Discussion
From back when was a courier I've always carried a can of tyre weld on any bike I've owned. Even if I have no top box to keep it in, I'll cable tie it on somewhere.
Anyway, I haven't used it for a couple of years now, until yesterday. The front went all "squishy" and sure enough, the nail I've been carrying for the last two weeks has finally come out
Within 10 minutes I'd put in the tyre weld and was on my way. Stopped after a few miles to top up the pressure and it got the 45 miles home
It had gone down this morning, but a quick couple of minutes with the footpump and I was on my way again.
It did need another can on the way in, but it got me here and should get me home too. It's then booked in for the new tyre which finally arrived after two weeks and one wrong delivery.
Had I relied on the AA to get me home from the City in rush hour, I'd probably still be waiting today. So I heartilly recommend you carry a can around if you have room for it
Keep your speed down and it should last ages. Alas I didn't, hence it leaking again
Anyway, I haven't used it for a couple of years now, until yesterday. The front went all "squishy" and sure enough, the nail I've been carrying for the last two weeks has finally come out

Within 10 minutes I'd put in the tyre weld and was on my way. Stopped after a few miles to top up the pressure and it got the 45 miles home

It had gone down this morning, but a quick couple of minutes with the footpump and I was on my way again.
It did need another can on the way in, but it got me here and should get me home too. It's then booked in for the new tyre which finally arrived after two weeks and one wrong delivery.
Had I relied on the AA to get me home from the City in rush hour, I'd probably still be waiting today. So I heartilly recommend you carry a can around if you have room for it

Keep your speed down and it should last ages. Alas I didn't, hence it leaking again

Taita said:
So how does this work then?
Find puncture, spray this stuff over it to seal, pump up to get you home?
Or is it something you inflate the tyre with, a sort of gel / foam?
You inflate the tyre with it. It's a combination of compressed air and "gloopy sticky stuff" (technical term).Find puncture, spray this stuff over it to seal, pump up to get you home?
Or is it something you inflate the tyre with, a sort of gel / foam?
You then ride the bike slowly and it gets thrown around the tyre and sucked through the hole to seal it.
As bike tyres are curved in section and car tyres are square, it doesn't always work if the puncture, like mine, is too far away from the centre, so may need a second, or even thrid can to seal.
RizzoTheRat said:
I've got ultraseal in mine. Don't think I've given it a test yet though as I've not noticed any nails sticking out of the tyre.
I think I'll give Ultraseal a go on the new tyre. It looks like it does the job without having to carry a can around and stays in place at speed.i've got a can under the seat along with one of those kits with the bungs etc. i used the bungs in the past & got a few hundred miles out of it to get home & replace the tyre.
a mate who worked as a courier for years swears you just need to carry self tappers & screw one into the hole.
a mate who worked as a courier for years swears you just need to carry self tappers & screw one into the hole.
I managed to collect a piece of glass in the rear of my R1 on Wednesday. Rang my sister and got her to follow me to mine in her car, with her electric inflator.
It was amazing how hot the tyre got in its low inflated state. The tyre broke up like I'd done a track day.
Fortunately, it was near the end of its life anyway.
Ironically, I'd only just bought a repair kit last weekend. Although I didn't have it on me!
It was amazing how hot the tyre got in its low inflated state. The tyre broke up like I'd done a track day.
Fortunately, it was near the end of its life anyway.
Ironically, I'd only just bought a repair kit last weekend. Although I didn't have it on me!

m3psm said:
I think I'll give Ultraseal a go on the new tyre. It looks like it does the job without having to carry a can around and stays in place at speed.
Problem with ultraseal (apart from the fact that there's a dispute between the manufacturers and the uk suppliers at the momkent and you can't get it, they're all selling Puncture Safe which is supposed to be as good)is the same as with the tyre weld cans, there's only a few hundred ml in each tyre so it's good if you get something in the centreline but not much use against holes further out.Self tapping screw - hadn't thought of that one, I'll ad that to my the tool kit 
When I last got a puncture, it was a real pain trying to find somewhere that would plug the tire - no one in the midland where I got the screw did it any more (leagal reasons, b0llocks, they just want to sell a new tyre and make more money). On a friends advise, I found a place around Redhill that still did it. Tyre was only 2 weeks old, so I wasn't going to be happy buying another one.
I have had many tyres plugged over the years, never had a problem with them.

When I last got a puncture, it was a real pain trying to find somewhere that would plug the tire - no one in the midland where I got the screw did it any more (leagal reasons, b0llocks, they just want to sell a new tyre and make more money). On a friends advise, I found a place around Redhill that still did it. Tyre was only 2 weeks old, so I wasn't going to be happy buying another one.
I have had many tyres plugged over the years, never had a problem with them.
Self tapping screw - hadn't thought of that one, I'll ad that to my the tool kit 
When I last got a puncture, it was a real pain trying to find somewhere that would plug the tire - no one in the midland where I got the screw did it any more (leagal reasons, b0llocks, they just want to sell a new tyre and make more money). On a friends advise, I found a place around Redhill that still did it. Tyre was only 2 weeks old, so I wasn't going to be happy buying another one.
I have had many tyres plugged over the years, never had a problem with them.

When I last got a puncture, it was a real pain trying to find somewhere that would plug the tire - no one in the midland where I got the screw did it any more (leagal reasons, b0llocks, they just want to sell a new tyre and make more money). On a friends advise, I found a place around Redhill that still did it. Tyre was only 2 weeks old, so I wasn't going to be happy buying another one.
I have had many tyres plugged over the years, never had a problem with them.
You can buy a kit to plug tyres yourself..http://www.bustersclassic.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=561467
If you have a fast bike then you might want to think about whether you want to ride around with a plug. You might also want to think about a plug if you have a sidewall puncture. Bottom line is plugs really should be thought of as temporary on a bike (i.e. get you home or to the nearest tyre repair shop) and therefore you should consider buying a new tyre whenever you get a puncture.
If you have a fast bike then you might want to think about whether you want to ride around with a plug. You might also want to think about a plug if you have a sidewall puncture. Bottom line is plugs really should be thought of as temporary on a bike (i.e. get you home or to the nearest tyre repair shop) and therefore you should consider buying a new tyre whenever you get a puncture.
Edited by Hyperion on Friday 16th May 22:01
I think the reason most fitters wont plug bike tyres is cos the tyre manufacture wont recommended it and some say dont do it.. pirelli spring to mind. therefore they dont want to be liable if u have an off and its proved the punture fix failed ... tooo much cost on insurance blah .
if you say pay cash on fix with no evidence (ie vat etc) then who knows maybe they will..
I've had plenty of tyres plugged and had no issues (touch wood) and would expect non that would be worse than an actual puncture which you cant predict. Worst one I had was a large chunk of something got stuck in my rear (tyre) on the M4 overhead . Tyre (tubeless) rapidly deflated when object fell out leading to a hell of a weave with not a lot of run off.. and lots of taxis to avoid too...
Tyre weld didnt fix that one as it just sprayed out like a foamy catherine wheel, and i would have needed an industrial size self tapper .
if you say pay cash on fix with no evidence (ie vat etc) then who knows maybe they will..
I've had plenty of tyres plugged and had no issues (touch wood) and would expect non that would be worse than an actual puncture which you cant predict. Worst one I had was a large chunk of something got stuck in my rear (tyre) on the M4 overhead . Tyre (tubeless) rapidly deflated when object fell out leading to a hell of a weave with not a lot of run off.. and lots of taxis to avoid too...
Tyre weld didnt fix that one as it just sprayed out like a foamy catherine wheel, and i would have needed an industrial size self tapper .
smack said:
Self tapping screw - hadn't thought of that one, I'll ad that to my the tool kit 
When I last got a puncture, it was a real pain trying to find somewhere that would plug the tire - no one in the midland where I got the screw did it any more (leagal reasons, b0llocks, they just want to sell a new tyre and make more money). On a friends advise, I found a place around Redhill that still did it. Tyre was only 2 weeks old, so I wasn't going to be happy buying another one.
I have had many tyres plugged over the years, never had a problem with them.
Its a litigation issue these days, IF a person has an accident after the puncture has been repaired then the garage who repaired it could be liable, the manufacturers frown upon repairs because how long and how flat was the tyre ridden on before being repaired? Its already been said on this thread how hot and how the tyre broke up, but before it got to this state internal carcass damage could have already happened, and not been visible to the eye.
When I last got a puncture, it was a real pain trying to find somewhere that would plug the tire - no one in the midland where I got the screw did it any more (leagal reasons, b0llocks, they just want to sell a new tyre and make more money). On a friends advise, I found a place around Redhill that still did it. Tyre was only 2 weeks old, so I wasn't going to be happy buying another one.
I have had many tyres plugged over the years, never had a problem with them.
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff


