another dumb question - inner tube repair - yea or nay

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joe czech

joe czech

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did a search on the topic without much luck. on four wheels, wouldn't have an issue doing this, but on two wheels, not sure something like this is recommended. kind of in the middle on this. LSS, picked up a sliver of steel on my 74's rear tire that punctured my relatively new Michelin Airstop tube. Yea or Nay on patching a motorcycle inner tube?
 
Car tyre and Battery suppliers in your high street do it all the time, if you feel unsure of doing it yourself, take it to an expert.
 
Fast Eddie said:
It can be done. But given the cost of new tubes it just ain’t worth it IMHO.
Click to expand...

Michelin Airstop 90/100-19 tube from Amazon to anywhere in France, under 18€!

What he said....

And think of all those useful little rubber bands you can make from a near new tube!
 
We used to patch tubes all the time...and then went racing with them on the weekends... ;)

You don't have to remove a wheel/tire to patch a tube. I can't say how many times I patched tubes back in the day. I raced cars with plugged tubeless tires as well...never a problem at all at 150+ MPH. We've generally turned into total wusses on just about everything. :(
 
MexicoMike said:
We used to patch tubes all the time...and then went racing with them on the weekends... ;)

You don't have to remove a wheel/tire to patch a tube. I can't say how many times I patched tubes back in the day. I raced cars with plugged tubeless tires as well...never a problem at all at 150+ MPH. We've generally turned into total wusses on just about everything. :(
Click to expand...

Tubeless plugs are very safe I agree. And they save the cost of a new tyre.

Patches are less safe (I can’t be the only one that’s had them fail surely?) and only save the cost of a cheap tube!

Hence, unless we’re talking a roadside repair to get you home, patching a tube just ain’t sensible IMHO.
 
thanks for the replies. have a new Airstop on order. prefer the new one, and not so keen on a band-aid fix - just curious, so i'll take your advice - go with a new one, batch the old for an emergency fix.
 
I used to patch aplenty back when the good glue was available. This stuff on the market now...... I tried it and... Well it sucks in my opinion. Perhaps you can get home with it, maybe not. I'd feel better carrying a spare tube if I were on the road.
The crap I had to buy wouldn't even ignite to hot patch.... Try a tire repair shop and perhaps they'll have the good glue and fix it up. Rant off.
 
YES !

The quality of retail patch kits today is awful. Junk. Tire shops might be able to buy good quality but have no incentive to do so.
If a patch fails, at best its a "come back" and at worst a law suit; no upside in trying to save a customer some money. Better to upsell.
 
Fast Eddie said:
Tubeless plugs are very safe I agree. And they save the cost of a new tyre.

Patches are less safe (I can’t be the only one that’s had them fail surely?) and only save the cost of a cheap tube!

Hence, unless we’re talking a roadside repair to get you home, patching a tube just ain’t sensible IMHO.
Click to expand...
Re; Tubeless tyre plugs; the only safe ones are the mushroom type, which requires the tyre removing from the rim, and even those are only safe for about 50% the top of the tyre, never the corners of tyres where the tyre motion can work them loose.
Tyre plugs inserted from the outside were I think made illegal in the UK.
 
Well, I put the external plugs in a LOT of tires and they all lasted until the tire had to be replaced due to normal wear. Never had the slightest problem; never worried worried about them...kinda like wet sumping! :cool:
 
You repair tubes when you have to.

But if you want to minimise the chance of a puncture, you ride around on the best tubes you can get, in the best condition they can be. That means not patched.
 
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A bit off topic - what ever happened to light weight tubes?

Seems like all today are "heavy duty" with lots of evidence of one mold being used to make all.

Who makes the lightest tube now?
 
When you live or travel out back Aussie land patches and repair kits are your best friend remote places like up Cape York you got to have everything to repair tyres, whether car, 4X4, trucks or motorcycles it all part of life out in the sticks, remember the good old vacume patches and if you ride dirt bikes in the bush you need a good repair kit.

Ashley
 
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