To Plug or Not...

[Dogdaze]

DogDaze, the PC police could be reading the threads.

Good Luck

Hair plugs!! (Hence Elton John) Why would the mods be worried about that?

 

[ArkieTenere]

Plug and then put in some Ride On.

 

[Cycledude]

I have plugged several rear tires using the sticky rope type plugs and slime compressor, ran the tires until they were worn out without any issues, the tire in the first post might not even need plugging, you will have to pull the nail out and see if it leaks or not, if it does leak I would feel very confident plugging it with a stick rope type plug.

 

[Brick]

Hmmm... I think I'll look into supplementing my tire fixing kit with a Dynaplug.
Also all this talk of continuing to ride on a fixed tire. While I don't think it's a great idea I have used these plugs to get home and then used a mushroom plug from the inside.

These can be purchased at most and auto parts store. I just don't trust the string type plugs for a long time or distance.

 

[EricV]

Hmmm... I think I'll look into supplementing my tire fixing kit with a Dynaplug.
Also all this talk of continuing to ride on a fixed tire. While I don't think it's a great idea I have used these plugs to get home and then used a mushroom plug from the inside.

These can be purchased at most and auto parts store. I just don't trust the string type plugs for a long time or distance.

I do that for larger holes, but for simple punctures the sticky string, when properly installed in a clean hole, (why you need to ream the hole), will completely vulcanize to the tire. I've taken some sticky string plugs out after they have been run for months to see just how well bonded they were. Holy Cow! A lot of work to remove because it was completely part of the tire.

I tried a Dynaplug kit. I love the concept, especially for smaller holes like from a staple. For me, it simply didn't bond to the tire and threw the plug. After three thrown plugs, I got the sticky strings out and plugged it that way w/o issue and they lasted the length of the tire, another 6k miles or so. The original hole was small, ideal for the Dynaplug, so I'm not sure why it wouldn't bond. All I can surmise is that the hole was not clean enough w/o reaming for the Dynaplug to bond. In the end, I gave the Dynaplug kit to another rider that was interested in trying it.

 

[RCinNC]

I'd never toss a tire that had a repairable hole in it before I at least tried to plug it. Worst case scenario would be that the plug didn't work, the tire would keep leaking air, and you'd have to get a new tire (though I'd probably try to patch it from the inside before I gave up). Best case scenario is that you don't have to spend money replacing an almost new tire. I don't see how a properly plugged tire is a safety issue.

 

[RIDEMYST]

Like Brick, I carry a tire repair kit and compressor with me to get me home. After that I replace the tire. Someone once told me that the money you are saving will pay for the first five minutes in the Emergency Room! -JEP-


Sent by using these little bitty keys on my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ironhand]

I'm with Eric V. I have ridden many, many miles on (correctly) plugged tires.

 

[EricV]

Like Brick, I carry a tire repair kit and compressor with me to get me home. After that I replace the tire. Someone once told me that the money you are saving will pay for the first five minutes in the Emergency Room! -JEP-

Knowledge is power. Understanding what constitutes a proper tire repair is key. Understanding that the tire sellers will always tell you to buy a new tire, because hey, they profit from that, is also key.

Here's another thing to consider. Have you ever had a flat while riding? Did you instantly go completely out of control and crash? Probably not. Did you receive zero warning that something was amiss? Probably not. You probably noticed that the steering was requiring more effort, (front tire losing air), or that the back started to wander/weave a bit, (rear tire losing air), or maybe that the tire noise suddenly increased, (common on more aggressive tread patterns like 50/50 tires when they go low or lose pressure).

I've never had a moto tire come off the rim due to a loss of pressure. I've never had zero warning of a flat, even when running a car tire on the back of my FJR. You can always tell something is going on. I have had the bead un-seat when I got a flat off road. But I carry a ratchet strap just for that reason too, so it wasn't something that stranded me, just a bit more work to get air back in the tire. I had plenty of warning on that occasion, as the reason the tire was losing air was a bent rim that I was aware of and I was limping out to pavement to go get it fixed.

I ride a lot. I long ago lost track of how many flats or punctures I've had. I've fixed holes as large as 10mm to get to where the tire could be replaced. I've ridden just about every smaller damage tire to end of life, a couple ending up with multiple repairs in different holes.

When I lived in Oregon, I knew some State Police motor officers. I asked one about flats and what they do. He told me they get quite a few flats/punctures due to riding on the shoulder a lot in the performance of their traffic duties. They, (the maintenance/service/repair guys), plug the tire with sticky string unless the damage is on the side wall. They will plug a tire up to three times as long as the punctures are not in the same 1/4 of the tire that already has a puncture. And keep in mind, this is for big heavy bikes that often run at higher speeds than we might.

If you crash, it's not because of a flat, it's because you weren't paying attention. I've had guys tell me they wouldn't ever ride on a repaired tire! But when I asked them when the last time they checked their air pressure was, they couldn't tell me, or worse told me the dealer checked that when they last had a service done. ??? A couple didn't even know what pressure they were running in their tires.

If you replace your tires every year, just to be on the safe side. You can forget about everything I just wrote. You don't ride enough for any of this to matter. For those that go thru tires much more often, this stuff matters and tossing a tire just because you got a puncture that's easily repairable is folly.

Off the soap box now. ::009::

 

[Dogdaze]

I've been reading this thread and the only thing I would like to add is this; do what makes you comfortable, not peer pressure, at the end of the day it's your money. Some are quite happy to fix and forget and carry on riding, others may not. I run the latter camp, it would bother me while riding and as I ride for purely enjoyment, I would end up just replacing the tire. Sure there are lots of other things that could go wrong, but why do I want to add to those?

 

[silvergoose]

I agree with DogDaze, if my wife's bike had not been a three wheeler I would not have ran on a repaired tire.


Good luck

 

[EricV]

@Dogdaze - we're often on the same page, but completely not this time. I keep stressing knowledge for a reason. If you know the repair is good it removes the uncertainty and stress. I know my repairs are good. And even if something happens, I know what to expect and how to deal with it. My hope is that others can learn these things too.

Even if you have no confidence in your own repairs to a tire on the road, having a mushroom plug installed from the inside once you are home and can dismount the tire is a very, very good repair method that will allow you to use the tire up. That type of repair literally makes the repaired area of the tire stronger than when it was new.

You don't throw out half a gallon of milk because it might go bad. Why throw away a tire with half or more of the life because you think it might leak later? Heck, you might get another puncture too, but that does't stop you from riding.

Yes, do what you are comfortable with. But don't be afraid of expanding your comfort level by learning new things either.

 

[Dogdaze]

EricV, all I said was to do what is comfortable, and you are right a good repair is as good if not better than the tyre carcass, but for me that will always be a niggle in the back of my mind, it's just the way I'm wired. Heck, you wrote about this some time last year, with a chap from OZ and on that I took my expired front tyre and practised with the strings, and got the whole deal down (although as the tyre was not mounted I don't know how well??!!) but if I had to do it in the 'field' I didn't need to learn that then. That's all. Also, over here, insurance issues come into play.........

 

[RCinNC]

I totally agree with staying with whatever you're comfortable with. My issue is always the spread of misinformation, along the lines of "well, go ahead and ride with a repaired tire, it's your life", as if riding a repaired tire is just a catastrophe waiting to happen. If it is, would someone here please explain why it's so dangerous? Do you think the integrity of a tire is somehow compromised by a hole to the point that it will fly into pieces while you're riding it? Because realistically, the only thing that's going to happen is that the tire will have a slow leak past the plug, and will go flat. Like Eric said, that's probably something you would notice while you were riding it well before it became a catastrophic event (if it ever did become a catastrophic event).

Plug or don't plug, that's your choice, but if someone is going to infer that it's an unacceptable level of danger to ride a repaired tire, they should have something to back that up.

 

[Checkswrecks]

RC -

There are at least four ways that a repair can be dangerous, and all can be avoided with some common sense.

1. A repair in the shoulder or sidewall. Maximum flex is in the sidewall, where the fibers are also under maximum stress. Plus, damage may have severed a number of these fibers, which again are the worst stress load in the tire's construction.

2. Something more than a simple puncture. If the damage is a longer cut or tear, a repair may get you to where you can have the tire replaced, but when you start to require multiple plugs/strings, then it's time to replace the tire. Bigger repairs are not parent material and are not as strong, they don't have the fibers carrying the load through the area, and when a bigger hole opens the loss of pressure can happen before you pull off from highway speeds.

3. Max load and speed. For example, a Mitas E07 is a T-rated tire, which means 118 mph and these bikes can go faster. With the repair you're a test pilot and any possible "margin" may or may not be there, and you are putting max force on a repair at high speed. I've personally seen a track bike throw a plug, too, which probably wouldn't have happened in normal use because it'd been there for a while.

4. A poor repair. If the person doing the repair does it poorly, you can throw the plug or have the steel belt strands cut it. The pressure loss may not be instantaneous, but you also may not know till you finish a straight and go into a curve.

Curb parking in DC to commute, I end up installing a plug once or twice a year and almost always run the tire till the tread is gone. I get it. I'm just posting this to answer your questions, in that repairs can be done so there is a danger.

 

[RCinNC]

Checkswrecks:

You're correct, those are certainly possible failures. My reply was specifically about a repairable tire (I referred to it as a repairable hole in my first post), where the puncture would be in an area that was safe to attempt a repair (not a sidewall) and was not the type of damage that couldn't be fixed with a plug (like a long slash). The instructions on every tire repair kit I've purchased have been pretty specific about what repairs could be accomplished with that kit and what sort of damage was beyond repair. As for doing a repair correctly in order for it to be safe, that pretty much applies to any repair you're doing on a bike, whether its a tire, or brakes, or whatever. Naturally, someone shouldn't attempt any repair if they don't feel they have the required skill set, but a repair done improperly doesn't invalidate the idea that a repair can be safely accomplished.

I certainly respect both what you are saying and your background; the point I was making was that repairing a tire is not the inherently dangerous act that some people believe it to be. If it was, I don't believe that any company would be willing to produce kits to repair tires, because the civil liability would be too great. I agree that the possibility exists that a plug could be thrown, but I don't believe that's the likely outcome of a properly installed plug. As in many things, it's a question of risk assessment, and nothing I've read or experienced during my riding career (beyond the typical anecdotal evidence) has led me to believe that it's an unsafe practice, as long as it's done properly. I'm not being argumentative, and I appreciate the reply.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Put me in the sticky rope plug and forget it category, keeping in mind Checkswrecks cautions. Personally I've only see those fail twice. Once was someone to tried to plug a very large hole. He made one wheel revolution after the repair, and it spit out the entire wad. Another was when my tire somehow ended up with countless tiny holes all next to each other. Wasn't worth the risk...and I was happy to see that Anakee III go anyway.

I did once successfully use multiple sticky ropes to repair a large hole in the sidewall of an atv tire. You do what you have to when you're deep in the woods. That was not a repair I let stand after getting back to civilization, but it did work.