How "temporary" are tyre repair kits?

[esullivan]

For several years of commuting in London, I somehow avoided a flat tyre. This morning, my luck ran out. I got a nail right in the middle of the tread on my rear. So I finally got a chance to use that Stop & Go mushroom plug kit that's been taking up room in top box for years. It was actually pretty easy, given that it was my first time and I was trying to read the instructions in the dark. The air pressure held (got to work and it was still at the 42psi when I went home), so it seems to be plugged correctly.

Question: Do I still need to replace the tyre? Or should I get it repaired "properly" at the local tyre place? My wife & I are planning a 200 mile trip on Sunday, so I don't want to take any chances. I can drop in at the tyre place tomorrow morning.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[Rogerborg]

I would and have ridden on a mushroom myself.

However, if Mrs Borg were riding bitch, I'd go to Mr Tyre and get it plugged from the inside.

She's not as well insured as me.
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[stinkwheel]

I've had up to three of those in a tyre and taken it down to canvas wirth speeds up to 150mph.

I personally consider them to be a permanant repair. Your choice though because the official line is it's a "limp home" repair..
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[Deso]

I will say you should be fine with that until you need to replace the tyre.
If it was anywhere on the first quarter edge of the tyre then you'd need to replace your tyre immediately
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[Kawasaki Jimbo]

[Itchy]

If you put them in right they last the life of the tyre.

The repair kit manufacturers put temporary only on it to cover themselves in case of liability.

If you take the tyre off drill a hole to make it 3mm or was it 4mm I forget and put a mushroom plug through it then it's a pretty permanent repair.
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[DrDonnyBrago]

I had a tyre repaired using the hot vulcanising method a few months ago. Can be used on sidewalls and other parts of the tyre that bungs and mushrooms can't.

Hole gets filled with liquid rubber, patched from behind, then cured between hot plates.

Repair has held air perfectly and it is now impossible to tell where the original hole was. Quite impressed tbh.

[Fidge]

Has anyone ever had a bad experience with a plugged tyre?

[c_dug]

My local tyre place advised that the strings be considered temporary, but roadside mushrooms could be considered permanent.

Given they stand to benefit from the opposite, I'm inclined to trust what they say.
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[MarkJ]

[Pigeon]

[mentalboy]

[Itchy]

[Undinist]

I use REMA Tip Top plugs which you get in a BMW toolkit. I always use them until the tyre wears out. I did a track day with one. An RAC patrolman told me he'd read a test in which all the tyres on a Subaru Impreza had been plugged, then the car had been driven rally-style until the tyres were bald. All the plugs stayed in.

[mentalboy]

[Rogerborg]

[esullivan]

Thanks everyone for the help. I brought it over to the shop and they're putting a more permanent plug/weld/whatever in. Might as well. The tyre has less than 2,000 miles on it (why don't you ever get a puncture in an old tyre?) and I'll be riding on it for several more thousand miles.

The air pressure is still spot on, though, so my confidence in these mushroom plugs has gone up. The kit is easier to use than the sticky worms stuff. If this happens to me on our next long tour (Germany in May), I won't hesitate to use one of these and just continue the tour.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[J.M.]

I'd get it fixed at a shop as you're doing. It just gives me peace of mind. I've had a puncture in my tyre, a very small one. It cost about £20-30 to fix and about 30 minutes. That was ride-in-ride-out.

For the sake of ~£30 I'd rather leave it to something that I know I can trust and not risk damaging several hundred pounds worth of cosmetics on the bike for sliding down the road if something were to go wrong.

That being said, I didn't have any form of repair kit at all, and I needed the bike. So I did a very ugly patch at home, half inflated the tyre, and limped the bike to the repair place.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[esullivan]

It was £35 for me. London prices. The plug looks more solid and they showed me what the other side looks like, so yeah probably worth it.

Again, though, I wouldn't hesitate to ride on one of the mushroom plugs for a long while. It worked better than I expected.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[dannymassive]

+1 for agreeing that the mushroom plugs are a good repair and that I also would class one as permanent. I've used them a few times and they have always been successful.
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Previous Ride's - '01 Aprilia SR125 (Sold) '08 HONDA CBF600n (Sold) '96 CB500 (Sold) '01 FZS 1000 (Sold) '06 CB1300SA (Sold) '07 CB600F Hornet (Sold) - '93 Suzuki Savage LS400 (Sold) '98 Honda VTR1000 Firestorm (Sold) '05 CB600F Hornet (Sold) '01 FZS1000 Fazer (Sold) 2016 Harley Davidson Street Bob SE (Sold) '02 Kawasaki ZX9R (Sold) '98 CB600F Hornet (Sold) '04 Suzuki Bandit 1200s (Sold) '13 Yamaha FZ1-N

[talkToTheHat]

I appear to have inherited a still sealed can of tyre fixing slime. Definitely limp mode stuff.
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[Az]

[davebike]

The other reason there considered temporary is
that the inside of the tyre should be inspected fro dammage to the belting and internal bulges
It is uncommon with modern tyres but dammage that caused a punture can cause other dammage that in time may cause a sudden complete failour very un lightly but that is why a proper repair includes inspecting the inside around the dammage

I only seen one massive failour in the last 10 years but I not want to suffer one rear tyre in a Pan ST1300 split all the way across you could get your hand in the hole ! happened 50 odd miles after a temporary repair on way to full repair oh and Not me than goodness
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[Rogerborg]

sownds dangerouse
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[chris-red]

I had one 'blow out' at about 80mph and another leaked

Could be down to poor fitting on the first, the second was a cut rather than a hole, so wasn't going to seal properly. I'll give it one more go before I write them off as temporary.

That said the stop and go kit is a must have IMO, fucking brilliant at getting you home. It pays for itself the first time you use it.
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