| Author | Message | ||
     Electraglider_1997 |
For one reason or other the rear PR2 is easily getting punctured. I have been riding with a plugged tire since the day before the Sturgis trip. Yesterday, my wife noticed that the back tire looked flat and this was right before wanting to ride back to Omaha from my folk's home in Iowa City, Iowa. I thought it was probably the plug leaking but not so. Finally found another micro puncture using soapy water. I had my plug kit so I rasped out the hole large enough to plug it. Inflated and rechecked and it was holding air. No further problems during the 300 mile ride ( thank God ). I bought a pair of new PR2 tires from Erik Buell Racing while at homecoming back in July real cheap. Hope I have better luck with them. Can't complain about wear but the rear sure seems to be attracting punctures. Probably just my bad luck. Anybody else have a puncture problem with PR2 tires? | ||
| Ksc12c |
I'm on my second set of PR2s. The first set lasted around 11k miles and no punctures. | ||
| Etennuly |
The first rear PR2 I had picked up a screw when it was nearly new. I plugged it. As it approached 9000 miles I had to replace the plug because it started leaking. I then rode that tire to 11500 miles before replacing it. Was it unlucky that I got a screw in it? Or how about wearing out a plug? I don't know, but 11500 miles was really good. The second one went leak free for 9000 miles or so, when I hit a sharp rock on the base of the Cherohala that took it out of service in one shot. Was I lucky that one went 9000 miles without a plug.....or unlucky that it exploded at 9000 miles? It could have easily made it to 12000 compared to the first one. I used a lot of plugs in a lot of Scorpion Syncs prior to the PR2s. Tires are tires. The luck is on you. It is not like they are magnetic or something.  I do a lot more sweeping and inspecting than I used to before bringing my bike into the shop or riding it into the back of a truck. | ||
| Bttrthnwrk |
I'm on my second set of PR2's, too. First set lasted about 13000 miles w/no punctures. Maybe 200-2500 miles off-road during that time. The current set is pushing 8000-9000 miles, similar off-road time, no problems. Yet. Conversely, I put a new Dunlop set on my Suzuki cruiser this past year and almost immediately picked up a 3" nail through the edge of the tread, up between the plies, and back out the sidewall. Plugged it about 2500 miles ago, still holding so far. Phew!  | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Wow, now that nail would take 2 plugs. The only real complaint I would have about the PR2 rear is that it is like a slick. Not much tread pattern to it. I wonder what would have put a pin hole in it like I had to plug yesterday??? The soap found it, just barely a very micro slight foamy fizz and it took two times around spraying it with soapy water to detect it. I am a firm believer in plugs. So easy to do compared to anything else. | ||
| Trevd |
Bttrthnwrk, I'm no tire expert or anything, but I would be extremely nervous about riding on a tire plugged where that nail hole is... Seems to me that leaning a bike over would put quite a bit of pressure on the side of the tire there, potentially causing a failure of the plug. But then again, since it's a cruiser, that part of the tire might never touch the road anyway... | ||
| Johnboy777 |
""I am a firm believer in plugs. So easy to do compared to anything else"" Hey EG, Which type/brand are you using...thanks . | ||
| Glenn |
I only get about 8,500 miles out of a PR2 but much better than the Scorpions I had which were gone at around 4,500 to 4,800 on them. The other thing I don't like is that when the rear PR2 was well worn I was getting a bad head shake. I had a post about what the issue was a while back, http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/567514.html It was gone with a new tire but very disconcerting. I now have a Wilbur's damper on the front. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Loved mine. | ||
| Etennuly |
I couldn't plug this one, and it cannot be blamed on a weakness of tire. At 55 mph the rear of the bike jumped up and out about a foot. It was a sharp rock. It made three miles flat with no problem other than being squirrely at 35 mph.  | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Johnboy, I got a tire plug kit at Wallymart for around 5 bucks. Rasp, Plug insert tool and 5 tar-like plugs strips. The kit comes with directions so no worries. Then you can buy extra plugs real cheap to keep on hand. I probably am going to buy a small 12 volt tire pump to carry also. Lately, it seems, my tire picks up a leak whenever I'm ready to take a trip. Thank you to whoever invented the tire plugging method of fixing flats. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Etennuly, That looks like it darned near dented your rim. | ||
| Union_man |
I use these.  I have never had any problems with them. I use them on street and dirt bike tires. | ||
| Etennuly |
Yeah I thought the rim was toasted when I first saw the tire, but hey, this is a true Uly rim. It measured up straight and true when I had the tire off.  Also when I inspected the carcass of the PR2 compared to some others, I think it handled the impact pretty well. | ||
| Bttrthnwrk |
Trevd: It's about all I can do with the Suzuki to get wear out to the edge of the tread, and it's even harder to do on that side, because of the pipes. Besides, about all I use that bike for anymore is Tuesday and Thursday commuting, and for rides when the Uly is laid up. Etennuly: I got the same plug kit from Wally Mart. Works fine. Doesn't even need glue for the plugs (so far). I also got one of the Slime 12v. air pumps for each bike. They're okay, but patience is a real virtue when using them. You must have sharper rocks where you are then I do here in southern AZ. Never had anything like that happen to any of my bikes. Yet. | ||
| Etennuly |
It was a flat sharp rock that the front tire kicked up into the back tire. The way it kicked the back of the bike into the air the rock had to hit the tire at a perfect angle to cut into the tire. It was flat like shale, but much harder and quite sharp. The tire was without air pressure before it landed back on the road surface. We were riding through a steep rocky valley where the sun was shining through the trees making the flashing a light in your eyes effect, while casting shadows on the road surface, I never saw it coming. It has been the only time I have ever had that happen on a road bike. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Puckered you right up I bet. Many years ago I was riding with a passenger and had a front tire blowout at probably 60 mph. Maybe because the passenger made the front end light that I had no problem coming to a stop without mishap. | ||
| Bttrthnwrk |
> The tire was without air pressure before it landed back on the road surface. Bbrrr. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Unionman, How do you use that kind of plug? | ||
| Swampy |
I think those type of plug/patch Unionman posted is used like a typical patch but pulled through from the inside out. This would require tire dismounting. If you are going to repair a tire I think that is the type of patch you would want to use. There are mushroom type plugs that are inserted into the damaged tire from the outside. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I'll only pull the tire when it is absolutely necessary and the last resort. |
