I finally figured out why my bike kept dying in the rain

Was on a group ride up the Sea to Sky highway near Squamish last fall. About 20km in a big storm hit and my 2005 Kawasaki started sputtering bad. Pulled over with three other guys and one of them spotted my spark plug boot was cracked right at the base, letting moisture in. A quick wrap with electrical tape from his pack got me running again and I made it home fine. Anyone else carry emergency tape or have a similar highway breakdown story?

2 comments

2 Comments

wendy97820h ago

Wait, you rode 20km through a storm on the Sea to Sky and only noticed the crack when you stopped? That road is no joke in bad weather, those cliffs are right there. I can't believe the tape actually held all the way home, that's pure luck most of the time. Electrical tape is a decent fix but it's never a permanent solution, you were pushing it. I always carry a roll of self-fusing silicone tape now for that exact reason, that stuff actually seals up a boot for weeks.

felixw6811h ago

Yeah totally agree with you @wendy978, self-fusing tape is a game changer. I learned that the hard way after a buddy used electrical tape on a ripped CV boot and it slung grease everywhere within like 10 miles. The silicone stuff actually bonds to itself and stays stretchy, so it handles the movement and road spray way better. Plus it wont leave that nasty sticky residue when you finally get around to replacing the part. Definitely worth the couple extra bucks and the space in your pack.