Front flat tyre - only a few months old

[iceman]

Didn't notice anything much on the way to work, but when moving the bike out of the parking lot to come home (8pm in darkness) the front was very hard to turn, and then noticed problems all the way home. Peeking out from the seat at lights it did seem the front was flat. New MCG2 some months back in place of original IRC that had done near 14,000 miles with still legal tread!

Still, carried on riding home doing 35mph at times. When home and plugged the electric pump up it registered zero psi or thereabouts! Filled it to just above 29psi (back was at 32 so not much move from the 33 I set it to).

So, either a s puncture that got much worse over a show time or someone let the tyre down - find out tomorrow morning as working shifts over Xmas and NY.

[fish]

Good job the tire didn't come off the rim edge in a corner!
If it's hard to roll or hard to turn when not yet riding - you've a flat, don't ride until you inflate with your underseat gear!
Fish

[springer1]

Check the valve. Take off the cap and put spit or water around the inner stem & look for bubbles as you wobble it. If no bubbles, put some more spit or water around where the stem seats on the rim. Put your head down close to it and watch/ listen ..... again as you wobble it side to side.

[springer1]

Check the valve. Take off the cap and put spit or water around the inner stem & look for bubbles as you wobble it. If no bubbles, put some more spit or water around where the stem seats on the rim. Put your head down close to it and watch/ listen ..... again as you wobble it side to side.

Obviously first ensure it's inflated to 30 psi or so.

[Limey]

...and don't wobble your head from side to side!!

[Old Grinner]

I usually use a small mix of dishwater detergent and water.

If there's no bubbles coming out of the valve area with the tire inflated then you'll have to start looking along the tread.

Roofing nails are the worst IMHO.

The thing is the head can get worn off and then just the shank of the nail remains in the tread and it's difficult to spot.

Hope you find the source of the problem so you can move forward with the repair/replacement.

If the cause of the tire losing air was a foolish prank somebody did then they should see a psychiatrist.

I think I've posted this pic before but it goes to show that the valves can break along the rim surface.

100_4879a.jpg

[iceman]

OK coming in, not checked the PSI but will do so in time. Working over the Xmas period so get home late night and up early so little time to check. It does not seem to be going down very fast, but I gather most punctures will show themselves over time and a bit of use, not just go down in hours sitting there.

[iceman]

Tyre seems to be fine since filling it up many days ago, but when collecting the bike to go home noticed there is a screw in the tyre - direct centre of the tread and flush with it. Only noticed this because I looked down to check to see if the tyre was sagging or not as it looked fine leaving for work and looks fine even now - and it road fine going home to.

So, either bad luck happened many days ago which caused the tyre to go flat, but it's been fine since filling it with air, or the screw was the cause of the tyre going flat but strange I did not notice any issues since re-filling it, or someone is doing all this on purpose (especially as the screw was in the part of the tyre directly pointing outwards where you would push it in).

Hard to say one way or the other but annoyed that I got the MCG ordered in and fitted rather than have the default tyres they sold fitted (which seems to be scoot smarts or BattleAX's). So, when off shift in a week or two need to sort a new tyre Not sure whether to ask for a MCG or go with the BattleAX.

[raito]

A very long nail hit my rear tyre 17 days ago. I just plug repaired the tyre. I checked the pressure often and it is holding up pretty well like a perfectly normal tyre. Now 1733km already with the plugged tyre. I plan to use it till it is worn out.

[you you]

A very long nail hit my rear tyre 17 days ago. I just plug repaired the tyre. I checked the pressure often and it is holding up pretty well like a perfectly normal tyre. Now 1733km already with the plugged tyre. I plan to use it till it is worn out.

Yes they are generally fine if the repair is in the main section of the tyre.

No need to replace the tyre at all.

[raito]

It hit a groove, slightly off centre of tyre. It was newly installed tyre, only 13 days before nailed. Would be such a waste if I had to replace it already.

[iceman]

Well, finally got round to repairing it about 4 days ago and thought I would check it today as back to work tomorrow. Sadly it was flat again - perhaps it went flat faster than before.

The screw that came out was not very wide, maybe 3mm and I chose to use the larger of the two kinds of repair strings that came in the kit - even after reaming out the hole with the supplied tool, it was hard work getting the thick string in the hole - perhaps the smaller would have been adequate. This went in with rubber cement so should have been a good tight secure fit.

I've not bothered checking to see if that repair or elsewhere is leaking, just pumped it up again. Hope the repair is not leaking fast, so probably will have to re-check tomorrow.

Damn, was hopeful the repair would have sorted.

[springer1]

Replace it (the tire, not the repair).

[Old Grinner]

Replace it.

Yeah . . . replace the tire ASAP for safety sake.

A good article about tire plugging worth a read . . ..

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/tire ... cle-tires/

[gn2]

String type repair kits are only a get you home measure.
Mushroom plugs are better.
Professional repairers use a patch on the inside of the tyre.

[raito]

I'm doing all right on my string plug at 4346km now.

[you you]

New tyres pick up punctures more easily than old ones.

Get it plugged properly from inside as GN2 suggests and it will be fine.

[gn2]

I'm doing all right on my string plug at 4346km now.

Aye, they can be fine, but they can also fail.
Pays your money, takes your chance.

[iceman]

After a run of night shifts took the scooter for a tyre change but had to pump up from totally flat first. £70 supply and fitting of an original MCG rather than the new MCG 2 that I had on (of which £25 labour).

A bit steep but it's the only place I could find that would fit MCG's - everywhere else wanted around £65 to fit a Michelin Pilot Street or similar. The Pilot Street gets lots of bad reviews - does not last long and not good in the wet, so never want one of those.

Hope this one lasts longer than 2 months and a few hundred miles (original IRC lasted near 14,000 miles.

[you you]

Why didn't you just plug it?