Motorcycle Tire Repair Guidelines

[Shazaam]

This topic comes up often with the obligatory dire warnings. So ask yourself ...

How is the safety risk of a leak from a repaired tire any different than the risk of a puncture in the first place? The consequences are the same. The overall risk of injury is also the same. The failure probability of a properly repaired tire from all accounts is no greater than the chance of running over a nail in the first place.

So, if you're going to get squeamish, you should probably do so BEFORE you get on a motorcycle.

We live in an age where everyone sues anyone for anything ... so no wonder it’s hard to get a tire manufacturer or a repair shop to get past the liability issue to agree to patch a freakin’ tire. Our grandfathers would be amused (and also a bit ashamed) at us throwing away a perfectly good tire because it got a puncture. So, if you can’t get a dealer or tire shop to dismount the tire and properly patch it from the inside, then buy a kit and do it yourself.

Keep in mind that a tire manufacturer is in the business to sell tires so there's really no reason for them to suggest patching a puncture. However, Dunlop (to their credit) offers this advice:

"Dunlop recommends only permanent repairs performed from the inside of the tire, using a combination patch/plug method. Never attempt a repair from the outside, or inject a sealant, or simply use an inner tube, a patch or a plug as a substitute for a proper repair. Only a qualified tire repair shop or motorcycle tire dealer should perform repairs. Inspection of the tire and adequacy of repair becomes the responsibility of the person actually performing the repair and Dunlop does not warrant the results of a repair in any way."

That just about covers their butt, but there IS a point to be made here ...

You need to use a proper repair kit and materials, and only on tires suitable for repair. If you're going to do the repair, then YOU have to remove the tire from the wheel and do the inspection yourself. Here's some guidelines for either you or the tire repair shop:

The tire should NOT be repaired if:

• The puncture is larger than 1/4-inch in diameter
• The puncture is not perpendicular to the carcass
• The puncture is in the tire sidewall.
• There are any cut or separated plies
• There is any bead or carcass damage from running the tire flat
• The tire has been previously injected with a sealant/balancer
• There is more than one repair in any quadrant of the tire or there were two prior repairs to the tire.