Trail Jack

I've had a couple of flats on the rear in the last year so I got serious about being able to fix them. First you need real automotive patches and glue, not scabs or bicycle stuff, And learn how to properly use them. I also carry a small 2oz bottle of real tire lube, Ru-Glyde, not soapy water, it just works better. A small bottle of baby powder to put on the tube to keep it from folding in the tire when airing up. A rear tire can be broken down by using just three levers, I practiced on my spare rear wheel, and the spare tire on my truck. It can be done, it's not as difficult as you might think. It only took about 10 minutes to break the bead with this method.

http://www.dualsportbc.com/forums/sh...st-tire-levers



http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=458452



http://www.motorcycle.com/how-to/the...tuff-3424.html



You also need to prop the bike up to work on it. Get the axle nut loose before you start, if you are raising the rear use a zip tie to hold the front brake, and a tie down strap from the front tire back to the kick stand to keep the bike from rolling off the stand. This jack is made from a piece of Re-bar, the straight rod is 14 1/2 inches long. The little tail on top goes in a hole I drilled in the bash plate and the "cup" goes under the frame cross member behind the foot peg. I carry it out of the way on the handlebars, and one of my saddlebags is devoted to flat fixing tools. A flat tire is a fact of life that no solo explorer can ignore. Take the time to learn how to repair a puncture, and the nightmare becomes a 45 minute inconvenience. You WILL have a flat in a desolate place, you WON'T have phone service, be prepaired for it.