Australian Motorcycle News — January 30, 2018

Flat as a tack

CHANGE AN

INNER TUBE

howto

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WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY MATT O’CONNELL

Fixing a fl at tyre is a skill best practiced before

you really need to know how to do it

M

any bikes still have

inner tubes inside

the tyres; if you get

a f lat on a spoked-

wheel adventure

bike or off-roader, chances are the

tube will be damaged. If you’re

lucky, you might get away with

products like Tyre Slime or True

Blue Goo, or a tyre repair spray

that can be used on both tubed

and tubeless tyres, but sooner or

later you’ll need to change that

damaged tube.

This is where real rage can set

in – there are few things worse

than pinching a fresh tube, but

with a little preparation, the

correct tools, the right technique

and a little practice, you’ll be

back on the road in no time.

Start here

1

What tools do I need?

When I stopped at my local bike shop for some

advice, Hawko suggested the handy Ballards repair kit

at $44.95 which includes Co2 inflators, lube, patches,

plugs for tubeless tyres and a valve removal tool. They

also have a range of tyre levers that start at $16.95.

You can always improvise with screw drivers or other

random metal objects, but they increase the pinch risk.

Having tools and skills organised before you ride will

save stacks of time and maybe a long walk.

2

Loosen the rim lock

Loosen off the rim lock nut with the appropriate

spanner. The rim lock clamps both sides of the bead to

the rim, and you should be able to feel when it is loose.

3

Break the bead

It helps to brace your flat on another tyre or

something similar. Push down with even pressure so

the tyre bead is unstuck from the rim. The sidestand of

another bike can be used here. No other tyre and twin

discs? Dig a hole so the disc isn’t on the ground. At this

point you can also remove the valve core, being careful

not to lose it. If you don’t have a valve removal tool, a

small flat-tipped screwdriver will do the trick.

4

Lever the tyre from the rim

Simply place the levers in between the rim and

tyre and find tension on the leverage point. Off road

tyres can be especially tight on the rim so Hawko’s tip

here is to use up to five tyre levers. This gives you a

shorter space between leverage points to make the job

easier – and cause less stress on the tyre.

5

Don’t pinch it!

As you lever around the tyre, it will become easier

to work with and require less levers.

As you’re doing this, don’t forget about your tube.

It pays not to go too crazy at this point because the

tube may still be repairable.

When you place the lever, take care not to go too

far and hit the tube – you should be able to feel for

it. The same applies when fitting the new tube. Push

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78 amcn.com.au