ON the road tire repairs

[REFFI]

I had a bad experience, lately, with a tire plug kit. Getting ready to leave on Sunday AM, I discovered a sheet metal screw had done in my rear tire. My riding buddy pronounced that he had a tire plugging kit (never used, in fact, never opened). We attempted to use the kit (it shall remain nameless, but it has "semi-sticky" plugs and various tools for enlarging the hole in your tire so you can get the other tool inserted, then a threaded crank arrangement for forcing the mushroom-headed plug into the tire where, theoretically, you pull the mushroom head snug to the inner wall of the tire and it sticks and air pressure forces the seal and you are (again theoretically) on your way.

We opened the kit. First surprise - nothing available for inflation after accomplishing the repair. The hole we had to make in order to insert the tool was so large that the plug was inadequate to provide a seal (we know this because we were able to use an air compressor helpfully supplied by the hotel's maintenace guy, a fellow biker).

Further reading of the directions told us that the repaired tire would only be good for about fifty miles, at slow speed. (I was 320 miles from home.)

Has anyone used a tire patch / plug kit suitable for an "open road" incident that:

1. Worked

2. Allowed you to travel a reasonable distance at a reasonable speed

3 That you'd recommend to a fellow biker.

My solution was to leave the bike at the hotel, have it picked up by a towing service and hauled to the nearest dealer for tire replacement, then having SWMBO drive me up the following weekend to retrieve my bike. Don't ask what that cost.

Ralph

[jetmechmarty]

tire plugger

I carry this: http://www.stopngo.com/products/plugger/1001.asp

It sounds like what you used. I have one of those mushroom plugs in the middle of my rear tire right now. The tire was new when I picked up a screw on the interstate. I have a lot of miles on that mushroom plug.

[t3rmin]

I've put several hundred miles (even hit the ton a few times) on a plug in my GS's tire. I used a kit from WalMart that included long (3.5-inch?) worm-style plugs, a rasp, an insertion tool, and rubber cement.

Process was something like: pull out nail, insert and remove rasp, coat rasp with cement and insert and remove again, load plug into insertion tool, coat with cement, install plug, trim excess.

I know tire plugs are controversial, but after doing it myself and riding on it for a while, I have 100% confidence in the repair. There's a goodly amount inside the tire, and it's there to stay. Hasn't leaked a bit.

Can't speak to the mushroom style plugs, though.

As for inflation, I've been meaning to pick up one of those co2 inflator adapters that uses BB-gun style co2 cartridges. Add that to the plug kit and go find some nails to drive over. ;-)

[REFFI]

The instructions in the kit we had were specific as to maximum speed and distance to travel. Obviously, we had the wrong kit for the job. The kit shown in the link looks a lot like what we had (with the addition of the cartridge inflators). I don't know why we had problems, nor why it failed to work.

My thoughts:

Maybe the plugs age and the adhesive gets dried out and ineffective.

Maybe we reamed the hole for plug insertion too large (but we only did it until we could insert the tool).

If someone has the kit shown, could you please check the directions to see what the speed / distance recommendations are?

[webbcraft2150]

I scored a OEM BMW tubeless repair kit years ago. I have yet to use it on my bike but have used it twice for other people (including a new BMW owner with a flat on his $22k beemer). It included 3 co cartridges to reinflate the tire. The plugs worked well but 3 cartridges would not bring the tire up to full inflation. He did have enough air in the tire to make the 30 mile ride to a gas station for full inflation. I make it a habit to replace the plugs and adhesive at least once a year with new stuff and I pack about 10 co cartridges on road trips. I am sure the saftey nuts here will flame me, but I have ridden many miles at speed on a plugged tire and to date have had no problems, ditto with the cage. I usually pack a can of fix-a-flat also but have not used it on a bike tire, yet. Flats on the road are a real pain and can ruin a good day quick. Its been years since I had one but I try to be prepared.

[D. P. Larmee]

In the past, I have carried an "enginair" air pump. It goes into a sparkplug hole and uses engine vacuum and compression to pump the tire. Not teribly fast, but always worked in the end. Supposedly, it has check valves or some other precautions to ensure that fuel vapor does not enter the tire. Works pretty good and you don't have to worry about buying replacement CO2 cartridges.

Just noticed that company mentioned above carries a similar product. Heres the link:

http://www.stopngo.com/products/inflation/PQE1.asp

[dale_1]

flat gettinest dude here ... me thinks

Have carried the standard el cheapo plug kits for years.... never had a tire go from new to gone without at least 1 hole.

My last no notice one was right before the Jacksonville rally (spring TeXSive) the plug /as always has in the past/ lasted 'til time to replace the tire..... I have so many flats that I plugged it and rode the rally the next day without even flinching and with a few 120 ish speed runs. 200 plus miles without a worry one.


Like I said:
Been done so many times I have never really worried about it. Yes I carry a CO2 kit with me.

Just make sure you plug properly!