Puncture repair kits

[Iminquarantine]

.... for keeping in the bike all the time. What do you use and have you ever had to use it?


I've repaired somebody else's tyre with one of these, about 10 years ago in the comfort of a heated garage
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motorcycle-Puncture-Rep...

Not sure how it would go being out of practice, by the side of the road, at night.

[vonhosen]

Done it in daylight at side of the road whilst abroad & it worked fine.

Used these mushroom types as a temp fix & changed the tyre a couple fo days later.
https://www.stopngo.com/pocket-tire-plugger-for-al...

Also carry these now but not had to use them yet.
https://www.dynaplug-uk.com/dynaplug-repair-tools-...

[jjones]

Fortnine did a video on this recently:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm6fTWaj3QE

The strings are cheap and easy to use at the roadside.

[SpartacusF]

I've got one a bit like this in the back of the car - used it twice in 10 years and has worked fine. I've fitted and forgot and come to think of it, I think one is still in a rear tyre on the Mercedes. Would I use on a motorcycle tyre? Yes, on my maxi scoot, pootling around, but not on a sports bike.

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/benson-car-tyre-rep...

[Tardigrade]

I use the sticky string / goo worm repair kit, it's never let me down by the roadside and all repairs have lasted the remaining life of the tyre. I agree with Fortnine, I see no compelling benefit from more complex and costly alternatives.

Branded version at SBS - https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...

Generic equivalent off Ebay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TUBELESS-MOTORCYCLE-CAR...

If you go this route, it's useful to also buy a stock of consumables. The kits will only give you one repair, two if you're lucky. Spares are dirt cheap on Ebay, you need some small tubes of rubber cement at home, some spare Co2 carts, and another strip of worms. Then it's easy to replenish the kit straight after use.

Also from my experience, if you don't have them under the seat already it's useful to add a few surgical gloves, and a small led torch. Finally some kind of plier tool to help remove the foreign body is vital, I have a small keyring multi-tool thing which is just about sufficient.

PS - be careful when firing the C02 carts, the metal body instantly freezes and will tear skin off. After learning the hard way, I now do that with my bike gloves on after the dirty part of the repair is completed.

[mikey_b]

I carry a Stop’n’Go kit and a small electric pump in the top box at all times. I haven’t used it for a while now but there was a period where I needed it four or five times in a year. Not sure why - just the way it goes.

It has always worked quickly and easily and I have only ever once bothered to have it professionally repair afterwards, and that was because it was losing pressure slowly. I have done thousands of miles on tyres plugged with them - no issues at all. That said, these have all been simple punctures from a nail or screw, not gashes or sidewall damage.

I also plugged a car tyre for my brother in law - again it ran for ages before the tyre eventually wore out.

[wa16]

Tardigrade said:

I

PS - be careful when firing the C02 carts, the metal body instantly freezes and will tear skin off. After learning the hard way, I now do that with my bike gloves on after the dirty part of the repair is completed.

this, found out the hard way two weeks ago

wife's car has had a plug in for over twelve months with no issues, it was easier to do a car tyre than a bike tyre
get some extra canisters the five mine comes with just got the pressure to the high 20 psi, pressure should be 42

[mikey_b]

wa16 said:

this, found out the hard way two weeks ago

wife's car has had a plug in for over twelve months with no issues, it was easier to do a car tyre than a bike tyre
get some extra canisters the five mine comes with just got the pressure to the high 20 psi, pressure should be 42

By the time you’re carrying 5-10 canisters around, you may as well carry a little 12V pump. Mine is a Rocky Creek brand, it’s tiny and light, but tough and well reviewed. Once those canisters are used, that’s it, whereas with a pump you can top it up repeatedly and limp home or to a garage over a much longer distance if you need to.

[bsidethecside]

I always have a TipTop plug & cement kit under the seat with 3xCO2, but also have some of that sticky rubbery sting as well (off eBay) in case it's wet and I reckon the cement won't work. The glue & plug got me home from work okay (10 miles) and a few days later 30 miles to the tyre fitter with no loss of pressure to get the tyre swapped out. It was almost dead anyway. The interesting bit was looking at the repair from the inside of the tyre - sat really tight in the hole and didn't look like it was going anywhere. Good for a temp repair, but the CO2 is very much temporary inflation: I used a footpump to get up to full pressure as soon as I was able. Yes, use gloves!

As said before in this thread, for a longer trip a mini-pump is good as you may be a distance from a proper repair. Mine handily runs from the same plug as my Optimate battery charger. The pump goes in luggage due to size along with Duck Tape, zip ties etc. I have a Leatherman on my keyring, so that sorts out the pliers and knife for removal of the offending object and trimming the repair to flush it with the tyre surface.

[Bob_Defly]

I carry a dynaplug kit and a mini compressor when I do multi-day tours.