Bandit Alley
GENERAL MOTORCYCLE FORUMS => GENERAL MOTORCYCLE => Topic started by: android12 on December 23, 2007, 12:03:41 PM
-
Sorry if this is a repeat, but what do you all think about repairing tires? I seem to pick up nails about half way through the tread life and just did that on my back Conti, its a nail right in the middle. Was thinking of getting a patch kit because Ive heard of some doing that but local shop and dealer say no. ????
-
In Finland we don't do like that.Never.
-
I had a nail thru my almost new shinko rear tire, the bike shops around here( Denton,Tx.) offered to plug it for me but refused to patch it.
I bought a plug kit for $4.00 and a patch kit for $5.00, pluged the tire then dismounted it cut the inside of the plug off and put a hot patch on the inside of the tire, this is all old school. I worked in a tire shop for a couple of years in the 70's.
3 to 5 thousand miles later no problems.
The bike shops told me that insurance rules prevented them from patching tires. I don't know about anyone else but it worked for me.
-
I had several problems picking up nails. Often on tires that were rather new. One dealer would not patch them. Another used to, but now say they no longer do it. I don't know why they would be liable for your safety, if you signed a release saying you had requested the work and understood that the patched tire may not be safe. Most the MC magazines say that patching can be safe if done correctly and you are not riding above freeway speeds. I guess you can do you own patching if the bike shop refuses to do so, but since I don't take my own tires/wheels off, that's not gonna work for me, next time I have a nail/screw.
-
Yeah thanks. On second thought I do tend to get a little throttle crazy sometimes without even thinking about it, I probably should just get a new one.
-
I never had a worm patch fail on me. In fact I alway cut the worms in half as that is all you really need. Maintaining air pressure in the tire I prep the hole by reaming it out well with my reamer tool back and forth until the hole is round and ready. Then with a little tire slime for lube control-slide my worm tool in all the way almost flush then with a quick yank pull my tool out and let it set up so the tire air pressure flattens the worm up against the hole from the inside. Then after a good 30 minute ride come back and trim off the end right with a razor right up against the tire which makes it almost impossible for the worm to come out from spin force. never had a worm fail, ever.
-
I never had a worm patch fail on me. In fact I alway cut the worms in half as that is all you really need. Maintaining air pressure in the tire I prep the hole by reaming it out well with my reamer tool back and forth until the hole is round and ready. Then with a little tire slime for lube control-slide my worm tool in all the way almost flush then with a quick yank pull my tool out and let it set up so the tire air pressure flattens the worm up against the hole from the inside. Then after a good 30 minute ride come back and trim off the end right with a razor right up against the tire which makes it almost impossible for the worm to come out from spin force. never had a worm fail, ever.
+1... no sidewall fixes though and I'm not a huge fan of running them down to cords with a plug but I wouldn't hesitate to plug and run.
-
Into the abyss I go! I have never patched a tubeless tire but in the last 6 mths. I've picked up a sheetrock screw, a roofing nail and yesterday a 8 penny galv. nail. ( no, I don't ride in a garbage dump...it just seems like it )Three tires in 6 mths. ( not to mention the other 4 over a 2 year period ) The bike stores won't patch them because of liability issues but 600 bucks in 6 mths is too much for my feeble mind. I'm seroiusly considering patching this latest tire that only has 800 miles on it. After becoming a hood ornimant a few years back, I don't do a lot of strafing anymore...so I'm willing to take the gamble. Any recommendations on good patching systems?
-
I have patched and plugged tires for both the bandits and my older smaller machines. Not once did i ever have a problem with it.
Thankfully the old man (pop) is/was a professional tyre fitter/repairer so i never take mine to a garage to be done we just do it together the old school way. As said no problems when we've done it.
-
Way back when my 50 cc scooter picked up a screw after about 400 km. Armed with my bicycle pump I rode it to the shop and had them yank the tire and plug it from the inside.
Ran without any problems for another 6000 kms and I frequently rode 2-up. Then I sold the bike.
-
Here is a better question. Has anyone ever heard or had tire failure or crashed because of a patch? I personally have never heard of anyone with issues of a patching tires. I have a spare tire that caught nails twice. First patch never gave me problems and now I patched it for the second nail. I personally don't have any problems using it or riding it.
-
Several years ago, coming back from one of Dale Walkers Banditfests, I picked up a framing nail in a nearly new Bridgestone 010.
I bought one of these from a tire store, went home pulled the wheel and tire and installed per instructions. I got almost 7k out of that tire and not once did it leak or get weird.
Anyone that has ridden with me knows I'm not too easy on rubber.
(http://www.mz3.net/articles/images/156-zrated_patchplug.jpg)
You have to install from the inside. Make sure the inside is clean, no grease or rubber lube. I cleaned my tire with a couple shots of Berrymans carb cleaner, then used 60 grit sand paper, dusted it off and hit it again with cleaner. I then used the cement that comes with the patch, gooped it on and pushed the plug from the inside out, through the hole and pushed the patch down into the cement.
You can google where to get the patch.
Edit: My rule of thumb to avoid nails: Avoid any building materials stores or the driveways going into and out of them....and I avoid riding where there is new housing construction going on.
Knocking on wood, I've not had a single nail in almost 5 years.
-
I've picked up a nail in a new front befor. I also had it patched from the inside with no problems. I know the owner of a old time service station,not a store just a service station with gas,wreckers,lifts that actully work on autos,and a tire machine.
It worked for me. Dan
-
When I first bought my bike the rear tire was a crappy Kenda that was patched in two places. Never had a single problem with them. When I was in the market for a replacement, I saw several tire companies offered a road hazard protection plan. I think it was around $40 and they would replace your tire free if you encountered any nails. Might be worth it if you're constantly picking up screws/nails.
-
I saw several tire companies offered a road hazard protection plan. I think it was around $40 and they would replace your tire free if you encountered any nails. Might be worth it if you're constantly picking up screws/nails.
Cycle Gear offers this. Might be worthwhile if you have one of their retail outlets nearby.
(FWIW - they have the cheapest mount & balance prices around where I live.)
-
Two tears in a bucket... I patched it with a repair kit had a tiny, slow leak maybe 2lbs in 3 days. I added some sealant that comes in a pressurized can and she's holding well. Saved a bunch, thanks for the advice. Anyone added that fix a flat in addition to a plug? Figure it cant hurt and it stopped my leak. Now I have two relatively new conti's ahhh...let the sun shine.
-
I had a patch like the one Ranger pictured (although is was black) place on my previous front Dunlop tire at ~6000 miles. I rode those tires to 16000 miles (which supposedly is unheard of for bike tires, but both front and rear lasted that long) through all fours seasons, (occasionally) at speeds well above highway speeds. Never had a problem.
-
I've been pluggin my tyres for years, ever since I first started as a motorcycle courier.
If memory serves me, 1 rear tyre when it was finally worn out had 4 plugs in it, or was it 5.
Best $40 I ever spent, has got me out of the pooh many times, and I have never had 1 let me down. Even Die hards "Ill never use a plug" when faced with a very long wait for a lift home and a huge towing fee, seem happy for me to pull out the emergency pump and plugs. Funny bout that, funny how they all go out and buy there own too.
-
isnt it the fact that these are radial tires and your breaking belts to get the plug in and you have the potential to delaminate? To each his own i say though :beers:
-
isnt it the fact that these are radial tires and your breaking belts to get the plug in and you have the potential to delaminate? To each his own i say though :beers:
As I said never had a problem, I've had a near brand new tyre, which copped a screw in it, 20 thousand K's, 12 thousand miles later(metezler marathon) it still held out ok, and that was in the days when I rode 150miles to 400 miles a day all day as a motorcycle courier. And I soon learnt that if there is a quick way to torture the shyte out of a tyre, take one 120hp bike, ride like a nutter, and do it all day every day.
I however have found the when pluggin the tyre you find that the screw nail has entered between the cords so do the plugs.
Which brings me to the next point, worth mentioning. Since becoming a Shinko convert I have not had a punture. :wink: :motorsmile:
-
I'd guess that half-a dozen of my rear tires have been plugged, bias & radial. I've never had a problem.
I did read on the Moto Guzzi board that riders have had good luck with this product
https://www.ride-onshop.com/
It's installed during tire mounting. It's much better product that Slime. It has the extra benefit of keeping the tire balanced by centrifugal force. Several posters were recommending it from that fact alone.
I'd like to try it on my next tire change.
-
slime is for ATV's
-
this isn't Slime. It was reviewed by Larry Grodsky for Rider.
https://www.ride-onshop.com/
I'd like to hear if anyone has used it.
-
I have been thinking adding tire repair using the type of plugs Ranger discribed. But the responce on who would get tires repairs has not out weighted the cost of the equipment and kit to do this.
-
this isn't Slime. It was reviewed by Larry Grodsky for Rider.
https://www.ride-onshop.com/
I'd like to hear if anyone has used it.
used to use it in wheel barrows,(on building sites) and mates used it on their chook chasers, some swore by the stuff.
-
chook chasers
Ya know, there's a vaccination against that stuff :wink:
-
I now have two patches on the rear of my Pilot Road and absolutely no issues and no air loss at all.
-
My buddy and I rode up to Tellico Plains and then across the Cherahola Skyway and on the way he had a flat tire. A nail of course... Any way we had one of those really small 12volt pumps and a "plug" kit so we proceeded to repair the tire. WE took the tool that you rough the inside of the hole with and did that. The we took the plug tool, put the plug through it and stuck in the hole. No rubber cement or any thing. That plug stayed in that tire the entire trip and the about 5000 miles after that. My luck it would have been flat again 5 miles down the road... Any way I just thought that I would through that in there....banditone1250s... :burnout:
There is a thin line between fear and respect...Feel free to drift across it every now and then...
-
My buddy and I rode up to Tellico Plains and then across the Cherahola Skyway and on the way he had a flat tire. A nail of course... Any way we had one of those really small 12volt pumps and a "plug" kit so we proceeded to repair the tire. WE took the tool that you rough the inside of the hole with and did that. The we took the plug tool, put the plug through it and stuck in the hole. No rubber cement or any thing. That plug stayed in that tire the entire trip and the about 5000 miles after that. My luck it would have been flat again 5 miles down the road... Any way I just thought that I would through that in there....banditone1250s... :burnout:
There is a thin line between fear and respect...Feel free to drift across it every now and then...
Yes the small 12 volt pump has now got full time home on the rex, but honest I don't leave home without it and the plug kit.
Now that the REX is get its next hotup, Jet kit, Pods and wee bit of advance, some heat rap on the exhaust. there is now a huge great hole where the Airbox one sat, so we, (Thats Pops the fathewr inlaw) and I have stripped all the bull Shyte plastic's off the pump made an extended hose so it reachs both front and back wheels plus a bike pulled along side.
Lost a couple of Kgs stripping the crap stuff off the bike and added back on with the little pump and kit. :duh:
Yeh I now where's the pic's?
Soon.
-
As infrequently as a flat occurs for me even off road on my 450x, I now just carry a plug kit which includes a CO2 cartridge kit. The entire kit comes in a pack about the size and thickness of a wallet with reamer, worm tool, 10 worms (cut in half) and three CO2 cartridges ($2 each) with a trigger applicator so you only add as much CO2 as desired saving a partial cartridge. It is true that a side wall puncture is a death sentence for your tire but it will plug just as well to get you off the freeway to a better location at moderate speed, maybe a local bike shop. I have mounted and dis mounted many a 18-21 inch dirt bike tire by hand on the ground in about 20 minutes but I never tried and I cant imagine going through the expense and time to dismount a street bike tire to install a patch. Before I would ever do that I would just replace the tire as it means a cost of about $50-$100 changing fee at most bike shops, unless you buy their in stock tires. So for me its a moot point to carry a portable pump and patches when an excellent plug and CO2 kit can be had for $14 and will do a great fix either permanently or temporarily depending on your circumstance and point of view.
(http://www.rockymountainatv.com/images/orprod/400/t/tus_07_tir_rep_kit.jpg)
-
To each their own, but an el cheapo 12v pump can be had at Wally World or other discount stores for ~$10, be stripped of it's bulky plastic housing and not take up much more room than a few CO2 cartidges and the dispensor piece. You will have to add in the expense of a couple of alligator clips to replace the cigarettte plug (unless you equip your bike with one of these outlets). The advantage is the pump will work over and over without having to buy refill cartridges. But either one will get you home. :bigok:
-
I have a small pump with the plastic taken off just like you mention and I even used it for a while but the bulk it comprised in its wall mart bag along with the plug kit was for me just bulky. Also the long wires needed to accommodate it were always getting twisted up on the bumpy trails which had to be cleaned and repacked for each different motorcycle, street, quad, dirt bike. Pretty soon the kit started looking pretty rag-a-muff and then would not work because the solder points would crack off or the exposed pump motor can get wet in the rain and cause a short with no fuse to the batt. Since one pump kit doesn't work between three bikes, I settled on three wallet size CO2 kits which stay packed, dry work great even when your bike battery is dead, or more importantly low on juice, not to mention much faster in seconds compared to microwave minutes. Having the choice between a CO2 Kit and a pump with a long tail and bare connections, I guarantee you will naturally gravitate toward the CO2 kit IMHO.
-
Electric pumps & CO2 Cartridges definately work but a Mini Bicycle pump is cheap, fits under the saddle and works every time...
(http://media.rei.com/media/686048Prd.jpg)
-
while I have needed to plug tires on my past bikes there is a little voice inside my head that just starts SCREAMING at me whenever the speed starts getting over a buck .its yelling hey dummy... ya know your riding on tires with plugs lol . so ,I have never had an issue with plugs in the fact that they have failed :bomb: ever , I just dont like the little voice in my head screaming at me :annoy:Mark