[dkaile]

Sad to see any machine (car or bike) on a tow truck. I presume the tyres are still tubeless on the spoked wheels or are they tubetype? If tubeless, my mates here just get some air filled and get the puncture repaired from the top of the tyre itself without the wheel removal. Puncture repair at the Harley workshop is a big hassle and they do a song and dance for no rhyme and reason and charge you a fortune to really turn you off. Happened with someone down South who made a huge hue and cry for the inefficiency of the Harley 'Stealers', Coromandel Harley it was, I think.

[dustom_99]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Sad to see any machine (car or bike) on a tow truck. I presume the tyres are still tubeless on the spoked wheels or are they tubetype? If tubeless, my mates here just get some air filled and get the puncture repaired from the top of the tyre itself without the wheel removal. Puncture repair at the Harley workshop is a big hassle and they do a song and dance for no rhyme and reason and charge you a fortune to really turn you off. Happened with someone down South who made a huge hue and cry for the inefficiency of the Harley 'Stealers', Coromandel Harley it was, I think.

ALL tubeless tyres can be repaired without removal of tyre , Tube type tyres can also get repaired without removal of tyre but only if you / puncher wala is confident of only one puncher .
Incase one is stuck too far from a puncher shop , Tyre removal is only option for people away from Harley Service centres . Which will be the case in most of the Out of town rides.
For people like me , 250km from nearest showroom , even Road side assistance will cost like 5k+ every time ( Its free only for 150km and you have to wait for them to get to you which can take several hours to whole day) . I have been mending Punchers on my rides for almost 2 decades , No solo ride is possible if you do not know what to do in case of most frequent breakdown.

[dkaile]

I always keep a Tubeless Tyre Repair Kit handy while travelling


Also have a in-house Tyre Inflator

[dustom_99]

How do you carry that big a pump on rides?

[mobike008]

Ankit, sad to see your majestic machine on a tow truck. Is your bike tubed or tubeless type?

Since I also own a spoked wheel, tubed type bullet, I know the pains that goes in getting a puncture repaired for such bikes

Was it not easy to get a puncture guy to your office basement and get him to repair it ( paying him a premium ofcourse) rather than calling a tow truck to get the bike to HD showroom for resolving this issue?

Btw, Please share the cost involved in getting this puncture repaired?

[dustom_99]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Ankit, sad to see your majestic machine on a tow truck. Is your bike tubed or tubeless type?

Since I also own a spoked wheel, tubed type bullet, I know the pains that goes in getting a puncture repaired for such bikes

Was it not easy to get a puncture guy to your office basement and get him to repair it ( paying him a premium ofcourse) rather than calling a tow truck to get the bike to HD showroom for resolving this issue?

Btw, Please share the cost involved in getting this puncture repaired?

Its better to call in the Harley Road side assistance service (If time is not an Issue) , when you are within 50-60 km of the service centre as the service is free for first 150km. Puncture repair with Harley Road side assistance gets very expensive if you are out of free zone as they charge 40 - 45 rs / KM beyond that. Private Ambulance charges below that rate!
For a Flat tyre I guess it is an overkill , as calling in a puncher wala or self repair is much faster and not that expensive!

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by dustom_99

How do you carry that big a pump on rides?

We pool in one pump while going in for group rides. Not that big to carry when luggage of 5-6 riders is involved. Works on 12V charging socket which is installed on one of our bikes.

[ankitwanchoo]

Was an unusually busy day and didn't get time during the day to look up T-BHP! Before I respond to some of the points, I'd like to thank everyone for the concern and all the suggestions.

Originally Posted by plimsollmark

Ankit, you should carry a puncture repair kit as a minimum where you can plug the tyre. Get the vulcanizing type. For slightly longer rides a battery operated pump is also highly recommended to avoid unpleasant situations like this.
Cheers.

Will definitely pick up a puncture repair kit over the weekend. I had a 12V electrical socket pump which somehow got lost. Didn't bother to buy it again as was never used but seems it might be required now.

Originally Posted by dustom_99

A puncher should not spoil your trip plan ,Alloys Puncher too.
SInce then I Carry small 6inch Adjustable...

Not Just Harley , Puncher is a pain in the side for all bikes

While I completely agree that puncture might be a pain in other bikes as well however since I'm used to riding Bullets, am quite accustomed to removing the rear tyre from it while on a ride and getting it fixed from a nearby repair wallah which on our highways is never too far. And although tubeless tyres puncture too but getting them fixed is a lesser of a headache.

Seeing and reading about you using a car jack to lift the bike and easily removing the tyre with the necessary hardware at hand does give me some confidence of being able to manage future occurrences in a less frustrating manner than last night!

Originally Posted by dkaile

Sad to see any machine (car or bike) on a tow truck. I presume the tyres are still tubeless on the spoked wheels or are they tubetype? If tubeless, my mates here just get some air filled and get the puncture repaired from the top of the tyre itself without the wheel removal. Puncture repair at the Harley workshop is a big hassle and they do a song and dance for no rhyme and reason and charge you a fortune to really turn you off. Happened with someone down South who made a huge hue and cry for the inefficiency of the Harley 'Stealers', Coromandel Harley it was, I think.

Originally Posted by dustom_99

ALL tubeless tyres can be repaired without removal of tyre , Tube type tyres can also get repaired without removal of tyre but only if you / puncher wala is confident of only one puncher .
Incase one is stuck too far from a puncher shop , Tyre removal is only option for people away from Harley Service centres . Which will be the case in most of the Out of town rides.
For people like me , 250km from nearest showroom , even Road side assistance will cost like 5k+ every time ( Its free only for 150km and you have to wait for them to get to you which can take several hours to whole day) . I have been mending Punchers on my rides for almost 2 decades , No solo ride is possible if you do not know what to do in case of most frequent breakdown.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Ankit, sad to see your majestic machine on a tow truck. Is your bike tubed or tubeless type?

Since I also own a spoked wheel, tubed type bullet, I know the pains that goes in getting a puncture repaired for such bikes

Was it not easy to get a puncture guy to your office basement and get him to repair it ( paying him a premium ofcourse) rather than calling a tow truck to get the bike to HD showroom for resolving this issue?

Btw, Please share the cost involved in getting this puncture repaired?

Since the bike was in the office when I saw the puncture, I panicked as I was not very comfortable leaving the bike in the basement overnight and trying to figure something out the next day. Although the guards there had assured me that nothing would happen, I just didn't want to leave it there. Had the bike been at home, the urgency to call RSA would not have been there and the suggestions that I have got through the forum would probably been put to use.

My thoughts were that since the bike only has a side stand, unless it is taken to HD workshop and put up on a lift, there is no way to remove the tyre. The idea to use a car's jack just didn't pop in my head Hence getting someone to the basement to do the repair seemed not worthwhile then.

The Harley 'stealers' are called such for a reason and since I met a HD employee at the workshop, I did have a chat with him and gave some feedback. Also apprised him on the 'stealers' tag and whey they are called as such.

On the repair cost, it cost me INR 3200 and change which included INR 1k for labour while I guess 2k was the cost of the new tube. I didn't make a huge hue and cry with the HD employee and the staff at the workshop, or so I presume, only they would be able to vouch for the fact and whether I was being a tad bit too cheap.

3200 for a puncture, as per policy they do not get the puncture repaired but instead put a new tube. How crazy is that!

The HD employee and I had did share a good laugh when I said that it didn't pinch me when I spent 40k on the seat but this 3.2k definitely was pinching at all the wrong places! I said thankfully you guys (HD) didn't suggest. 'Sir, since the tube has to be replaced, we will now replace the tyre and as per policy new tyres cannot be put on old rims so you have to buy a new rim as well. Total cost only INR 60,000.'

Originally Posted by dustom_99

Its better to call in the Harley Road side assistance service (If time is not an Issue) , when you are within 50-60 km of the service centre as the service is free for first 150km. Puncture repair with Harley Road side assistance gets very expensive if you are out of free zone as they charge 40 - 45 rs / KM beyond that. Private Ambulance charges below that rate!
For a Flat tyre I guess it is an overkill , as calling in a puncher wala or self repair is much faster and not that expensive!

I guess I'll have to master the art of tyre removal so that requirement to call RSA for this is minimized for the future and as well as for peace of mind

[ebonho]

For some reason, in spite of not owning a Harley, this whole episode is pinching me too in all the wrong places. Hoooooo boyyyy!!!

Did you at least retrieve the old tube to get it vaulcanized properly by a puncture walla and keep it as a spare?

Please do not bother a damn about appearing "cheap" man. Remember you are the bada saab who's forked out the big ones which pays the salaries of those who work there -at the company and the dealership.

Be as cheap as your heart desires. The more the better - for you and those that follow in your footsteps.

[mobike008]

3K for a puncture?....Indeed that's taking taxation to levels of highest paid employee in a corporate company

Anyways, its a good learning experience and you should not panic next time and go to friendly neighbourhood guy for future times

I too wanted to know if they returned the old tube? Ideally they should.

When I serviced my Bonnie, they used the engine oil and some amount (200ml-300ml) was left out. When I went to pick up the bike after service, without even asking they handed the left over oil in the bottle back to me

Originally Posted by ebonho

Please do not bother a damn about appearing "cheap" man. Remember you are the bada saab who's forked out the big ones which pays the salaries of those who work there -at the company and the dealership

+1 Doc. I beileve in acting as the original cheapskate in such matters.

It's our hard earned money and personally do not think twice before asking/making comments that I feel should be made and dont balk at "what they will think" feeling...LOL

[sagarpadaki]

I have read that the modern spoke type rims can also take tubeless tyres. Pity that Harley did not provide a tubeless tyre .

I would suggest filling the tube with a Slime or any such puncture sealant. Will save you from being stranded on middle of no where

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

I have read that the modern spoke type rims can also take tubeless tyres. Pity that Harley did not provide a tubeless tyre .

These are special wheels, made I guess primarily only by KTM and BMW. Where the spoke nipples are air selaed off so they do not leak air.

Without these, Harley could well provide tubeless tyres, but you would have to use a tube inside.

[ankitwanchoo]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Did you at least retrieve the old tube to get it vaulcanized properly by a puncture walla and keep it as a spare?

Originally Posted by mobike008

I too wanted to know if they returned the old tube? Ideally they should.

When I serviced my Bonnie, they used the engine oil and some amount (200ml-300ml) was left out. When I went to pick up the bike after service, without even asking they handed the left over oil in the bottle back to me

Yes they did give me the punctured tube back and in fact suggested that I should get the puncture repaired and for future punctures, I should bring this spare tube so that it can be replaced so there wouldn't be a need to buy a new one. This suggestion from them came after a lot of my prodding them for cheaper alternates.

Am not sure if the HD guys are as nice or customer service oriented as the Triumph people that they would return the left over oil. Will get to know when I go in for the second service. But kudos to Triumph, they surely have been good at customer service from what I've read.

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

I have read that the modern spoke type rims can also take tubeless tyres. Pity that Harley did not provide a tubeless tyre .

I would suggest filling the tube with a Slime or any such puncture sealant. Will save you from being stranded on middle of no where

Originally Posted by ebonho

These are special wheels, made I guess primarily only by KTM and BMW. Where the spoke nipples are air selaed off so they do not leak air.

Without these, Harley could well provide tubeless tyres, but you would have to use a tube inside.

The tyre is tubeless but with a tube inside it and the guys at the workshop did remember a customer getting the holes for the spokes sealed through an after market product and then going completely tubeless. They just conveniently couldn't remember who the customer was.

I'll try using slime till I find a solution to seal the spoke opening, unless slime does that job. Moreover since the tyre is tubeless, in the event of the tube getting puncture, i doubt if it will go completely flat immediately. So should be manageable.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ankitwanchoo

The tyre is tubeless but with a tube inside it and the guys at the workshop did remember a customer getting the holes for the spokes sealed through an after market product and then going completely tubeless. They just conveniently couldn't remember who the customer was.

Aftermarket "sealing" of the spoke nipples seems extremely dangerous to me man. Avoid.

The KTM and BMW wheels are built differently, where the inside facing the tyre inside is a selaed one piece unit. The sokes get attached on the outside, on the other side.

I'll try using slime till I find a solution to seal the spoke opening, unless slime does that job. Moreover since the tyre is tubeless, in the event of the tube getting puncture, i doubt if it will go completely flat immediately. So should be manageable.

Does not make a difference whether your tyre is tubeless or normal type. With a tube to hold the air, and the tube type valve, in case of a puncture, the deflation rate will be the same. Very precipitous.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by ankitwanchoo

I'll try using slime

Sorry to hear about your worries. Kudos to you for taking it like a champ. If it were me; I would definitely have kicked someone in the jewels.

3k+ for a puncture repair? This is madness ...<pause> .... THIS ..... IS ..... HAAARRRLEEEYYYY

Regarding slime - Would this not cause wheel balancing issues (added weight)?

PS - You have a lovely family. My regards at home