I decided that I would see how bad the leak/puncture was by blowing the tyre up. Then I could decide whether to just wait and pump the tyre up before I took into the shop or learn how to remove the rear (I still haven't done this in 6 years of ownership). Ideally I wanted to get the bike into the shop as both tyres need replacing and I didn't really want to have to make two trips to get the job done.
My first issue was getting the bike into a position where I could put her on the main stand. But man was the tyre flat! It was so flat the bike could nearly stand up by itself. It was so flat I struggled to move it. It was so flat I couldn't lift the bike onto the main stand. It was so flat...
In the end I actually had to put some air into the tyre before I could move the bike and get it on the main stand. Then I could start looking and listening for the leak. With a bit of air in the tyre I spun it around and immediately spotted the culprit.
If you look closely you may see a little shiny something inside the hole. I still don't know what it was (perhaps a nail, maybe a stone) as I could not pull it out and it ended up inside the tyre. So, I decided that I would try and fix the puncture rather than either of my two previous plans - at least it would be good practice in case I was unlucky enough to get another puncture out on the road.
After first running the awl through the hole (to make it easier to get the plug in) it was time to push the plug in. This was pretty tricky as the tyre had gone flat again so I poked it in a little and then pumped more air into the tyre. It was then easier to get the plug right through the tyre.
A quick twist and then I removed the insertion tool.
Followed by a little trim of the excess sticking out.
Then it was time to see how well the plug was sealing. I pumped the tyre up and grabbed some soapy water to check for leaks.
How's that for a surprise? The plug is sealing perfectly but there are two other tiny leaks just in that portion of the tyre! I decided against checking the rest of the tyre...
Tomorrow morning I'll check the pressure and hopefully be able to ride it into the shop for two brand new PR2's...well, that's the plan...
Bummer to get a flatty, but wooh hoo new tyres.
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo alright!
DeleteThat's a good size hole Andrew. Good job with the repair though, wish I had tubeless so it would be that easy for me if the unthinkable happened. Good luck with it in the morning, here's hoping you dont end up needing to take the whole thing off.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wondered if it was too big to fix but it was that hard pushing the plug in I think it will be ok. I don't need to go very far on it and will be carrying my compressor and more plugs...
DeleteAndrew:
ReplyDeletewhat bad luck. I mean, one puncture you can handle but how come there are more leaks ? was the tire defective and started to split or did you try to outrun a police spike strip ?
I have PR2's on my Beemer but after my trip they are squared off due to too much freeway riding. Other than that, they appear to have lots of tread left but they are going to be replaced for my next trip
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
I'm not sure about the little holes Bob. They may have been there for ages or perhaps I hit something with lots of little sharp points...
DeletePR2's rock my man - go find some corners to finish those tyres off!
That's a flat tire! It would be interesting to know what you ran over.
ReplyDeleteI've taken both wheels off both my Zx-14 and FJR at the same time. It's actually kind of easy.
Start with the bike on the center stand (main stand). It wants to rest on the front tire, so remove the rear wheel. Then use a small piece of wood or something similar that fits up under the plastic and against the exhaust pipes. Use a small hydraulic jack on the wood to raise the front of the bike ONLY enough to remove the pressure on the front wheel. As long as you do this on a solid surface like concrete, and you keep any kids from playing near the bike, you should be fine!
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t307/erikramsted/stn/DSCF5313_zpsddf6ed4a.jpg
Hi Erik, I removed plenty of rears - just not off a shaftee yet...
DeleteGonna be hanging onto the Connie for a lot longer yet so I'll probably have a go at some stage.
Plugs are cheap and being able to practice in a comfortable location is invaluable. Unfortunately, my bike has tubes. Plugs are so much more convenient.
ReplyDeleteHope you made it safely into the shop...
All good Richard - only lost 1.5 psi overnight.
Deletewell, if you're going to get a flat, better when the bike is parked! The flats I've experienced when moving were on sidecar rigs thankfully.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, most of mine have been like that - maybe when the tyres are hot the rubber may be soft enough to handle a small leak?
DeleteI have also had three or four while moving. Twice on the same tyre on one of my Bandits and twice on the Connie. The nice thing about the Connie is that the TPS system warns ya of what's happening once the tyre gets below a certain pressure - love the TPS system!
Not one, but three? Makes me wonder what you've been riding over.
ReplyDeleteHope it holds and you can ride it in.
All good and those other little ones must have been there for a while just not affecting the tyre pressure much (I always keep a good idea on my pressures so keep the compressor handy).
DeleteAndrew to me it looks like time to call a friend with a pick up truck, ramps and a good set of tie downs. (Well that worked for me anyway!)
ReplyDeleteOh heck no! The Connie weighs 280kg! It took four of us to get it on a ute one day - never want to do that again!
DeleteFriends with trucks are useful though...