Luggage Rack Vs Spare Tire Rack.

[dgruis]

smart cars do not come with a spare. Many of us carry a spare and a jack when traveling by myself, so I assume I would do the same with an Elio. But I often wear a suit, so I could not easily, cleanly change a flat, if I ever had one. Saving big bucks on gas is worth the rare chance of getting a flat.

 

[NRB]

Believe the spare tire question is answered by the Flat Fix (Slime) method of getting the autocycle to a tire store. The fact that the Elio has two different tire sizes on it ,pretty well eliminates the spare tire storage factor. Weight and space limitations must control storage. If you are concerned for distance travel, strap them to the rear deck in some fashion and hit the road! RB

 

[sfruechte]

The spare tire in a can stuff really does work. In 1992 on the Alcan highway I had a flat on my 77 Goldwing and it not only got me going, it got me all the way home to Wisconsin and I also finished out the year on that tire.

 

[NRB]

Slime seems to be the perfect answere to me on the flat tire problem! Otherwise it means a complete redesign for an aft panel to accommodate 2 spare tires and a corresponding 100 pound increase in weight---we do not need this additional delay on production!!! RB

 

[tjj300]

The 3 wheel design inherently gets less flat tires than vehicles that have tires inline with each other. Most flats are caused by the front tire kicking up the debris and the rear tire hitting it before it lays flat again. That's why most flats are rear tires. Now on a Elio all three tires track different paths so if the front tires kick up anything it misses the rear tire by a wide margin to one side or the other. I wouldn't worry about flats and a can of flat-fix should be all the insurance you need.

 

[Daryl M]

Have to admit that I hadn't thought about a spare tire. Might need to invest in some "run flats" for the Elio.

My experience is that "run flats" are nail magnets. I have a BMW Z4 (which the Elio will replace as my daily driver) which came with "run flats". I ended up having to replace a tire about once a quarter. Way too much $$$. In the last six years since I changed to regular tires, I have not had a flat.

I think I have saved enough on the tires alone to pay for the Elio. Of course, the laws of perversity say that if I rely upon not getting flats, and don't have a spare, then I will get a flat at the time when it is most inconvenient.

 

[NRB]

We don't need no stinking spare tire. Adds weight , ruins the aerodynamics of the vehicle , will take up trunk space, etc., etc.,---

 

[sfruechte]

We don't need no stinking spare tire. Adds weight , ruins the aerodynamics of the vehicle , will take up trunk space, etc., etc.,---

I agree. Flats are rare and there is no sense hauling a spare around for decades and never using it. The cheapest tire you can buy today is far better than the best tire you could buy just a few decades ago.

 

[NRB]

sfruechte---you've got that right! RB

 

[Cobra-Pilot]

Slime is a product that you place in the tires, You drive a few miles to get it distributed around the inside of the tire. If and when you get a puncture the slime will ooze out of the hole or around the object. In that process it will congeal and seal the leak. Slime is International Green or Neon Green so it is easy to spot the puncture.
I use it in my bicycle tires because of the cactus thorns here in Arizona. Slime does make a mess of the inside of the rims but it also seals the spokes. If you have a tubeless tire that is going low all the time maybe you have a rim this has a small weep hope in it Slime will close it up as well. You can use Slime if you are also charging your tires with Nitrogen instead of air.
You can purchase Slime in any bicycle shop , parts stores or Wal-Mart.
To install you place the valve stem in the bottom position bleed out the air then connect the Slime bottles hose and install the suggested amount for the tires size. Remove the bottle and pump the tire back to the recommended pressure and go for a ride as has been said it does assist a dynamic balance. I don't know how it would work in the cold climates possibly congeal into a clump that would be a bumpy ride if in all of the tires.
Someone mentioned they never had a flat on his motorcycle well all I can say about that is ride long enough and you will and you will forever remember the experience especially if you are on a high speed road in traffic.