On a side note, I haven't bought an actual motorcycle tire since pre-covid. I was perusing tire options for my 390 Duke and wowza! Even the smaller 110/70R17 and 150/60R17 tires are crazy priced. Nice to have much cheaper auto tire prices on my Spyder F3S, and they last much longer...
Can a motorcycle tire be repaired?
- Thread starter michaelluscher
- Start date
I have in the past, but only on the rear. Yamaha FZ1 sport bike. The hole was in a repairable area and only took a single strand of the plug. It lasted until the tire was worn out. It took a while for me to trust that it would hold, so I checked the pressure more frequently than I normally do.
Lets talk about oil and tires and air filters and air pressure and coolant and chains and sprockets next…hehe
The better question , is who has crashed due to a flat?
It really depends alot on the tire, some tires are uncontrollable flat (not even a little bit), and cant even push the bike with any control.
Tube tires , the tube actually provides some rigidity (flat), a blow out on a tubliss tire, will fair much worse, unless it offers some kind of run flat side walls. Light weight bikes, make a differnce than heavy weight bikes.
Ive ridden front flats to where the tire came off the rim, and its total He!! when that happens (control wise to a stop) you steer one way bike going the other. There are people whove crashed due to a flat on a motorcycle, if thats the question.
If the tire is losing air at a relatively slow rate (typical situation), then a good rider should be able to sense a change in the behavior of the bike and pull over to check the tires before things get too crazy. If the tire literally has a near "blow-out" (very rear IMO), then anything could happen no matter how good the rider is.
My comment was pretty self explanatory. If you read it very carefully it asked if anyone has crashed from a PLUGGED TIRE FAILING. This is a thread about repairing a tire and is it safe. Yes riders do wreck from having a flat but im asking if anyone wrecked because of a failed plug or patch.
Well, it came by for it's (long overdue) service
I plugged it, with a full disclaimer about how I'm not happy about it
They didn't want to buy a new tire, and the kid that's learning on it is obviously eager
I gave the disclaimer, and read the riot act, it's not my problem if it goes wrong
Long ahh nail, I reamed and cleaned
I coated the rope plug in rubber cement, and let it sit deflated for 30 minutes or so
Cut it flush, smeared a little more rubber cement on for good measure
Aired it up, soaped it, no leaks
Kid's over the moon with it
He's doing is MSC/MSF test in two weeks, then he'll be licenced proper
Now let's keep in mind, this bike arrived with 10psi in the rear, 17 in the front
So let's remember that my service abilities are the best thing that's ever gonna happen to this bike
Spec is 29 PSI
As I type, he's riding up and down my dead end street @ 25mph or so
I'll report if it fails
Current odometer reading: 878 miles
I plugged it, with a full disclaimer about how I'm not happy about it
They didn't want to buy a new tire, and the kid that's learning on it is obviously eager
I gave the disclaimer, and read the riot act, it's not my problem if it goes wrong
Long ahh nail, I reamed and cleaned
I coated the rope plug in rubber cement, and let it sit deflated for 30 minutes or so
Cut it flush, smeared a little more rubber cement on for good measure
Aired it up, soaped it, no leaks
Kid's over the moon with it
He's doing is MSC/MSF test in two weeks, then he'll be licenced proper
Now let's keep in mind, this bike arrived with 10psi in the rear, 17 in the front
So let's remember that my service abilities are the best thing that's ever gonna happen to this bike
Spec is 29 PSI
As I type, he's riding up and down my dead end street @ 25mph or so
I'll report if it fails
Current odometer reading: 878 miles
People dont crash from a plug, they crash when the tire goes Flat from the instability or normally a Blow out situation.
Ive seen rope plugs that work their way back out of a tire , to where they were on the verge of creating a blow out. But mostly plugs, if they have issue, is a slow leak, so normally a non crashing type issue.
Front tire on a motorcycle. I would not take a chance for the amount of money involved to replace it.
Noted, but this instance was the rear tire
I priced out replacements, $111 for the rear, $88 for the front
What's labor on motorcycle tire mounting and balancing?
Similar prices to car, or more?
With date codes of 04/2020, these tires are 3 years old with ~900 miles on them
I'll keep an eye on it
Typically way more.
If a tire plug works it's way out and totally flies out of the tire, then it wasn't installed correctly or someone tried to plug a hole that was way beyond what a tire plug should be used on. Even if a tire plug suddenly flew out of the tire, it would be nowhere close to a tire "blow-out". The tire would leak air fairly quickly, but it wouldn't be some instantaneous "blow-out" failure.
$50 each?
$100 each?
I'm not being funny, I genuinely don't know what the going rate is
This is a relatively new field for me
If you bring the bike in, it will cost more of course. If you remove the wheel and bring it in then it will be less. Just bringing the bike in, it might be close to $100 per wheel to remove the wheel, put a new tire on and balance it, then reinstall the wheel. Labor rates are nuts these days.
I used to hang out at a motorcycle shop as a kid, they used the same Rema Tip-Top or Patch Rubber repair units as an automotive tire. Same rules, only in the crown - but if it’s a sport bike or a cop bike, those automatically get replaced.
I think the reasoning for RMA frowning upon string-type repairs is that while a string repair can be “airtight”, it doesn’t do enough to protect the belt plies. The Combi-unit repairs need prep work(buff inner liner, ream the injury) and careful install - but they are a “cold-vulcanizing” type of repair that will chemically and physically become part of the tire.
I'd do it if I had to choose between repairing or being stranded. But that tyre is getting replaced ASAP.
I frown on them also on a sport bikes, I think Ive seen one last life of the tire, with rain , ruff road surface and hammer dog fashion,, 500 to 1000 miles before leaks begin , with rope plugs or Mush rooms.
Now if the tire is properly prepaired internally , with a wire brush, rubber cleaner, fire luving blue glue, liner sealer and a Quality wHitch Hat.
100% excellent life time repair
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