What better to do on a sunny day then have a run out with mates around some of the Norths beautiful scenery, plan was upto Hartside cafe for a spot of lunch, then back through the Lakes ( not many times I have been here without it raining). First stop and picture was at the highest road in England @ 2000ft between Nenthead and Carrshield. View attachment 2656 And on leaving here, the fun started, picked up a puncture on the gravel, and ended up in the village down the road. Thought no prob carry a plug kit will get me sorted, only to find adhesive had gone off, no problem ring breakdown people, after pin pointing where i was sent text to say that agent "SOS" would be with me in 40 mins ( quite impressed following some debates in past over AA/RAC call out times), in the mean time gets phone call, and this is where the fun started ! My "Rescue my bike" policy only allows for a puncture recovery within 10 miles !, but they would not leave me stranded and would still attend, as i was in the middle of nowhere, SOS could not find a tyre dealer with the correct rear size in local area, "if you cant plug it what happens then", apparentley my national recovery does not cover me for a puncture so it would be £275 +VAT to get recovered home ! Guys plugs tyre charges me £12, but compressor breaks, ends up with 15psi in tyre, and he follows me 20 miles to nearest petrol station, which in my opinion totally knackered tyre,asked to be recovered to garage but would not do it. Tyre pumped up and off i go at 50 mph home ( 97miles), Gets 37 miles from home and its going down again, got into services on A1, ( still outside of the 10 mile puncture radius), again phone call to recovery people, had text and turned up in 25 mins, but this time ended up paying £100 + VAT to be recovered home. This was followed by a few cold beers to recover from the stress of the day, as the sun was still shining when i got home! So the dilemas for debate are : Either PR3's or the new Metzler Z8 interacts ? (do a lot of 2 up riding) Ultraseal tyres / better puncture repair kit / foam spray ? Do i need to look around for a better recovery cover or do all recovery companies operate like this ?
I always carried the tins of repair gunk that seal the hole and inflate the tyre enough to get you home or to a garage,worked for me.had similar problem to you with plug kit.
An old trick if it is just a nail type hole, is screw in a self tapping screw and pump up the tyre, usually last until you get home or to garage to get a proper repair or replacement.
I have AA membership which covers car & Bike (never go far in car - too boring). The response times are not the greatest, and they may send the nearest patrol to you first to try to rectify the problem, and they usually know f-all about bikes so they will then authorise a recovery. Recovery man often then has to wait for another one to come as he is not allowed to load bikes on his own - I can normally persuade them to let me help to load and secure it. No problem with recovery last time I got a puncture, only that he didn't have a footpump or compressor on board to stick a bit of air in the tyre to make it easier to load up. They don't cover you for recovery after an RTC. Reading the above - they aren't that good are they? but that is a summary of various incidents over the last 10 years.
The second guy said almost the same, they will respond with a normal van, however they should be able to plug a puncture, the problem comes with recovery as you said, you have to wait for a recovery flatbed to come into your area before it will be sent to you, hence the long wait, on other forums i have known this to be upto 3 hours, I have been with both AA & RAC in the past, since having bike and hearing these tails moved away from them.
Hi Nik I have used the Cargol and to be honest it never worked with the puncture I had. There is not a lot you can do wrong, you just screw the threaded helix into the puncture and break off the end. I just found that air still came pissing out and was virtually useless!! Was only a nail that had pierced. Would be interested to know if anyone has had success with this product as it isn't cheap. In fact a self tapping screw as the others have said works just as well and doesn't cost £20+
Sorry to hear of your troubles ntg..........at least it was only a tyre that spoilt your day and not something serious going bang on the bike. Better puncture repair kit..........avoid the gunks and foams you fill tyres with! Recovery.........one of those things, who reads the small print?!
+ 1 with the self tapping screw ,aslong as you can top up air it will get you home ,did 90 miles once with a self tapper in there stopped at 2 petrol stations to top up air .
A spoilt day out yes, but when i saw the post i was expecting alot worse and am so glad it wasnt ive used these at least 4 time on mine and friends bikes and all have been great and repair has lasted as long as tyre without any problems 'MOTOPART' MOTORCYCLE BIKE QUAD CAR TYRE TIRE TUBELESS PUNCTURE REPAIR KIT | eBay
Nik, I've not tried the Z8 but I am now on my second set of Michelin P3s. Great tyre wet or dry. The first set I took off after 6500 mile they would probably have lasted another 1500 to 2000 miles, but I am doing a long European trip and did not want any probs whilst abroad. I paid £245 for the pair.
Best price i have got is £275 fitted for P3's, everyone appears to like them at the moment, very little reviews or feedback from Z8's on net as they are pretty new
They can be bought cheaper than that if you ring round. You're up against it with weather at the moment in UK dealers will hold onto price. Consider mail order and paying local tyre guy.
Ive just taken out cover with the rac after having a puncture close to home Cheapest rescue cover would only take me within 10 miles to sort out a puncture, ended up paying £69.99 for personal rescue and recovery to ensure i could get home rather than be forced to buy a tyre i didnt want in the middle of nowhere Mark
Mark, Looking at there terms and conditions, i am not sure that they would recover you home for free, under the any other recovery bit : from RAC website, this is where i fell foul : The cost of a glass or tyre specialist. We will arrange for Your Vehicle to be taken to a nearby garage for assistance but You will have to pay for any work carried out on the Vehicle. Any other Recovery may be arranged but You will be liable for any additional costs.
This is what i have just found, correct me if i am wrong tho Choosing Recovery extends your cover to include: If we can't repair your vehicle locally within a reasonable time, we'll take your vehicle, you and up to 7 people to your home or a single address in United Kingdom, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. We'll provide transport as above if you're taken ill and cannot continue your journey if you have no passengers who can drive the vehicle Mark
Mark, I would check that they class a puncture as a breakdown, as i would hate for anyone to think they were covered for a national recovery as i thought and to be landed with a recovery charge. My recovery policy is below : The first one is what they quote to me that shows that i am not covered, the second was my argument that i was, i have written to get clarification, and hopefully some cash back,but i dont hold out much hope, hence sharing my pain on here ! In the case of loss of or breakage of keys, keys locked within [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]your [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial][/FONT][/FONT]covered [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]vehicle[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial][/FONT][/FONT], the use of incorrect fuel, flat tyre or puncture, [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]you [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial][/FONT][/FONT]will be covered for roadside assistance and a maximum of 10 miles recovery, if recovery is appropriate to the circumstance. National [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]Includes all the same benefits offered with Local cover. In addition, if [/FONT][/FONT]your vehicle [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]is not repairable at a [/FONT][/FONT]local garage [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]within the same working day, [/FONT][/FONT]we [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]will either; recover [/FONT][/FONT]you[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial], [/FONT][/FONT]your vehicle [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]and [/FONT][/FONT]your [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]passengers to [/FONT][/FONT]your home [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]or original destination, provide alternative travel for [/FONT][/FONT]you [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]and [/FONT][/FONT]your [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]passengers to [/FONT][/FONT]your home [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]or original destination or provide alternative accommodation for [/FONT][/FONT]you [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]and [/FONT][/FONT]your [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]passengers [/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial][/FONT][/FONT]
Nick Just had a look through my terms and conditions booklet and can find nothing similar to yours, hopefully never need to find out Mark
