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Ryans take on tire plugging options
- Thread starter nickrides
- Start date
I've probably changed a couple hundred tires in the last ten years that were repaired with rope string that had been installed a year or two before. The customer wanted the tire changed because it didn't have much tread left or it was bald. They do work good if they a fresh when installed. Sometimes people will install rope that has gone hard and stale, those tend to leak. I still fee better with a the plug and patch repair that requires removal of the tirere am the hole out and then clan the spot where the patch is going to be applied. Put some glue on the stem and pull it through the hole. Most shops around herr will not fix a flat with the top plug. They willl only fix with the patch and plug.
The patch and plug is the best way to fix a tire.
That's good to know. I'm going to toss my plugs and get new ones. Every year would probably be good. They are cheap.
Rope plugs always got me home.
I always keep several small tubes of rubber cement on hand as it makes a good lubricant and sealer for the plugs.
Once the tube of cement is opened, there is no way to keep it from drying out, so I throw it out after the repair.
I always keep several small tubes of rubber cement on hand as it makes a good lubricant and sealer for the plugs.
Once the tube of cement is opened, there is no way to keep it from drying out, so I throw it out after the repair.
I agree the plug and patch is the best, kinda hard to get that done on the side of the road thou as the suns sets, which is what happened to my riding partner in Green River Ut last Oct.
I timed it from when I turned off my bike and opened my kit. 15 minutes to find the roofing nail, pull it out, rasp it, rope plug it and reinflate it and saddle up and get rolling. Not bad. Sun dipped below the horizon as I put it 1st gear.
Nick
2014 C-14
I timed it from when I turned off my bike and opened my kit. 15 minutes to find the roofing nail, pull it out, rasp it, rope plug it and reinflate it and saddle up and get rolling. Not bad. Sun dipped below the horizon as I put it 1st gear.
Nick
2014 C-14
I really enjoy watching his videos. Has anyone bought from his business?
What does he sell.... i thiught he was just a self proclaimed you tube influencer...
OK, time to get rid of that gummy worm rope patch kit I transferred from my FJR, about 7 yrs (?) ago. I noticed that once I got a portable air compressor to carry, I stopped getting flats, although my friends still did/do on occasion.
They must get the recipe from the guys who make the plumbing cement. I even trying sealing the cans in Ziploc bag sand i still goes to heck.Last can I bought was half shot when I got it and these are not single use size.
I like Ryan's videos too. I thought he could've done a better job on the test than he did. It didn't make sense that he based his results on the one test, and that test I thought was not representative to real life on pavement. It seemed more applicable to off-road riding.
If my tire is fully inflated after the repair, the inner pressure will make it feel like a rock. The Stop-N-Go mushroom plug should be pushed up tight on the inner wall of the tire. If you ride over a rock in exactly the same place, it doesn't seem like there is much chance you'll be able to force the plug out of the hole. I could see it happening, but only if the tire is already deflated enough to push on a tire tread that has some give.
It did make me decide to buy a different tire repair kit. I have the Stop-N-Go kit now, but when I did a repair on my last tire, I finally resorted to using a drill to get the hole large enough to get the thick mushroom plug in. The puncture was tiny...but leaked a lot. I would've used Slime or Ride-On, but I had put balance beads in there, and those don't work well with the beads.
So...I ended up buying the DynaPlug kit. I thought about the bacon strips, but those would require a hole larger than the DynaPlug will work on. In fact, the size of hole the bacon strips work on, is about what the mushroom plugs will work on. I wanted something that would work well with the smaller holes. And when I found that you can put several of the DynaPlug plugs into the puncture site, that sold me too.
Chris
If my tire is fully inflated after the repair, the inner pressure will make it feel like a rock. The Stop-N-Go mushroom plug should be pushed up tight on the inner wall of the tire. If you ride over a rock in exactly the same place, it doesn't seem like there is much chance you'll be able to force the plug out of the hole. I could see it happening, but only if the tire is already deflated enough to push on a tire tread that has some give.
It did make me decide to buy a different tire repair kit. I have the Stop-N-Go kit now, but when I did a repair on my last tire, I finally resorted to using a drill to get the hole large enough to get the thick mushroom plug in. The puncture was tiny...but leaked a lot. I would've used Slime or Ride-On, but I had put balance beads in there, and those don't work well with the beads.
So...I ended up buying the DynaPlug kit. I thought about the bacon strips, but those would require a hole larger than the DynaPlug will work on. In fact, the size of hole the bacon strips work on, is about what the mushroom plugs will work on. I wanted something that would work well with the smaller holes. And when I found that you can put several of the DynaPlug plugs into the puncture site, that sold me too.
Chris
The caps crack and leak bad over time.
Too tight and they crack.
Too lose and they dry up.
I've tried bagging them up and other ways to reseal them, but have given up. It's easier to buy several small tubes.
It's the same problem with super glue. Smaller unopened tubes last longer than one large opened tube.
I picked up a nail in this tire within a couple hundred miles of getting it mounted. Since nobody around here will repair a bike tire, I said screw it (no pun intended) and bought a pretty expensive plug kit to carry along. These pictures are after 5K ish miles and the plug never leaked a bit. I also carry a small 12v compressor along in case I need the plug kit. I've not had a single problem since I started carrying it around...
Attachments
Yep, when those plugs are installed correctly and you use fresh ones that haven't dried out, they last a long time. I've changed a few tires with those in them. When I mention I found a plug in the tire to the owner, they usually tell me the plug was put in there thousands of miles ago, can't remember how long it's been in there. Best way to plug a tire on the road, or if you can't remove the tire to install a patch plug from the inside.
Knock on wood, but only one flat in 80,000 miles over the past 10 years. Went like....dang where did this rain come from?....Boom rear flat down to nothing before I could stop and no place to pull over on a rural road with a big crown....can’t get it up on the center stand because of the road slant....hope no one is coming because I’m parked in the middle of the road. I had DynaPlugs that I purchased as an impulse buy at Cycle World and the rope worms. Under fire like that, I choose the rope worms and made it out of there fast and made it home. Took two worms with cement since it was a large puncture, and I needed a new tire.
One thing I recommend is drilling a few holes in your tire before mounting a new one. You will want to practice the tire repair and not figure this out on the road. That’s how I knew I was going with the rope plug over the DynaPlug. You also will want to test your air compressor as a full simulation to know if it works and doesn’t blow a fuse in the garage verses the road.
One thing I recommend is drilling a few holes in your tire before mounting a new one. You will want to practice the tire repair and not figure this out on the road. That’s how I knew I was going with the rope plug over the DynaPlug. You also will want to test your air compressor as a full simulation to know if it works and doesn’t blow a fuse in the garage verses the road.
I picked up one of the rope plug kits that comes with the CO2 cartridges. Unlike some of the other CO2 solutions, the one I got has a valve so that you can attach it to the tire, then open the canister valve. Not a bad solution for those of us who don't want to carry a compressor.
You guys ever watch this Youtuber " Project Farm"?
This guy tests ALL sorts of stuff that we all use.
After watching this vid I picked up a bottle of Slime to add to my tire kit.
I ride alot in very rural areas of the west where there is no cell service and nobody is coming to help me, so I want to be as self sufficient as possible. So I've got the bacon strips , glue, Slime and a electric pump and some Co 2 cartridge's.
Ride Safe in 2021
Nick
2014 C-14
Good video. I was interested in how he did the testing.
I've used Slime in the past. On one tire, it worked superbly. I had about four punctures in 14,000 miles and it sealed all of them. One was a large nail and when I pulled the nail out, the air was coming out fast. I did as he did and rotated the tire to put the puncture at the 6 o'clock position and give the Slime a good chance at fixing it. Well, it worked, and fast.
On another tire, the Slime didn't work...but I don't fault the Slime at all. I had the Slime in the tire already as a prophylactic measure. A large roofing nail went in...and out. The Slime never had a chance. I was riding at about 60 mph at the time and the Slime shot out of the opening. If I had put the Slime in after stopping, or if the nail had stayed in till I could stop, I'm convinced the Slime would've fixed it.
One other note. Slime does not stay "slimy" forever. The green goopy look is only for the first couple thousand miles. By the time I changed that first tire, the Slime had become tacky and evenly distributed in the tread area of the tire. It had either turned black or clear. I didn't look inside the tire with a flashlight, but I couldn't see it standing out against the inside of the tread area.
Chris
I've used Slime in the past. On one tire, it worked superbly. I had about four punctures in 14,000 miles and it sealed all of them. One was a large nail and when I pulled the nail out, the air was coming out fast. I did as he did and rotated the tire to put the puncture at the 6 o'clock position and give the Slime a good chance at fixing it. Well, it worked, and fast.
On another tire, the Slime didn't work...but I don't fault the Slime at all. I had the Slime in the tire already as a prophylactic measure. A large roofing nail went in...and out. The Slime never had a chance. I was riding at about 60 mph at the time and the Slime shot out of the opening. If I had put the Slime in after stopping, or if the nail had stayed in till I could stop, I'm convinced the Slime would've fixed it.
One other note. Slime does not stay "slimy" forever. The green goopy look is only for the first couple thousand miles. By the time I changed that first tire, the Slime had become tacky and evenly distributed in the tread area of the tire. It had either turned black or clear. I didn't look inside the tire with a flashlight, but I couldn't see it standing out against the inside of the tread area.
Chris
If that question was directed to me, that bike did not have TPMS. However...where is the TPMS sensor located on your wheel? On my BMW, the TPMS sensor is located in the center of the rim. The Slime or RideOn, stays in the tread area of the tire. They don't come in contact.
Chris
I recently got a big puncture in my car tire. Took the rim off, located the puncture on the tire, marked it, and took it to my local tire shop (Mavis).
I've been there before, and the joker still charged me FULL BOAT of $45.00 for the repair. Granted, they dismounted the rim, and put a proper plug and seal on it, but I realized that I should have just plugged it myself.
I only had Mushrooms on hand, and figured I wouldn't be able to get it down through the tread block, on a nearly new tire with over 10/32's of tread on it. Lesson learnt.
I'm buying a cheap slime repair kit for the car, and might just ditch the Stop and Go kit for the bike as well.
I have a portable compressor, and knock-on-wood, have yet to have an on road tire repair in 25 years of riding.
gr
I've been there before, and the joker still charged me FULL BOAT of $45.00 for the repair. Granted, they dismounted the rim, and put a proper plug and seal on it, but I realized that I should have just plugged it myself.
I only had Mushrooms on hand, and figured I wouldn't be able to get it down through the tread block, on a nearly new tire with over 10/32's of tread on it. Lesson learnt.
I'm buying a cheap slime repair kit for the car, and might just ditch the Stop and Go kit for the bike as well.
I have a portable compressor, and knock-on-wood, have yet to have an on road tire repair in 25 years of riding.
gr
I carry the traditional repair kit where you push the patch through the hole then pull it partway back out, I also purchased a set of hard plastic screw-in plugs that are covered in a glue like material that liquifies when it heats up during the insertion process then solidifies again. The YouTube video looked impressive, they were really cheap to purchase on Amazon but it took about a month to get them. As with all tire puncture repair kits you hope they work when needed but also hope the need never arises.
PG.
PG.
Discount Tire does them for FREE
Oh? Even motorcycle tire and must you have purchased & mounted through them?
2and blue, u missed the part where yhey were commenting on the posters info on taking his CAR tire there... yes.if u buy ur car truck and suv tires there. They do not do mc.
My last tire change I practiced putting plugs in. Never had trouble before but you know what they say about practice.
No, they won't touch motorcycle tires, I've tried many times
Ghostrider mention his car tire and yes they will repair for free even if you didn't buy the tires from them
They will do it even if you didn't buy from them
ANd THAT's the type of service i expect from a store that I've patronized before -- not getting full boat pricing, after I did half the job for them.
Oh, I didn't mention that the tire stayed overnight, and they never called me to tell it was done the next day.
I lit that store-up on google/yelp, and I don't usually do that.
Good advice on Discount Tire.
I don't have one close, but i'll store that for future reference.
I don't think Car tire shops have the adaptors for motorcycle tires, hence why they won't normally touch them.
gr