Touring advice- To Gloop or not to Gloop

[andy230]

Hi all,

Off on an excursion over the alps on a mate's africa twin.  Generous mate huh?!  I bought the DR off him, struch up a friendship, now he's transferred a 2000 honda to my name.  Obviously he deosn;t know me well!!!!

So me and the squaw, lots of luggage, off to visit mates in france, italy and switzerland.

I will take tubes and tyre levers, but it would take me about 2 days to get the tyre off and back on the rim.  I figure with tools and tubes, a knowlegable Eurobiker would stop.  And help me wreck my mates rims.....!

Should I use Gloop before setting off?  Or other advice?  I know its pretty bad stuff, especially as I plan to "crack on" a bit.  Does it unbalance wheels??

And should I take (I'll have to buy, remember!!) a throttle and clutch cable?  Or could I prolly get by with one of these screw-on nipple kits, and bodge it to the next town with a honda dealer??

I dont want to spend if not necessary, but similarly dont wanna get stuck!

And yes, I have euro assistance (thus the transfer of vehicle to my name), but we all know that its a complete pain in the ass, takes about half a day to find you, and then dumps you at a garage where they skin you for parts that take 3-5 days to get there.  Graham, you'll remember this in france?!  good to be able to get back on the way after a few hours self-fiddling.  And then the missus won't be grumping too much!

Cheers all.  ANy other advice well received!

a

[Steffan]

It's a honda, what can go wrong? Do they still use cables? You could always buy a cable repair kit - i've got one but never had to use it thank heavens, but in extremis it may save your bacon and it would be a lot cheaper than a set of cables. I would take a set of tools - make sure they are the ones you'll need, plus a couple of adjustables. You know front and rear spindle so you can actually get the wheels off. Plug spanner that will work, allen keys where applicable screw driver. No point taking the ubiquitous 13mm when honda uses 12s and 14s. The way I work it I figure I need to be able to remove the tank , the wheels, the seat and get into the headlight, if I can do all that and still not fix it then its time to call the cavalry. Just the usual items then set of plugs.. Aren't africa twins tubeless, if so then a tin of re-inflate and a footpump and a tyre gauge. If not then a really good set of motocross tyre levers, spare tubes and a patch kit, a bar of soap and a footpump . Oh and a spare clutch/ brake lever too!!

Steffan

Have a great trip mate!!

[MrFluffy]

Id be tempted to just carry a can o tyre weld or something. Ive never changed a tyre at the side of the road, and I have no intention of starting now...

I slapped up a tyre once with a squirty can when it went flat in the middle of north wales on some remote sewerage plant (I was security, protecting the poo from gypos), took it into woods in abergele for the puncture and handed the bike to the guy taking it round the back "watch out its got tyre weld in it to get me here" I said  knowing full well what it was like to discover it in a customers tyre, "make sure the guy doing the puncture knows..". Guy takes it round the back.

Mechanic comes storming out about 15 mins later and looked like the aftermath of discovering a elephant porn set. Had it *EVERYWHERE*, eyebrows , hair, all his ovies the lot, starts ranting about taking it in and not saying and how he wouldnt have popped the bead without precautions etc. Well, when I told him Id told the guy taking it round the back a couple of times and made him acknowledge me when I said it had gunge in it, he ran into the back grabbing a big adjustable on the way, after which several large "OW"'s were heard to eminate from the workshop...

If you do tyre weld it, be nice if you need a repair, tell the guy doing it theres gunge in there first

[andy230]

cheers guys

I've only done an oil change on it so far, so dunno what I need.

Will take plenty tools (maurphys law sez I wont need em if I have them).

Also a tin of tyre weld, or whatever works for tubed rims.  Good point about telling the chap.  (in french!!)

And I'll pass on the cables (throttle & clutch have gotta be over 50 quid?) so I'll take a nipple kit.  Have used moleys on the end of the cable in the past.  It was a throttle as well- fun) 

levers- nope!  It has the solid guards, so they're all protected.  I hope.  Other wise it'll be back brake to the nearest big town or moleys on the clutch cable!

A risk I know....


a

[Andy M]

Ultraseal works if you install it correctly. The big thing is to measure it in and then take it for a 10 mile run to get it warm and all round the inside. That's 10 miles not 9.7 cos if you skimp on the petrol it might just unbalance the tyre. I've always done the full 10 miles right after installing it and never had any trouble. I also buy mail order as the guy I know had balance trouble got a bottle that had been on a dealers shelf for years in addition to not doing the 10-mile ride. Mine sealed 8 holes a nail made in the tube. Number nine was in the tube seam and made a tear that nothing would seal. The good news is that it doesn't make any real mess when you change it.

I tried using gloop after a puncture on the way to the Dragon and it was useless. Wished I'd had ultraseal in, but was short of dosh when I fitted the tyre. That said, the hole was about 3mm wide.

The bottom line is that only a new tube will guarantee a fix, but sealants can get you to a nicer place to do it (like home). I carry tubes and levers right up to the point where the weight is best used for something else.

If the tyres are tubeless, forget the levers as you'll really struggle to break the bead. The tubes mean a car place can make a permanant fix. BMW style plug and glue kits work really well though as long as you follow the instructions and let the glue set. I'd carry one of those instead of the levers and if pushed leave the tubes at home as well unless you've got some weird tyre size.

Hein Gerike do a nice shoe polish sized tin full of cable and solderless nipples that takes up next to no space. You can carry that on any bike, so I'd say it's a better long term solution than Honda cables.

The best product to buy IMHO is RAC cover. Covers everything from a clutch cable to a con rod and weighs nothing. The rest is just a means to save a few hours.

Andy

[hondamichael]

hm dont know gloob but i did nearly the same trip last year
-england- france-belgium-netherlands-germany- france -switzerland -italy- south france and return the same way
long two weeks trip over 3000 miles   on the start i filled the tyres (tubless)with SLIME
and right at the start of the trip before getting to dover i had a nail in my rear tyre
so i thought "now slime thats your test how long will you last" so i pulled out the nail and it did last very well, it brought me up to my parents in germany and to the next garage there in all about 560miles on a roads and  motorway at speeds up to 85mph (thats the topspeedof me cbf250 under best conditions) ! i only had to fill up after about 300 miles with a bit air ,tyre lost about around 11psi , so i think its worth the price and it will bring you easy to the next garage

[guest27]

Some time back we were discussing cafe racers and I think it was GC who put up a link to a wonderful BMW CR, in which they had made the spoked wheels suited for tubeless tyres - I am guessing they were specific rims - by loading the trench with the nipples in with RTV.  Asked at the time if anyone knew any more about this to no avail - but I would wonder if it would be a good idea on any tubed tyre - mind it will not stop a blow out.

R

[Andy M]

Some time back we were discussing cafe racers and I think it was GC who put up a link to a wonderful BMW CR, in which they had made the spoked wheels suited for tubeless tyres - I am guessing they were specific rims - by loading the trench with the nipples in with RTV.  Asked at the time if anyone knew any more about this to no avail - but I would wonder if it would be a good idea on any tubed tyre - mind it will not stop a blow out.

R

All BMW FI twins have these rims when spoked. Instead of holes, the rim has a sort of flange/channel along the outside of the rim. The holes for the spokes are in the flange, so the rim has no holes. RTV is the DIY approach and to be honest I wouldn't want to risk my neck on bathroom sealant!

I've had experience of three possible combinations. Tube tyres on tube rims for sure are the old fashioned approach. Like any old technology with a bit of practice and the right gear you can do a 100% fix at the road side. The problem of course is lugging levers, tubes, soap and a pump about just so you can lay on your back in the rain and end up utterly filthy. The temptation is to risk it and leave the heavy gear at home.

Tubeless on either the BMW rims or alloys are dead simple to fix and plug and glue kit plus pump is a lot smaller. These kits work up to about 4mm holes but won't work if you open up any sort of tear. I'm not suggesting i'd ride far on a ripped tyre, but with a new tube you can get to the next town.

The worst case for me was the BMW F650. The standard fit was a tubeless tyre on a classic rim with a tube. The result was you couldn't plug it with a kit and you needed a bead breaker to get at the tube. Helge Petersen etc. solve it very simply by swapping the tyres for tube types, but I do wonder how many people out there are lugging the levers and pump for the fun of it.

Andy

[Steffan]

but I do wonder how many people out there are lugging the levers and pump for the fun of it.
Andy

I guess at the end of the day if you are prepared to face the prospect of changing the tube in some layby somewhere in a forign field then you have faced the prospect that at that point the fun is over :-(

Steffan

[Andy M]

but I do wonder how many people out there are lugging the levers and pump for the fun of it.
Andy

I guess at the end of the day if you are prepared to face the prospect of changing the tube in some layby somewhere in a forign field then you have faced the prospect that at that point the fun is over :-(

Steffan

Foreign fields are easy. In Bayeux (France) the filthiest workshop you've ever seen gave us some of the best coffee and Croissants I ever had and washed the bike so well I was embarrassed to only buy a tube and have it fitted. The mechanic thought I was nuts for having a new tube rather than a patch. In Trondheim (Norway) I was offered the choice between two brands of tyre and the choice of taking the wheel off myself there and then or waiting an hour for them to do the lot. In Ceuta on the North African coast two guys on the same trip as myself were given a discount because the shop couldn't match their part worn fronts with a new rear of the same brand. I think the longest delay I've ever known for a puncture was three hours and most of that is usually down to the recovery services.

Only in Leeds is it quicker and cheaper to buy the stuff on line, have it DHL'd from South Wales or Nottingham and fit it yourself! Only in the UK will the recovery company take you home because they can't find a dealer that'll touch a puncture the same week it happens!

The only place that came close to the UK level of ****y service was BMW Malaga and that was a duff engine rather than just a puncture.

Andy

[GB500nz]

Before you go, check the upper cable ends for rust or damage, then lubricate them all with engine oil. Make a cone of heavy paper glued with white glue, and tape it to the outer. Let the glue dry and fill the cone with oil. Move the cable up and down to pump oil down the assembly. Leave it for a while and refill the cone when it gets low. Oil will run out the bottom end and you're done. Wear and corrosion will no longer be happening.

[OMEGAMAN]

AS all the above + I would make sure I got the bike nice & early to give it a test ride to get used to it's little differences & then park it up outside the garage? & imagine what sort of basic problems you might face whilst touring, then start to take the parts off accordingly using a MINIMUM of tools (ie light & small) & at the same time, clean-oil-grease-check all relevant parts while all bits are off, then you'll know they will come off easily if needed!, leaving all the tools I've used, on the floor, & if practical, pack them up & take them with you, + universal spares (string/sticky tape/elec.wire/bulbs/fuses etc.) + a piece of plastic sheeting & torch so you can work under it if the weather is bad!

Enjoy your trip both of you................

[Steffan]

I would make sure I got the bike nice & early to give it a test ride to get used to it's little differences

for test ride read thrash the arse off it!!

Steffan

[guest29]

Zip Ties - Don't  forget the Zip ties 

[andy230]

I would make sure I got the bike nice & early to give it a test ride to get used to it's little differences

for test ride read thrash the a*** off it!!

Steffan

I've had it for 2 weeks now.  I hope he doesn't read this.    2 up, with luggage.  reading (or approaching) a ton.  felt good, for the few seconds it was there...  Handling is superme- to the edge of the tyres.  He will (im not kidding) need new ones by my return.  I think I may have to buy em!

Thnks for the info all, and yes, lots of bungees, lots of cable ties, gaffa tape, wire, lecky tape etc

cheers for now

a