Commuter bike tire fail

[wfopete]

Well there I was commuting along, minding my own business, when my Tenere's rear tire (Heidenau K60) suffered a slow leak. I traced the leak via soap bubbles to a very small, hard to see source. Can't tell from what (maybe a sharp rock?) as there is no foreign object showing at the leak source. The leak is between the tread blocks in the center area of the tire. I was reading about the Dyna Plug tire repair kit but it sounds like that was designed for auto tires. Is there a kit that is more motorcycle specific?

And by the way; how many of you are happily riding around on tires that have been repaired with a plug or are these a temp fix until a new tire arrives?

 

[greg the pole]

if you bust your own tires, pull it off the rim, and do a patch from the inside.
good as new.

 

[Karson]

Well there I was commuting along...

The start to every great pete story I have the dynaplug setup in my tool tube, primarily for on the road repairs till they can be more permanently addressed. That being said, I've heard of guys running them for longer periods of time, too, just depends on where the puncture is. They can be used for small slices, if in the right area, but where you described it being right up against the center strip, I'd be weary.

Inside patch and commute on

 

[wfopete]

Ok now talk to me about inside patches. I'm a tube kind of guy (those come on real dirt bikes you know) so I'm not well schooled on the tubeless tire stuff.

 

[snakebitten]

Buy a tire you cheap bas#%^d.

And this time get a commuter tire. Like maybe a Kenda Big Block.

Wait, didn't you just have surgery? You are supposed to be watching TV.

 

[Checkswrecks]

I commute into the city and need to park with the rear wheel to the curb. Once the tread wears a bit, getting punctured is just "shit happens." I carry a sticky string kit & little compressor, fix it, and ride on till the tread is gone.


Which is potentially a different story than tearing the edge of a tread block and losing air integrity from that damage.

 

[autoteach]

you want a plug patch, it is a combo unit and requires the tire to come off. Best way to fix a flat when you have the time to do it right. the plug ropes are temporary

 

[wfopete]

Buy a tire you cheap bas#%^d.

And this time get a commuter tire. Like maybe a Kenda Big Block.

Wait, didn't you just have surgery? You are supposed to be watching TV.

Sir, you read me like a book! I probably have less than 10K left on this tire.

Actually this failure occurred last August, a week or two before I went under the knife. I just got my sling off yesterday and the first thing I did was take the rear wheel off to figure out this problem. I still can't ride yet but when the time comes the bike will be ready to commute!

 

[rem]

Maybe it's time for you to retire. Get it ? Re-tire ??? GET IT ??? Aw, maaaaaannnnn. The old dog's still got it. ::012:: ::012:: ::025:: ::025:: or perhaps not. R ::002::

 

[avc8130]

If I get a flat on a tire that has plenty of life in it I like to use one of these for the repair:

http://www.fixtires.com/patch_plug_combination.php

ac

 

[wfopete]

If I get a flat on a tire that has plenty of life in it I like to use one of these for the repair:

http://www.fixtires.com/patch_plug_combination.php

ac

Interesting. Do those require the removal of the tire for repair? I can't tell from the ad. I saw this and although they are repairing and ATV tire in seems to use a both a plug and patch concept (see video).

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/37845/i/bikemaster-tire-repair-kit

 

[clint64]

you want a plug patch, it is a combo unit and requires the tire to come off. Best way to fix a flat when you have the time to do it right. the plug ropes are temporary

Great suggestion. I have done this in the past and continued to ride until the tire was worn out.

 

[avc8130]

Interesting. Do those require the removal of the tire for repair? I can't tell from the ad. I saw this and although they are repairing and ATV tire in seems to use a both a plug and patch concept (see video).

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/37845/i/bikemaster-tire-repair-kit

Yes, tire must come off.

That link looks a lot like the Stop N Go:
http://www.nomartirechanger.com/product_p/sp-stop-n-go%20pocket.htm

Personally, if I plan to leave the plug until the tire is shot I pull the tire and use a true combo. It just makes me feel better.

That said, I used a Stop N Go on a buddy's tire and he proceeded to put 4k more miles on it without issue.

ac

 

[scott123007]

I commute into the city and need to park with the rear wheel to the curb. Once the tread wears a bit, getting punctured is just "shit happens." I carry a sticky string kit & little compressor, fix it, and ride on till the tread is gone.


Which is potentially a different story than tearing the edge of a tread block and losing air integrity from that damage.

THIS!!

First off, you can ride that rear K-60 completely flat and barely notice it.
Second, the snot cords work as well as anything, (if it's not a gaaping hole) with minimal effort.
Third, it's a commuter bike, not a 180 mph roadracer. It takes more skillset to ride this bike on gravel, with air in the tires, than to ride it with a flat rear on a paved road.

Half the people on this board are always trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.

 

[Yamaguy55]

Maybe it's time for you to retire. Get it ? Re-tire ??? GET IT ??? Aw, maaaaaannnnn. The old dog's still got it. ::012:: ::012:: ::025:: ::025:: or perhaps not. R ::002::

Get thee to a punnery.......

 

[terryth]

Use the plug kits with the sticky strings, not the rubber plug ones which are worthless. I have ran the plugs till the next tire needed for a long trip without issue. I currently have two my current pilot road trail rear. The K60 I had before that also had one in it. I found the K60's rather delicate as regards to getting punctured, they are just thin between the blocks and nails go into them very easily

 

[MarylandStrom]

I have patched my bike tires, front and back probably over 10 times in the last 8 years. In each instance I used the strings designed to repair car tires. Never had an issue continuing to use the tire until the end. I will say I experienced a plug slowly leaking a few months after I installed it. I just pushed the bad one into the tire and slid another one in. No more issues.

If you ride substantial miles each year, plugging tires becomes somewhat routine.

 

[Don in Lodi]

The only real problem with a plug in this scenario; is that the plug needs to follow the path that the object followed to be able to seal the hole. A tiny, barely detectable hole with nothing apparently in it, it's gonna be tough. An emergency, I'd try it then patch later, a nail or screw with a 'path' to follow, plug it and run it. At home? Pull the tire and patch it. That K60 is gonna be a bugger to pull. That's why a buddy rode another tire to AK, the shear difficulty in breaking that bugger down for a patch.

 

[terryth]

All the sticky string plug kits I have used include an awl to ream out the hole enough for the string and a tool for inserting the string properly along with glue to coat everything with. You will never get a plug or string in without making the whole the big enough in the first place.

The only real problem with a plug in this scenario; is that the plug needs to follow the path that the object followed to be able to seal the hole. A tiny, barely detectable hole with nothing apparently in it, it's gonna be tough. An emergency, I'd try it then patch later, a nail or screw with a 'path' to follow, plug it and run it. At home? Pull the tire and patch it. That K60 is gonna be a bugger to pull. That's why a buddy rode another tire to AK, the shear difficulty in breaking that bugger down for a patch.

 

[Don in Lodi]

All the sticky string plug kits I have used include an awl to ream out the hole enough for the string and a tool for inserting the string properly along with glue to coat everything with. You will never get a plug or string in without making the whole the big enough in the first place.

Still need to ream the original path of the object. No real point in reaming a hole straight in when the object went in sideways...