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Essential offroad motorcycle gear
If you’ve ever fixed a flat on a dirt bike or dual sport motorcycle out in the middle of nowhere on a hot, summer day, you’ve probably found yourself wishing for some tool to make the job quicker, easier and less sweaty. My no-sweat additions to my tool kit for just this scenario include the Motion Pro BeadPro Tire Bead Breaker & Lever Set ($82.99, at cyclegear.com) and the Motion Pro Bead Buddy II ($18.49, at cyclegear.com).
The BeadPro Tire Bead Breaker & Lever Set solves the problem of “breaking” the tire bead away from the side of the rim toward the depression in the center of the rim. This gives me the slack I need to pry the tire sidewall over the outside of the rim and gain access to the tube for patching. The levers fit together in a way that is easy to slip between the bead and the rim, and provide excellent leverage to push the bead to the center. The set of two levers is probably enough to get the job done, but I travel with a couple standard tire spoons anyway and put them between the bead and the rim as I work my way around the wheel.
The Bead Buddy II is handy for keeping the bead in the center of the rim after breaking it loose. It has a notch that hooks around a spoke to keep the tool in place and ensures the bead doesn’t slip back to the side of the rim as I work my way around the wheel.
Extra credit if I remember a small spray bottle with soapy water to lubricate the tire surfaces that make contact with the rim and find air leaks in tubes.
—Joe Black/Journal Outside
