Tool recommendations?

[Hondafarian]

Has anyone ever used the AAA towing service with their bike? Do they throw it up on a flatbed and only take you 7 miles before the meter starts ticking?

 

[spiderman302]

Hmm. Back at 135k I pulled two nails out of my rear Darkside tire.
Both were deflected by the steel belts and did not go through.
So - NO flats in the past 900k plus miles of riding or driving.
I get about 40k miles out of double dark tires.
So I could go a very long road trip and not worry...
The last time I had a flat was on a 10 speed bicycle back in the 70's....

I do carry a AAA card just in case though!

I did have a battery die on me once and AAA transported the bike on a flat bed two miles to a shop where it got replaced.

 

[drrod]

Has anyone ever used the AAA towing service with their bike? Do they throw it up on a flatbed and only take you 7 miles before the meter starts ticking?

but
I used them once. Horror story!! But they did use a flat bed.

The tale of 2 broken wheels and a hold up by towing company (long read) | Ride Reports

It all started on Friday the 13th! Was it an omen? 6 of us left Calgary and quickly hit rain and a bit of snow as we made our way south and west to Coeur D'alene, ID. So far so good. Next day off to Baker City, OR. We were looking forward to doing the Wallowa forest road but it was still closed...

www.st-owners.com

 

[Igofar]

Hmm. Back at 135k I pulled two nails out of my rear Darkside tire.
Both were deflected by the steel belts and did not go through.
So - NO flats in the past 900k plus miles of riding or driving.
I get about 40k miles out of double dark tires.
So I could go a very long road trip and not worry...
The last time I had a flat was on a 10 speed bicycle back in the 70's....

I do carry a AAA card just in case though!

I did have a battery die on me once and AAA transported the bike on a flat bed two miles to a shop where it got replaced.

If you are getting 40K miles out of your automobile tire on your motorcycle, that would make me wonder just how much your neglecting your flange bearings/o-rings/splines/brake services/etc.
Most of these things that should be checked and serviced are around a normal motorcycle tire change time period (approximately 10k miles) I can't help but wonder if your still inspecting stuff for wear and/or damage, or if your just going till your tire wears out etc.

 

[ColinW1981]

And of course, your wallet, ID, Cell phone, Medical information, $, and spare magazines/ammo

Especially the spare ammo... You'd be shocked on how much you can sell your spare ammo for...it's better than cash!
Seriously though, if you're not handy with tools, parts, and repairs in the driving rain...you only need the credit card.

 

[Jethro]

CAA PLUS 300Km tow. We have to have plus to cover bike anyway.$C120 year.I had a farmer trailer my bike from Hanksville Ut. to Richfield Ut. for $100.00&breakfast.He was going 1 hour out of his way.There’s that cash for mom & pop thang.

 

[spiderman302]

@Igofar - Yes my service interval is now every 40k. I do check and add fluids more often. My first rear pads were changed at 48k and the fronts were replaced at 62k.
I do ride mostly freeways, so the brakes do not get used as much. I have a very good mechanic who loves ST's and he takes two days to go over the bike.
He knows I am a daily commuter. I replaced the rear rotor at 130k. I asked about the flange bearing and u-joint and He said they were still good.
The wheel bearing and fork seals were changed twice. I went darkside because it was a pain to have the bike in the shop 5 times a year. Now it is every other year.
This bike will become my back up bike in 2.5 years when she clicks over 200k miles.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

I do ride mostly freeways, so the brakes do not get used as much.

I replaced the rear rotor at 130k.

These two statements seem to be contradictory, and would seem to indicate that the rotor was not replaced as a result of normal wear.
Was there a specific failure that necessitated replacing the rotor?

 

[spiderman302]

Yes I made the mistake of putting on non Honda brake pads that chewed up the rotor.....
Better stopping power at a price........

 

[Igofar]

Yes I made the mistake of putting on non Honda brake pads that chewed up the rotor.....
Better stopping power at a price........

How many times in your 130,000 miles have you changed your flange bearings, and inner O-ring that is underneath the flange plate?
The fact that you get so many miles out of your front pads, may be indicating that things are not working as smoothly up front as you may think
While aftermarket pads on the rear do cause several issues, "chewing up the rotor" is not one of them.
I'm wondering if your rear rotor went south because of improper rear wheel install procedure, (how it was installed, not the fact you have a non-oem tire) etc.
40,000 miles is way too long to go without inspecting things.
I was a commuter as well, and was logging 3,000 to 4,000 miles per month, just going back and forth to work, so I'm pretty familiar with what wears, and how often it does so.
Your mechanic may love ST's, but does that mean he's as good of a mechanic as you think?
How did he indicate that your u-joint was good? Did he open up things and check it?
If you have not been replacing your flange bearings at your 40,000 mile inspections, or sooner, I can just about bet if you opened the wheel up you'd find them damaged.

 

[spiderman302]

I had used EBC metallic in the back. They do wear the rotors faster. I could have continued using the rotor but chose to replace it and go back to OEM brakes.
This coming winter when the tires get replaced I will replace the flange bearings and U-joint and anything else that you recommend that I do.

 

[JRA2]

Thanks for all of the comments. Much appreciated.

 

[drrod]

Further to the AAA query...... remember that AAA affiliation does not guarantee that the service, of the individual entity, is certified by AAA. The towing companies pay a fee (from what I understand) to be AAA affiliated but AAA has little to no control of how they operate. I found this out when trying to get AAA to take some kind of action against the towing company I had such problems with.

 

[Dale_I]

This is my FJR, but everything fits under the seat...

The only thing I add is a head-strap flashlight and a business card on top of everything. Just in case I get separated from the bike... they know who to send the parts to.

After you assemble your perfect kit.... take a picture!!! You can't believe how many times I've looked at this.

 

[Pop-Pop]

No tools needed, It is not a Harley. Just go ride and enjoy the trip.....

Its a honda ronda! U dont need no stinkin tools!

 

[Ron]

Take the tools you feel comfortable with and using. What are common problems that come up? What repairs can you make on the side of the road? Spare parts to carry? Where do you draw the line? I carry some tools, cash (stached in several places) and 4 different credit cards. My insurance includes towing.

I have ridden many miles on an 1100. The only problems I've had on the road were relatively easy fixes. I did a "red wire bypass", a "cut off the end" radiator over flow hose fix, and twice did the vacuum valve bypass. The second one was on a new to me bike. Should have done a preemptive strike before I left home. I have had 5 flats (4 with brand new tires), 3 were fixed with a sticky worm kit and a mini-compressor. The 4th flat took 3 sticky worms to hold enough air to get to the nearest dealer. The 5th was a damaged tire that was not repairable. I hit something on I-81 in Va. about 10:30 at night. Made it to the next exit and a motel running it flat. Called the insurance for a tow truck to take it to a nearby dealer the next day.

 

[JRA2]

This is my FJR, but everything fits under the seat...

The only thing I add is a head-strap flashlight and a business card on top of everything. Just in case I get separated from the bike... they know who to send the parts to.

After you assemble your perfect kit.... take a picture!!! You can't believe how many times I've looked at this.

 

[JRA2]

Thanks for sharing.
J