Puncture repair

[Maha]

Local shop came and picked up the Honda today because the rear tyre had a nail in it.
Now, the puncture was repaired by way of a patch applied the inside rather than a plug.
The tyre is just over a year old so replacement was not an option.
Is the patch method the better of the two repair options?

The nail was in the centre of the tyre, not to the side.

Total cost $35.00

[Motu]

What do you call a plug? If plugged externally it's only legal as a temporary repair.A mushroon patch is a boot with a stem through the hole,a boot just goes over the hole.Both are an acceptable repair....but a mushroom is a must for steel belt tyres.

[Maha]

What do you call a plug? If plugged externally it's only legal as a temporary repair.A mushroon patch is a boot with a stem through the hole,a boot just goes over the hole.Both are an acceptable repair....but a mushroom is a must for steel belt tyres.

Yes I mean plugged externally.
The tyre is a PR2 ct.

[yachtie10]

what do you mean
"The tyre is just over a year old so replacement was not an option."
Im on my 4th back tyre in a calendar year
I think you need to do more riding (or I need to do less)

my understanding is internal is the only way to go

[Meanie]

I carry a repair kit as a temporary measre, ill always get it repaired from the inside when i get to a bike shop
Got a few mates out of strife on several occasions now
I have heard of guys biffing perfectly good tyres because they dont trust them after having a repair, not me im too tight

[Maha]

what do you mean
"The tyre is just over a year old so replacement was not an option."
Im on my 4th back tyre in a calendar year
I think you need to do more riding (or I need to do less)

my understanding is internal is the only way to go

I was ment to take it to work today, working up north for four days, taking it tomorrow.


I carry a repair kit as a temporary measre, ill always get it repaired from the inside when i get to a bike shop
Got a few mates out of strife on several occasions now
I have heard of guys biffing perfectly good tyres because they dont trust them after having a repair, not me im too tight

I will be gettin' me one of them thar repair kits.
Im tight also, but I thought that $35 was brilliant even allowing for the fact that they came and got the bike.

[Meanie]

Yep it was cheap alright, got mine fixed in greymouth on the last southern cross, was way mre than that, and they didnt have to pick me up

[JohnH]

Hey there, I used to repair truck and car tyres, the plugs were generally fazed out as they were unreliable unless a patch was also placed inside the tyre. I'm sure its the same with smaller tyres such as bike tyres. Plugs are a conveneint must on the side of the road, but temporary. If its not a slash or in the sidewall then a patch internally is best, a must have also with tubed tyres other wise the hole if big enough will pinch the tube.

[Maha]

Hey there, I used to repair truck and car tyres, the plugs were generally fazed out as they were unreliable unless a patch was also placed inside the tyre. I'm sure its the same with smaller tyres such as bike tyres. Plugs are a conveneint must on the side of the road, but temporary. If its not a slash or in the sidewall then a patch internally is best, a must have also with tubed tyres other wise the hole if big enough will pinch the tube.

Thank you for that explaination, I will indeed buy a repair kit.
And I know they are just a 'get me home' fix.

Welcome to KB, great post to start with.

[roogazza]

Hi Maha, I watched my rear pressure for a week after an internal patch was fitted by a mate, but it proved good. My rear got a tiny hole and slow leak, but in mate's experience wasn't worth a full internal mushroom repair. He says he uses good quality materials and backs a patch in some circumstances. (He has a shop here in Kapiti). G.
ps I have used mushroom repairs before and never had a problem, even with trackwork.

[Maha]

Hi Maha, I watched my rear pressure for a week after an internal patch was fitted by a mate, but it proved good. My rear got a tiny hole and slow leak, but in mate's experience wasn't worth a full internal mushroom repair. He says he uses good quality materials and backs a patch in some circumstances. (He has a shop here in Kapiti). G.
ps I have used mushroom repairs before and never had a problem, even with trackwork.

Cheers Gaz, yeah I will keep an eye on the tyre pressure, so far I am happy with it, did a couple of hundred K's on it yesterday.

[slofox]

Nail in the tyre is it then?

Yeah, Grrrrrrrr, second nail in the tyre for me in six months...:angry2:

Dragged bike out for a ride this morning, checked the pressures, rear is 15psi...15?..Hmmmm. Pump up, have a look at tyre and sure enough, there's the nail head just off centre. Effing Basket Cant! :ar15:

Wheel bike back into shed. Off to Boyds tomorrow morning. :crybaby:

Had to do work around the section instead...:sweatdrop very rare occurrence, that...

[T.W.R]

Don't F@*# around with plugs of any discription in bike tyres....they're all just a temporary fix. If you've had a nail etc go through the tyre Vulcanising is the only sure fix apart from total replacement, Vulcanising will last the life of the tyre and only costs a fraction more than getting a stupid plug fitted....admittedly it does take longer and has to be done by someone who knows what they're doing but it's worth it.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/114269-Replace-or-repair?p=1129580820#post1129580820

[Kickaha]

Don't F@*# around with plugs of any description in bike tyres....they're all just a temporary fix. If you've had a nail etc go through the tyre Vulcanising is the only sure fix apart from total replacement, Vulcanising will last the life of the tyre and only costs a fraction more than getting a stupid plug fitted....admittedly it does take longer and has to be done by someone who knows what they're doing but it's worth it.


I've yet to see a proper mushroom plug fail if it's been correctly installed and they are a permanent repair



Mushroom plugs (internal fitment) aren't much chop on tubeless tyres and are only really any good for tubed type tyre. The sealing agent once dry looses adhesion and eventually the tyre will leak again.

They're designed for tubeless repair and if done right will not lose adhesion, most common mistake is not letting the "glue" dry off properly which is normally a minimum 3 minutes before applying the repair unit, they should also have a sealer applied over top once they're in place


Flat patches (internal fitment) aren't safe by any means in a tyre unless a tube is fitted.

Same situation as above, a flat patch of the correct type could be used, to do it properly a stem seal should also be used with it, most places just use any old type of patch they have lying around a lot of which aren't suitable for the application


None should be used on roadbike tyres, the only proper repair is vulcanising and even that needs to be done properly. Will last the life of the tyre if it's a quality job.

Vulcanising would also be my preferred method of repair but if done properly a stemseal should also be fitted or cushion gum pushed through to seal the damage all the way through, a properly applied mushroom plug will also easily last the life of the tyre

Very few places vulcanise now, probably due to the fact it is a slower repair method

[Motu]

We used to repair sidewall splits in the old Stenor welder....never saw one fail.Of course those old cross play car tyres were pretty tough.

[T.W.R]

I've yet to see a proper mushroom plug fail if it's been correctly installed and they are a permanent repair

Designed for car tyres not a motorcycle tyre. The mushroom doesn't fail but the adhesive does and since when have punctures been of a perfectly cylindrical shape? never and the stems of mushroom plugs are round




They're designed for tubeless repair and if done right will not lose adhesion, most common mistake is not letting the "glue" dry off properly which is normally a minimum 3 minutes before applying the repair unit, they should also have a sealer applied over top once they're in place

The adhesive doesn't cure into the tyre surface ever so it'll never be a permanent seal; the adhesive only lasts so long then it peels like gladwrap off the inner skin of a tyre.




Same situation as above, a flat patch of the correct type could be used, to do it properly a stem seal should also be used with it, most places just use any old type of patch they have lying around a lot of which aren't suitable for the application

In Theory, but in the real world that's like rocking horse poo





Very few places vulcanise now, probably due to the fact it is a slower repair method

Any reputable tyre outfit has access to getting it done, :shutup: joys of the modern era... want it yesterday attitude

[crazyhorse]

I was ment to take it to work today, working up north for four days, taking it tomorrow.

I will be gettin' me one of them thar repair kits.
Im tight also, but I thought that $35 was brilliant even allowing for the fact that they came and got the bike.

i think thats a good deal. ALso I had a puncture in my PR2 back in June last year, and although I apparently had another small hole too close to my nail hole for them to fix, I put up with a small leak since then. I'm putting new tyre on this week. I carried on wearing out the tyre as it was only a couple of months old when I got my puncture.

[Kickaha]

I think we'll have to disagree on a lot of this


Designed for car tyres not a motorcycle tyre. The mushroom doesn't fail but the adhesive does and since when have punctures been of a perfectly cylindrical shape? never and the stems of mushroom plugs are round

Minicombi A3 are designed for motorcycle use and meet the German TUV standards, the correct reamer should be run through from the outside to clean up the repair area and the inside needs to be buffed before any glue is applied, I've used these on Motorcycle tyres quite a few times and haven't seen one fail yet

One other thing though is you can only apply them so many degrees either side of the centre, otherwise they're in an area more prone to flex which can lead to failure


The adhesive doesn't cure into the tyre surface ever so it'll never be a permanent seal; the adhesive only lasts so long then it peels like gladwrap off the inner skin of a tyre.

The wrong adhesive is being used if thats the case or the surface isn't prepared properly or they're just cheap rubbish



Any reputable tyre outfit has access to getting it done, :shutup: joys of the modern era... want it yesterday attitude

They may have access but I think you'd be surprised just how few do any vulcanising at a retail store level

[T.W.R]

:slap: No disagreement but you're thinking in a perfect world or you're own wee world of euphoria..... as I'd said on one of the replys all you've said is in theory and it just doesn't happen with any regularity out there in the everyday world.
I seen plenty of botch repairs of tyres from trucks,farm impliments, cars, motorcycles, quads etc and of all repairs the only permanent repair is vulcanising.
Access as in Access to getting the vulcanising done is different to doing it on site

[Kickaha]

but you're thinking in a perfect world or you're own wee world of euphoria

No, just the world/industry I work in

I can give you some lessons if you'd like:shifty:

[T.W.R]

No, just the world/industry I work in

I can give you some lessons if you'd like:shifty:

:slap: and you're forgetting where I was working and what part of our staple income was; and with our location imagine the amount and variety puncture repairs we dealt with, and guess who had to do the majority of those :yes:

:pinch: lessons....no thanks, I gave up wearing rose coloured glasses years ago.
As I said & what you're seemingly unable to comprehend....there isn't disagreement with what you're saying but the truth of the matter is that the proper materials for each application in puncture repair aren't used with any regularlarity by any of the businesses that operate under the veil of that industry........in a perfect world they should but the truth of the matter is that they don't and that's because of supply & demand and speed of turnover......most work like a production line and neglect the proper processes involved

[SS90]

Yea Warwick, what do YOU know?:scooter::bleh:

[slofox]

Well Boyds fixed my nailed tyre this morning with an internal mushroom plug. The tyre still has about 6000km on it (according to last tyre set anyway). I'll let you know if it goes flat or explodes and kills me, T.W.R...

[T.W.R]

I'll let you know if it goes flat or explodes and kills me, T.W.R...

Oh that's nice.... you're so considerate. :clap:

[slofox]

Oh that's nice.... you're so considerate. :clap:

Any time...:sunny:

I WILL let you know if the plug fails though...

[Hotchefnz]

The thought of a mushroom plug or patch scared the shit out of me........ bike had one in the rear tyre to one side and the tyre was in good nick so thought I would see how it went.
Still paranoid checking pressure and plug every day - but tyre is being replaced this weekend - and shitting you not have gotten 15,000 kms on it in three months - yes most of this is flat riding but its still had a good thrashing ( chicken strips to the edge ) and its held well.
Would I do it again????? not by choice but am a tight fisted bastard and with the kms I do like to get my moneys worth.
Have been surprised by how good they were,