Small nail in tire | GTAMotorcycle.com

Small nail in tire

JP0160

Well-known member
I seem to have picked up a small nail in my rear tire last night. The tire has just over 1000km on it and shows no sign of needing replacement due to wear, so I would like to patch it if I can. The nail is about 1/8" thick and directly in the center of the tire. Pressure dropped about 4 psi overnight so I know it punctured.

I've called 4 tire shops around me, none of them will patch a motorcycle tire. Anyone know a good shop preferably close to keswick/newmarket that will patch a tire. Sorry for some reason my question mark key isn't working today lol

I picked up one of those "gummy worm" rope patch kits and I will stick that in later today, hopefully its enough to get me to a shop!
 
about the only patch I would trust on a bike tire would be a Tech brand or similar that vulcanizes and doesn't use glue. When I was in college for auto mechanics we had the demo by them, their test vehicle had 4 x 1" x 2" holes cut in the side wall and just patched from the inside and had put 10 000 KM on the tires since. If it only lost 4 psi over night I wouldn't put a plug into it, just fill it up before you take it to the shop, it will make it harder for the tech to fix.
 
Many threads on this. I've used the sticky string type to the end of the tire's life just fine. Make sure you cut off any excess sticking out. The best would be to patch from the inside though....not that I'd know cause I've never had to use one.
 
about the only patch I would trust on a bike tire would be a Tech brand or similar that vulcanizes and doesn't use glue. When I was in college for auto mechanics we had the demo by them, their test vehicle had 4 x 1" x 2" holes cut in the side wall and just patched from the inside and had put 10 000 KM on the tires since. If it only lost 4 psi over night I wouldn't put a plug into it, just fill it up before you take it to the shop, it will make it harder for the tech to fix.
whoa! patching sidewalls. risky.
 
I seem to have picked up a small nail in my rear tire last night. The tire has just over 1000km on it and shows no sign of needing replacement due to wear, so I would like to patch it if I can. The nail is about 1/8" thick and directly in the center of the tire. Pressure dropped about 4 psi overnight so I know it punctured.

I've called 4 tire shops around me, none of them will patch a motorcycle tire. Anyone know a good shop preferably close to keswick/newmarket that will patch a tire. Sorry for some reason my question mark key isn't working today lol

I picked up one of those "gummy worm" rope patch kits and I will stick that in later today, hopefully its enough to get me to a shop!

Some people will say those rope type patches suffix, but I think a mushroom patch is the safer way to go. It has a patch from the inside, but also a plug.

Here are some pictures from a patched tire from a Aprilia Mille, tire very low kms....I had a Pilot Power (on my old gsxr) with three plugs in rear, and wore that tire until the wear bars.

12063576_1060503127327854_1112375825993018264_n.jpg


12122886_1060503237327843_8229023348005002841_n.jpg

12187832_1060503103994523_2644152478669663330_n.jpg


More pics from this album : https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1060142794030554.1073741866.997675950277239&type=3
 
The problem will be finding a shop willing to remove the wheel, dismount the tire, patch, remount the tire, re-install the wheel.

FWIW I've successfully used the rope style plug on motorcycle tires three times in the past. On the rear, central part of the tread.

I now carry the Stop & Go plug kit with me. Has mushroom/rivet shaped plugs and a gizmo that pushes the plugs through the tread. Haven't used it on my bike yet, but have twice patched a car tire for a relative.

https://www.canadasmotorcycle.ca/stop-go-pocket-tubeless-tire-plugger.html
 
I patched my previous GSXR tire which had a few hundred kms on it. Did fine with the patch being dead centre of the tire.

Wouldn't suggest it if it were near the side walls.
 
I got the Victor heavy duty patch kit and plugged it up, refilled to 33psi and will test again in a couple hours. It was right in the center and away from any grooves so I think it will do just fine. If this dam weather would clear up I would take it for a test tonight
 
I think I have a patch in my tire now. Its been 10k kms ago
 
I got the Victor heavy duty patch kit and plugged it up, refilled to 33psi and will test again in a couple hours. It was right in the center and away from any grooves so I think it will do just fine. If this dam weather would clear up I would take it for a test tonight

the danger is the string pulling out at high speeds, might not happen..but it could. You only have 2 wheels. The mushroom with the plug ensures it will never pull out.
 
Sometimes you need 2 strings or doubled up....but for just a small nail, 1 should be fine.
After installing, the bit of string on the face of the tire is about twice the size of the original hole, I think just the one string filled it in pretty good. My first time dealing with a tire patch so I'll have to wait and see if it holds up. I (wishfully) think a bit of the string protrudes inside the tire and squishes down with air pressure/centrifugal force, helping to keep it in like a mushroom plug does. Who knows!
 
The string/worm tire-hole patch method is strictly a temporary measure designed to get you back to where your tire can be replaced. Yes, replaced. You're only riding on two tires. When one fails, you're riding on no tires and probably your backside until you and your bike skid to a stop. Once you're going to take your tire off the bike to put in a "better" hole patch, you might as well replace the tire. Aren't you worth a couple of hundred bucks?
 
ive never heard of an actual case of the gummy string plugs coming out, old wives tale. did many lengthy 270 runs on one and concluded its a bunch of boloney
 
I've used the sticky-string-type external plugs a few times on motorcycle tires. The right rear tire of my car has three of those in it and it's probably got 80,000 km on it.
 
I did about 45km with the plug earlier today. It was too cold to go any farther. My toes and fingers were frozen! Depending on the price of a "real" patch, I may or may not pick up a new set of tires. If the patch/labor will cost over 100$, I will run the plug until I see fit. Those diablo rossi II's look "a'reeeeeeal nice" though!

edit: Thought I would mention, no loss of pressure. Increased from 33 to 35 after a somewhat spirited ride (as spirited as 286cc's can get I guess!)
 
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Message Frekeyguy, he does alot of work on bikes and knows his stuff. He may be able to pull the tire and patch it properly cheap enough to be feasible. Otherwise watch your pressures and carry on with the string patch. I patched our moffet (forklift ) tire with a string kit 2 months ago, doesn't see much speed but lots of weight. Still holding fine.

Sent from my Le Pan TC802A using Tapatalk
 
When patching a tire my concern is not if the patch will fall out but what damage has been done to the carcass of the tire, how many cords have been broken or displaced.
If you are patching a car tire on the flat of the tread it is not usually a problem.
On a rounded motorcycle tire: BIG PROBLEM.

... and I'm calling BS on : " When I was in college for auto mechanics we had the demo by them, their test vehicle had 4 x 1" x 2" holes cut in the side wall and just patched from the inside and had put 10 000 KM on the tires since"
After you took all that structure out of the sidewall the tire wouldn't be round any more.
A tire is much more than a balloon. It does much more than just hold air. Holding air is the easy part of a tire's job.
 
It's been a couple years but Rosey Toe's used to be happy to install mushroom patches on motorcycle tires, showing up with just the wheel went a long way too
 

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