Imagine this: You are out on the road, in the “middle of nowhere” and suddenly you find yourself in a tire crisis. Now picture yourself on this road, in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but nothingness surrounding you. In fact, this stretch of road is approximately 50 miles away from the next service station, let alone anyone that would replace your tire.

It is really too bad you don’t have a skateboard. The night is approaching! Would you know what to do in this situation? What do you do? Tomorrow your goal is to locate a dealer to replace your damaged tire, but what happens in the meantime? Should you perform an “Emergency Temporary Repair?”

I personally do not believe in repairing a tire. My well-being is much more important than the price of a tow truck and a new tire. Yet I realize and have been faced with the dilemma above and will offer a few suggestions. Again, this is only a temporary repair until you can reach a reputable dealer.

This is what would be termed an “Emergency Situation.” First things first. You will need to evaluate the tire. Is the damage/hole less than ¼-inch in diameter and in the center portion of the tread, not the sidewall? Is there more than 1/32- inch of tread remaining on the tire? The main problem with a damaged tire, that is still mounted on the rim, is the fact that you cannot see the entire damaged portion. There is always a possibility more damage occurred than what simply appears on the outside of the tire.

There are several types of repairs available for tubeless tires, external and internal types. This message will stick to External repairs which match best with our scenario outlined above. The middle of nowheresville trip.

Most motorcycle accessory dealers carry Tubeless Tire Repair Kits. They are offered through most all major motorcycle accessory distributors, thus a motorcycle dealer can easily obtain one if they do not stock them. Stop & Go International calls one product “Tire Plugger”. This kit consists of a spring gun, probe tool, nozzle, 25 plugs, lubricant, tools, and instructions for use. The only tools, besides the ones provided, you will need are a razor blade, pliers, and some CO 2 cartridges or a small travel size (read micro bicycle pump).

Essentially this kit uses a "mushroom" plug, instead of straight plug. Make sure you follow the instructions of use included with the tire repair kit. Take it easy on your temporary repaired tire. Get to a dealer as soon as possible to replace this temporary repaired tire.

--Michael Iiams
Avon Tyres

Balancing tires Balancing is always a consideration after repair or replacing a tire. Talk about a balancing act. A few ounces can really affect the handling of your bike so mounting and balancing a tire correctly is important.

When mounting a new tire begin by making certain the rim has been thoroughly cleaned. It may require a wire brush. If you leave the speck of old rubber, rust or dirt (even as little as .04 of an inch) the result may be a variation force of 11 lbs. And this may cause motorcycle tires to wobble. Next, lubricate the tire and rim to allow the new tire to seat itself. Lubricating the tire is not done just to help you get the tire on the rim. Lubrication allows the tire to seat itself.

Trying to mount a tire without cleaning the rim and lubricating the beads is like trying to put on a dry sock over a wet leg; you can't get the darn thing straight; it doesn't line up; all the ribs are crooked. Now some people don't care if the ribs on their socks are crooked but at Avon we happen to like ours straight.

If you try to mount a motorcycle tire without thoroughly lubricating both beads you stand a good chance of mounting it "tweaked". This is because when the beads first come in contact with the rim, there's tension. If the beads don't slide back and become comfortably seated they will be straining to get straight for the rest of the tire's life. This may cause wobbling and lower mileage so make sure that both beads are thoroughly lubricated with a good commercial lubricant. Soap and water may also be used but be careful in applying so you avoid getting soapy water inside the tire. This may cause the tire to become imbalanced and may also promote the rusting of steel rims.

Also water trapped inside the tire will turn to steam when riding, affecting tire pressure and performance. I strongly recommend against putting sealant and/or balancing fluids in a tubeless motorcycle tire. They tend to mask damage done to a tire by a penetrating object. These fluids continue to fill puncture holes until the object may suddenly be thrown out which may lead to a dangerous blow out. And with the kinds of heavy loading we're getting these days on motorcycles the risk is of concern.

Balancing new tires is also very important. 1.8 ounces of imbalance will result in 110 lbs. of variation force at 80 mph. That may cause a lot of wobble and 1.8 ounces of imbalance is not so uncommon with some manufacturers' tires.

Always have tires balanced at a dealership. Computer balancers are state of the art and you should take tires to places that have them. All tire manufacturers mold a thin line around the sides of each tire close to where the tire meets the rim. This rim line is to help the mechanic determine if the tire is properly seated. Be sure this line is parallel to the rim all the way around on both sides of the tire. If it is not, you must relubricate the beads and try again. After mounting any new tire, remember that new tires need to seat themselves properly and get scrubbed in so take time to break your tires in just like you would with a new pair of shoes.

Also bear in mind that often a wheel by itself can be out of balance. It's a good exercise to balance the wheel first so that an out of balance problem is not incorrectly blamed on the tire.

Follow these tips and achieve the right balance in your life.

Sukoshi Fahey (Ms.)
Sales Manager, North America
Hoppe & Assoc. (Avon Tyres)
Lynnwood, WA 98036 USA
800 624-7470 toll free
425-771-2115 phone
425-771-4246 fax
www.avonmotorcycle.com
www.avonmoto.com (check this site for promotions)