| Author | Message | ||
     Oldog |
I was out riding last weekend and I got a nail in my rear tire. I rode the bike to the local dealer, asking for a call Monday AM. Call comes I ask about removing the nail and patching the tire "we dont patch tires" and "we are slammed" my response, "please call me with a price for a tire & mounting" They replace the tire and then call me, after a short discussion of "what was said" I got 10% off and They have been told to save the old tire.  I will be picking it up with the bike, If any one can tell me what method have they used to patch a tire I would be grateful, the "punctured" tire has better than 1/2 of its tread left so I plan on patching it. It was holding air when I left it and I Noticed it sunday It may have been there for a while TIA Jim (Message edited by oldog on October 06, 2005) | ||
| Djkaplan |
I don't recommend it, but I've successfully plugged two tires for 10,000 trouble-free miles. I used the cheap rubber plug kit you find in any autoparts store - usually for about $5. The last kit I got at Wal-Mart, oddly enough, was US made! | ||
| Tripp |
i've run cheap car tire plugs in my bike tires many a time with no problems. | ||
| Whodom |
I put ~6,000 miles on the rear Dunlop on my S3 after plugging with a "Stop-n-Go" tire plugger kit. Had no problems at all. This kit uses little mushroom-headed rubber plugs that are inserted in the tire with a special tool. No glue used. The kit easily fits under the seat so you can take it with you. Motorcycle Consumer News gave them a good review. Since you've got the tire off already, I'd suggest carrying it to an auto shop and having them patch the inside just like they would a tubeless auto tire. That's what the manufacturer's recommend and that should be the safest method. Hopefully they won't give you any grief. | ||
| Spiderman |
Used the cheapo car plug kit also. Haven't had any problems BUT I only do it if the tire is almost done, it is near the end of the season and I do not do any BattleTrax or drag racing ETC... | ||
| Oldog |
Got Bike and tire home today, They pulled the @#$@#$ nail not to sure why Then did not mark the hole, I find the hole Outside, not to sure that I have it on the inside The price was a little high  for both the change and the part Any of you change your own with hand irons and all? $80+ each I think I am going to learn how to change radials that would justify a set of stands Any advice or insite? TIA | ||
| Kevyn |
Od, no advice on the stands but do some searches and the pieces are out there. You can do it! ...tire patches...I've used the plugs with glue and they worked fine---didnt' lose air pressure. However, as stated frequently above, it's not a recommended practice. Consider it a temporary fix to get you home... I was told by what I considered to be a reliable and knowledgeable source that IF you do patch a tubeless tire, use a plug with glue and a rubber patch inside to back it up...you will downgrade the tire by one speed rating...if it's a tire you intend to use on track days----DON'T!! I know $80 is a bite, but you're safety and continued well being are worth every penny. | ||
| Oldog |
Kevyn: Thanks, I don't do track days,( I rarely "get on it" too hard ) The Buell is for recreation and errand transport. I will get the tire patched the way you describe. Have you ever used hand irons? on one of these tires, Back in '79 ( yes I am reaching Ol'fart stage ) I changed my tires and chains as part of the annual I.R.A.N. of my suzuki, other than working on the floor not bad. Have you ever done a home balance? | ||
| Garrett2 |
we just threw one of the cheap plugs in my dads ultra the other night, sealed up great advance has the kits for 4 bucks and you can buy more plugs for next to nothing | ||
| Kevyn |
O'd' I've been lucky. Never had to use tire irons on the MC. Haven't done a home balance either...but there are abundant tools and materials available to help get the job done. Granted, it won't be a high speed balance job done inside an electric motor driven tire balancer, but it will balance the tire well enough that you'll probably never notice a difference and have no wear or ride/handling issues. I've seen home made tire balancers that were basically an axle with cones or collars used to center and hold the rim, suspended between two end supports with the axle and supports being trued vertically and leveled horizontally. A weight kit with stick on weights can be purchased through the company that sells Aerostitch (Aerostitch,com?) brand cycle gear---check the KV, I'm sure there has been a discussion about dismounting/mounting tires and balancing tires in the garage. I'd almost bet $$ that American Sport Bike could set you right on tire mounting tools and a simple balancing jig. In '79 I was running around on a '79XLCH and massaging a '59 Corvette which gave way to a splendid '70 with the 325HP 350, T-tops and a chrome luggage rack on the deck. I think I may qualify for '0ld-Fart' status also!! | ||
| Oldog |
From 1 O'F' to another  Thanks! Ride Safe | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Heh! in 1979, I was in kindergarten. I love it when people ask me if I had my 1979 XLH since it was new! I knew how to count and read but other than that, I had no job until I was 11. I got the old iron in '94. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Sorry, I meant to add: So those mushroom plug things work? I will need to buy a kit for each bike. | ||
| Djkaplan |
I tried to use a mushroom plug and couldn't get the darn thing to work. It was an old kit my father had, so maybe it needed fresh plugs. The applicator it uses seems a lot more invasive than the t-handle needle used for the string type plugs. | ||
| Aldaytona |
Beware, the string plugs for car tires DO back out and should be used as a last resort to get home at in town speeds (seen several back out). The mushroom type in motorcycle plug kits are designed, well, for motorcycle tire use to get you home or to a repair facility. There are patches made by TECH that have a plug built into them and feed from the inside out (tire removed) these are designed to be a permanent repair. Those are without a doubt (mentioned by motorcycle tire manufacturers as well) the best way to reuse a punctured tire. It's more labor intensive, but for street use about the same as not getting the flat in the first place. | ||
| Whodom |
I was very happy with the mushroom plug ("Stop-n-Go" ) deal. The thing I like about it is the plug is physically "captured" once you get it in the hole. It doesn't depend on glue or friction to hold it in place against air pressure. The plugs are kind of oily when they're new; they've got some kind of lubricant on them. I can imagine they might dry out when they get old. It takes a little practice to load one in the tool properly (I have the compact version; there's a larger "pistol" type version too). It's a good idea to try a couple on an old tire to learn how to use them. The hole the thing makes is only slightly larger than the one the reamer for the string type plugs makes. | ||
| Oldog |
Hugh: Who makes the "mushroom head" plugging kit? | ||
| Whodom |
"Stop n Go" http://www.stopngo.com/plugger.htm I have the "pocket" version which easily fits under the seat of my S3. | ||
| Oldog |
thanks Hugh | ||
| Tictoc |
Use a tire plug kit only long enough to get home and then replace the tire. I had an expensive Metzler 880 WWW pick up a nail the first week I used the new tires (on the bagger) I had the local MC indi put an umbrella style plug on from the inside of the tire. I thought I was good to go. These plugs will leak down over a period of time. I wasn't checking tire pressures often enough, and stupidly rode 500 miles home from Sturgis@95 M.P.H.+ two up on a tire with 15 lbs. of air pressure in it. DOH! We were lucky, no mishaps or anything, but that tire has some really funky looking cupping to it. I guess a guy could put a tube into the tubeless tire and be safer. ? TT | ||
| Oldog |
TT: I don't think that you can run tubes in radials, safely | ||
| Djkaplan |
Don't manufacturers (except BMW) use tubes in radial tires with bikes that come with spoke wheels? | ||
| Oldog |
DJ: not sure about spoked tires, IIRC radial tires flex and will cause problems with the tube, not all bike tires are radial, I will look into it interesting ... (Message edited by oldog on October 13, 2005) from the dunlop site.. Can I have my motorcycle tires repaired?} Some punctures in motorcycle tires can be repaired if no other damage is present. Dunlop recommends only individual permanent plug-patch repairs of small tread area punctures from within the demounted tire by a qualified tire repair shop or motorcycle dealer. Never perform an exterior repair and never use an innertube as a substitute for a proper repair. Your bike should not exceed 50 mph for the first 24 hours after the repair and the repaired tire should never be used over 80 mph. Dunlop speed ratings are voided by repairs. No form of temporary repair should be attempted because secondary damage caused by the penetrating object may not be detected and tire or tube deflation may occur at a later date. Dunlop does not recommend the use of liquid sealants. These are a form of temporary repair that may adversely affect ply material and mask secondary damage caused by the penetrating object. Reliance upon sealants can result in sudden tire failure and accident. I have a tubed type tire. How often should I replace my tube? Tubes are a critical part of a tube-type wheel assembly. With a tubeless tire and tubeless wheel, the air is contained within the assembly. With a tube type rim and tire combination, it is the tube that contains the air. When fitting a new tire on a tube-type rim, a new tube should be fitted at the same time. Old tubes can become stretched and, if an old tube is fitted inside a new tire, it can crease or fold over itself and fail due to chaffing and thinning of the rubber. Always insure that the rim band is in good condition, that spoke ends do not protrude and are covered to avoid tube damage. Loose objects may also damage tubes. It is important that you fit the correct size tube in a tire. Always check the size markings on the tube. The exact size marking on your tire must also appear on the tube. }Never fit tubes on radial motorcycle tires nor fit radials to rims requiring tubes. Thanks for asking I thought that I remembered readig this some where http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/infocenter_faq.asp?id=11#faq (Message edited by oldog on October 13, 2005) (Message edited by oldog on October 13, 2005) | ||
| Oldog |
It just gets better, I washed the first foot of dirt off of the bike, looked at the tread pattern close, DAY-YAM! I had a 205 on the rear replaced it with a 208, with a 205 front (worn at that!) did not ask etc etc etc, I am going to cool off this week and then deal with it next week after I have had time to think about how to tactfuly deal with this... I thought that I had this settled. |
