hypothetical emergency tire repair question...

[Guest Swifty]

Is it redundant to carry an emergency plug repair kit after putting "Ride On" in your tires???...because wouldn't any hole that Ride On isn't able to stop be too big for a plug to repair? Or would the Ride On in the tires prevent a plug from sealing the hole? Just wondering.

Edited July 15, 2010 by Swifty

[jlh3rd]

well... with my luck....one might work when the other one didn't.....i plugged a car tire once and it was still leaking...so i put in the sealant and that fixed it......i could see that working the other way around...murphy's law......i carry both.......

[GeorgeS]

OK, well, I have Ride On installed in both tires. I also carry the Plugging kit, and an electric pump, and an extra bottle of " ride on "

 

And a set of battery cables -- ( which I have used for other stalled bikes, 3 times in the last 5 years )

 

In the last 90,000 miles of rideing I have never had a flat.

( I know, I shoud not have said that, now I'm in for it)

 

You can call me paronoid if you like, but thats OK, have a beer, and lets go ride !!

[Condor]

Ride-on only takes care of the tread area. If you get a hole in the side wall the plug will get you down the road...maybe not very fast, but at least you'll be rolling instead of pushing....

[Santa Hal]

I have E 3's on my bike with 4100 miles on my bike so they were pretty new. I got a hole right dead center in the rear tire. It was about 1/8th hole. I plugged the tire with my plug kit it held air for a day with no loss. Next day I was on my way home from good friends @ 55 mph. The plug failed. Luckily I didn't go down, and I got the bike stopped kind of sideways by the side of the road. Plugged the tire again headed on home. Got about 2 - 3 miles down the road and the tire went down again. This time it went down a little bit more radicall side to side with the rear end of the bike. Headed for the ditch, I thought that it was better to go into the ditch than into on coming traffic. (as it was a two lane highway) So off to the ditch I went. Went side to side in the ditch too and slid to a stop again with out going down. I don't know if plugging a tire works at all unless you want to ride 10 mph. I don't think it would have mattered I think it would have gone down regardless. Took that tire off and threw it away and bought a new one.

 

[frankd]

I've used automotive tubeless tire plugs and had good luck with them until one time about 3 days after I picked up a nail and plugged the back tire, my wife and I were heading home from our Daughter's house, about 80 miles away. I energetically went around a corner getting on the tollway and a mile or so later I felt some squirming around of the rear end. The lightbulb went off that I'd lost the plug, so I headed for the shoulder. By the time we stopped, the tire was 95% flat. I plugged it again and aired it up (I carry a small air compressor) and rode home real easy. Made it just fine, but no more regular plugs for me.

 

Now I use Ride-On, and carry these umbrella shaped plugs.

 

http://www.stopngo.com/motorcycle.asp

 

The only time I used them I didn't have Ride-On in the tire and after plugging it I had a small leak. I just aired it up every couple of days until I changed the tire. A small leak is way better than loosing a tire plug.

 

Frank D.

[Eck]

I have made my mind up that I dont want to use Ride on tire seal at all.

 

Swifty, this is my choice and opinion..

 

I carry tire plugs and I also carry one can of fix a flat that IF needed..meaning if the tire plug did not work, then I would be able to use the can of fix a flat to at least get me get me off the road..(not having to push / tow the bike)...

 

 

For the record....I have never ever had a tire plug fail or not seal.

 

Many do not know that there is a trick to making sure a tire plug seals..

How do I know this..believe it or not I went to a training class by a tire plug manufacturer back in the early 70s..oh yes, things have changed but the "principle of installation" is still the same.

You must push the plug in, then then turn the tool handle at minimum one complete turn, then pull the handle out.. Many just push the plug in and pull the handle out..

By turning the handle one complete revaluation you make a small knot on the end of the plug, and as you pull the handle out the knot is litterly pulled up snug against the inside edge of the entire hole in the tire thus sealing the hole from the inside, leaving the remaining "stem" of the plug to "fill" / "plug" the IML of the hole. With out the knot on the inside, the plug 'may not" fill the entire periphery of the hole (depending on hold diameter) thus leaving a strong possibility of it leaking...

 

The can of fix a flat I carry, is just my "cheap insurance" to aid the seal (if needed) and also help refill the tire with air to get me off the road.

[CaptainJoe]

I'd have to agree with Eck on the rate of failure of these plugs when done properly.

 

That being said, I still wouldn't consider them a permanent fix and would not ride 70mph on them. I would proceed to the closest motorcyle shop and have a tire patch applied to the inside if a fairly new tire or just change out completly.

I've had a flat on the rear of a 400 RD Yamaha at 75mph (+- 400lbs), and believe me, it was a handfull to maintain control and get er stopped without laying her down. Felt like I was riding over about 3 inches of axle grease as the rear tire was cavatating from side to side. I can't even imagine trying to control a 900 lb. bike with a flat tire. Since then I change out my tires when they hit about 3/32 nds.

[kartattack]

How did you ride an RD400 at only 75mph?

[gibvel]

I would carry the tire plug kit as well as the Ride-on.

 

My story. I use Ride-on. Heading down to Denver on I-25 I hear a pop that sounded like the back tire hit a rock with the edge and shot it out. Did a little jig with the handlebars and the bike didn't feel squirely so I just kept on going between 70 and 75 mph. About 10 miles later the bike started feeling squirely so I pulled to the side. You could see where the Ride-on had flung out of the hole onto the swing arm. It's my opinion that, without the Ride-on I may not have been so fortunate. The whole was too large for the ride on to work in sealing it, however it did give me time, that I may not have had without the ride on, to recognize a problem and get safely off of the road.

 

A plug would have helped to get it fixed and move me along to a shop to get it replaced.

[GaryZ]

I have plugged a number of car and motorcycle tires in the last 20 years. Standard rope plug with lots of rubber cement. None of these plugs have leaked or came out. My ZX11D Ninja picked up a nail in the new rear tire after only 100 miles. I plugged it and road it for the next 2 years. I took it off last week (wore out @ 5,000 miles) and put on a new rear tire.

 

Did I limit my speed to 75mph riding a sportbike? Heck no.

[SilvrT]

I carry a plug kit if not for me, to help out someone else. Had to use it for buddy's Wing at the Nelson rally.

[CaptainJoe]

kartattack,

How did you ride an RD400 at only 75mph?

 

 

Most of the time I didn't... but, if memory serves me correctly, when I went over 110 ... the speedodemeter had a nasty habbit of twisting off.... and that bike would do so easily...

 

As far a the plugs go... If its a small even hole caused by a smooth nail a plug would would probably be ok for the life of the tire in 99% of cases.

If however its a larger or uneven hole I would definately go for the Patch or new tire. I have had plugs on my four wheeler fail when addressing the larger or uneven holes, but have NEVER personally seen a patch fail.