Experience with flat tire in no signal zone.

[deftoner]

Hello guys!

Yesterday I got a flat tired on the route 41 on south florida, on a NO signal zone. I was aware that my rear tire have 2 plugs, and I notice after a 1 day trip to key west (more than 350 miles trip) there were green liquide coming out from the plugs (thje slime that I putted on the tire a couple months ago).

So, I changed both plugs, with new and well glued ones.

I hit the road with my wife (on same bike), and when I was on that cell signal dead zone, started to fell like the motorcycle was loosing power... and when I realized that my rear tired was almost flat. I moved right and stoped most on the front break, no problem at all (just the rear car that never leave space between us... and pass thru super near....) Just because I was aware of that, I took the plug kit and the inflator with me. I noticed that the plug went off completely. I inserted a new plug, with rubber glue. I waited like 15 minutes for the glue to dry, (on all that time, lot of cars crossed, no one even tried to stop... ).
I inflated the tire, checked with water, no air coming out. So we decided to come back home.

Couple of miles again the plug went off. This part of the route have almost no space to be stopped. There was a more secure place to stop a couple of meters in front so with my wife walking behind the guardrail me on te bike, walking with the engine one and in 1st... sudently the tire go of the rim.. Thats when I knew that I was screwed.... I keep waling, I parked the bike, no signal. My inflator hasen't the power to inflate quickly enough to re insert the tire on the rim...

The place was this alligator boat trip, but was closed, 5 pm Saturday... We almost started to do signals to the cars, in order to get a ride to the next signal place to call the AAA, but from nowhere came a truck, I explained the guy my situation and he has a compressor! he went to pic up it and meanwhile I inserted another (the last I had) plug. We inflated and it worked. The plug hold in place until we got home. (today is flat again).

We were like 20 miles from home, but we felt like we were million miles, since we started to worried. No cars stop, no signal, night coming... Anyway, another adventure to the book.

May be anyone here know a trick to get the tired in the rim. For now I'm goging to test a bigger portable inflator if that works, or even a mini air tank, so I can pre-inflate (with the portable inflator, not carring it filled) and then using the presure to inflate. In this week I'm goging to change both tires. I love metzeler but someone offered me a pair of "Shinko", I googled it and have great reviews, but most from small motorcycles (KLR 650, gs 650, etc.)

Some pictures (attached):

1- My wife helping on the first plug
2- Tired out of the rim
3- T-Mobile coverage map, and the mark where we were.

 

[Checkswrecks]

I worked the 1995 ValuJet accident near there. Saw LOTS of gators. Nice looking wife. If you crawled down the bank to hide with the gators, I'm sure somebody'd stop soon to help her.



The best way to get the tire bead to seat in a situation like that is to lay something like a rope along the centerline of the tire, then use a stick or wrench to tighten the rope by twisting. Unfortunately, little compressors still probably would not pump enough flow to get the tire to inflate if the bead is not fully in contact.

 

[tomatocity]

If you have a ratchet strap you can use it in the suggested rope. try rotating the tire until you get it to seal enough to hold air.

By chance do you have AAA?

 

[deftoner]

I worked the 1995 ValuJet accident near there. Saw LOTS of gators. Nice looking wife. If you crawled down the bank to hide with the gators, I'm sure somebody'd stop soon to help her.



The best way to get the tire bead to seat in a situation like that is to lay something like a rope along the centerline of the tire, then use a stick or wrench to tighten the rope by twisting. Unfortunately, little compressors still probably would not pump enough flow to get the tire to inflate if the bead is not fully in contact.

hahaha! thanks for the advice. And besides nice looking she es a good partner for the adventure too, almost unique.
About the inflator, I bought a high flow viair (http://www.viaircorp.com/) they just do heads for aire compressors and inflator in 12 and 24v. I did a little research and this is the best solution for 12v. They do the mini tank too, but is too expensive.

Thanks for the reply

 

[deftoner]

If you have a ratchet strap you can use it in the suggested rope. try rotating the tire until you get it to seal enough to hold air.

By chance do you have AAA?

Yup, I have the AAA, what we didn't had was signal to call them.

thanks for the reply.

 

[tomatocity]

Yup, I have the AAA, what we didn't had was signal to call them.

thanks for the reply.

Do you have a SPOT?

Don't know how this exactly works, maybe Checks knows. Someone correct me...Get the bead close, spray lighter fluid or butane or propane inside the tire and light it. This should seal the bead enough to add air with the pump.

 

[jmcgilroy]

Propane and light it? Yikes! I saw that on Ice Road Truckers using starting fluid (ether)...once again Yikes!.

How about a ratchet type tie down strap along the circumference of the tire. As you tighten it, it forces the sidewalls into the bead area enough for a mini pump to inflate the tire.

 

[Cycledude]

After you put Slime in a tire it's pretty unlikely that a new tire plug will hold because the slime has the hole lubricated so the glue on the plug can't stick to the tire.

 

[jmcgilroy]

After you put Slime in a tire it's pretty unlikely that a new tire plug will hold because the slime has the hole lubricated so the glue on the plug can't stick to the tire.

That's a good point. Personally, I've never liked slime because it gums up tire pressure gauges and the valve itself.

 

[deftoner]

After you put Slime in a tire it's pretty unlikely that a new tire plug will hold because the slime has the hole lubricated so the glue on the plug can't stick to the tire.

that sound quite right. After I lose the first plug on the trip I noticed an oiled liquid all around the bike, specially on the rear brake reservoir... First I thought that was brake fluid, but then I realized that was slime.

I thought that slime was alike a glue but its like an oil with a little grains of rubber. I definitely not putting slime on the new tire.

Thanks for the advice

 

[Dogdaze]

On a separate note, I noticed that the pic of your wife has been clicked on 40 times whereas the other two in the 20's... ::017::

 

[Squibb]

Touche Ford - I have to plead guilty ;D.

Personally, I have seen the ratchet strap idea that 'jmcgilroy' mentions work successfully. However, I certainly wouldn't advocate slime, particularly when combined with 2 existing plugs, other than as a means to get home...... slowly. I know the off-road fraternity use it, but tyre fitters hate the stuff & my guy insists that it just isn't safe for the road, where the tyre goes through various heat cycles/high force loadings.

Ride Safe ........................ KEN

 

[caillou]

Co2 would probably work to push the beads in your situation (I always carry some with me). You can do Co2 + the rope (or even better, strap + ratchet). To inflate a tire, it takes 2 to 3 Co2 cartridges, but you can use one to push the beads back and then use your compressor.
A portable compressor will not have enough flow to push the tire sides and seal the beads of course.

 

[Pterodactyl]

You made some pretty bad decisions leading up to your problems. Replugging a tire with a failed plug chiefly among them. Riding on a motorcycle tire that has one plug in it is controversial, riding on a motorcycle that has two plugs in it is even more so but riding on a motorcycle tire with a replaced plug and with slime leaking from it is foolhardy. Additionally, it sounds to me as if you were not the person who plugged the tire to begin with so you have no first hand knowledge about how or when the original damage occurred, which, if true makes your decision to ride on it even worse. Perhaps your poor decision making is born out of inexperience. If so, then you've hopefully learned a valuable lesson and ultimately came out of the experience with no real harm, but you exposed yourself and your wife to a higher level of risk then was necessary.

 

[SilverBullet]

After you put Slime in a tire it's pretty unlikely that a new tire plug will hold because the slime has the hole lubricated so the glue on the plug can't stick to the tire.

Slime shouldn't be used for road bikes anyway.

I use Ride-On sealant/balancer and have had no issues with rope plugs. Have plugged probably at least 6 times over the years. Once with a brand new tire and plug still fine when tire worn out. Even two plugs on same tire without issue. I wont put up with slow leaks either. My plugs are permanent and have never had to redo or replace. Do it right the first time and no worries.

_

 

[patrickg450]

On a separate note, I noticed that the pic of your wife has been clicked on 40 times whereas the other two in the 20's... ::017::

guilty......

 

[14s10]

Get a Delorme Inreach, like a Spot, but you can text via GPS. So you could text a friend or family and have them call a tow truck or come help. Talk to a guy on the road once who had the same issue of a flat out of a dirt road somewhere. His spot saved him, being able to contact a tow company and get help.


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[yz454]

Plugs are not the problem , used them a lot . The slime will work with a bonnet plug but not regular plug . I use starting fluid for quick inflate .

 

[Checkswrecks]

You made some pretty bad decisions leading up to your problems. Replugging a tire with a failed plug chiefly among them. Riding on a motorcycle tire that has one plug in it is controversial, riding on a motorcycle that has two plugs in it is even more so but riding on a motorcycle tire with a replaced plug and with slime leaking from it is foolhardy. Additionally, it sounds to me as if you were not the person who plugged the tire to begin with so you have no first hand knowledge about how or when the original damage occurred, which, if true makes your decision to ride on it even worse. Perhaps your poor decision making is born out of inexperience. If so, then you've hopefully learned a valuable lesson and ultimately came out of the experience with no real harm, but you exposed yourself and your wife to a higher level of risk then was necessary.

[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]As one who really has made a lot of bad decisions, I think there's a big difference between those and things that were learning experiences before I learned better. On that note, I'd like to say thanks to the OP (Deftone) because this is one of those threads where folks can live, learn, and share. [/font]

 

[deftoner]

On a separate note, I noticed that the pic of your wife has been clicked on 40 times whereas the other two in the 20's... ::017::

hahahahaha!!! good point, now I'm scared to bring her on next meeting..