RCinNC
Well-Known Member
Holy crap, that looks more like you ran over a hand grenade.worncog said:I carry a Motopump compressor, at least ten tire worms, a large tube of glue, three or four round tire patches, long tire irons, MotionPro Bead Pro set, Motion Pro combo 27mm tire wrench, and a spare tube. Also have redundant towing plans. Seems like a bit much, but I wander the country, typically solo, and have been known to have a flat or two.
Attached pic was during the BigTex Rally, where I picked up a circus tent size nail on the C10 and dnf'ed just forty miles from the finish. The tire laughed at the five plugs I put in it, and the small Slime compressor was not up to the task.
All that said...if you ride legally, stay out of the median and off the shoulder, keep your pressures up to spec, replace tires when worn down, and don't run over things, you could ride decades with zero tire issues. BUT, the one thing that can leave you stranded, is a cut tire. Coming from a cycling background, I learned that you can repair tire cuts with a strong backer material. My emergency tire kit on the Tenere, for long hauls and off piste adventure riding, includes a 600 denier cordura tent floor mat that can be cut to fit and reinforce a tire cut as well as providing a working surface for tire removel/installations. Again, an extreme scenario, but I ride BDR's and intend on riding the new Mackenzie Highway up in the Northwest Territory next June. Gotta plan for the worst. YMMV.
I come from a cycling background too. I've actually repaired a blown out sidewall (enough to get home, anyway) using a couple of dollar bills laid up against the rip from the inside of the tire. It wasn't perfect, but it got me home. It got me to thinking whether or not a tire ripped up as bad as Limey's could be repaired enough to keep rolling by using one of those speedy stitcher sewing awls (the kind they use to sew leather and canvas). If you could take the tire off, you could use the awl to punch through the rubber and sew the opening back together. That waxed cord they sell with the awl is damn near unbreakable, and the heavy duty needle on those things can punch through 9 oz leather. The steel belts in the tire would keep the waxed cord from pulling through the rubber. If you got the edges sewn tight enough together you wouldn't need a boot inside the tire. Once it was sewn, you could put a tube inside. Maybe run a bit lower pressure in the tire, and not throw it too hard into a turn. It would be an interesting experiment to see if it worked. It wouldn't be ideal, but maybe it would get you home if you were in the middle of nowhere.