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Motorcycle tyre repair
rich201283 - 9/1/15 at 10:05 AM

I am going to repair my motorcycle tyre with one of them rema plug patch's, My question is - The tyre cleaning fluid before i sand where the patch is, Can i use thinners as i dont have any of the rubber cleaning solution.

Also do i need sealer around the patch after i have repaired it?

r1_pete - 9/1/15 at 10:46 AM

I would contact the manufacturer for advice, repairing motorcycle tyres is not something one should 2nd guess.

Having said that, I would not repair a tyre I would replace it, regardless of cost, tyres are the only contact you have with the road, so pretty key bits of kit.

I've ridden bikes all my life (well since I was 16) and have stood by that, on occasions I have been able to take insurance with new tyres which covers puncture replacement on a sliding scale relative to wear.

designer - 9/1/15 at 10:57 AM

As above.

Don't do it! Get a new one.

kingster996 - 9/1/15 at 10:58 AM

quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete

Having said that, I would not repair a tyre I would replace it, regardless of cost, tyres are the only contact you have with the road, so pretty key bits of kit.

I've ridden bikes all my life (well since I was 16) and have stood by that, on occasions I have been able to take insurance with new tyres which covers puncture replacement on a sliding scale relative to wear.


Pretty much word for word what I was going to say!

hkp57 - 9/1/15 at 11:29 AM

As with the rest of them repairs are a get you home not a routine fix.

But just to add please do not try it with thinners, the chemicals they use are more like an acetone to soften the rubber and they leave no residue of which some thinners do.

matt5964 - 9/1/15 at 12:10 PM

Don't risk repairing a Bike tyre , get a new one as they are so much more critical to a bike than a car.

bi22le - 9/1/15 at 12:17 PM

Please dont take huge offence into this but is this the first LCB Darwin award?

If someone had posted this on a scooter forum we would be lining them up.

Although, to back up the OP. I quick bit of googling suggests that people (including rema) use these for motor bike repairs so maybe I am being a little harsh. . . . .

davidimurray - 9/1/15 at 12:17 PM

I have had a tyre professionally repaired before but they would only do it in a narrow centre portion of the tyre. Also had an emergency repair by the RAC and fitted a new tyre later.

Those kits they sell are generally for emergnecy repairs/get you home. As the rest say buy new.

computid - 9/1/15 at 02:01 PM

I've done bike track days on professionally plugged tyres with speeds in excess of 160mph with no issues. I've also put thousands of miles on rear tyres with plugs in (especially one that got a puncture within 50 miles of being fitted).

Nothing wrong with plugging bike tyres, but if you don't know what you're doing then pay somebody else to do it. If you're adding to the risk at least keep the odds as low as possible!

MikeRJ - 9/1/15 at 02:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by davidimurray
I have had a tyre professionally repaired before but they would only do it in a narrow centre portion of the tyre. Also had an emergency repair by the RAC and fitted a new tyre later.

Those kits they sell are generally for emergnecy repairs/get you home. As the rest say buy new.


The DIY kits are definately a get-you-home solution only, you basically widen the hole and stuff some rubbery string into it with lots of rubber cement. The repair that the OP is talking about is a proper, permanent repair that gets vulcanised onto the inside of the tyre so it can't get squeezed out.

I wouldn't hesitate to use a tyre that's been properly repaired, but you need the proper vulcanising chemicals to do the job. Thinners or brake cleaner is maybe ok for cleaning, but I would be happier using the proper stuff.

luke2152 - 9/1/15 at 04:27 PM

As said a proper plug from the inside repair is fine. The temp plug from the outside ones are for emergency at best and borderline dangerous.

Sandpaper is perfectly good for preperation

mac1ZR - 9/1/15 at 05:05 PM

Not worth risking your life for!

TQ_uk - 9/1/15 at 05:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by computid
I've done bike track days on professionally plugged tyres with speeds in excess of 160mph with no issues. I've also put thousands of miles on rear tyres with plugs in (especially one that got a puncture within 50 miles of being fitted).

Nothing wrong with plugging bike tyres, but if you don't know what you're doing then pay somebody else to do it. If you're adding to the risk at least keep the odds as low as possible!


This ^^^

Cost about £15 I seem to recall (though was a few years back), a reputable bike place will tell you what can/can't (should/shouldn't) be done.

As others say the DIY kits are emergency get you home affairs.

If a tyre was fairly new with a most of it life left I'd repair, otherwise probably go for a new one

rich201283 - 9/1/15 at 08:01 PM

I rode thousands of miles on a tyre that was plugged and patched before and never had any problems, with the rema patch it is a plug and a patch in one so it it a lot safer, the only reason I'm doing it is because the tyre was repaired with the string type repair by a garage which I didn't think was too safe as long lasting repair and a lot of car garages refuse to touch it and just want to sell me a tyre

Daf - 9/1/15 at 08:55 PM

I took mine to get it done once and the guy said that you should only do the middle bit of the tyre because it's a harder rubber. The problem with a plug is it doesn't wear as quickly as the soft bike tyre rubber and you can end up with a 'nipple' on the tyre which leads to vibration and other unpleasantness!

threadbare wallet - 10/1/15 at 07:03 AM

I have ridden hundreds of thousands of miles on repaired tyres with no problems,theres is a lot of bs talked about bike tyres i'm afraid by people who only use them as toys and belive the hype that they are all delicate or special,they are not! The tyres are very tough indeed! I have ridden for 200 miles with screws put i holes to plug them to get me home etc at high speed and the tyre was repaired and lived until it wore out....this happend many times,they can do 200mph easy they are very strong,get it repaired well(if its if a reasinable area) and it will be fine.