Maybe you only ride within a few miles of home base most of the time but an unexpected tire puncture can put an end to your fun and often means a long walk back – unless you’re prepared.
Here are three essential goodies you should consider taking with you on any ATV ride.
Tire Sealant
You can buy this stuff in aerosol cans from any ATV dealer or auto parts store and when you need it – wow, do you ever need it! Just attach the nozzle to the offending tire’s air valve and spray a hearty portion into the tire.
Not only will it seal minor leaks but it will also re-inflate the tire. Remember, the principle behind tire sealant is to spin the tire so that centrifugal force jams the sealant into the puncture as air tries to escape, so always take the ATV for a ride immediately after installing it.
Tire or Tube Patch Kit
These inexpensive little kits can be purchased for a few bucks and will cure those more serious sidewall and tread punctures tire sealant won’t work with. With tubeless tires you can jam in up to two or three plugs and seal a seriously torn tire that otherwise wouldn’t get you home.
Tube repairs on the trail are a bit more challenging and require some practice and more tools – but if you’re in a jam, at least you can repair the tube… if you’re prepared.
DC Air Compressor
A tire or tube repair kit won’t help you much if you don’t have one of these tiny workhorses on board. Just plug it into the ATV’s DC connector and it will re-inflate a tire in seconds.
An alternative is to use your aerosol tire sealant to re-inflate a tire after you’ve patched it.
