Puncture "repair" worms/string

[kingfisher]

On 11/29/2021 at 9:19 AM, bwringer said:

Yep. In general, sticky strings work just fine, even the cheapies.

But Nealey plugs really are the next level up. They work a little differently; basically, they're a little thinner but you end up with four thicknesses of string in the hole instead of two, and so they can conform to oddball punctures better. And they're installed differently such that you end up with a knot inside the tire that does a very effective job of keeping them in place and sealing the puncture.

No rasping or additional damage to the tire is needed. Just yank the screw or nail out of the tire, then insert the slim tool and move it around and in and out a bit in order to push any wires out of the way. And best of all, no glue (or lube) is needed; all other sticky strings require glue, which is inevitably dried up when you open the tube.

I have Nealey kits in all my vehicles, and I've installed several Nealey plugs in motorcycle tires (and car tires) with excellent results. The strings stay good for many years in the handy plastic tube. Ten year old Nealeys that have been toted all over the place are pliable, super-sticky, and indistinguishable from new.

 

As far as inflation, I carry a small electric pump, the smallest "Slime" brand. It plugs into the battery charging pigtail via the SAE connector (I installed a higher-capacity fuse; you can pop a 10amp sometimes when you switch the motor on).

CO2 cartridges seem like a neat idea, but the cold hard reality is that they are pretty useless for motorcycle tires. You need to carry a LOT of cartridges to get a tire anywhere near ridable pressure.

After I dumped four cartridges into a skinny 130/90-17 rear and only achieved 21 psi, I started carrying an electric pump. I don't know how many cartridges you'd need to get an FJ's 180 tire over 30psi, but it's more than I want to deal with.

And if you have a second puncture or a slow leak, there's no plan "B". And of course an electric pump also lets you adjust pressure easily in ordinary circumstances; for example, you can check in the morning before blastoff to get an accurate cold reading, then adjust to taste without paying for gas station air. 

 

One last word of hard-earned advice: the rubber "mushroom" plugs and tools that have been peddled for years under the "Stop and Go" name are dangerous bunk. They simply do not and cannot stay put in motorcycle tires.

Been there, done that, I tried and tried and tried, but Stop and Go plugs just do not work. (I did get one to stay in a car tire for a while, but in motorcycle tires they pop out pretty quickly.) A Nealey kit is far less expensive, easier to use, and works every time, unless, of course, your tire is obviously too damaged for any sort of plug to work.

Could not agree more with the Nealey repair. As you said, no glue is needed or recommended. I get lots of flats around here for some reason. Probably use my Nealey kit repair 3 to 4 times per year on more than one bike. The ONLY time that I had one leak air slowly afterwards was an early use of the kit when I used some rubber cement with it, not quite trusting the instructions not to. If you don’t use the cement, the natural rubber in the strings seems to bond with the tire, and never leaks.

[Bimbim18]

On 11/28/2021 at 6:52 PM, TomTracer said:

 I coat them with rubber cement when ready to plug. 

Same. After 25 years of plugging I just learned about the rubber cement thing last year. Plugs slide right in. Last 2 plugs I put in I almost pushed em all the way in the tire they were so slippery.

[TomTracer]

1 minute ago, Bimbim18 said:

Same. After 25 years of plugging I just learned about the rubber cement thing last year. Plugs slide right in. Last 2 plugs I put in I almost pushed em all the way in the tire they were so slippery.

I see zero reason to switch from what has worked well over such a long riding life and maybe a dozen flats. No failures, a couple of tires ridden to the end of tread with 2 plugs. 

[bwringer]

Hey, forgot I had these photos...

Here are a few shots of a Nealey sticky string repair after a few thousand miles in my FJ-09's rear tire. Note how the Nealey ties a nice knot inside the tire.

Close-Up:

 

The scene:

[PhotoAl]

Thanks, that's a great photo.  The knot addressed the issues that the mushroom plugs are trying to address.  Keeps from pulling back thru.  Looks like it is more to the side of the tire than I would have expected or maybe that is just the photo.

[bwringer]

That puncture was a small nail maybe 1.5 inches from the centerline. Well within the tread area.

I used pliers to pull the plug out from the inside, and it took a surprising amount of force.

I've examined several Nealey and other sticky string plugs after changing tires, and they've all been extremely well stuck in there.

Regular sticky strings sort of form a sticky glob that also works quite well. I like the Nealey knot, and the fact that you don't need to dink around with glue.

[TracerNed]

I don't think you beat the small size and ease of repair with the Dynaplug Repair Kit.  I have used these a number of times with excellent results.  They have a few different kit options but the plugs are the same for each kit.