550 mile journey, puncture but saved by tweezers!

[woo]

TLDR: Got a puncture, fixed it and went on my merry way.

Doing my usual yearly ride up from London to the Scottish Highlands and 120 miles into the ride at Norton Canes services on the M6 toll route I find a nail in my rear tyre......meh!

Thankfully I get my Airpro Premium Tyre Repair Kit out and begin the repair after taking out the nail and putting the bastard in the bin. (I literally just learnt how to fix puncture repairs 3 months before from watching youtube videos on how to)
Due to my failure to use the air pump (had a special moment) I end up using the CO2 cannisters.

Then check the tyre pressure with my digital gauge but somewhere along the process the valve core became dislodged.

I put the valve cap on and air sounds like its stopped coming out but continuing on the rest of the journey like that sounded stupid so I am now sweating as I think I have a damaged valve core.

At this point I am wishing I had a tyre valve core remover as I think it may have come loose.

I pop into the petrol station to ask if they have a tyre valve core remover and the staff have no idea what that is which is understandable so I pop back out and call the RAC.

At this point I am only about 2hrs and 120 miles into a 12hr, 550 mile journey and I need to get to Spean Bridge before late evening so I can at least do a food shop because the next day in Scotland is pissing with rain the whole day and plus I dont want to get to Corriechoille Cabins in Spean Bridge where I am staying at like midnight due to this simple fix which I dont have the one simple tool to fix. (I am guessing midnight because the time it takes the RAC to get to me and and tow me into a bike shop in Birmingham will be a life time)

However I then had a eureka moment!
Why not use the tweezers in my first aid kit to try and release the valve core. (So glad I brought the first aid kit because I was gonna leave it at home)
So out comes the tweezers and they fit perfectly in the valve stem and core to tighten/loosen the valve core.
So me thinking it just needs tightening only to find out that its already tight so now I am like damn I am screwed but then I thought maybe it is just dislodged.

So I completely remove the valve core from the valve stem and inspect it whilst still have one finger on the valve stem to stop more air loss from the tyre.
Not that I know what I am looking for but the valve core mechanism appears to be working fine so I just put it back in the valve stem and use the tweezers to tighten it back and low and behold there is no more air loss.

Turns out the valve core somehow became dislodged and just needed removing and reinserting.

I double checked everything, puncture repair seems fine then cancelled the RAC call out and headed on my merry way after losing about 1.5hrs trying to sort this all.
(I only pulled into the petrol station to get petrol and have a 10 minute break after riding for just over 2hrs)

Since this repair I have done only about 1,400 miles on the trip as I did more hiking than riding and all still seems good with the tyre and its valve stem and valve core as I periodically checked the tyre pressures over the 2 weeks.

Moral of the story always carry a puncture repair kit and make sure it has a valve core remover or a pair of tweezers lol!
And breakdown cover just incase.
____________________
Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[stinkwheel]

For as much as 50p, you too could own one of these valve caps with a built-in valve core tool.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[woo]

o I am so buying 4 of these tomorrow!
____________________
Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[MCN]

[woo]

This is what I have and used: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166275456097?hash=item26b6ca1c61:g:EUkAAOSwYrdjblnb&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0JBzEIsmsdaOw049xWqIB8D2l4pp10JHX8L%2F%2F2qzreggGWZ1CpVf%2BPHF2dD5t0EcJ3MY654GN5wTXKMNWHpEn6h56%2BBTB%2FAlIJiLn1Hba5R9v5Q5iWJ4NUg%2B6LKECXS%2Fh4LbjujHtAE%2BAgzk%2ByXEv%2BYviUFOpOg3tsg4zviDrCZlI6Lz8Ram8HvbcQtbK6QNdjTiWe6KpXWqW%2BwYkf1sXYIWDgCsU5YOP6owJAfmlwRJ%2BotRNy1x6Oc8RQP%2BBxCOutQ64y0UVriIEhRQYW0Pg6w%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7SS3ObHYg

and this hand pump as its easier and lighter than a foot pump to carry around: https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-maintenance/bike-pumps/halfords-advanced-road-hand-pump-228006.html?stockInventory=undefined

I have used it twice to repair two punctures in my rear tyre, there meant to be temporary but so many people have said they last the life of the tyre.
____________________
Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[MCN]

We used string. Three attempts.
Waste of Special Dialect.

When I found my fecking Tip Top kit, plugged the hole with the glue and the figure 8 plugs. I managed to get home in one piece.

The kit had been under the seat for about ten years too. Glue was as new and quite liqued-y unlike the glue in the string kit we used.

I've used string loads and loads of times in truck tyres and 4x4 tyres at work and it seems to be excellent (permanent even.)

It didn't work so well in the bike tyre probably because the tyre was near min tread so the carcass was as thin as paper.

Truck, 4x4 and car tyres have much thicker rubber to give the string and adhesive something to stick to.
____________________
Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[jonquirk]

I don’t like those valve caps with the removal tool built in. There’s nothing to stop some random stranger using it to remove your valves just for the lols.
____________________
2021 Triumph Trident660
1978 BMW R60/7

[Nobby the Bastard]

Aside from the random stranger would have to be specifically looking at the bloody cap to see if they were a core removal tool. The odds are that anyone that way inclined would be walking round with a core removal tool anyway.

It's so far down the likelihood to happen list as to be irrelevant.
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[xX-Alex-Xx]

[blurredman]

[sickpup]

Valve frozen open by the CO2?

[woo]

Might have been frozen open, I was just happy that once removed and reinserted all was good.

Only issue with the bike now is its got a headlight problem as its intermittently turning off then on, on the dipped beam.
Has LED lights, this will be my last motorcycle with led headlights, this drama has put me off.
My CB300R is going back to the dealers next week as they agreed its covered under warranty.
Its a simple fix ive been told.
____________________
Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[Nobby the Bastard]

[woo]

I think it is separate as the high beam is fine, some say it is a switch gear issue and some say the soldering needs improving on the headlight switch board.

Bikes been good otherwise as all I wanted was the weight of a 125cc with slightly more poke aka do 70mph with no problems and the CB300R has ticked the boxes and I like the look of it.

But if Honda ever release a 250cc Grom I will have one in a flash!
____________________
Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[Pete.]

[stinkwheel]

[A100man]

[woo]

The word neo sports cafe just sounds like marketing to me, there is nothing sporty about the bike, nothing cafe racer about the bike and what the on earth is neo supposed to mean......ah marketing lol!
____________________
Elen sila lummen omentielvo!