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UK to Oz - Carry spare tyres or not? UK to Oz - Carry spare tyres or not?
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  #1  
Old 4 Feb 2010
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UK to Oz - Carry spare tyres or not?
Was just thinking this evening that I might pop across town to the London motorcycle show this week to see if I can get various bits of kit on the cheap for my upcoming trip and was drawing up a wish list.

I've currently got a pair of Metzeler Tourance on the bike and thought about whether I need to maybe get a second pair to strap on the bike for the trip.

My question is this, is this really necessary or am i likely to find these same tyres along the way and for a fraction of the price?
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Old 4 Feb 2010
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Personally I would take an extra pair, 'sods law' and all that!
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Old 4 Feb 2010
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carrying spare tyres is for the mad !!

I'll give you 2 weeks before you either fit them or send them home !

I find it impossible to believe you wont be able to get tyres on the way to Aus. Especially if you're going through Turkey.
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Old 4 Feb 2010
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This is quite often asked and I think as usual there are two groups of people- those who say yes, definitely carry them.
...and those like me who say, I don't actually like carrying tyres at all.
As you're using Tourance - which I love when travelling long distances as they last for bloody forever (and that's on my old heavy 800cc BMW fully loaded with two-up) I wouldn't carry them but if you want to, maybe get them sent out.
Or just see what you can get by on what's available along the way (a Tiffany Coates tried and tested method - which many people think is foolish, but, hey I always get there)
A Tourance can last all the way to Oz.
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Old 5 Feb 2010
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I am with Ted ...

In the old days (1990s), you didn't have much choice ... you had to carry them. Now there are lots of ways to avoid carrying them and just as many good reasons not to carry tyres.

Whats your route?
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Old 5 Feb 2010
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In the even older days (mid 70s) I did Oz to Uk without a spare, but did carry a spare tube and a can of Zssh!. The tube and Zssh! weren't required at all until I continued my journey into Africa.

I was in Niger - 20kms from the Nigerian border - when I felt the rear end start to wander. I pulled over, and within 2 minutes the ubiquitous African desert tribesman appeared out of nowhere and pointed laughingly to my flat rear tyre. I gave him my usual "no worries mate, just watch this" thumbs up grin and proceeded to empty the can of Zssh! into the rear tyre valve. He looked on astonished whilst the tyre re-inflated and I waved as I headed off into the distance only for the wandering rear to re-emerge 3 km down the road. It was a slow 17km ride done the road to the border where I found a local tyre repairer able to swap out the tube. That was the only flat I had in a 2 year journey.

As for carrying a spare nowadays it is clearly less important. On my trip in 2008 from Oz to the Uk I got 25k km out of a rear (and 40k km out of a front) on my 650. I carried tyre plugs and a cheap compressor for when I got a flat, but these were required only once.
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Old 5 Feb 2010
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spare tire
to my experience carrying a spare tire is a plus in some area where you cannot find tires in the size you like or if you want specific tires, I agree that if you stay on road and travel from large city to another large city you will be able to get what you need but in some remote place of Africa or even Asia finding the TKC or KH you like will be quiet difficult. You may like to carry only the rear one as they do get use in half the time of the front one.
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Old 6 May 2010
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carry if you must
I carried a spare rear from UK to Oz and fitted it in Malaysia not because it was needed but because I was fed up with carrying it. If you do want to take one start with a part worn and fit the new one after a month or so, it will save a lot of hastle. Most sizes are now available in SE Asia.
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Old 6 May 2010
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"Most sizes are now available in SE Asia" - yes, they may be. But most sizes for big bikes are in fact only available thru specialised companies, and there aren´t too many of those to be found between eastern Turkey and Australia. Just like you dont get many big bikes in between. Thailand and Malaysia may be exceptions.
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