| There
are several methods for repairing a motorcycle tire,
some temporary, others more permanent. Patching,
plugging, and using a liquid sealant are alternatives
to replacing the tire altogether.
I recently found a 2"
nail nicely jammed into the rear tire of my V-Strom.
This is how I fixed it.
 Tools
Needed
Before I started, I organized the tools I'd need
to begin my repair. I prepared my race stand, a
tire gauge, valve tool, pliers, a couple of cotton
swabs, an air pump, the sealant and a few paper
towels. Identifying
the Damage
In this case the culprit was easily identifiable.
I put my bike up on my race stand to make it easier
to work on. Putting the gear in neutral, I was able
to turn the wheel so that I could access the nail.
Next, I used a valve tool to remove the valve stem
and let the air out of the tire then removed the
nail with a pair of pliers.
Tire Sealant
A fellow club member suggested I use Victor
brand Tire Sealant and Flat Preventative
readily available at your local Wal-Mart. The manufacturer's
directions say to use about half a bottle for motorcycle
tires but I had to use more (details later). Angling
the valve stem, I inserted the nozzle of the sealant
into the tire valve opening and squeezed half of
the contents into the tire. I turned the wheel to
distribute the liquid evenly in the tire. |
|
 Airing
it Up
I aired up the tire to the proper pressure and
noticed that air and sealant were violently spewing
out of the puncture. I had to partially insert
the end of the nail back into the hole to prevent
the liquid from escaping and removed the valve
stem again to add more sealant. After I pumped
up the tire, I again turned the wheel to distribute
the liquid sealer evenly. After removing the nail,
I started my engine and spun my real wheel for
a minute or two at varying speeds ensuring a nice
even distribution of the liquid. Upon inspection,
the puncture was no longer spewing air and sealant
but was still leaking pretty badly. The instructions
suggest that you to ride around on the tire for
about five miles after the treatment.
 By
the time I got back from my five mile trek, the
tire had lost around five pounds of pressure and
was still slowly leaking air and sealant. I put
my bike back on it's race stand and pointed the
wheel with the puncture downward hoping that more
liquid would seal the hole. You can see in the photo
above that the sealant was dripping onto the pavement.
The next morning, the tire
was still leaking air, so I put another 1/4 bottle
of sealant into the tire and took her out for
a five mile spin. This time, when I returned,
there was no air coming from the puncture and
the tire was finally successfully sealed. A bit
of a hassle but better than shelling out $$$ for
a new tire!
Whew!
—
Jacques
Rambonnet
|
