By 
- It’s what we do
- Simpson
- Tankbags
- Cuba
- Preparing for adventure Pre-trip servicing
- John Hudson
- Reader’s Ride
- Touratech
- Ol mate
- Dual Sports
- Karen Ramsay
- Luxury Holiday
- Wish you were here
- Reader’s bike
A lot of adventure bikes have tubeless tyres, and tubeless plugs are an essential toolkit item. The tyres are repaired from the outside, and the plugs are very easy to use. Google it and you’ll see how easy it is. I’ve fixed cuts up to around 15mm in length – using about eight plugs – and if you get to the repair quickly you can even save some of the air in the tyre.
Even if you have tubeless tyres, it’s important to carry spare tubes as you won’t get the bead to re-seat properly without adequate air pressure, such as from a compressor at a service station.
It’s also a good idea to carry a couple of stick-on sleeves, which are like a heavy-duty patch in case there’s a split in the tyre. As it flexes on each rotation, the split can pinch the tube and cause another failure.
Also ensure your patch glue has not dried out.
If your bike runs, say, a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear, you can sometimes get away with carrying a 17-inch tube that will stretch enough to fit the 19-inch tyre. This is only a short-term fix, but it will get you out of trouble.
Good preparation reduces the like-lihood of failures, and when something does
fail, it makes the repair a great deal easier.
Robin Box
Liquid metal
It’s essential to carry some form of liquid metal. No matter where you’re riding, there’s always the possibility a rock or a stick can damage your crankcase or your radiator and leave you stranded.
There are forms of liquid metal that come in a paste which you knead together to harden, or you have an ‘A’ and ‘B’ tube that you can also do some great repairs with. When repairing a hole, you need to clean and sand the surfaces thoroughly, even using petrol if you have nothing else. Scrape the paint and the fresh alloy surface, and patch the hole as best you can. Get the surface as clean as you can, and try not to touch it with your dirty fingers.
I’ve even seen 20 and 50 cent coins used to patch holes successfully.
The liquid metals will set quite quickly, and if your motor is hot it will set it off even quicker.
Make sure you pack the tubes well so that they don’t rub against each other and rupture.
It’s essential to carry some form of liquid metal in your tool kit.
Strong handguards offer great protection for hands and levers.
Cables and levers
Clutch cables can fray over time. Lubricate them before your trip, or if in doubt, put new ones on. It could save you some trouble down the track.
It can also be worth carrying your old cables as spares, just in case.
There are repair kits you can get to take with you, and while a repair isn’t always ideal, it will get you out of trouble. You’ll also need to think about taking spare levers if you don’t have good handguards.
Even if you’ve never changed a tyre, take levers. You’ll very likely find somebody who can change it for you.
Incidentals
Globes: It’s a good idea to carry a spare head-light globe. Obviously you’ll need to pack these up in bubble wrap for transportation, and always ensure you keep your fingers off the surface of the globe, especially if it’s a quartz halogen unit.
Filters: The paper-type elements generally aren’t sufficient in Australia’s conditions, so you need to run an oiled-foam air filter, especially if you’re following other bikes. Unifilter is an Australian-made oiled-foam air filter and we use them on all our bikes.
Fuel: Clean fuel is important, and most of the multi-cylinder adventure bikes usually have robust fuel systems. You do need to make sure the pick-up around the fuel pump doesn’t start to get blocked.
Tow rope: Towing is a detailed subject that we’ll go into in a future issue, but a tow rope is an essential item. I take a piece of flat webbing that rolls up and is com-pact, and has good strength.
Satellite phone: Once you get into remote areas you have very limited recovery options available, so a satellite phone is important. You can hire them, and while the call rate is quite high, it’s worth noting that 000 calls are free from a sat phone.
As a general rule, when doing your service before an adventure trip, try and do the whole service out of the tool kit you’ll carry on the bike.
Tool kit
As a general rule, when doing your service before an adventure trip, try and do the whole service out of the tool kit you’ll carry on the bike. This will ensure you have the right tools for the job. If you don’t have a tool, make sure you get it to take with you, and don’t carry tools you aren’t going to need.
If you’re not a mechanic or don’t service the bike yourself, you need to have the tools to remove your air cleaner and your fuel tank, to remove and change tyres, and to adjust things such as your handlebar clamps, brake levers, handguards and mirrors. Even if you don’t know how to use the tools or fix the bike, somebody will come along who does. You can have the best mechanic standing beside you, but if he’s got no tools, then he’s no use to you at all.
You need to run an oiled-foam air filter, especially if you’re following other bikes.
Finally
Breaking down in the middle of your big adventure is something you want to do everything to avoid. Performing preventative maintenance on your bike will go a long way to ensuring you get the most out of your trip.
You may not have much mechanical knowledge, but learning the basics of your bike, and how to perform simple on-the-road repairs, will certainly pay big dividends at some point down the track.
Enjoy the ride!
It’s important to get a good O-ring quality chain, not an unknown brand.
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