So Friday night, I was itching to go for a ride. The weather was going to be great, aside from the lack of sunshine and I wanted to put a couple hundred miles on the Road King. Trouble is, the girlfriend didn't get home from work until 6:30 or so, so I had to kill time for a couple of hours as she wouldn't let me go without her (finally found one that loves to ride). So I pick her up and and she wants dinner. I'm a bit hungry myself, so we head out to this new beer joint in Blue Springs, MO called Harley Hot Rod's Bar & Grille. The name is silly, but it gets the point across. This place rocks. Huge open space, divided by a wall with separate smoking/non smoking rooms, hot little waitresses, bike and hot rod memoribilia all over the place, $4 PBR pitchers, live bands, and nothing on the menu over $6. Hopefully this one lasts a while.

So anyway....we grab some food and a beer, then head out. I'm planning on riding at least until midnight as long as the weather holds out. So I'm tooling along down US224 (Missouri Scenic Byway) which runs along the Missouri River, through a bunch of tiny historic towns....(a decent ride if you ever get the chance)...taking in the scenery even though it's dark. We make it almost to Lexington, and I hear this awful metal to metal rattling sound......The top end of the RK has rattled (damned EVO) ever since I bought the bike, so I figured something in the valvetrain finally let loose. I'm a long way from home, so my *** is grabbing at the seat a bit. I get it in to neutral and pull it over, and the noise stops.....weird I thought. Maybe it's something in the tranny or primary....so I take back off, and it's quiet until I get up to around 40mph, and then it start clanging really bad again. Then I feel it.....the *** end starts to wobble that familiar wobble....last time this happened, I was on the freeway doing about 75, and it was scary, so I knew I had cut down the rear tire. As I slow down, it gets to the point that I can barely keep the bike straight. I stop on the shoulder, and pull out my cell phone as a flash light....sure enough...she's sitting on the rim.

So the last time the tire went flat, I found a small hole where a screw looked like it had made its home for a very long time. It finally came out, and down she went. So, against the advice of several people, I plugged the tire. Everyone told me to replace it, but ****....it's got 4000 miles of tread on it still. Months go by, never lost any air....but I figure this time, the plug must've come out or something.

Well, where I stopped, the plug was facing straight backward, I can tell it's not leaking from there, still looks good...must be a new hole. I've got a plug kit in the saddlebag, but I'm in the middle of NOWHERE. No filling station with an air hose in sight, and I'll be damned if I'm going to push this 850 lb bike uphill into Lexington to find one. I call a friend who lives about 10 miles from where I was at, and he brought his air tank and a flash light. We roll it back to find the valve stem so we can air it up enough to find the leak, and I notice a 6" long spike nail hanging out of the rear of the tire.....the clanging noise was the nail hitting the fender and swingarm....ok...mystery solved. We plug the hole, air the tire up....everything is holding great.

So I thank my buddy, and get ready to head back out, when I find that the battery is dead from having the flashers on while waiting for him to arrive. Great....we have to drive 10 miles back to his place to get the jump box, and leave the bike sitting there pulled off the side of the road. Luckily it was there when we got back. Jump start it, and we're on our way. By this time, it's getting pretty late, so we head back the way we came.....I'm low on gas and figure one of those little towns would have a station.....nope. I ride about 25 miles on E before I find a Conoco station. Start to pump the gas and hear a strange noise....look down, and there is gas spraying all over the place from a badly rotted pump hose. There is nobody in the station to inform of their faulty equipment, so I get about a half gallon in, and take back off to find another station. Eventually we make it back home, dead tired and head to bed.

Talk about a great riding day turned bad.....Someone needs to start making run-flat tires for motorcycles.

 

Dam,,, Doesn't crap happening the 3's, if so your done in one night . Should be good now for years. If the girl still likes you you atleast got a good one. Bike didn't burn down and no one got hurt so all is well.

 

Geezzzz,,,,, what a Ride.........

 

They make plug kits that come with a little air hose and CO2 cartridges to air up the tire. they work great! I keep one in my saddle bag. (speaking of that I need to get some new co2 cartridges) If you had one of these kits your battery wouldnt have run down and you would have been on your way in about ten minutes. I think their a great investment. I bought mine after a $150 tow!

 

Hey Rocketman69! I live in Eastern Independence just down Hwy 24 from there. Glad you and your bike made it home safely. I love that ride on 224. My avatar pic is from last year when the road was covered by the flooding Missouri river. Next time you head out that direction, take state route D north out of Bates City for some great local twisties. Follow D accross State Hwy 24 into Napoleon, then continue onto 224. I checked out that bar a couple of weeks ago, but It was dead when I was there (Monday night). There is a bar in North KC called Antonette (sp?) that has live music. Then there is the Famous Knuckleheads off of front street.
Hit me up if you would like to hang out or ride sometime. My ride is currently getting painted. Hopefully the weather will have improved when it's done here in the next week or so.

 

Made a memorable trip! I always carry the plug kit and co2 on the EG,also jumper cables on both bikes,I have never needed them but alot of others have,always the guys that think it's a waste of money to replace the battery after three years!

 

I didn't even realize they made kits with CO2 cartridges in them. You think my local indie shop would have those?

MOSTWANTED: Who's doing your paint work? I'm always looking for someone to ride with, since my buddy had to take his bike back home to Michigan, so whenever you're up for a ride, shoot me a PM.

 

Glad things turned out alright for you

 

Just one of several kits from Progressive:
http://www.bikebandit.com/product/1961

 

Either what cHarley said or this one:

http://www.stopngo.com/products/plugger/1001.asp