Emergency flat tire kit

Getting a flat: well since I ride my scooter everyday I feel like it's not a question of whether it will happen, but a question of when it will happen. And since I like to be prepared for these kinds of things, I recently decided put a little emergency kit together of tools that can be used to fix a flat on the road. I'm not sure how common it is for people to do this, and although I've had several flats since I've started riding a scooter, this is my first emergency kit. It's a reasonably compact kit, and fits well within the front dashboard with some extra room leftover.

Here's what I put in my kit:

• Tire plug kit. I got mine from the local NAPA auto-parts store, it was the smaller variety. Came with some smaller and bigger plugs, rubber cement, and a plugging tool for $7.
• Small knife. This one's just a box cutter I picked up for less than a dollar. This is used to trim the plug down once it's been placed in the tire.
• Portable bicycle pump. I happened to have an extra one around, but they can typically be found on the cheaper end for less than $20 (make sure these work with Schraeder valves, and not just Presta).

Although I haven't had the chance to actually use the kit on the road, I did end up getting a flat recently after getting the tire plug kit, and successfully plugged the leak at home. I do not actually notice that the tire leaks air any faster than the non-plugged front tire. Self pat on the back for a job well done I suppose. The only thing I feel this kit could benefit from would be a small pair of pliers that would come in handy for extracting any nails, etc. Will be keeping my eyes out for a cheap one.

Update: I've since used the kit on the road several times. It definitely has come in handy. In addition to the kit, another really good way to prevent getting flats is to keep your tire inflated at the recommended pressure at all times (I actually inflate mine higher than the Vespa recommended PSI, I just pump it to the max PSI that's printed on the tire itself). A soft under-inflated tire is much more prone to getting punctured by unwanted objects than a hard one.

How to fill up without spilling

My 2004 Vespa GT is actually the first vehicle I've owned that requires premium fuel. A sticker on the headset specifically recommends using fuel of 90 octane or above (also in the manual) and I've been filling it with the 92 octane. Although it costs more than the lower grade, this is not something I would cut corners on, as the engine was engineered to consume a specific type of fuel, and using the recommended fuel will ensure not only that your vehicle will run better, but also that it will last longer.

There is a particular issue with the GT model and their variations (GTS/ GTV etc.) however, and that is how easy it is to overfill the tank. By overfilling, I mean when you're filling up at the station and you're holding down the pump lever, and by the time the gas stops flowing from the hose there's a bit of spillage (due to the way the bike was designed). Overfilling by itself is not always an issue as gas evaporates quickly, but on the GTs it can turn out to be an issue. Due to the design, any gas spillage can leak into the air filter, causing problems in the way the scooter runs (more details available on the forums at modernvespa.com). These problems can certainly be fixed by removing and cleaning out the air filter, but a preventive approach can also ensure no spillage.

To ensure that spillage never occurs, I follow these basic steps when filling up the tank:

1. I run the scooter until the yellow 'need gas' light comes on. When this light comes on, it means there is 0.5 gallons of gas left in the tank, which is usually enough for me to finish my current trip with ample time to hit the station.
2. Since the total capacity of the gas tank for the GTs are 2.5 gallons, when I fill up, I then watch the meter and try and fill it up to 1.9 gallons (give or take a few), but not more.
3. This ensures that there is never any spillage while filling the tank, and also that the tank is full (just a tad under 2.5 gallons).