Fixing flats on the road

[Hudson]

After I got my first flat with only 600 miles on the FJR, I went out to the local Walmart and added a tire plug kit and portable air compressor to my bike travel kit. I haven't had the bad fortune to use it yet, but came across this rather easy and simple video on how to plug a tire.

Should be required viewing for any novice.

Clicky

 

[wfooshee]

Aw, where the hell am I gonna find latex gloves out in the middle of nowhere??!?!?!??!

I carry a sticky string kit and the guts of a tiny Walmart compressor, but fortunately have never had to use it except at home, and that twice.

 

[happyPuppy]

Great video. I don't use wire cutters, I have one of those all in one tools (Pliers, cutter, knife etc) it is easier to pull out tough ones with. Thanks for the link. BTW, they should show this in MSF.

 

[C&C]

The latex gloves were a little much (but no big deal, though by the end, he had sweated inside them to an extent that dexterity may have been challenged). One other tip I might add is: make note of the angle the projectile is entering the tire (this example seemed to be fairly perpendicular to the tread) as it makes cleaning and plug insertion a little easier if the angle is acute.

 

[Patriot]

Aw, where the hell am I gonna find latex gloves out in the middle of nowhere??!?!?!??!
I carry a sticky string kit and the guts of a tiny Walmart compressor, but fortunately have never had to use it except at home, and that twice.

there's a few pairs in my tank bag...great as inner liners for real cold or rainy day

also, one never knows when your riding buddy will need and request to have his prostate checked in the field

Seriously, I carre a Stop n Go mushroom kit with gun plugger along with a spare right hand armored riding glove to grip tools for pulling out the nail/screw and to push the reamer into the hole.

let's ride safe and be careful out there,

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[jwhite518]

Nice vid, thanks for posting. I always mean to practice at home on a tire that's about to be replaced, but I always forget. I carry all that stuff but have never had to use it. Knock on wood.

I noticed he only used the glue when he was reaming the hole, but not on the string. I would have assumed you would goop up the string pretty good before inserting. Any comments on that?

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

I was surprised he never let the remaining air out of the tire.

I would think that when inserting a plug in pressurized tire, the air would find a path past the glue/plug and you would still have a leak.

Also using side cutters as a pliers really bothered me.

 

[Big Shasta]

Mushroom plugs are FAR superior. and I have that exact same tire inflator he is using and the gauge is off by SIX LBS.... it reads low.

Everyone should know how to do it on the side of the road.....and don't be afraid to get your hands dirty, it isn't surgery.

 

[squeezer]

Mushroom plugs are FAR superior.

I disagree. I nailed a fence staple once. Plugs can't really hold when you have two holes side by side, but I was also in the middle of the desert and had to try and limp a couple hundred miles to the next town. No cell towers out there. So I had to keep replugging and riding until the new plug blew.

My tire went down five times that day. Between me, my riding partner, and people who stopped, I got to try mushroom plugs, bullet plugs, string plugs, and that fix-a-flat goop in all combinations in the same holes.

The string plugs outperformed everything else by a long shot. In fact, they were the only plugs that let me get any significant distance before they blew. They're the only kind I bother to carry now. My expensive kit got tossed.

About the only thing I'd add to the video -- get the tools with the t-shaped handles. It makes the job much easier, especially if you have to do it more than once.

 

[petey]

The string plugs outperformed everything else by a long shot. In fact, they were the only plugs that let me get any significant distance before they blew. They're the only kind I bother to carry now. My expensive kit got tossed.
About the only thing I'd add to the video -- get the tools with the t-shaped handles. It makes the job much easier, especially if you have to do it more than once.

+10....... I would aslo leak test the plugged hole after inflating the tire. :glare:

 

[wfooshee]

Nice vid, thanks for posting. I always mean to practice at home on a tire that's about to be replaced, but I always forget. I carry all that stuff but have never had to use it. Knock on wood.
I noticed he only used the glue when he was reaming the hole, but not on the string. I would have assumed you would goop up the string pretty good before inserting. Any comments on that?

The strings are already sticky. My kits never even had any glue, and I've never used separate glue. That's why they're called sticky strings.

The tool he had has a different surface than mine, too. Mine's more like a plain ol' round file.

 

[Fred W]

Unfortunately, I have had too many occasions to practice my hole plugging technique. A few things I noticed about that video.

First, I bet those side cutters (dikes) don't work so well after using them as pliers on the screw. He showed a pair of needle-nose but then attempted to use them wrong; end on rather than from the side. Also not sure why he felt compelled to unscrew the screw rather than yanking it out. The next step is to use the rasp on the hole anyway...

I have never gooped up the hole rasp with cement, just stick it in dry. Works fine.

The instructions generally tell you to liberally cover the plug in cement. This is for the tire, not the plug. Yes they will work dry if you don't have any cement, like when you discover it dried up in the unopened tube. :angry:

I would finish deflating the tire before plugging for reasons noted above.

I would definitely NOT cut off the tails on the installed plug until you know there is no leaking. Check by inflating tire and spray with soapy water if available, or listen very closely if it's quiet enough. It is much easier to yank the plug out, or try to weasel in a second plug (for bigger holes) if the tails are still there.

Nice that he has a source of compressed air handy...

Gloves for a roadside repair are a great idea, IMO. No, this ain't brain surgery, but that sticky string gooey stuff getting on your fingers with no way to clean up afterwards means your gonna get that crap all over the rest of your fancy riding gear.

 

[lnewlf]

The kind of insertion tool that looks like a closed pickle fork works better- much easier to withdraw without pulling the string plug out..

 

[flying junior]

Fred W's been there. Good advice.

Don't forget: if you don't have soapy water to check for leaks, there's always spit.

Also: you tube has a bunch of other flat fix videos that come up next to the one we're discussing here. I particularly like the one with the Russian guys (or are they Greeks?) who set the plug on fire at the end.

 

[happyPuppy]

I am going to add some of those cheap food handlers gloves , I can get some easy enough and I think I am going to loss in some extra valve cores too. I have one , but it is too easy to drop. I have a cool head lamp it is easier than using a flashlight in the mouth. I too, always let the air out of the tire, to me it made sense I want to put the string in not have it pushed back out. I use one of those appetizer forks, they work pretty good. Crappy weather is a good time to go over this stuff, next is the medical kit stuff

 

[FJRBluesman]

Cool video but this one shows how a babe in her Mercedes comes out and fixes your flat for free.

 

[bikerskier]

I think I will choose the babe in the Mercedes to follow me everywhere I go and especially on multi day trips!

 

[Fred W]

Cool video but this one shows how a babe in her Mercedes comes out and fixes your flat for free.

:rofl: That was great.

...but how did that chopper boy get a puncture up on the side of that tire where it has never(and never will) touched the road? :blink:

 

[JimO]

After I got my first flat with only 600 miles on the FJR, I went out to the local Walmart and added a tire plug kit and portable air compressor to my bike travel kit. I haven't had the bad fortune to use it yet, but came across this rather easy and simple video on how to plug a tire.
Should be required viewing for any novice.

Clicky

Thanks for posting this video. I've been carrying a kit for awhile but was dreading having to use it since the directions were vague. This video splains it all! Thanks again.

JimO