Bad luck comes in three's. No more taking the I5.

[MajBach]

So I'm returning home from a trip down the coast on the 101, heading north on I5 just north of the airport at Grant's Pass in Oregon. I began to recall the previous two times I was here - ironically in July of last year and the year before. The first trip, I got off an exit at Wolf Creek to get some gas as I was on fumes only to learn the gas station was closed down. Last year, just before that same exit, i reached into my tank bag to pull something out and my passport holder came flying out along with some credit cards. I suppose I should be thankful as in the first trip I made back to Grant's Pass for fuel and last year I recovered my passport, 7 credit cards and $45 - each having come to rest on a different spot of the highway.

As if to ensure I didn't forget about my streak of luck on this stretch of pavement, I no sooner pass the spot where I lost my passport, I noticed a strange 'feeling' on the bike. It's hard to explain but it felt like something on my front end had come apart and a catastrophic failure was imminent. The problem got worse rapidly. As I slowed and worked my way over to the shoulder, the cause seemed a little more obvious.

"So this is what a flat tire feels like." I thought. Yup, 30 years of riding and I never had one before.

A brand new rear PR4 had picked up a nail or something and spat it back out. I had to rotate the tire 3 full times to find the hole it had left behind as it had punctured directly on the center line of the tread where there is a small hole every few inches or so anyway.

I called BCAA as I had extended coverage and they said a truck is on it's way. They called back a few minutes later stating it was going to be 90 minutes as they needed to get a bike trailer.

I had purchased a puncture kit after seeing how many others had one on the rally in Castlegar as few years ago but I decided not to bother using it since I figured I can't drive the remaining 1000 miles home on a plug so since I was going to have to spend the night in Grant's Pass anyway and get it looked at tomorrow, I may as well have a tow truck get me - save my puncture kit for when I REALLY need it and perhaps one of my credit cards may offer a road hazard warranty.

Well, just as in the previous two times here, I had a streak of good luck. After a few moments affixed to my phone, I look up and see a cube van with motocross bike painted on the side and big letters "TBT Racing.com". I thought to myself "...that was fast but how are we going to load my bike onto that?" It then dawns on me that this guy has nothing to do with the tow service.

A guy climbs out of the truck and says "...how lucky are you? You break down and a bike mechanic happens to drive by". I told him what the problem was and says he can patch me up in no time. Awesome!

He explains to me that most dealers won't fix a flat 'cause they're worried about liability but he doesn't think it's that big a deal and that the tire may be salvageable. He says he will put a plug in but that I should still have it looked at and have a proper patch installed. As he tries to ream the hole, he notices the reamer will not penetrate and believes the hole is so small that the cords are untouched and wants to patch it instead. Out comes tire irons and a soft mallet and in no time we can see the minute hole from the inside. He applies a patch and has the tire back on just as fast. I was impressed.

Then he filled it up with air. Then it started to hiss.

He figures because the patch was small and the inside of the tire is not smooth but rather contoured, the air was finding its way through. It was getting close to dark and we decided just to plug it. Turns out, taking the tire off was easier as we couldn't seem to get a solid seal after two attempts. Turns out - unbeknownst to us - that the nail entered the tire at a very steep angle...guess I was in a good solid lean at the time. So, when he put the plug in on an angle - it held. We shook hands and each went on our way. I returned to Grant's Pass and got a room which is where I sit as I type this.

So, all in all, a somewhat good learning experience for me and it could have been a lot worse as an hour earlier, I was on the "jefferson scenic byway" off of 96 where I saw more deer than cars and cell service is a pipe dream. But I do have a couple of questions - one of which I expect I know what the answer will be.

First, as I was waiting for help to arrive, I was wondering: where do you anchor ratchet straps to this bike for trailering?

And second, what do you think I should do with this tire? If by tomorrow morning it still has held all the air, can I make it home on a plug? And, should I see if I can get it patched, do a better job on a plug or is it garbage?

 

[bluesdog]

Suggested tie-down/strapping method here Note you can also use a tie-down/strap to secure the front wheel to a fixed point on the trailer, instead of using a wheel chock. The objective is to prevent the front wheel from moving.

I plugged a rear tire last year, and ran if for the remainder of the season. I replaced it for this year because it was nearing end of life.

Others have used plugged tires well in excess of 1K miles, so if there's plenty of tread left, you're probably good

 

[Donal]

My last PR3 ended up at about 12,000 miles with four plugs, the first one went in at about 1000 miles. Absolutely no problem.

The main problem around here are sharp flints (think palaeolithic arrowheads), which get held up in patches of sand washed off the fields in occasional heavy rain.

 

[BkerChuck]

I worry far more about plugging a front tire than plugging a rear. My PR2 has had a plug in since picking up a sheet metal screw on April 3 of this year. That was almost 6k miles, an 8 hour rally, the Mason Dixon 20-20 rally, and about 15 Tour of Honor stops ago. I'll be mounting new shoes on her this Saturday because my front is showing wear bars pretty evenly across.

 

[infrared]

MajBach,

This is an opinion that I am offering, because I have not had a flat on tubeless MC tires. I do have a respectable level of experience on cars, though.

If the puncture had gone straight in, and a plug fixed it, I'd say ride it, especially if a mushroom plug was used in the repair. Replace the tire, if you like, sometime later.

Since there was a problem with getting the plug to seal, and maybe the puncture was sharply angled into the tire, I'd say to replace the tire. Now or later, you may have a partial de-lamination of the tire layers, resulting in a bulge. That bulge could cause the tire to thump while driving, and quite possibly to blow out violently. The FJR is a massive and powerful bike, and the demands on the tires are heavy. Heat buildup alone can be a cause for concern there, which would not apply normally. If you do ride on that tire, be ready to stop immediately if you get any thumping (by sound or feeling) from that tire. If the plug does fail later, please replace the tire.

Best wishes,

Infrared

 

[Bugnatr]

Along with a tire plug kit, small air compressor I carry 2 soft ties and a set of tie down straps when traveling LD. If the bike needs to be towed at least I won't ruin plastic by the way a tow monkey straps down the bike.

 

[rickysnickers]

I'd say big thumbs up the mechanic!!! Very nice of him to stop and help.

 

[dcarver]

It's this simple. If you have the cash and time, replace it. If not, put a bottle of SLIME in it and ride it.

 

[rbentnail]

I have no problem riding on plugged tires. IMHO if it's holding air, ride it.

 

[MajBach]

Thanks everyone for the replies. The tire had lost air the next morning (12 psi) so I filled it and checked again an hour or so later; again, had dropped to 15 psi and the tire was warm and gummy. I stopped at a great bike store in Portland and after pricing a new PR 4 at $400 CDN, I decided on the $10 bottle of slime. I did the remaining 400 miles without losing any psi (but damn! that is the LAST time I drive the I5).

I picked up my own irons etc while at the store and going to attempt a better repair job on my own (will cutout the excess plug on the inside, clean out the slime and put a proper size patch) . But most importantly, I'll monitor the tire and replace the first sign of any trouble.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Not sure where things went wrong but I have my suspicions. A decent plug, decently installed is an amazing thing. I was once part of the Oh My God! Don't EVER Plug A Motorcycle Tire crowd but have since changed my mind.

I was on my annual One Big Motorcycle Trip and picked up a nail in my rear PR2 with just over 1000 miles on the tire. I had several days of riding and several thousand miles left of my trip. I was riding a Honda ST1300 and the tire sizes are... strange. I plugged that tire and never lost any more air than any other motorcycle tire I have owned. I ran that thing another 8 or 9 thousand miles and never had any issues.

And, hook soft straps around the lower triple clamp. I hope to never do it again, but I did trailer my bikes. Long ago.