove.  It was a real pain to get done, but the only part I struggled with was getting the TKC80 replacement tire started.  The MP bead breaker worked as expected, though it took almost a full revolution around the tire before the bead first came off the rim. 

 

FWIW, I've seen @Windblown's bead breaker and that photo does not do it justice.  It looks a lot more worn in person!

It does seem that patience, the right tools,  and a warm - from riding- tire will allow a tube repair on the trail.

I was never afraid of NON Dot trail repairs .

I am going to get in one of the name brand company bead breakers and the Baja no pinch and see how it goes. Of course I will review and report.

 

Anyone else have any 'super tools' for trail tire repair?

[Hollybrook]

I think the main things to be aware of are mostly skill related.  Even the stock tire that is quite difficult to break the bead on can be done with trail tools if you have good quality tools and some experience.

 

Using something stronger to break the bead can make the job easier.  In the garage, even a simple homemade press using framing lumber will make the job a lot easier, as can warming up the tire beforehand.  Having good quality purpose built tools like a Rabaconda or other bench type bead breaker makes this pretty much a non-issue.  On the trail, using a kickstand or C-clamp should work fine, though I personally prefer the MP bead breaker tool that also functions as two spoons once the bead has unseated.

 

There are lots of good YouTube videos with tips and tricks to help make the job easier.  Some use wood blocks, zip ties, or sockets to keep the bead in the channel when spooning off the tire.  I weigh about 225lbs, so putting a knee on the tire is usually enough for me and a bit faster.  While I have a couple of the small MP bead buddies in my tool bag, I did not find them necessary when changing the tires.

 

Now that I know this is possible on a cold STR, I would not fail to use some lubricant when changing a tire on the trail.  It is not hard to carry a little vial of lubricant, or you could carry a small can of WD-40.  My spare tubes are vacuum packed in a bag with enough talcum powder to dump into the tire when changing it.  I choose to carry both 18" and 21" tubes so I can go longer distances on the rear if I need to put in a tube.

 

A final thought is to have a good headlight in your tool bag  Its enough of a problem having to change a tire in the daylight, but if your repair forces you to continue the repair in the dark, being able to see what you are looking at is crucial.  I carry a very light headlight that has a lithium ion battery (never leaks) that can be recharged on my bike, and I carry a spare charged battery for it as well.  It's not the cheapest around, but it is reliable and bright, and has a magnetic base so it can be placed on the bike if you don't want to wear it.  This is the one that I have: https://a.co/d/gSrQdFv

Edited February 10, 2023 by Hollybrook

[NeilW]

@Hollybrook good info. Thanks for sharing. 

[roygilbo]

I have used this at home with my Rabaconda so that I can do it on the road.  Broke the bead on my Trailmax Mission (no easy feat) pretty easily.

 

Motorcycle Tyre Repair Kit; Tyre-Pro Base Kit - motorcycle tire repair tools

---

The Tyre-Pro motorcycle tyre repair kit is a compact ultra light motorcycle tire repair toolkit for adventure, enduro and RTW travel.

 

[NeilW]

On 2/17/2023 at 2:34 PM, roygilbo said:

I have used this at home with my Rabaconda so that I can do it on the road.  Broke the bead on my Trailmax Mission (no easy feat) pretty easily.

 

Motorcycle Tyre Repair Kit; Tyre-Pro Base Kit - motorcycle tire repair tools

---

The Tyre-Pro motorcycle tyre repair kit is a compact ultra light motorcycle tire repair toolkit for adventure, enduro and RTW travel.

 

Eastbound makes great products - I reviews the MotoWinch - it works for us older, weaker, tireder or hurt folks that have to pick up the T7 or any other bike.