Any tyre or motorcycle shop will have rear and front stands so changing a tyre while on a tour or holiday is no big deal. I've only ever needed a tyre change once while on holiday at the TT and the bike shop was only too pleased to loan the stand and the tools to get the wheel out....they were getting a tyre sale!

True, but I have been at events where the bike could not be gotten to the shop. So the wheel had to be taken off in the parking lot, and ferried over to the dealer and back.

Like I said, if you did as many long trips as I do, you'd find value in a centerstand. But for styling-around its not necessary.

I doubt it. I am never without a roadside recovery contract. In the unlikely event I can't get to the tyre or bike shop I'd just call the recovery company and say, "take me to a tyre or bike shop". If I was able to carry a spare tyre and the tools to change one then maybe but, otherwise, I'll never need a CS. JMO

* Last updated by: pegscraper on 1/19/2013 @ 6:06 AM *

LOL I had a recovery contract when I shipped my ZX11 to Europe in 1992. It was pretty much mandatory.

Let me tell you about recovery contracts. You call them, and about 12 hours later (at best) they show up. Then they manhandle your bike (oh,you thought they'd bring a rig set up just for bikes?) and you probably have to stay in a motel overnight until the tire gets replaced.

The examples I've seen, the wheel was off in 30 minutes, and in 2 hours it was back with a new tire.

If you don't have to be anywhere, or don't go very far from home, maybe waiting on a recovery contract is acceptable.

If I had needed recovery with my ZX11 for something more serious than a flat tire, I would have taken the train back to Calais, ridden the ferry to Dover, got transport to London, and flown back to the USA from Heathrow. And when the bike got back to San Francisco, I'd deal with it then.

But if the tire had gone flat, I would have just pulled the wheel off (she had a center stand, of course) and managed to get it to a bike shop. And even then, in Holland, or Belgium, or France, it would have taken a while to find one in unfamiliar territory. But much more preferable than going home and giving up.

Now days, a StopNGo plug kit will solve 99% of flat tire problems. Still, what I saw at the COG 2012 National Rally in Arkansas wasn't going to be fixed with a plug.

And so, a center stand saved the day.

Sounds like we're at opposite ends of the recovery experience. Maybe some recovery contractors are better setup for bike recovery than others? Choose your contract carefully. Only ever needed them once, it was for a flat rear. They turned up in under 1 hour with a bike trailer and said "OK, where do you want to go?" It was a Sunday, I was around 40 miles from home so back home I went, otherwise it would have been to the nearest tyre repair shop. OK, if there are none open you're gonna have to wait for a repair but ditto with a CS so you're no better off.
Just out of interest, my new 14 came with 1 years free roadside recovery from a well known and reputable recovery company.

* Last updated by: pegscraper on 1/21/2013 @ 3:38 PM *