Testing my faith in tire plugs

[Dirt_Dad]

Started to roll the bike out for a ride today and it was very reluctant to move. I instantly knew what that meant.



Yep, that's what I thought...



Actually, a little worse that I thought.



Never picked up a staple like this before. I'm used to a single puncture hole, never had two so close, and one of them being at an odd angle.

I haven't ridden this bike since meeting up with fishcat out in WV two weeks ago, and I rode home in the rain the last 90 minutes. Bike rode just fine, didn't notice anything. It's possible I picked it up from the last 75 feet before my house where a new house is currently under construction.

Had to plug the hole on the left twice (it was the odd angled one). The first attempt had a very slow leak.





I've been plugging tires for many years without a problem. This one made me wonder about my confidence level, especially after the first one didn't fully seal. I rode it for 3 miles on smooth pavement and stopped to check. Another 5 mile of chewed up pavement and some power slides on dirt roads, then checked again. Finally another 40 miles and all is good. Confidence level is back to normal.

 

[Travex]

You couldn't pick a more convenient place for a flat. Never got a double like that either. Nice post.

 

[Don in Lodi]

Not the shape staple I'm used to for romex. Used to use those for hanging field fence.

 

[EricV]

What Don said. I used to use those for 4 strand and mesh on 4x4s. Not gotten one of those, but the smaller pallet type staples have gotten me. Did you ream the holes before plugging? Worst plug fun I had was on a porcupine quill! Barbed quill made a jagged hole and took three attempts to get a good plug. First by the rider, #2&3 by me, having to ream the hole a second time to get a nice clean hole that the sticky string would bond to.

 

[Mzee]

I don't have much faith in plugs. I tried and it did work only temporarily.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Did you ream the holes before plugging?

I've never attempted a fix without reaming. Always assumed that would fail. I will say I reamed it a lot more on the second attempt.

It was definitely convenient that I discovered it at home where I already had a soapy solution mixed up in a squirt bottle. The plugged leak was so slow it took about five minutes before I was certain it was blowing bubbles. There is a chance it would have self sealed once I started using it, that or totally failed.

 

[stutrump]

I remember having 4 plugs in the rear tyre of my Fireblade when I lived in Hong Kong. No probs...even at silly speeds. Used to get it done at the garage there....but the garages in uk wont do it so I do it myself now. What tyres have you got there? Id love some like that on my S10 but Ive never seen any like that in the UK

 

[Checkswrecks]

I use one every now & then commuting into DC, where we have to park with the rear wheel to the curb where trash collects. Look as often as you want and you still miss a screw or nail sometimes.


Work fine - last long time.

 

[yamadad]

For me the worst one was on a DL1000. It was a jagged cut to the rear tire about 60 miles outside of Las Vegas. It was summer and massive hot and no shade, so waiting for a tow was not an option. It took 8 gummy worms to seal the hole enough to hold air. It was still bubbling the spit, but it was good enough to limp the rest of the way. Funny enough once in Vegas I guess due to the heat, it sealed completely. However, I didn't trust it so I replaced the tire.

 

[EricV]

What tyres have you got there? Id love some like that on my S10 but Ive never seen any like that in the UK

The tire in Dirt Dad's post is a Karoo 3. Fairly new, good reports for tarmac and dirt. Dirt Dad can give a better review. Don't last as long as Heidenau K60 Scouts. There are some forum threads on the Karoo 3 if you search the forum.

@Mzee - there are plugs like Stop n Go that are just plain rubber plugs. These do not bond to the tire and are only a temporary repair. The other type of 'plug' that most of us are talking about here is a sticky string. It vulcanizes to the tire and is a permanent repair lasting the life of the tire. Commonly found for repair of truck and auto tires. A proper kit will contain a reamer and an insertion tool, along with sticky strings and a tube of rubber cement. Some kits leave out the reamer. If the hole is not clean, the sticky string will not bond to the tire fully and leak around the string.

 

[stutrump]

Thanks for that. Ill look out for the Karroo in UK

 

[ADVFireFighter]

Plugs worked fine for me...
I'll even admit I did a track day on one...

 

[Old Git Ray]

I had 2 fall out following a trip on the way home from Northern Spain to the UK.

2 serious pucker moments that I do not want to repeat.

I just could not get them to set in place. They were inserted after the 'stop n go' mushrooms would not go in.

It was probably the combination of the two systems that caused the problem.