Rear axle nut wrench

[DavidS]

On 6/1/2022 at 2:00 PM, sirepair said:

I bought a 27mm combo wrench at Harbor Freight and cut the open end off. Fits nicely in my tool roll, that fits into my custom under-tail storage box with the multimeter, Stop-n-Go compressor and patch kit.

Where did you get the box under your seat? I would love to add something like that to my bike..........

[sirepair]

13 hours ago, DavidS said:

Where did you get the box under your seat? I would love to add something like that to my bike..........

See here: 

 

[KrustyKush]

On 6/14/2022 at 5:17 AM, bwringer said:

That said, you DO need to carry some method of removing the rear wheel in case there's some other issue, like tire damage.

 

Ok, so you get a flat or other tire damage out on the road away from home.  You brought tools along sufficient to remove the wheel (presumably the rear wheel) out on the road.  Then what?  You're gonna repair the tire out on the road?  The best you could do in this situation would be to push a plug of some sort (maybe a screw if you have no tire repair stuff with you) and then re-inflate with the compressor you brought with you.  You don't need to remove the wheel from the bike in order to accomplish this.

That's why I don't carry those heavy tools with me on a trip.  I do carry a small compressor, and a plug kit.  And if those don't get me going again to ride to a service shop, then it's AAA, baby.  But, to remove the wheel completely from the bike?  Waste of time.  And therefore, to carry several pounds of tools on this light bike, just for the sake of that extremely unlikely event, is also a waste.

[bwringer]

I always carry tools to remove the rear wheel.

1) If you need to adjust the chain, you need to be able to turn the axle nut. Pretty rare, honestly, unless you're on the road for months.

2) I do in fact carry tire irons and have the skills and experience to break a bead and remove/replace a tire with three small tire irons. I suppose most riders don't, but it's worth learning.

3) It's not out of the question that I would need to break one bead to get inside a tire to remove an object before plugging the hole. There have also been cases where folks fit a tube into a badly damaged tubeless tire (or even stuff it with grass or whatever) to limp back to civilization. That's a little extreme...

4) Also, even if you plan to call AAA and have a shop change a tire if disaster strikes, it can drastically speed things up to remove the wheel yourself, and in some shops (like Cycle Gear) that's the only way you'll get service; they only change tires in some locations, and don't work on bikes, so it's up to you to show up with the wheel off the bike.

5) This also makes it possible to remove the wheel and much easier to find a ride to a shop and back to the bike.

So yeah, being able to remove the wheels is essential I think, and opens up many more options for dealing with a damaged tire on the road. But YMMV, and of course it's pointless to carry stuff like tire irons if you don't know how to use them, or aren't going to be willing to.

 

A story: once, a friend had a puncture in a rear tire and found that it was down to the cords while out on a day ride during a visit hundreds of miles from home. We plugged the tire, but the situation was not safe. We called a shop near the hotel, and although they'd be closed before we could get there, they agreed to charge the tire to his card over the phone, then hide it outside the shop so we could pick it up and change it that evening.

 

 

Here's my article on how to break the bead on any motorcycle tire using only three tire irons:
https://tro.bike/motorcycle-maintenance/wheels/tire-bead/

And here's a video of my buddy Robin, owner of the TRO site, testing out these instructions. I'm just a little bit hurt by his astonishment when it actually works...

 

Edited June 21, 2022 by bwringer

[sirepair]

^Couldn't say it better! 

If you are OK waiting hours for AAA to show up, then have the operator refuse to haul your bike (or want to flop it on it's side and strap it down!) when you could repair it yourself, that's OK. I'll at least attempt a repair before making the call.

I grew up riding dirt bikes in the woods, and if something broke, you needed to be able to fix it, or hike! I'm not fond of hiking...

I use the tools in my tool roll for doing my maintenance. Any tool that I need for basic work is there, from chain and cable adjustments to changing spark plugs. Guess that's just my Boy Scout attitude! 

Granted, I've used my tools more to help others on the road side than myself, but they have been grateful to get riding again!  I once plugged and inflated a Harley rider's rear tire. He was amazed that I got him going again after just a few minutes. 

[knyte]

Great write-up and video.

Being self-sufficient is one of the most empowering and confidence-inspiring things we can ever strive for.  That said, AAA is cheap; relatively speaking, and comforting insurance.  Personally, I'll try fixing it myself first, but if I can't, roadside is usually available.

[KrustyKush]

For sure AAA is last resort!!

My argument is that there is nothing to be gained by removing the wheel from the bike. I have been doing my own tires for 25 years. I started on the floor with simple irons. I then went to a No-Mar for many years and recently bought a Weaver which I have used once, to do new tires on my Tracer. I fully understand tires. In my mind, imagining that you could remove old Tracer tire and install new tire, out on the road, without quite a few tools and helpers (like copious amounts of tire lube, for instance) is ludicrous. Where, for instance, would you find the air to set the bead on the new tire?

Maybe on a round the world trip one would imagine such a thing.  A roadside tire would be imaginable with a softer sidewall tire and a smaller size wheel/tire. But a 180/55-17 radial?  Even with lots of tools, a Weaver changer, and knowing how to do it, that’s a bear of a job. 

[KrustyKush]

Ok so I just watched the video. There are so many things wrong with that, it’s hard to begin. At the end when he said oh the scratches are on the INSIDE OF THE WHEEL so freebie on that, you know he’s a noob who is about to have a leaky wheel.

Besides, the video is only about bead breaking. Anybody who actually has done tires knows breaking the bead is usually the easiest part. It is the removing of the old tire and the installation of the new tire that is mighty hard without tools and supplies to say nothing of knowledge. Which the poor guy in the video is obviously lacking.