JB's Evening Adventure

[James Burleigh]

First day back at work after two (felt like three) weeks off....

Rode into San Francisco for a day in the office....

Parked in the curbside M.C. parking in the financial district....

Underlying crabbiness all day; wish I were back on vacation.... :angry:

Called it quits at about 6 PM....

Got suited up, plugged in (heat, radio), and fired up....

Clunked it into first and started to roll....

WTF???!!!! :blink:

FLAT REAR TIRE! "F**K! I just wanna go HOME!" :angry:

Looked in the trunk for a spare. Oh yeah, no spare. :glare:

Felt helpless. No shops open. Can't leave the bike on the street all night. Can't have it towed 30 miles home....

Asked parking attendants in my building garage and the one next door if they can help a fellow out and let me stow my bike overnight. "Sorry. We don't have motorcycle parking" (insert appropriate foreign accent at your own risk). Me: "I don't want to park it! I just need to store it overnight! Please!" A shrug and a "Sorry" that thinly veils a "F**k you." My faith in mankind plummets lower than Pamela Anderson's décolletage.

I go back up to my office, get out of my 'stitch, and call Foremost roadside assistance. That all works out surprisingly efficiently, and I am home on the metro (BART) exactly two hours later than I would have otherwise, and out $60 for overnight storage by the tow company. In the AM I will call around to who can install a new tire, and have it hauled over there. Hopefully ride Baby home tomorrow night.

Prequel: Riding over the Bay Bridge this morning I definitely hit something weird, feeling a thump and hearing a clunk. Then I felt very minor handling issues as I rode three city blocks to where I parked. But then I didn't hang onto the thought and check the bike during the day.

Anyway, that's two wasted rear tires in a row lost to flats that still had tread on them. But hey. That's okay. I'm made of money. :angry:

JB

P.S. Open to suggestions of good shops in the City of Sam Clam's Disco....

 

[twowheelnut]

Dood, please don't tell me that you ride without a tire repair kit. If you made it three blocks, you prolly coulda plugged it.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Total suckage, JB.

I have to curb park daily on a DC street and lost two rear tires to crap that I'm sure I picked up from the gutter. But not one (knock on wood, so far) since occasionally seeing one of the building janitors sweeping the sidewalk. Every now and then for the last year I'll tip him a fiver for doing a nice job and he's been keeping the curb nice and clean where I park.

Probably just jinxed myself, but the guy and I are both happy with the arrangement.

Bob

 

[JimLor]

Yup, if you carried a pump and some sticky string you'd never get a flat. I did, but I'm sure you wouldn't!

 

[user 2024]

Yup, if you carried a pump and some sticky string you'd never get a flat. I did, but I'm sure you wouldn't!

That is what I carry under the seat. Back on the road in no time.

 

[James Burleigh]

Dood, please don't tell me that you ride without a tire repair kit. If you made it three blocks, you prolly coulda plugged it.

As I was standing over the disabled bike wondering what to do, it did occur to me that this is probably the time when those bike repair kits I've heard about come in handy. Please advise....

 

[keithaba]

One of these badboys clicky, and slime tire pump. clicky

Don't leave home without them.

 

[user 2024]

One of these badboys clicky, and slime tire pump. clicky
Don't leave home without them.

Gunny!

 

[odot]

One of these badboys clicky, and slime tire pump. clicky
Don't leave home without them.

FUZZY BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There, fixed it fer yas.

 

[user 2024]

One of these badboys clicky, and slime tire pump. clicky
Don't leave home without them.

FUZZY BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There, fixed it fer yas.

Thanks, I think? :huh:

 

[Toecutter]

Dood, please don't tell me that you ride without a tire repair kit.

...or a tire pressure monitoring system? :blink: :glare:

You need to quit trying to hide behind those glasses and go ask the nearest admin to properly adorn you with the highly undesirable "Avatar of Shame".

 

[juniorfjr]

And the Slime pump is on sale for $20 through the 9th at Autozone. Posted in parts and accessories. Or so I'm told.

 

[odot]

It actually amounts to 32 bucks but if you buy it by tomorrow you can get a 20 buck rebate.

 

[James Burleigh]

Thank you, all. Much obliged. I'm gonna get the tire repair stuff recommended.

This morning I had Baby towed to Golden Gate Cycle. It's the first time I ever worked with them, or even stepped in their shop. What a great bunch of folks. Everyone I spoke to was friendly and engaged in serving me. Huzzah!

I put on a couple of Metzler Z6s on the Feejer. I wanted to replace my Avon Storms, which I'm very happy with and get great mileage, but I've run Metzlers before and was happy with those as well. The latter were in stock, which meant I got to ride home today :yahoo: and not have to take the canned people mover again (aka, BART).

But I had to take it doubly slow going the 35 miles home, since I had the new tires AND it was raining. Hitting those little lane-marker dots while lane sharing is particularly nerve-raking in the rain in the dark with new tires. And oh yeah, everytime the cars ahead hit their brakes, the dots of water on my faceshield refracted red like crazy and blinded me. :blink:

But praise the Lord I thankfully once again pulled up safe and sound....

 

[twowheelnut]

So, which tire repair kit did you buy while you where there?

 

[dcarver]

..and, JB, I say with greatest respect..

don't you do a walkabout the bike prior to riding home?

I ALWAYS squeeze the sidewalls, make sure the rearward lights are lit, turn signals work, etc. before launching the cruise missile home.

I know, I know, you can't freakin squeeze, thump with a hammer, or otherwise make a valid indication of tire pressure without measuring with suitable pressure gauge, but, my mighty 10 oz hammer can easily tell a properly (enough) inflated tire from a deflated one.

Of course, since you're made of $$, a SmarTire setup is in your future JB!

Glad you made it back OK and for the good shop experience. Ride on JB and Thanks for posting.

 

[James Burleigh]

So, which tire repair kit did you buy while you where there?

Funny you mention this, because as I was getting ready to pay and looking around at all the M.C. accessories in the place, I thought, "Hey! I should get a tire repair kit." But I didn't because I never do anything without first checking the Forum, natch.

 

[James Burleigh]

..and, JB, I say with greatest respect..
don't you do a walkabout the bike prior to riding home?

I ALWAYS squeeze the sidewalls, make sure the rearward lights are lit, turn signals work, etc. before launching the cruise missile home.

I know, I know, you can't freakin squeeze, thump with a hammer, or otherwise make a valid indication of tire pressure without measuring with suitable pressure gauge, but, my mighty 10 oz hammer can easily tell a properly (enough) inflated tire from a deflated one.

Of course, since you're made of $$, a SmarTire setup is in your future JB!

Glad you made it back OK and for the good shop experience. Ride on JB and Thanks for posting.

Deerslayer, are you referring to after getting new tires, or just every single night before I ride home (or in for that matter)? No, I don't. I often (several times a week) do check my brake lights and signals before heading home, and sometimes in the AM. And I routinely check my tire pressure on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights.

Thanks for the note. How are things in the Magical Land of Creston? God I wish I were back there! You're so lucky. It's like getting to live in Disneyland....

 

[James Burleigh]

You are NOT gonna believe this! I rode the new tires home last night, and when I went to double-check the PSI this morning--there was a screw in the dead center of my brand new rear Metzer Z6! I crossed my fingers and pulled it out with a pair of pliers, and that tire flattened in about 30 seconds with a whoosh of escaping air.

F**k!

I plugged it and rode the Harley into work. After letting the glue cure all day, I got home tonight and put 42 PSI in. In the morning if it's holding the 42, I'll ride it to work, stopping at a couple of gas stations along the way to check PSI. If it loses anything on the ride in, I'll just continue right to the shop and get a new #$%&^*! tire installed on the back, and then we can go do it all over again--'cause I'm MADE of money. :angry: