I noticed this hole when I got to work in the morning. It lets out enough air that I can hear it when I try to inflate the tire. What are my options here, aside from buying and mounting a new tire? Is this fixable with liquid sealant? A rubber rope kit?
I’m not taking this bike past 90mph, so any fix doesn’t need to be capable of withstanding incredibly high stress. But I don’t want to be unsafe, either. Thanks for the help.
You already have good answers. To add to the reason why this tire is dead is it is a slice not a hole. When you get a hole from a nail in your tire it usually goes between the belts. With a slice like this. It is much more likely that belts have been cut. This means the strength of the tire is compromised. If I was out on the trail or just trying to get home I would plugged it for the short term. So if you need to ride it to the shop to get a new tire you should be fine, but this is not a tire to trust your life with.
If it was a puncture i’d just use a simple repair kit and it would hold until the tyre is all worn and needs replacing.
That’s a rip, though… unless you use some sealant from the inside… and even then i can’t advise on anything from experience, check with your local mechanic.
You have good answers in the thread and probably have decided on your solution. Let's talk about the future, too.
I've been using mushroom style plugs for well over a decade and surely have tens of thousands of miles on plugged tires. Maybe some would consider my attitude on the subject ummm, cavalier. Every tire I've "repaired" in this way was a clearly screw/nail/round puncture. Yours looks scary to me. Find the budget and get a new tire.
Also get a plug kit for future just-in-case. They work, even if you don't care to use a holed tire until the end of it's life, a plug can get you back to a place where the tire can be replaced, just treat it like a doughnut spare for a car and go gently.
Can you please elaborate? My naive thought is that it’s small enough that I could patch or plug it and be able to at least ride for a few days til I can replace the tire.
In a car, sure, but even in a car if it’s a slice, I would tell you to get a new tire. On a motorcycle, new tire. It’s not worth your life over a few hundred bucks.
lol it’s super fixable! Just put a bit of adhesive tape on it and it’s good as new! I’m sure nothing bad will happen! Make sure to test your repaired tire and speed a little to make sure that the tape is on real good!
As someone who works in the tire industry, I’d say that tire is dead, unfortunately. I’d recommend replacing as soon as possible and not to attempt driving on it much, as you can cause unseen damage to the inside and compromise the integrity further.
water can get into the slice and into the layers of the tire and then start to corrode the metal cords weakening the whole thing. also hard to tell how much of the cords are damaged with a slice like that. I wonder what caused it.
I’ve been wondering about that. We have a good bit of broken glass in the alley my garage is on. That’s my best guess, but I can’t imagine what scenario could actually lead to a bit of glass gouging through that much rubber. And then for it to not be noticeable until after a 20 minute ride, and for the glass to fall out of the hole? Seems a bit implausible.
My general rule with my bike… Any sign of a hole is not worth the risk. Is it fixable? Maybe? Is the risk worth the cost of replacement, for myself and my family… Absolutely not.
That said, take it to a shop and get the word from an expert. Don’t trust your life to the opinions of the Internet based off of a picture of your tire.
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