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How good are puncture repairs?

2K views 21 replies 9 participants last post by  westnash 
#1 · (Edited)
3000km / 1800miles on my tyre and hear a pop.

Kept riding for about 5 minutes and felt a bit lower to the ground and pulled into big car park and had a look.

Couldnt be a nail, nah, has to be a blade of some sort.

Question is, I realise a plug wont fix it but what about a mushroom style repair?

I could possibly get that done tomorrow, but as its a public holiday weekend it'll be several days before I can get a replacement tyre if needed

 
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#3 ·
Just went and pulled it out, it was a bit of flat steel bit like an arrow head in shape about an inch long and 3/4 of an inch wide as you see it sticking out in the pic, so a 3/4 inch hole in the tyre.


We shall see what is said tomorrow, if I am lucky enough that the mob who put it on are actually working.
 
#4 ·
That probably left a cut in the tire instead of a more round hole. Your probably not going to be able to repair that with a plug. Plugs work best on round holes like a nail would leave. It might be possible to repair it with a patch from the inside. It will just depend on how long the cut is and if it cut through any of the cord. My guess is that the tire people will say the tire is ruined.
 
#5 ·
That probably left a cut in the tire instead of a more round hole. Your probably not going to be able to repair that with a plug. Plugs work best on round holes like a nail would leave. It might be possible to repair it with a patch from the inside. It will just depend on how long the cut is and if it cut through any of the cord. My guess is that the tire people will say the tire is ruined.
Ditto !
 
#7 ·
Looking at regs and seems 3/8th of an inch is as wide a repair as is safe so yeah a new Federal Formosa FD1 will be on order.
Sad part is the guys who fitted it wont be there today or for the next 3 days so it'll be probably 5 days at least before I see one.


This be the culprit that did it.

 
#9 ·
you could put in multiple strings along the length of the cut - we needed two for an odd shaped puncture but that one looks like it would need 6 or so.....bugger.
 
#12 ·
I could, but patch and tube will cost as much as new tyre.
 
#13 ·
A tub inside a tubeless tire has problems of it's own. The inside of a tubeless tire is different than the inside of a tube type tire. When you put a tube in one it rubs more and creates more heat. That can lead to premature failure of the tire. Better to just replace the tire.
 
#14 ·
Im an odd duck, my tire plug kit has square plugs. If you want to keep the tire you can put plugs in and with a pair of wire cutters cut the excess off from both the in side and the out side. Then you can put a large heat patch on the inside. When the world and I were much youner, just married and broke . that is how I fixed a tire. I ran it to the glass belt. Good luck with it... Always Ride Safe... Scooter 68
 
#16 · (Edited)
Well how weird was this.

I ordered a new tyre this morning and got the call it was in, turned up to get it fitted, told him the story about chord separation fears etc.
He takes tyre off and he looked at the lump of metal and said he'd seen plenty worse.
If I wanted the new tyre on they would fit it but if it was his bike he would patch it and patch it he did at zero cost with the largest of these type.


Said give it a try and watch the pressure for loss of air.

Still had to shell out $85 for ordered in tyre, but they'll fit it for no extra if needed.
 
#17 ·
Personally, I think that is a bum repair and it would be illegal here in the UK to do that. It's just not safe. Why gamble with your life and that of others when a new tyre will do the job better. The plugs may well leak and eventually give way. I've seen it all before and you are in my honest opinion dicing with death. Sorry to rain on your parade.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Personally, I think that is a bum repair and it would be illegal here in the UK to do that.
I am pretty sure it is here as well and I am surprised that a guy whos business it is to sell tyres put it back on, though I am not sure its a safety issue, probably more of a keep tyre companies in business by buying more tyres and building piles of landfill to the moon type of issue.
It's just not safe.
Have you empirical evidence to support this or is it what the tyre manufacturers told you?
Why gamble with your life and that of others when a new tyre will do the job better.
Why gamble with my life and that of others when a CAR will do a better job?

I hear some people in the US even ride bikes without helmets and some even use car tyres on their bikes. Crazy eh. :wink

The plugs may well leak and eventually give way. I've seen it all before and you are in my honest opinion dicing with death.
They may but is it going to explode in a ball of flame or something?

Sure it may leak and if it does I will ditch it.
A leak doesn't mean certain death unless you are really really dumb and totally inattentive as to what is going on with your bike.

Personally, I check pressures every 2nd day and do a visual daily.
If it was leaking, I would notice it.

Sorry to rain on your parade.
There was no parade to rain on.:wink

Look, at the end of the day if it works it works and at the first sign of something being amiss it will be ditched and the new one installed.
If it was dangerous I doubt a tire store and their accredited guys would have suggested and done it.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Well Racer X did ask for advice but maybe doesn't want to take it. Fair enough. But you need to be careful about what tyre (tire) you repair westnash. Obviously, I cannot see the internal section of his tyre from his photo but I've enough experience from being in the trade to tell you that the inside of that tyre is probably quite iffy. When it's iffy you just don't repair it. The main problem is the shape of the hole in the tyre and how heat caused at cruise undoes the patches and plugs even on some properly repaired tyres. When applied to 'iffy' tyre repairs heat exacerbates the problem of repair failure and makes the repair more vulnerable. That hole in the tyre is elongated and you just don't repair them. The tyre should be trashed. You cannot patch them, it has to be an internal plug patch and they don't make internal elongated plugs for professional repairs, at least not when I last looked. And, even properly repaired tyres here in europe have speed restrictions put on them to help with safety. The issue is they can suddenly let go. A sudden deflation is the last thing you want going into a bend at 60mph. I had it happen and it nearly killed me. That was 46 years ago on a Honda motorcycle. I posted elsewhere about that bad experience. If anyone thinks you can always judge when a tyre repair will let go then you need to think again. But each to his own I guess.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Obviously, I cannot see the internal section of his tyre from his photo but I've enough experience from being in the trade to tell you that the inside of that tyre is probably quite iffy.
Actually, there was no visual damage to the inside of the tyre at all.
The repairer only found the cut when a wire bit him as he ran his hand over the spot.

A sudden deflation is the last thing you want going into a bend at 60mph. I had it happen and it nearly killed me. That was 46 years ago
I really hope technology has advanced a bit since then.

Like I said, not saying you are wrong and I myself was ready to bin it based on gut feel and what was said here, I even bought a new tyre to put on.
But when those who sell and repair tyres on a daily basis give a repair the tick of approval, I would like to think there is sound reasoning behind their recommendation.
 
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