Got the hugest nail in the world through my rear this morning:(
Is it legal to repair these now? Its been a while since I had a puncture.
I use to use the manual plug things a few years back which worked really well
but would a bike with one of these in the tyre go through a MOT?

Yep, provided it's not on or (I think) within 10mm of the sidewall.

Whether you're happy riding whatever your bike is on a repaired tyre is up to you, of course.

SB

Apart from what Simon has said it also depends what damage has been done to the tyre. It may only be a hole on the outside but the inside of the tyre needs to be inspected to see if it has damaged or exposed any of the tyre structure when the object has exited on the inside.

I get a few punctures doing 30k a year and use flat free, fantastic stuff and to be honest I cant feel any difference in the tyre's performance. Only used when the nail/whatever is in the middle mind, current 020 got two nails in close proximity and tyre has been fine for the last 5k miles (commuting). It is designed to be used with bikes and is from the US so I would assume with their claims nature that the product works. Cant be done with the plugs/get me home foam.

I wouldn't use it quite as readily on a bike I intended tracking or the like .........

Flatfree.com - America's Number 1 Tire Sealant! (http://www.flatfree.com/)

I used to be wary of repairing a "high performance" tyre but having seen a few of my friends plugged tyres used hard on the road and at speed trials I would get it repaired without worry now.

Once the insert is glued in and taken hold, its effectively melted in and part of the tyre.

But you should only be sealing/plugging tyres if the tyre structure hasn't been damaged, ie the wiring in the tyre being viewable from the inside of the tyre. My bike garage is a tyre specialist/stockist for all vehicles as well as a bike garage and when i have taken punctures to them some have been repairable and some not even though they have been in the middle of the tyre. Some have looked like a bullet exit point where the damage has been bad and looks like something has exploded out of the inside of the tyre even though on the outside it just looks like any other nail hole.

Having seen this there is no way I would want to trust tyre sealant as you don't know what damage has been done until the tyre is taken off and inspected.

I seem to have a knack of getting a puncture pretty much within the first few days whenever I buy a new tyre. Clearly I'd be going nowhere if I didn't have them repaired. The core questions are:

Has it damaged the carcass?
Answer yes if it is anywhere near the sidewall as SB observes, if it has been run flat for any length of time (say a mile or so) or if it looks like a tear. Problems also arise if the puncture is further contaminated with petrol, salts etc.

Do I do a lot of prolonged high speed runs?
If the answer is yes, you really don't want a puncture repair flying around at 180mph. That's a lot of energy and if the tyre goes bang you are probably going to die. The odd excursion up to high speed ought to be ok, who can tell? How are you going to test it?

What condition is the tyre in?
Like I say, mine are almost always split new but if its an older tyre getting to the end of it's life, chop it in for a new one. If it already has a couple of mushroom repairs, I'd say it was a write off.

I would always worry about a damaged tyre because you'll never, ever know how bad the damage is. The repair is in fact always physically separate from the tyre carcass, it is not "melted in". Any slight damage be it chemical or material damage to the threads which hold the tyre together will be locked into the repair for the lifetime of the tyre. The biggest problem is delamination. When a tyre starts to pull itself apart, it can let go very quickly indeed. They are big heavy bits of rubber and the forces involved at speed are astronomical.

Screwd.

Thanks again guys:) Spoke to a local tyre place and they say it should be fine to repair as long as its not within an inch of the sidewall which sounds sensible to me.
It does have quite a bit of life in it so I am keen to get it repaired.
I dont do much high speed stuff so should be ok.
I certainly wouldnt do a track day on it.

I got a screw through a week old pirelli dragon :( got it repaired as a temp measure until replacement arrived, then gave the repaired one to a local guy.
He was well chuffed and couldnt believe i didnt want it, he also happily did ove 180 mph with it on his gixer.
Personally i wouldnt put my life in the hands of a £5 repair job, but each to there own!

i think a repaired tyre is only rated to 100mph then u risk of a blow out.

i know you shouldnt go over 70mph but i bet a few of us on ere have bent the rules a bit aint we ???????:norty:

i think a repaired tyre is only rated to 100mph then u risk of a blow out.

i know you shouldnt go over 70mph but i bet a few of us on ere have bent the rules a bit aint we ???????:norty:

Er, no and no.

You are thinking of temporary, get you home plugs which you can use at the side of the road. Only a fool would ride with one of those at more than 50mph or for more than a few miles. Mind you, I had one in a 'Blade for months. Forgot all about it actually, never had a problem even flat out...

:wonder:

Screwd.

i think a repaired tyre is only rated to 100mph then u risk of a blow out.

i know you shouldnt go over 70mph but i bet a few of us on ere have bent the rules a bit aint we ???????:norty:


Cough cough.. ahem........ :)

its actualy illegal to repair any z rated motorcycle tyre dont know the legality of using one

its actualy illegal to repair any z rated motorcycle tyre dont know the legality of using one

i've also heard, if you are involved in an accident your insurance could void if it's found your tyre has been repaired.

Had mine done before with no issues. Even did a trackday at silverstone on it with a 45 degree track temp :)

It's not actually illegal to have a "Z" rated tyre repaired, it is only a recommendation by the major tyre manufactures. They don't want a law suit if an accident happens as a result of a repair.
Most professional puncture repairers would do it provided it is repairable, and you don't want a receipt.

I got a puncture on my gixer, near enough a brand new tyre. Thought that I couldn't/shouldn't repair it, so took the wheel and next new tyre to dealer.

They fitted my new tyre and repaired the other one. The guy who did the repair said he'd been doing it for years and nobody had ever come back to him with a problem.

So as the bike's gone, I've still got a near enough new rear for a GSXR750Y in the garage if anybody wants to make me an offer for it.

I got a puncture on my gixer, near enough a brand new tyre. Thought that I couldn't/shouldn't repair it, so took the wheel and next new tyre to dealer.

They fitted my new tyre and repaired the other one. The guy who did the repair said he'd been doing it for years and nobody had ever come back to him with a problem.

So as the bike's gone, I've still got a near enough new rear for a GSXR750Y in the garage if anybody wants to make me an offer for it.

£20 I'll have it.

Cheers

Screwd.

Well I got it repaired and all is fine:)
The 6" nail had actually gone in sideways and then gone between the layers and not punctured the tyre :rolleyes:
Matey then had to drill a hole to put a plug in!
Oh well only a tenner and bike is back once again and just in time for rain it would appear....:(