Sigil Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 Been cleaning the bike today and noticed that i have a small nail right in the center of my back tyre...The tyre is barely worn what is really annoying, the area i live in at uni has quite a bit of nails and glass lying about as i have found a couple of nails when walking down the road, there is bits of glass as well what makes small cuts in the tyre so the chances are no matter how careful i am i will prob get another nail at some point.So my question is do i need to get a new tyre? or is there a way i can repair it? maybe by plugging it or using a sealant, and if these methods are good for normal use?(it is not leaking air atm but it might do if i pull it out)Thanks. Quote
techno Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 I would take it to a tyre fitters I believe by your description it should be repairable. Quote
TC Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 If its in the middle they can normally plug them as long as the hole is not to big (like a gash). Like Techno says ride down to a tyre fitter and ask.Its normally cheaper if you take the wheel off yourself and just take the wheel in. But ask Quote
mealexme Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 +1 to everything said. They should be able to plug it and you should be able to ride like normal. although I wouldn't trust a plug 100% personally! Quote
whitedevil Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 If a plugs fitted properly its as good as an unplugged tyre imo, i've done trackdays with a plugged tyre.However if you're getting alot of punctures try riding where the car tyres are and not on the unused areas of the road, it might help.If you do go with the slime stuff get the stuff thats designed to stay in the tyre not the emergency repair stuff.I also wouldnt trust the slime as much as a proper fitted plug. Quote
Sigil Posted January 31, 2012 Author Posted January 31, 2012 Cheers for the replies guys, i think i will ask around to see how much getting it done at a garage will set me back, then hopefully be able to get it fixed soon (wont be on the bike till then)What will the tyre guys do? just fit a standard plug? Also how much should i expect to pay for it to be done, if i take the back wheel of first? Quote
Sigil Posted January 31, 2012 Author Posted January 31, 2012 Oh and whitedevil i think i got it just down my road as people sometimes fly tip crap down there and leave a lot of nails exc... so its something i will try and avoid but its hard as they get spread all the way down to my garage exit, altho i do look out for them and get rid of any i find. Quote
mealexme Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 A garage in ivy quoted me a tenner to plug a tyre on my scooter if I took the tyre off first Quote
Sigil Posted January 31, 2012 Author Posted January 31, 2012 A garage in ivy quoted me a tenner to plug a tyre on my scooter if I took the tyre off firstAh that dose seem cheep, prob a bit more for a larger tyre but hopefully under £25 for the job Quote
rushwind Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 A garage in ivy quoted me a tenner to plug a tyre on my scooter if I took the tyre off firstAh that dose seem cheep, prob a bit more for a larger tyre but hopefully under £25 for the job I,ve had punctures repaired for £10, and £15........best advice is to leave the nail in,,,,,,its as good as a temporary plug( for a short while anyway),only go down the road of temporary repairs as a 'get u home' method,,,,,,,,as lots of professional repairers wont repair a temp fix, that is plug or fluid, ,a professional repair should include an inside patch ( not just a plug), then the tyre will last until worn down, or punctured again! Quote
Sigil Posted January 31, 2012 Author Posted January 31, 2012 A garage in ivy quoted me a tenner to plug a tyre on my scooter if I took the tyre off firstAh that dose seem cheep, prob a bit more for a larger tyre but hopefully under £25 for the job I,ve had punctures repaired for £10, and £15........best advice is to leave the nail in,,,,,,its as good as a temporary plug( for a short while anyway),only go down the road of temporary repairs as a 'get u home' method,,,,,,,,as lots of professional repairers wont repair a temp fix, that is plug or fluid, ,a professional repair should include an inside patch ( not just a plug), then the tyre will last until worn down, or punctured again! Ah cheers, i will be doing that then and cheeper than i assumed.I have left the nail in atm but am not going to use the bike (as i dont need to and wont be fun riding it with doubt of the tyre.) will ask my housemate if he can take the wheel down in his car to get it sorted.Dont know what i would do without being a member on this forum , you guys are a grate helpThanks Quote
Tango Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 OK.....I don't want to be a killjoy here.....but I had a nail in ther rear tyre on my bike last year. I took it to the local bike shop (I know these guys and they are not out to rip anyone off) and they said that because of the speed rating of the tyre and the manufacturer (Bridgestone) it would be unrepairable. Luckily for me the nail had gone in at an angle and had not breeched the inner wall....so when they pulled it out the tyre was OK....and has been ever since. You could try putting a little bit of soapy water over it and see if it's bubbling.Anyhow...I hope you luck out like I did (my tyre was only 2 months old and a few hundred miles when I got the nail)I think the guys said that Michelins were repairable....but many others weren't....Sorry chap.... Quote
techno Posted January 31, 2012 Posted January 31, 2012 Tango i had a nsil in mine and like yours it wss unrepairable because of the angle it had gone in at, one straight thru should be fine.If it was dangerous i would say no reputable firm would offer the service. Quote
Tango Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 Tango i had a nsil in mine and like yours it wss unrepairable because of the angle it had gone in at, one straight thru should be fine.If it was dangerous i would say no reputable firm would offer the service.Hey Gary, I'm just repeating what they told me. They took the nail out of mine and it was OK.....and didn't charge anything for putting it up on the ramp and checking it out. I know these guys pretty well and I'm sure they weren't just saying it so that I'd have to buy a new tyre off them if the nail had gone through.Just preparing Sigil that it may be a little more expensive than he's expecting......hope to god though that he is lucky and it's not gone through......or, if it has, his tyre is repairable.... Quote
rushwind Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 Tango i had a nsil in mine and like yours it wss unrepairable because of the angle it had gone in at, one straight thru should be fine.If it was dangerous i would say no reputable firm would offer the service.Hey Gary, I'm just repeating what they told me. They took the nail out of mine and it was OK.....and didn't charge anything for putting it up on the ramp and checking it out. I know these guys pretty well and I'm sure they weren't just saying it so that I'd have to buy a new tyre off them if the nail had gone through.Just preparing Sigil that it may be a little more expensive than he's expecting......hope to god though that he is lucky and it's not gone through......or, if it has, his tyre is repairable.... I think it depends on the repairer , I now remember reading about high rating tyres not being ( legally) repaired, maybe on a forum thread, butmy tyres are Zr rated , on a bird?, i,ve had 2 repaired on it, 1 had 3 different patches cos the repairer thought to do a belt and braces job, tho only one area was letting air in Quote
TheHopester Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 no plug is 100% safe but remeber that the plug will be pushing itself tighter as the tyre gets pressurised. Ive had a few done myself and I have one in my back tyre right now, I aint throwing away £120 for nothin' however you may find that some people wont repair because they dont want their name to it incase it goes Pete Tong, fair enough I say but as most posters have said, there are people out there who will do it.The way you describe the nail position I would have no hesitation about a plug but its all about choice, if you cute enough you could always plug it and sell it to offset cost of a new tyre Quote
Guest Posted February 2, 2012 Posted February 2, 2012 Hi, where ever you decide to take it make sure they are going to plug it and not patch it!i know it sounds like the bloody obvious, but i know of a few horror stories in the past with dodgy repairs.i was once told by a trained motorbike mechanicthat its perfectly fine to plug a repair, but to be honest its not something i`d trust. Quote
Sigil Posted February 2, 2012 Author Posted February 2, 2012 Cheers for the replies guys, and the heads up that i might have to splash out on a tyre if im unlucky.I think the tyre i have is a dunlop street smart but will have to double check when i get back home.For now i need to get of this forum and do some more work lol Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.