Perhaps the last sunny day of year. New Super Corsas with 200 miles on them. Fireblade rides pulls alongside whilst waiting at the lights and lets me know what he can see a screw in my rear tyre....
I feel, your pain! I suffered the same earlier in the year... Never seems to happen when they're just about due a change does it
Technically yes it can be done. Although officially I believe the recommendation is no repairs on Z rated tyres.
There's stuff my local KTM dealer uses which is supposed to repair punctures in any tyre up to 10 mm in diameter and last the life of the tyre. Its fibres in a solution which is injected into a new tyre on inflation and permanently plugs any future hole as it happens - as long as it isn't in the wall or side tread of the tyre. I had a nail in a nearly new Roadtec 01 (an expensive tyre). They couldn't fix that because it was too far round the tread and the nail had been facing forwards which had torn the tyre, but they injected this stuff into the new tyre on replacement and it never loses pressure now which was always a bit of a bugbear before with spoked wheels. It isn't messy either, doesn't gunk up the wheel rim, just washes off. Can't for the life of me remember what its called now. I'll post a link when it comes to me.
Same happened to me. ProTyre said no repairs allowed on W rated tyres. It was a very simple puncture wound in the centre of the tread. Gutted but safety first I guess...
This is the stuff. Its preventative protection, not mechanical repair: http://bikeseal.co.uk/ It specifically says there are no speed or distance restrictions but if the bike is to ridden at sustained high speed (they specify 130 mph or above) for track or competition use you should contact them first to get precise quantities to ensure the tyre remains balanced. Worth using on new tyres. Definitely works. Crescent KTM will add it to new tyres on ride-in/ride-out fitments free of charge. Invaluable if you're going touring.
That looks decent stuff Gimmo, you used it yourself yet ?? I spoke with Guy down at Cresent a few weeks back, and he mentioned it when I was chatting about the SDR.
Yes. I have it in the tyres on my 1190 Adv, That was the bike that got the puncture on the Roadtec rear tyre. Crescent offered it for free on new tyres. I haven't tested it in anger with a puncture at speed but as I said the problem I was having with the 1190 was regular pressure loss because that bike runs tubeless tyres on proper spoked wheels, not pretend spokes through the rim, but centred mounted ones that rely on bonded tape for a seal. They're notorious for losing pressure. The 1190 very rarely loses pressure now (touch wood..). Its better than my other bikes which have cast wheels. I'll be using it in all my tyres form now on. I'm baffled how it works because you'd think it would clog the valve on deflation, but it doesn't.
I feel your pain. I went through a period of 3 punctures...in 3 new rears... in 3 months a while back
One I did earlier, my mate had to use some emergency tyre seal to get him home, there wasn't a lot in the tyre when I took it off. I then smoothed off the surface with a powerfile so the mushroom head would glue better :- Mushroom patch I fitted, wire at rhs goes through the hole from inside of tyre, peel the blue plastic backing off, cover with rubber solution, leave till tacky and pull the whole thing through tyre into position. Not the most in focus pic of the finished job, but you get the idea, done this lots of times now and my mate did about another 4,000 miles on this tyre, better than throwing it away.
The reason they are reluctant to plug tyres is because it’s nigh on impossible to completely rule out further damage to the structure of the tyre and the potential for claims if a repaired tyre lets go.
Question one has to ask oneself is whether that risk is worth ~£200... As angry as punctures make me, it's a financial kick in the nuts rather than physical harm. I feel your pain, had a screw in the back tyre of the 900SS and then a week later same thing on the GS. Was a rubbish couple of weeks. Thought of a tyre letting go though... *shudder*
