What is the worst enemy of bike riders? It’s something that stands opposed to everything bikers ride for. It’s something that kills the freedom that comes from flying down the road. It is a flat tire. You can care for your tires all you want to have the longest lifespan possible, but a single nail in the road can put an end to all that, and worst of all, there’s nothing you can do to prevent it. You can only do one thing to prepare: carry a repair kit with you. The best tire repair kits for motorcycles can repair both tube and tubeless tires, but what else do you need to know?
What To Value in a Repair Kit
Don’t search for “Motorcycle tires near me” after discovering your repair kit will not get the job done. There are three things you need to keep in mind when picking out your motorcycle tire repair kit:
- Completeness
- Quality
- Portability
First and foremost, consider the completeness of the kit. If it doesn’t have that one tool you need to get the job done, you might as well not have it. A complete kit should have a rasp and insert tool, glue, plugs, patches, and hole cleaner. These are all standard repair kit inclusions, but many repair kits fail to include an air pump. After patching or plugging the hole, you will likely need to blow the tire back up to the right air pressure, which you cannot do without a pump. If the repair kit you have your eye on doesn’t include a pump, you can buy one separately.
You do not want to skimp on the quality of your repair kit. Getting one with all the highest quality tools will jack the price up a bit, but it is worth it. When you are stranded on the side of the road, you are counting on your repair kit to get you up and running again. It is a great idea to read a few reviews of any repair kit before you buy it. If you buy it in person, rather than online, feel each tool in your hand to make sure it feels strong.
Finally, portability is an easy aspect to overlook. You don’t need to be told that you have limited space on your bike, so it should be convenient to take the repair kit with you everywhere, and you are going to want to take it with you everywhere. Despite including a lot of tools and parts, repair kits do not actually have to take up very much space. A fabric or plastic bag or box to carry everything in goes a long way in the portability department.
Getting Everything You Need
After repairing your tire, be sure to keep an eye on it. You can usually go for a long, long time on a plugged or patched tire, but it may not be a bad idea to replace it sooner rather than later. It is not too hard to find cheap ATV tires and motorcycle tires online.
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