Most of us riders have had to deal with some sort of mechanical issue while on a trip, the problem is having the correct tools and part readily available. During my last trip the the Oregon dunes I wrecked coming down the side of a dune, it wasn’t bad but it did mess up my fuel line and twist throttle. I was able to cut my fuel line down about half an inch and place it back on with only a little loss in fuel. The twist throttle was another problem, I managed to get sand all inside of the cables and no matter how many times I took it apart and cleaned it out, it still was sticky. If I only had some spray cleaner and some compressed air I would have been able to get it back in full working condition.

So a good tip from one rider to another, make sure you are prepared. Always bring tools that you may need to repair simple fixes. Try to ride somewhere close to a town where you can drive in to pick up supplies. Remember that most shops and stores are closed Sundays so if your bike goes down on Sunday you may be out of luck until tomorrow.