Opened the garage door this morning and the bike wasnt looking right sat on its side stand, quick inspection revealed a flat rear tyre !. Anyway I pulled two big thorns out of the centre of the tread and the second one has definately gone through as I pumped up to about 20psi and there was air wizzing out. Anybody had any experience of tyre plugs? Never interested in them before now as I have always said I would buy another tyre rather than plug. Been shown a plug today in the local shop and there is a fair sized round disc with a 3mm (ish) 75mm long bit of rubber, these are inserted from the inside of the tyre and glued in. I was thinking of the emergency type that you plug from the outside and dont really want to use that. Whats your thoughts? Also looking to get a 55mm 12point socket for the rear wheel nut as I cant now get the wheel out now ! 3/4" drive so also need a 1/2" to 3/4" converter. Wife has now said this new bike is proving expensive as I needed a new stand as my existing 3 are for double sided swingarms and now more tools to get the wheel off, does it never end !!??
I've used repair plugs on the inside of car tyres with no problems before, including some fast cars that I've done track-days in. Never used them on a bike before but probably would if the need arose.
Never had any experience of a puncture plug myself but I do know of someone who got a flat on the way to the TT one year, his was repaired that way, he completed the trip to the island, spent 2 weeks there riding like the loon he is, and then rode back to Norfolk without needing to pump it up or anything (Zxr600). Don't know if this is any use, but I know he'd be happy to do the same again!
The plugs inserted from the outside are a get you home roadside emergency fix and are limited to 60 mph. The plug with the round disc is inserted from the inside after removing the tyre from the rim. I have been charged £50 and £35 for such a repair. If the tyre is more than half worn it might as well be junked IMHO. I carry a repair kit complete with CO2 canisters but would recommend a good CO2 connector / valve from a cycle shop over the crappy connector that comes with the repair kits.
I've done a track day on a plug-repaired rear and have ridden many spirited road miles on such repairs - I have no problem with them. Usual safety rules about where on the tyre the repair is needed applies, of course.
If the puncture isn't near the edge of the tread I'd just take the wheel to a tyre fitter, they can make a more permanent repair, although most of them aren't keen to say so.
Gosh I'm amazed at the responses so far. I'd consider a plug but only to get me home kinda thing. Then I'd order a new tyre. Better to be safe than sorry IMO. And Simian.......tell the wife to mind her own business and stick to kitchen and bedroom duties otherwise you'll trade her in for a younger/better/different model. :wink:
I had a 150 mile Dunlop tyre professionally plugged on my RSV. It was brand new looking when I got the puncture. I went to my tyre fitter to order a new tyre and he talked me into getting the tyre plugged instead. I wasn't keen on the idea. He showed me the procedure and promised it would be fine ( it actually looked like a mushroom ). I had absolutely no issues with it and even did Cadwell on it. But as said above...if the tyre is at the arse end of its life, bite the bullet and order a new one, the less tread left the more likely you are to pick up more punctures. PM Antonye on here for your socket adapters.... He does a set of three (1/4 x 3/8, 3/8 x 1/2 and 1/2 x 3/4) for less than I could get a 1/2 x 3/4 one from fleabay.
I had a puncture the day before I rode to Chemnitz for the motogp in 2004. Took it to the local tyre fitter and he plugged it, warning me to replace the tyre as soon as possible. The following day I covered 760 miles at high speed including a couple of 160mph runs, and went on to run the tyre down to it's wear limit. No problems with the plug at all.
I have repaired tyres and ridden on them till they wore out without any problem ,but the proviso being that the repair is done with a mushroom type rubber that expands externally and cant blow out unlike the simple car type stringy rubber jobbies. I keep a kit under the seat of all my bikes and only last weekend repaired a mates Triumph GT in deepest Wales, which he subsequently rode back to Dorset and the tyre is perfect. Needless to say any damage on the sidewall is a different matter all together. Wouldent leave the house without a Tyreplugger kit.
Thanks for all of the replies chaps. I am going for a repair with the mushroom type to get me through the last few weeks of the season before it goes away then look for a tyre over winter. I have also ordered the 55mm socket and adaptor so I can get the wheel off and clean behind it as its annoying me now !
Plugs are good and pretty much for ever if in the right part of the tyre. Know enough people who have run a nearly new tyre with a plug until well past its best, 000's miles, doing proper 3 fig speeds and never an issue
I've got one of these kits Home - Crafty Plugger which has now been used twice after getting into the garage to see I had a flat. Both repaired fine so I could ride to the tire place to get the tyre patched up. Had numerous tyres plugged over the years and never had a problem once with any of them. My tire guy will only do them if its been in a "safe" part of the tread to do them but IIRC cost me £20 each time.
It is important to distinguish between the temporary externally inserted plug and the permanent mushroom plug from the inside, if as bradders says it is in the right part of the tyre.
I have had tyres plugged from the inside, and gone on to do track days and mega miles. I carry and small puncture kit under the seat hump, but I consider this a temp fix.
