The air went out....

[BamaJohn]

The day before START, I installed new tires on my '17 RT.  With 2300 miles on the tires, on Saturday, on my way home from a 3-day ride, the air went out of my rear tire, and the dash lit up with warnings.  Feeling confident that I had everything needed to remedy the situation, I dismounted and pulled out my "tire repair bag".   The large hole in the tire showed nothing left of whatever caused the problem, so I proceeded with repairs:

• Ream the hole
• install a rubber mushroom plug in the "stop-and-go" tool
• Insert mushroom plug into tire...but WTH?!  the rubber plug is too short to go thru the tire carcass!
• But a buddy had a longer mushroom plug, so the tire was plugged
• Air up the tire to 36psi and see if it holds air....WTH?...it still leaks around the mushroom plug!

Yes, the plug was fully seated against the inside of the tire.  But apparently the hole was just too large, so now we have a problem.

 

Here's where kudos are acknowledged:

David Smith (Rockosmith) rode his "17 RT on to his house in North Georgia (40 miles); removed his rear wheel; put tools and wheel in his Murano; and drove back to my roadside location, where we exchanged wheels and I followed Dave back to his house.  He saved my butt Saturday! 

I already had a spare set of tires at Dave's and put a new rear tire on my bike Sunday morning, then rode on to my house in Alabama.

 

So what should I do to be even better-prepared for a tire puncture?

• Longer mushroom plugs are ordered
• gooey string plugs are ordered and the insertion tool will be included in my "tire repair" bag for larger holes
• Try to rid myself of bad Karma...I was 2nd in a group of 4 bikes...what did I do to deserve this?  

What's in YOUR tire repair kit?

 

[6speedTi]

I have the sticky tire plugs with reemer and insertion tools, a airman compressor, tire pressure gauge, small diagonal cutters and a small needle nose pliers. That should get me home with your typical punctures. 

 

At home I have the X-Tra Seal mushroon style tire plug kit.

I replug the tire with this kit once I get home. 

 

[realshelby]

Order a Nealy tire repair kit. These are the string type, but unlike those you buy at Auto Parts stores and Walmart they do NOT use the cement provided with the other type. 

Which is more often than not already dried up! While not able to fix TEWKS messed up slit in his GS rear tire, they have fixed every other tire I  have used them on permanently. Even lawn tractor tires! 

Simply because they don't use the cement is reason enough to pack them on a bike. Most don't check stuff like that till needed....and the NEALY kit will always be ready. 

[Dave_in_TX]

+1 on the Nealey kit.

 

[Skywagon]

Nealey is your best bet. Add one of these to help push the reamer. Carry a sharp knife to trim

 

[BamaJohn]

Thanks to those who suggested Nealey products.  I ordered some string plugs from them, but later discovered that my plug-insertion tool was not solid-tipped after all, so called Nealey to order the insertion tool.  Matt answered the phone, and after listening to my story, he sent me a tool FREE and suggested that I tell my friends about Nealey.  I received TWO insertion tools just now and am still blown away at Matt's customer service!    (I'll be sending a "thank you" note when I close this posting...).  And tomorrow, I'll find a plumbing tee to glue onto the handle, as suggested by David (Skywagon).    I just love good customer service, and know you do too!

[Rinkydink]

I have the Nealey kit and compressor and the PVC tee packed in my repair bag. Haven’t had the chance to use them roadside yet. Gluing the tee to the handle is news to me. I thought it was just to use for the heel of your hand for more leverage. Seems gluing it would make it harder to pack. Please fill me in. 

[Skywagon]

I don’t glue the tee. I use it as RinkyDink described

[szurszewski]

Glad to hear more good words about Nealey - I recently used three of their strings to patch a long rock gash in a car tire. I did replace that tire, but used it for 200 + miles of interstate first and it was holding air just fine. 

[BamaJohn]

Sorry for any confusion I caused.  The "Glue the Tee onto the handle" was my idea, due to arthritis in my thumb and forefinger.  Figured if I was gonna carry the Tee with me, might as well afix it to the tool to aid in twisting/pushing. I actually bought 2 short/small roll pins and installed those thru the Tee and into the tool handle.  Thanks for all the good comments!

[elkroeger]

Years ago, a friend got a flat.  He did not have a tube, or tools to repair it.  The rest of us had tubeless tires, so we were useless.  He got a tow into the next town and we all got rooms and then went to the pizza joint across the street.   The next morning the local mechanic was open, and he had a small assortment of dirt bike tubes.  One fit well enough to get us home.

 

We had a ball.  The beer was cold, the pizza delicious, and the beds in the motel were super comfy.  So I keep a credit card and an open mind in my tire repair kit.

 

For my actual kit, I use the ropes and I always use the glue.  I have jammed two ropes into one hole,  and it worked.  But any type of patch has its limitations.  Sooner or later you'll have to look up a nearby moto shop and fedex a tire to the motel.  Or rent a U-Haul and load up the bike.  You'll be back on the road one way or another.

[Bill_Walker]

On 5/10/2021 at 2:35 AM, BamaJohn said:

Air up the tire to 36psi and see if it holds air....WTH?...it still leaks around the mushroom plug!

I had a similar lack of success trying to patch a stranger's tire with a Stop-n-Go plug kit.  Got Nealey and have never looked back, although I've had some other gooey-rope plugs when it had been so long I forgot about Nealey, too.  And as you discovered, they're great folks!

[Shelterwoods]

I can confidently recommend the Dynaplug system. I complete in a machined aluminum handle about the size of a CO2 cartridge. I've had to use it three times, each time successfully. So easy an Enginear can use it.

 

Del