Member Contributer BusyLittleShop Posted May 28, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted May 28, 2008 Minor tire repair is limited to an area of three quarters of the normal section width. The maximum diameter of penetration damage and/or cracking at the base of the injury should be no greater than 3mm. The repair patches must not overlap. If a tire is deemed suitable for repair (by a professional) then follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the repair material. For permanent repair,it is only recommended that small punctures restricted to the tread area be repaired, using a rope type plug. The current condition of a tire is important in determining whether a tire is suitable for repair. Some damage limits include: if the tire has reached its minimum tread depth as indicated by the TWI (tire wear indicator); ply separation, separation of inner liner and or cutting of ply cords by penetrating object; brittle or cracked rubber caused by exhaust heat; broken or bent bead wire, damaged bead zone; damage caused by under-inflation; softening or swelling of rubber due to oil or chemical attack; punctures too close together; damage or previous repair of a puncture outside of area specified for suitable repair. My screwed Rennsport... boo hoo My plugged Rennsport that covered 2K miles and not in moderation either... it's seen over a buck 40 more than once... Inside the Rennsport for proof that the rope type plugs stay intact whereas my mushroom tyre plug started to come unstuck I'm using the BMW tire repair kit with the rope type plugs Nylon Rope type plugs found at any auto parts store... I don't recommend the mushroom type plugs... What the Manufactures say about tire repairs: Metzeler quote: "According to the specific regulations of different country governments, a general recommendation regarding tyre repair cannot be given. For your country, please refer to your distributor. In case a repair is permitted, METZELER is only recommending the repair of small punctures restricted to the tread area using a mushroom head type plug. The repair of a punctured tubeless tyre by means of fitting a tube is not permitted" . Dunlop quote: "Any puncture or injury to a tire's tread area obviously affects performance and safety. Proper repair is critical. The puncture must be repaired on both the inside and the outside of the tire. Because all parts of a tire are engineered to function as a single unit, any repair must take that into consideration. Only small, straight-through 3/16" diameter or less punctures in the tread area may be repairable, if no secondary damage has occurred." NOTE: A tire repair can be properly made only if the tire is removed from the rim; a thorough internal inspection is carried out; and the repair is made from the inside out. A repair must fill and seal the injury, i.e. vulcanized plug and patch. Only specially trained Technicians are qualified to repair a tire. Do not attempt to repair it yourself. Dunlop Safety Advisory, Speed Rated Tires: Repaired tires must not be used in excess of posted speed limits, in race or other competition. Speed ratings are not valid for repaired, re-treaded, under-inflated or overloaded, excessively worn, damaged or altered tires. " Bridgestone quote: Riding on an improperly repaired tire is dangerous. An improper repair can cause further damage to the tire. It may suddenly fail, causing serious personal injury or death. To be safe, go to your local dealer for proper tire repairs. Before having a tire repaired, tell your local dealer if you have used an aerosol banned! to inflate/ seal the tire. Aerosol fixers could contain a highly volatile gas. Always remove the valve core outdoors, away from sources of excessive heat, flame, or sparks and completely deflate the tire before removing it from the rim for repair. * Never repair a tire with less than 1/32nd inch (0.8 millimeters) tread remaining. At this tread depth, the tire is worn out and must be replaced. * Never repair a tire with a puncture larger than 1/4 inch (6.4 millimeters) in diameter. Such tires cannot be properly repaired and must be replaced. * Repairs of all tires (radial and non-radial) must be of the plug and inside patch type. Using plugs alone on any type of tire is not a safe repair. * Never repair a tire with a puncture or other damage outside the tread area. Such tires cannot be properly repaired and must be replaced. * Any tire repair done without removing the tire from the rim is improper. * Tubes, like tires, should be repaired only by a qualified tire service person. * Never use a tube as a substitute for a proper repair. A tire's speed rating is void if the tire is repaired, retreaded, damaged or abused, or otherwise altered from its original condition. Thereafter, it should be treated as a non-speed-rated tire. Michelin quote: In case of a flat, take the tire to your Michelin® motorcycle tire dealer. Only a professional tire technician has the expertise to properly inspect a tire for damage and determine its repairability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BusyLittleShop Posted May 28, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted May 28, 2008 Does anybody have any real factual evidence about modern Z rated tires failing because of a plug failure? I've heard about "blowouts" but that has always been tales about old tires with innertubes, not the high-performance tires we use today.What would actually happen if your plug failed? Would the fact that it's a high-speed-rated tire, mean that you will be ok? Will the tire just leak air the same way it leaked when you first got the flat and leaked air? Is using a plug just as risky as the everyday risk you have of getting a flat tire in the first place when driving around normally? How is the risk of plug failure (and the resulting leak), any different from the risk of the original puncture (and the resulting leak)? Even if you think of it in terms of breaking cords and weakening the carcass overall, well isn't that just what happens when you get the hole the first time? If the carcass was not strong enough, then nobody would ever survive getting a puncture in the first place, and the tire would just explode right when the hole is made before you could even decide whether to plug the hole. The choice is up to the individual but I found there is mounting evidence that plugged tires work and are safe... I have yet to note anyone armed with first hand knowledge to the contrary... For some riders tire plugs are unsafe... they would spend too much attention on the plug and not enough on where they're going and what they're are doing... it short it's a barrier for which only a new tire can solve... so even thought they may not find the right words to express their fear... I still respect their choice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlecreek Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Does anybody have any real factual evidence about modern Z rated tires failing because of a plug failure? I've heard about "blowouts" but that has always been tales about old tires with innertubes, not the high-performance tires we use today.What would actually happen if your plug failed? Would the fact that it's a high-speed-rated tire, mean that you will be ok? Will the tire just leak air the same way it leaked when you first got the flat and leaked air? Is using a plug just as risky as the everyday risk you have of getting a flat tire in the first place when driving around normally? How is the risk of plug failure (and the resulting leak), any different from the risk of the original puncture (and the resulting leak)? Even if you think of it in terms of breaking cords and weakening the carcass overall, well isn't that just what happens when you get the hole the first time? If the carcass was not strong enough, then nobody would ever survive getting a puncture in the first place, and the tire would just explode right when the hole is made before you could even decide whether to plug the hole. The choice is up to the individual but I found there is mounting evidence that plugged tires work and are safe... I have yet to note anyone armed with first hand knowledge to the contrary... For some riders tire plugs are unsafe... they would spend too much attention on the plug and not enough on where they're going and what they're are doing... it short it's a barrier for which only a new tire can solve... so even thought they may not find the right words to express their fear... I still respect their choice... honleyism: 'Friend, when you do speak, it's to the point and I salute you.' :fing02: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer skuuter Posted May 28, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted May 28, 2008 Does anybody have any real factual evidence about modern Z rated tires failing because of a plug failure? I've heard about "blowouts" but that has always been tales about old tires with innertubes, not the high-performance tires we use today.What would actually happen if your plug failed? Would the fact that it's a high-speed-rated tire, mean that you will be ok? Will the tire just leak air the same way it leaked when you first got the flat and leaked air? Is using a plug just as risky as the everyday risk you have of getting a flat tire in the first place when driving around normally? How is the risk of plug failure (and the resulting leak), any different from the risk of the original puncture (and the resulting leak)? Even if you think of it in terms of breaking cords and weakening the carcass overall, well isn't that just what happens when you get the hole the first time? If the carcass was not strong enough, then nobody would ever survive getting a puncture in the first place, and the tire would just explode right when the hole is made before you could even decide whether to plug the hole. The choice is up to the individual but I found there is mounting evidence that plugged tires work and are safe... I have yet to note anyone armed with first hand knowledge to the contrary... For some riders tire plugs are unsafe... they would spend too much attention on the plug and not enough on where they're going and what they're are doing... it short it's a barrier for which only a new tire can solve... so even thought they may not find the right words to express their fear... I still respect their choice... honleyism: 'Friend, when you do speak, it's to the point and I salute you.' :fing02: Same here.....when Larry (BusyLittleShop) has an opinion, it's no problem understanding it. Easy to converse with someone who has that quality..."spit your opinion out there in the discussion arena, don't be bashful"......... :beer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jovinski Posted May 28, 2008 Author Share Posted May 28, 2008 Thanks for all the input! :fing02: I plug already looks like the one that BusyLittleShop had. It was probably a half-inch off of the center, I was concerned at first because the repair made a little bulge on the side of a tread. But once it got hot, it was back to normal. Like I said, I have gone 20 and 30K on car tires with these plugs, so I am sure they last. After riding home from work last night, I could barely see it anymore. It's all good! Thanks again! JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BonusVFR Posted May 28, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted May 28, 2008 OK, I always carry a rope type repair kit on the road for both of my bikes. Hopefully that will get me home or to a new tire place if the rope does not work. Now, If you have a tire with a a small puncture (in the BLS tread area) off the rim would you recommend a radial tire patch (not a plug) from the inside . Anybody try this or would you recommend just do a rope there too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CBR_Rod Posted May 28, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted May 28, 2008 I spoke too soon! I'm getting my new shoes put on today, in time for my weekend ride. Found someone that would change them for free (he charges 10 bucks, but I've had him out to my place to woods ride and he said he wouldn't accept any money for the tire changing. When I get the tires back tonight, I'll photo the inside and outside of the rear tire that has had a plug in it for over 5k miles. I told him at lunch I wanted the old tires cause I wanted to see how my plug looked, he had no idea I'd plugged that tire and he had changed my rear tire already. Obviously he wasn't looking for a plug, but from the outside of the tire, you couldn't find it anyways. I think I know where it is at, due to about a half circle looking scratch. But picking it the other half of the circle gets me nothing, so it could just be a mark in the tire like there is in so many other places Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BusyLittleShop Posted May 28, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted May 28, 2008 Thanks for all the input! :fing02: You're welcome... I'd like to thank HS for a wonderful V4 site... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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