kenk
New member
While riding last week on a newly graveled road, my GS gear wheel started getting loose at about 50 mph. I pulled over to the side of the road and realized my rear tire was flat. Gee…just what I needed. I was a beautiful unseasonably warm day and I had already rode 100 miles of dirt trail and gravel and was only a few miles from home. Go figure!
The rear tire on my GS is a Pirelli Scorpion with only a few thousand miles. This tire was already plugged once. Normally, I discard any plugged tires. However, in three months, I will need to mount a new set of tires for my 8500 mile trip to Alaska in June. So, I figured I would use this plugged tire until June to save the Alaska tires.
So, no problems here; I will simply plug the tire and inflate with my electric tire pump. But I then recalled I put a tube in the rear when I mounted this tire, since the tire was plugged. I didn't need to do this since it had a good plug. However, it seems like a good idea at the time just in case the plug failed. It was a bad idea!! My only option was to remove the rear tire, break the bead with the side stand, and remove the tube. Using the side stand to break the bead while your bike is on its center stand with NO rear tire can be dangerous, especially on such a large bike. However, I used a strap to secure the center stand down, by securing it to the front fork. Still, a feat best attempted with a buddy.
There was no visual external damage to the tire. So I removed the tube and carefully felt around the inside the tire. Inside the tire was about three inches of wire that had punctured through the thickest part of the tire. There was a very tiny entrance hole from the outside that most likely would have been a very slow leak if it wasn’t for the tube. Once the tube was punctured, air apparently leaked past the valve stem. So I plugged the tire with a tar snake, installed a steel reusable valve stem, and set the bead with a CO2 cartridge. Once the was bead set, I used my electric air pump to inflate the tire and remounted the tire.
So, what were the lessons learned from the day? The first was never use a tube in a tubeless tire and rim, when not absolutely necessary. Without a tube, I could have plugged the tire, inflated, and been on my way. I also have my doubts the very small puncture would have lost air as quickly without the tube. The second lesson was always being prepared to fix a flat with the tools on the bike. This should include a tube just in case you can't plug the tire, a removable valve stem if using a tube, a tube repair kit if you need to patch the tube, a tubeless tire repair kit, CO2 to set the bead and a pump of some kind to inflate the tire. I've used all kinds of plugging kits over the years. The most disappointing was the plug & go kit that will not plug anything other than a puncture. The best kit for the money that I have found is this kit sold at Tractor Supply Company. This kit was really gooey tar snake for truck tires and a t-handle tar snake insertion tool with a CENTER insertion slit vs. a side hook other models. It also has a good quality reamer, air gauge and patching supplies. This kit comes with it's own case for only $3.25. For $3.25 each, I keep a kit on all four of my bikes.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...10551_10001_33559_-1______?rFlag=true&cFlag=1
With two plugs, the tire is now going into the trash. I ordered another tire for the rear and will mount the Metzler Tourance as soon as it arrives. The second rear tire will be strapped onto my bike for my 8500 mile, 20 day trip to Alaska in June. Even with the flat, it was a great day of riding. It was also good practice fixing a tire in less than ideal conditions.
The rear tire on my GS is a Pirelli Scorpion with only a few thousand miles. This tire was already plugged once. Normally, I discard any plugged tires. However, in three months, I will need to mount a new set of tires for my 8500 mile trip to Alaska in June. So, I figured I would use this plugged tire until June to save the Alaska tires.
So, no problems here; I will simply plug the tire and inflate with my electric tire pump. But I then recalled I put a tube in the rear when I mounted this tire, since the tire was plugged. I didn't need to do this since it had a good plug. However, it seems like a good idea at the time just in case the plug failed. It was a bad idea!! My only option was to remove the rear tire, break the bead with the side stand, and remove the tube. Using the side stand to break the bead while your bike is on its center stand with NO rear tire can be dangerous, especially on such a large bike. However, I used a strap to secure the center stand down, by securing it to the front fork. Still, a feat best attempted with a buddy.
There was no visual external damage to the tire. So I removed the tube and carefully felt around the inside the tire. Inside the tire was about three inches of wire that had punctured through the thickest part of the tire. There was a very tiny entrance hole from the outside that most likely would have been a very slow leak if it wasn’t for the tube. Once the tube was punctured, air apparently leaked past the valve stem. So I plugged the tire with a tar snake, installed a steel reusable valve stem, and set the bead with a CO2 cartridge. Once the was bead set, I used my electric air pump to inflate the tire and remounted the tire.
So, what were the lessons learned from the day? The first was never use a tube in a tubeless tire and rim, when not absolutely necessary. Without a tube, I could have plugged the tire, inflated, and been on my way. I also have my doubts the very small puncture would have lost air as quickly without the tube. The second lesson was always being prepared to fix a flat with the tools on the bike. This should include a tube just in case you can't plug the tire, a removable valve stem if using a tube, a tube repair kit if you need to patch the tube, a tubeless tire repair kit, CO2 to set the bead and a pump of some kind to inflate the tire. I've used all kinds of plugging kits over the years. The most disappointing was the plug & go kit that will not plug anything other than a puncture. The best kit for the money that I have found is this kit sold at Tractor Supply Company. This kit was really gooey tar snake for truck tires and a t-handle tar snake insertion tool with a CENTER insertion slit vs. a side hook other models. It also has a good quality reamer, air gauge and patching supplies. This kit comes with it's own case for only $3.25. For $3.25 each, I keep a kit on all four of my bikes.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...10551_10001_33559_-1______?rFlag=true&cFlag=1
With two plugs, the tire is now going into the trash. I ordered another tire for the rear and will mount the Metzler Tourance as soon as it arrives. The second rear tire will be strapped onto my bike for my 8500 mile, 20 day trip to Alaska in June. Even with the flat, it was a great day of riding. It was also good practice fixing a tire in less than ideal conditions.
Last edited:
