I took DRZ out. Now the odometer reads around 8,500 miles. Got her filled up and the last tank was 51 MPG - not bad!
Took her to my usual route from Waco to Meridian - taking as much dirt road as possible. Great weather and perfect temperature. I'm loving my new Arai XD-4 helmet.
After Meridian, I decided to try a new county road - took FM1991 to CR1060 which turns into 3210. It was a very nice road.
From there, I took CR3235 and CR3220 which ends up crossing FM219 at Womack, TX. As I turned onto FM219, I almost completely lost the traction on the rear tire. It didn't feel good. I pulled into the parking lot of a church and examined the rear tire and found it was flat.
So the operation began. I parked the bike under a tree to secure some shade. The tree welcomed me with a shower of acorns. Next, I had to look for something to prop up the rear so that I can take off the rear wheel. Luckily, I found two cement blocks by the ranch fence. I propped up the rear and start taking off the wheel. I must tell you that the Suzuki OEM tool kit is GREAT!
I took one side of the tire off the rim and took the tube out. The slime made a huge mess. I don't know if the benefit out weights the mess that makes when you get a flat. Once the tube is out, I put the new tube in and put the tire back on. That's it.
Upon inspecting the tire, I saw where the puncture took place. The tire actually had a hole. But the object that caused the hole wasn't embedded in the tire anymore. I took my bare hand and slid the inside of the tire many times making sure there wasn't any other object that could cause another flat. I always carry one 21 inch tube. 21 inch tube will fit both the front and the rear of DRZ. But that was my last tube. If I get another flat, I'd had to call AAA.
It took me about 1.5 hrs to complete the repair. I am content with that. I need to practice so that I can do this much faster.
At this point, I was done riding the dirt. Took a paved road home for 40 miles without any other incident. I need to revisit the route and next time, I need to complete it.
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