Repairing tubeless tires ...rubber plugs ?

[Gobear]

So the stop and go compressor worked good ?

 

[Cycledude]

I'm going to purchase a small compressor probably and a tubeless tire repair kit to keep on the bike..I notice these rubber plug kits that differ from the pieces of cord I see in most kits .

Has anyone had experience using either one?

I've been lucky I guess as in over 40 year of riding I've never incountered a flat tire

Cheers

Gobear

I've used the stick rope type plugs with very good results, also used the plug patch type inserted from the inside and that's probably the best way to patch a tire but you have to take the tire off the rim in order to insert the plug. At one time Walmart was selling rubber plugs and on our first Alaska trip we ran across a guy with a flat, he had plugged it himself with exactly what plug I don't know but in only a few miles it had blown out again, I re patched it for him using 2 of those rubber plugs and I know they held for over 60 miles and he was so happy he insisted on buying us all pie and coffee at the next stop, but I'm also pretty sure he bought a new tire somewhere around Fairbanks the next day. I think Walmart quit selling the rubber plugs and now only sell the sticky rope type.

 

[Kabish]

I've also plugged two holes with the Dyna plugs, both failed very shortly after... The sticky worm plugs seem to work best for me, little more work, but they stay in.

 

[Gobear]

I'm all set now..$10.00 at Canadian Tire ...all I'm missing is a small compressor

 

[limey]

I'm all set now..$10.00 at Canadian Tire ...all I'm missing is a small compressor

I just picked this from a local guy in Whitby.https://www.motorcycleinnovations.ca/Rocky_Creek_MotoPressor_p/motopressor.htm

 

[Gobear]

Nice, I'm going to have a closer look at it ..

Price is right

Thanks

Gobear

 

[yoyo]

I cheap mini tyre inflator like the one below is very similar to the Rocky Creek one when you remove the plastic casing. I picked one up from a bargain shop (uk) for £4

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[EricV]

I've been biting my tongue with some of the Stop & Go mushroom plug comments I've seen posted in this thread. I wanted to do some more research and try and avoid a rant. It's always been my opinion, after closely examining the Stop & Go products and using one that a fellow rider had on a repair, that they are useful to get you somewhere where the tire can be replaced or permanently repaired. But they are NOT a permanent repair. There is no vulcanizing of the rubber plugs used in Stop & Go kits to the tire. It's just a rubber plug stuffed in the hole. No one should be leaving these plugs in "for the life of the tire". Yes, I'm talking to you Tim...

Do not confuse inside/out patch/plug 'mushroom plugs' with the Stop & Go 'mushroom plugs', these are vastly different animals.

This is an inside/out patch/plug 'mushroom plug' (sold by Stop & Go btw):

LINK
Other companies sell multiple sizes of this style of plug. Typically glue is used between the patch and the inside of the tire, and smeared over the top of the patch after it's installed as well, (inside the tire).

This is the simple rubber 'mushroom plug' that the Stop & Go tools use. These are 5/16" dia. x 3/4" long. They sell a 1" long version as well.

FWIW, Stop & Go does sell other repair kits, including a nice T handle sticky string tubeless radial tire repair kit, that comes with reamer, insertion tool, glue, razor knife and sticky strings. All in a nice bag, for $20.
http://www.stopngo.com/tubeless-t-handle-tire-repair-kit/

From the Stop & Go web site in the FAQ section:
6. Will the mushroom plugs work in steel belted radial tires?

Yes, as an emergency repair. They are not considered a permanent repair when installed in street (high speed) tires. They can be considered permanent in off-road (slow speed) tires such as golf cars, mowers, etc. F.Y.I. – How long our mushroom tire plugs will work in steel belted tires will depend on the proximity to the belts and the quality of installation.

I've repaired many moto, (and auto), tires by the side of the road with sticky strings and rarely had a failure. Even then, it was a large or odd hole and I was able to use multiple strings to get me to where I was going or someplace where I could have an inside patch/plug installed.

Understand what you choose to carry for tire repairs, learn/practice how to use it in your garage just before you replace your next tire and make sure your compressor has a power connector you can actually use on the bike, and that your bike's power connection is fused for use with the compressor, (usually 10-15 amps). CO2 is great... until you find out you have a second leak, or the first repair fails, or several other issues. If you're just riding locally, you'll deal with it. If you're traveling and in the middle of no where, you better be prepared for multiple repairs. Leave the CO2 cartridgeS at home and use that space for a compressor. You don't need a $100 compressor either, though those do work just fine. A $10 cheapie works just as good for normal repairs. And if you take it out of the case, it all fits in a small bag with a boot lace to hang it from the bike. It doesn't need that fan if it's not in the big case either. Small Slime compressors go on sale all the time for $10-$20 at auto parts stores. They are often small enough to pack w/o removing the plastic case and have built in pressure gauges and other niceties.

 

[Checkswrecks]

I'm all set now..$10.00 at Canadian Tire ...all I'm missing is a small compressor

Most car parts stores have little 12v compressors for $10-15 if you watch for a sale. To make mine smaller, I cut down the housing and put it in a small plastic box with some extra sticky string and such.

 

[Wagger]

Any roadside puncture repair is only a temporary job as far as I am concerned. A get you out of trouble solution.

 

[Tenman]

I got a stop n go kit. I noticed my back tire was low a couple of days later. It had a small rusty nail with a slight side angle stickin in it. I plugged it and it wouldn't hold. Lucky I was't out of the yard. I got out my walmart string plugs and it has been gold ever since. I've got several thousand miles on it now. Zero leaks. The instructions on the stop n go say that they won't work on angled punctures. Wish i knew that when I bought it.

 

[ST-venture]

I have used the Stop N Go mushroom plug on several different tires without issue. In fact I just used one on my R1200RT after picking up a small sheet metal screw in the rear tire. It is working well. But it was near dead center of the tire and straight in. The screw was just long enough to barely puncture the tire.
I could see if the puncture was at an angle the plug might not seal well.
If the plug was to come out the tire would go flat very fast, but I know first hand of several who used them for the life of the tire.

 

[surfinpig]

I've used a cheap plug on a skinko rear and had to push it in and replace it 1 time with another cheap plug. The weather got cold and started to leak so I wanted a new one with some rubber cement. Holds fine and I ride hard. I'm not replacing a tire every time I pick up a nail and I love the tubeless rim for that reason.

 

[EricV]

I have used the Stop N Go mushroom plug on several different tires without issue. In fact I just used one on my R1200RT after picking up a small sheet metal screw in the rear tire. It is working well. But it was near dead center of the tire and straight in. The screw was just long enough to barely puncture the tire.
I could see if the puncture was at an angle the plug might not seal well.
If the plug was to come out the tire would go flat very fast, but I know first hand of several who used them for the life of the tire.

Go buy a lottery ticket! Stop N Go specifically states their product is a temporary repair. It does not vulcanize to the tire, ever. Sticky strings are a permanent repair that vulcanizes to the tire. Look it up. Becomes one.

 

[fac191]

Hi all, is this the sticky string type one ?http://shop.safetyseal.eu/safety-seal-kit-motorbikeatv-p-22.html

 

[EricV]

Hi all, is this the sticky string type one ? http://shop.safetyseal.eu/safety-seal-kit-motorbikeatv-p-22.html

I made your link live. http://shop.safetyseal.eu/safety-seal-kit-motorbikeatv-p-22.html

Yes, that kit uses sticky strings. However, that kit is not worthy of a rider that needs a repair to continue on, rather than a repair to limp in to somewhere that they can get someone else to repair it better, replace the tyre or at minimum, add more air. That company does sell more proper kits. Consider a mini compressor to carry on the bike. They don't need to cost 80 GBP, you can find simple compact ones like Slime pumps for very reasonable cost. Make sure you have a fused connection to the battery to power it, (with an appropriate fuse and plug style). The oem cig port is only 3 amp and will not support the pump's draw. Some have increased the fuse size, but that does offer a chance of melted wiring since it is quite small gauge there.

It takes a lot of CO2 to fill a modern moto tire. Especially if it was well and truly flat to begin with. Point of fact, it's a heck of a lot easier to find a leak, and push the tools in to the tyre, if it is inflated. Using a cartridge to fill the tyre enough so you can fix it, then hoping you have enough CO2 left to fully inflate the tyre, is not a good feeling.

A proper kit will include a reamer to clean the puncture and make it uniform, allowing the sticky string a better chance of a good bond to the tyre. Then an insertion tool, (some have a tool that does both, reaming w/o the string on it, then inserting the string), to install the sticky string. Not uncommon for kits to include some rubber cement as well, for a little lubrication and extra sealing of any imperfections in the puncture.