Tire Plug -> Patch Experience

hi all, my experience with rope plug -> patch

Tagging any disclaimers about this being just a sharing of my experience, I’m not suggesting any sort of suggestion and i personally accept the risk of being a cheap ass.

I’ve done this before on a few tires that still had good tread.

I got a staple in my rear tire a couple hundred miles ago and plugged it with a sticky rope plug, aired it up to 42 psi (per my consistent gauge) and had watched it since then. I put the rope in about like the instructions say; remove object, ream, shove in rope half way, give the split needle a twist (I see differing opinions about this, I do a full turn rather than half) and yank. Cut the outer ends off flat with the tire surface.

the only pressure variation was do to temperature – it lost no air in that distance. Next was to take the thing off and put an actual patch in it. So I removed the tire and pulled the rope plug out from the inside. the rope is actually sticking out vertically from the tire inwards, but the camera gets snow blind and it looks flat. I was very surprised at the force it took to pull the rope through the tread inwards. It totally dished the tire, the picture shows the area of the tire that pulled in, but not the depth there actually was. Anyway, there is no way for the plug to vacate outwards and to punch it in from the outside would be pretty unlucky.

For the patch, I get the 1/8” diameter quilled patches from napa. Rough the rubber with the tool, apply glue, let dry, pull the layer off the seal surface, and push the quill through the tire from the inside. pull the quill until there is a dimple in the center of the patch, cut quill to tread level. Roll over the patch like the instructions with the roughing/roller tool from an auto parts store says, then remove the outer plastic layer of the patch. For anyone else in a garage with no power, I don’t have power either, it just takes a long time with the scraper to get the “satin” look in the rubber.

I do see how the steel belting is physically damaged, strands are broken maybe by the initial puncture but I think mostly by the rasp. I only work the rasp maybe 3 times, not a bunch like videos I’ve seen and the instructions I’ve read, I think that damages too much of the belting vs cleaning the injury. I can see an argument also for replacing the tire because of this damage, but I think your mileage varies a lot on this. If I was able to shred a tires in a few thousand miles, I would plug to limp home, then replace the tire.

Anyway, I’ve done several patches over the years like this and they’ve been fine. I rub a bare hand over the patched area of the tire every so often to see if there is any sign that it’s starting to bubble or come apart, nothing. I commute though…I get to Palomar observatory only every few months and don’t really push on the street much except occasional dashes to 65, +-4n mph when space permits. for me,

patching tires like this is fine as a permanent fix, and I replace tires at the wear bars.

[image: plug -> patch]

I've had good success with just using a plug. I had a Kawasaki ZX6R a few years back that picked up a screw in the back tire. I was leary at first, most people I have spoke with have led with the notion that a motorcycle tire with any damage was bad news. However, I've always had good luck using them on my truck with no problems so I thought I'd go ahead a give it a try. The tire that I patched was a Michelin Pilot Power with fairly new life on it and I couldn't bare the thought of spending another $250 on a rear tire. I too never had any tire pressure changes. I certainly didn't baby the tire either, even got an iron butt ride in from Colorado to Kentucky on it.

If I had to do it over again or if my VFR gets a flat, other than in the sidewall of course, or probably within an inch of the side, I'll be using a $3 plug to fix it!

I've used a road side mushroom plug in a back tyre & done 1500 miles on it, no bother. You can buy them as a kit, it's brilliant. Only thing you need is a set of pliers to pull it into place.

I've used an older version in the past that was simpler to your rope thing, it was a wedge shaped piece of rubber/polymer material, you reamed hole, add glue, then push through & pull back, wait ten, then inflate & trim the external excess, worked well, but was time consuming & messy.

Rear punctures are more common & less critical, so I'm happy to do this. But would only use a shop type repair in a front tyre & then only if it was very new.

i agree with you guys. i have a "the plugger" (a version of the mushroom plug) kit that i haven't tried but i have it with me on the bike now, i'll try it next time. the rope is simple and quick for sure and from what i've seen too so far, solid.

Got a drywall screw in a brand new tire 180 miles in to 1000+ mile weekend, so I plugged it, did 1000 miles loaded 2-up, no issues, almost forgot about it

2 days later when I came back caught a nail in the same tire (Michelin Pilot Rear) so I plugged it... and forgot again.

8+ month later went to Cape Breton, somewhere on the way back started loosing air from the rear, was able to top it off and made it home, when I took the tire off (5,000 miles at this point) it seems that "something" pushed one of the plugs out part way and it was slowly leaking. We did plenty of gravel so that would be my guess, small rock somewhere between Meat Cove and Bay of Fundy.

Using Stop-n-Go kit

nice work. yes, the stop-n-go. definitely trying it next time!

Dmitry

Got a drywall screw in a brand new tire 180 miles in to 1000+ mile weekend, so I plugged it, did 1000 miles loaded 2-up, no issues, almost forgot about it

2 days later when I came back caught a nail in the same tire (Michelin Pilot Rear) so I plugged it... and forgot again.

8+ month later went to Cape Breton, somewhere on the way back started loosing air from the rear, was able to top it off and made it home, when I took the tire off (5,000 miles at this point) it seems that "something" pushed one of the plugs out part way and it was slowly leaking. We did plenty of gravel so that would be my guess, small rock somewhere between Meat Cove and Bay of Fundy.

Using Stop-n-Go kit

Been using regular rope-type plugs for ever. Have worn many-a-tire to the cords with said plugs in'em. Still here to tell the tail.

The only downside I've noticed is occasional loss of 1-2 PSI per week. I say occasional, b/c it doesn't happen with every tire/installation.

I've had perfect luck with mushroom plugs, even back in the day when speed limits had much less of an impact on my actual velocities.

Strings, slightly less luck but the luck definitely is a function of the type and size of the puncture.

I picked up a Dynaplug kit, which is very slick, but if you don't ream a small puncture enough the plugs can be difficult to push in with the small tool. DAMHIK.

I'm liking my MotoPump. Just a data point.

Rice

Been using regular rope-type plugs for ever. Have worn many-a-tire to the cords with said plugs in'em. Still here to tell the tail.

The only downside I've noticed is occasional loss of 1-2 PSI per week. I say occasional, b/c it doesn't happen with every tire/installation.

Ditto except I never lost air. ^^^^

Ive used the stop and go, okay to get home, not worth a squat on longevity, road laws have no meaning for me though, and may be why rope plugs and stuff like that doesn't hold up.

I do internal repair with the flexible Witch Hat and blue flammable glue , not had one fail yet.

My wife got a puncture in Italy at Lake Garda - beautiful place..

I plugged it & we drove to a tyre shop - given quote of 220 euros... Told them we would think about it - still thinking 6 years later - lol.

Carried on with tour & 2 weeks later ended up home having kept speed down to 220kph :tongue: & with 2000 extra miles on the clock.

I was on a CBR600rr7, Wife on a CBR400rr (NC29).. We replaced the tyre (rear) a year later. :rolleyes: