I just finished changing my rear tire out as the 020 was almost to the wear bar at 13,300 miles. I put it on new just prior to leaving for westoc last year. Shortly after westoc with only about 3K on the tire I picked up a nail and found the tire flat. Being that I never tried plugging a tire before I thought this would be a good time to try it. I used the gummy worm type plugs found at wallyworld. The tire never leaked a pound of air from the patch as I made sure to check it often. I found that after I removed the tire and looked at the inside where the patch was that the gummy worm had made like a mushroom head against the inside of the tire, I'm sure that heat combined with centrifical force caused this to happen. With just over 10K on the plugged tire, a trip to cheapstoc included in the mileage, I fine the gummy worms to be an effective means to at least get you to a shop or home as long as the hole isnt to big. Pictures of the tire and the patch inside included. :biker:
BT020/and a plug
- Thread starter dannyk
- Start date
Fantastic, thanks for the inside look. I've repaired 6 holes in the last 2 months this way, but all on cars. Was wondering how long it would last on the bike. Feel good about taking the "worms" touring now.
Wow, 13,300 miles on the BT020. I wish I could get that, but I have a bad habit it seems of getting flats everytime I get around 6K on the rear tire and had to replace them. Three different Honda dealers have told me that you cannot/should not use a plug if the hole is in the groove of the tire and that seems to be where I get mine. 
I always seem to manage to pick up large screws or worse.
On the 2K trip I just completed a couple of weeks ago, I picked up a 3" x 5/16" roll pin in my 6K mile rear BT020 crossing the Ohio River on a bridge under repair. The pin not only went through my rear tire, but also the top of the friggin' rim!!! Would you like to guess what rear rims cost for an ST1300A?? $654, plus tire and labor.
I always seem to manage to pick up large screws or worse.
On the 2K trip I just completed a couple of weeks ago, I picked up a 3" x 5/16" roll pin in my 6K mile rear BT020 crossing the Ohio River on a bridge under repair. The pin not only went through my rear tire, but also the top of the friggin' rim!!! Would you like to guess what rear rims cost for an ST1300A?? $654, plus tire and labor.
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On Sunday, 8:30 pm, 250 mi from home, I ran over a large cotter pin that put two holes in my rear BT020. I used the gummy worms<w. rubber cement>, and it worked. The tire has 7500 mi, and a very slow leak, so I'm replacing it, but without advice from this forum,<gummy worms/Slime inflator> I never would have even attempted it.
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Wow, 13,300 miles on the BT020. I wish I could get that, but I have a bad habit it seems of getting flats everytime I get around 6K on the rear tire and had to replace them. Three different Honda dealers have told me that you cannot/should not use a plug if the hole is in the groove of the tire and that seems to be where I get mine.
I always seem to manage to pick up large screws or worse.
On the 2K trip I just completed a couple of weeks ago, I picked up a 3" x 5/16" roll pin in my 6K mile rear BT020 crossing the Ohio River on a bridge under repair. The pin not only went through my rear tire, but also the top of the friggin' rim!!! Would you like to guess what rear rims cost for an ST1300A?? $654, plus tire and labor.
Man, is that bad luck or what?
Bill, do you by chance tend to ride the center of the lane often or do you stick to the wheel paths of the cagers? I believe the wheel paths have less FOD from being 'swept' clean.
My flat tire last weekend was caused by a piece of bone that resembled a tooth from a sperm whale.
ST13Fred
Fred
I'm curious how long that roll pin was to have done that kind of damage, Bill. Man, that is bad luck. The physics had to be just right to do what it did.
Excellent news (except for the leak!)
On a tire with fewer miles (well okay it had less than 500) I pulled the gummy worm and inserted 2 at the same time. It didn't leak with 2.
Again, glad you were able to get back on the road!
Mark
Interesting question. I was taught in the MSF Basic Rider course that we should always ride in the center of the lane and I did normally do that for quite a while, but after spending a lot of time on this forum, I learned to ride to the left or right side of the lane (in the cager wheel paths, as you mentioned); however, when I picked up the roll pin (from what I believe was one of the temporary lane divider orange cylinders they put in) I was riding in the center of the lane because of the heavy 2-way traffic across the bridge over the Ohio River (it was under some heavy duty repairs).
I have also concluded that I should have been leaving a little more room between me and the cage in front of me--I would have perhaps been able to see it quicker and dodge the damn thing.
Hey Fred, as I mentioned in my earlier message, the roll pin measures 3" long by 5/16" in diameter. I believe what happened was that the tire immediately went flat enough and was held by in place by the tire, allowing the road to beat the pin through the rim. It was the most un-Godly banging sound!!I'm curious how long that roll pin was to have done that kind of damage, Bill. Man, that is bad luck.
That's exactly what the Honda service people said. You could actually see on the tire where the roll pin had come in a just enough of an angle to be caught by the tire groove and driven completely in.
Harpo
Four Stars
I just located a slow leak in my rear BT020 used a rubber worm in mine. The hole
was tiny and required soapy water to find it. It would leak down from 42psi to
about 25psi overnight. I replaced the valve core also and the tire is holding air
just fine. I'll take a razor blade to clean it up this evening, but for now I think I
have a good tire with 7,400 miles on it which will easily make 9,000 before I
replace it.
Already have two spare rear tires and one front in black plastic trash bags in a
closet, so if the plug ever leaks I can put on a new one immediately.
was tiny and required soapy water to find it. It would leak down from 42psi to
about 25psi overnight. I replaced the valve core also and the tire is holding air
just fine. I'll take a razor blade to clean it up this evening, but for now I think I
have a good tire with 7,400 miles on it which will easily make 9,000 before I
replace it.
Already have two spare rear tires and one front in black plastic trash bags in a
closet, so if the plug ever leaks I can put on a new one immediately.
Harpo
Four Stars
Well, I was wrong. The plug leaked down 60 miles from home and wouldn't hold
any Fix-A-Flat, so I needed help to trailer the bike back home yesterday. Air
was hissing out of the center of the plug. Time to replace the tire.
any Fix-A-Flat, so I needed help to trailer the bike back home yesterday. Air
was hissing out of the center of the plug. Time to replace the tire.
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15,000 on my last 020R(einforced.) It's an OEM on one of the BMWs. Tim at Two Brothers keeps me supplied.
That roll pin problem is "an act of God", hit yur insurance company up for the cost.
Danny, glad you got yurs fixed. That's a great set of pics and should assuage some anxiety among the anti-plug people.
That roll pin problem is "an act of God", hit yur insurance company up for the cost.
Danny, glad you got yurs fixed. That's a great set of pics and should assuage some anxiety among the anti-plug people.
What is 'reinforced' about the tire?
Harpo
Four Stars
Mine started feeling squirrely after I left a gas station .. hadn't accelerated
hard and I'm lucky for that. By the time I'd stopped, the bike was noticeably
lower, so I limped down a dirt back entrance to a Dollar General store and
began efforts to solve my situation there.
With a flat rear, the sidestand really puts the bike close to upright .. you
must use the centerstand with a flat tire .. and it's a right SOB putting it
up onto it, I can tell you. Anyway, my tire pump failed, the Fix-A-Flat
failed (just squirted out the center of the plug), and I gave up and phoned
a buddy to get my trailer and beat feet out to me.
Found out the inside center inch-and-a-half of the 020 is flat and from
there outward are diagonal ribs which hamper the seating of a plug. They act
as tiny air channels if they're under the mushroom of the plug. That's
what defeated mine .. the diagonal ribs inside.
Mark this point well:
If not dead center on the tread, a plug in the 020 will not long hold air.
hard and I'm lucky for that. By the time I'd stopped, the bike was noticeably
lower, so I limped down a dirt back entrance to a Dollar General store and
began efforts to solve my situation there.
With a flat rear, the sidestand really puts the bike close to upright .. you
must use the centerstand with a flat tire .. and it's a right SOB putting it
up onto it, I can tell you. Anyway, my tire pump failed, the Fix-A-Flat
failed (just squirted out the center of the plug), and I gave up and phoned
a buddy to get my trailer and beat feet out to me.
Found out the inside center inch-and-a-half of the 020 is flat and from
there outward are diagonal ribs which hamper the seating of a plug. They act
as tiny air channels if they're under the mushroom of the plug. That's
what defeated mine .. the diagonal ribs inside.
Mark this point well:
If not dead center on the tread, a plug in the 020 will not long hold air.
Mondo
Site Supporter
Danny - I really appreciated being able to watch you plug a tire at NatSTOC. Please provide your explanation concerning why it is usually the rear tire that picks up an object and what you have done to combat it. I assume it is still working.
Thanks!
Greg Kane
Thanks!
Greg Kane
Shadowfax-ST
As ridden by Pat
Having fallen victim 3 times this year to screws and a nail, does anyone know why the Tyres can't be made more resistent to perforations?
It just seems that in 2009 to be daft still getting punctures at all; polycarbonates, Kevlar, glass and carbon fibres must have a place in armouring our bikes? I accept pneumatic Tyres give the best ride Per Kg/lb but does the industry fear it can't rob us as easily if they applied resistence and better longevity to our Tyres?
I bet the space shuttle doesn't pick up crap like I do!
I worked out why the rear punctures easiest. The front bounces the spike off the road surface at just the angle required to penetrate the rear tread. Right, that's the problem; what's the solution??????
It just seems that in 2009 to be daft still getting punctures at all; polycarbonates, Kevlar, glass and carbon fibres must have a place in armouring our bikes? I accept pneumatic Tyres give the best ride Per Kg/lb but does the industry fear it can't rob us as easily if they applied resistence and better longevity to our Tyres?
I bet the space shuttle doesn't pick up crap like I do!
I worked out why the rear punctures easiest. The front bounces the spike off the road surface at just the angle required to penetrate the rear tread. Right, that's the problem; what's the solution??????
$650! I'm thinkin JB Weld.....just kidin
Harpo
Four Stars
I agree, although run-flat tires are notoriously heavy due to the
inner structure that enables them so. I've gotta say the older
style inner tubed tires were more readily repaired on the road ..
so long as the wound was a puncture they were repairable, even
on the sidewalls. All you needed to do was break the bead (easier
than tubeless beads) and pull out the portion of inner tube with
the wound from the tire .. and patch it. Now we have tubeless
tires with ribbed inner surfaces and irreparable sidewalls .. and
they run well over $100 apiece.
Looks like we're being systematically screwed, as usual, by the
industry. What we need is something that a motorcycle can limp
along on without buggering up the rim .. or a return to tube-type
tires.
inner structure that enables them so. I've gotta say the older
style inner tubed tires were more readily repaired on the road ..
so long as the wound was a puncture they were repairable, even
on the sidewalls. All you needed to do was break the bead (easier
than tubeless beads) and pull out the portion of inner tube with
the wound from the tire .. and patch it. Now we have tubeless
tires with ribbed inner surfaces and irreparable sidewalls .. and
they run well over $100 apiece.
Looks like we're being systematically screwed, as usual, by the
industry. What we need is something that a motorcycle can limp
along on without buggering up the rim .. or a return to tube-type
tires.
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More plies? I don't read the literature, just know the stated weight rating is higher than the "standard" 160/70/17.
If you look at the literature the Sidewall of the BT020 has 3 Rayon plies versus the 2 nylon plies of the BT021
OEM Battlax BT-020F 170/60ZR-17
(3) Rayon plies in the sidewall
(3) Rayon & (1) Aramid ply in the tread
Battlax BT-021 170/60ZR-17
(2) Nylon plies in the sidewall
(1) Steel, (1) Polyester, (2) Nylon plies in the tread
Here is an intersting video of how a tire is actually made - it's about 4 1/2 minutes long. Note, only the very first, inner ply is designed to hold air.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If5t783NZFY
OEM Battlax BT-020F 170/60ZR-17
(3) Rayon plies in the sidewall
(3) Rayon & (1) Aramid ply in the tread
Battlax BT-021 170/60ZR-17
(2) Nylon plies in the sidewall
(1) Steel, (1) Polyester, (2) Nylon plies in the tread
Here is an intersting video of how a tire is actually made - it's about 4 1/2 minutes long. Note, only the very first, inner ply is designed to hold air.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If5t783NZFY