Flat repair?

Question

Scenario: You pick up a nail or similar object in your rear tire causing it to go flat. You limp into the nearest parking lot to get off the street.
Do you:
A) call someone with a truck and have it hauled to a shop?
B) break down the wheel and fix it on the spot?
Or something in between?

Perhaps I should have been a little more specific. MOTORCYCLE tire, we' re not in the truck and auto section.

Answer 1

2 times I've fixed a rear flat right on the spot, without limping anywhere. I've never ridden on the street without a flat repair kit on board.
--Pocket tire pump - it's a long hose. One end screws into a sparkplug hole, the other goes to the wheel. Crank the bike's engine to fill-er-up.
--Tubless tire plug kit.
--My flat experiences came with tube type tires - a couple of tire irons, a few tools and patch kit.
--There's always enough stroage space on a bike to carry what is needed for road-side repairs.
--One of the bikes had a centerstand which was great. The other was a dual pourpose. I had to lay it on some grass to remove the rear wheel.

Answer 2

As an avg joe and not a professional, I have used this method in a pinch and just as a temporary fix. Go to an autoparts place and get one of those packages with a round thin file and a slotted needle and four or five rubber strips in it that are sticky and put it in your glove box. If you get a flat on the road you can patch the small hole by inserting the rubber sticky strip on the spot provided its in the tread and not onthe sidewall. Now the only other thing you would need is a source of air to blow the tire back up to normal pressure. based on where the hole is you might need to jack the truck up so that the weight is off the tire and not need to remove the rim off the hub, this will make inflation easier too. Its always nice to have a fresh/inflated spare available.

Answer 3

BMW do a good Tyre repair kit with plugs tool and small gas bottle to pump up the Tyre but these are only good for tubeless Tyre's, the best remedy i know of is to join a suitable service like the AAA, RAC, or breakdown firm that you can call and they will come and pick you and your bike up and take you to an appropriate shop were you can get it fixed, it doesn't cost that much for a years conscription and it beats pushing your bike or worse still having it stolen, then the only tool you need to carry is a cellphone

Answer 4

I have used external plugs many times and they work well in tubeless tyres- use a round file (usually in the kit) to make the hole good and round- don't worry that you're making a small hole big. Use lots of rubber cement on the plug.

Inflating the tyre is the bugger- I never have a pump or air bottles when I need them. I Have been lucky to always make it to a service station to carry out the repair: sometimes riding up to 15km on the flat tyre to do so. So far I have gotten away with it.

The plugs will often leak air when the tyre is nearly worn out: there is less 'tyre' around the plug to support it.

I have heard of people using self-tapping screws for emergency repairs, and getting away with it.

Answer 5

Yeah, that front tire kicks stuff to the rear. I use the string and it works all the way till u need to replace every time. I've never had a failure. No reputable shop would do that but u can. On a tire that's broken in I've ridden it - slow- of course it weaken the wall. so it's your choice. Be prepared or react and panic. no need to break down just stick the string in. variation of b.

Answer 6

Personally I ask if I can leave the bike in someones driveway or better yet their garage (will offer $$ later). Then call home for a ride, come back with truck and ramp. haul back home for repair. Plug kits won't work with a tube type tire so there's no quicky fix.

Answer 7

In the past, I've just broken the tire/rim down in the parking lot and fixed it.
However, it seems like I never have the tools I need handy, so I have to call someone (thank Gawd for cell phones) to bring me the tools I need.

Answer 8

First I would be pissed off and then I would call someone because I would not have a clue on how to take the wheel off and I wouldn't want to leave my bike there to go get another tire so I would pay the tow fee. Already been there, and done it.

Answer 9

Nothing wrong with a plug though many will argue, I personally use the "tire plugger". It has plugs shaped like a mushroom.. totally impossible to be expelled from the hole they are plugging once installed.

Answer 10

I carry a plug kit and a small 12volt pump. Pull the nai, plug the leak, inflate the tire, get my knees back in the wind.