Slime: Two-Year Limit on Slimed Tubes?

[Cheese]

How about Mr. Tuffy??

http://www.mrtuffy.com/product-line.html

[Jerryd]

How about Mr. Tuffy??

http://www.mrtuffy.com/product-line.html

Works great on bicycles. I use it myself for long distance races. However, its sold for bicycles and may not hold up in motorcycle use?

[LowRyter]

/////////////////////////////
The only fact I know is that I get about 1 flat tire about every 200,000 miles.   Maybe I'm just a statistical anomaly, who knows?   Personally, I don't bet that way.

Lannis

I must be on the other end of the scale, my average is a flat at every 20k miles.  Usually the rear tire but at least once on the front.  I've had flats on every bike I've evered owned.  
 :'(

and to set this thread on fire:  I've never thrown away a punctured tire and have continued to ride it until it wore out.  Usually the those tires wore out sooner than normal.

[Pasta Hog]

Seems to be almost a religious fervor against the stuff.   Me, I use it where it seems to make sense for insurance, and don't use it where it's more trouble than it's worth.

I forgot to ask: has it actually been shown to be infested with demons or anything? Will I be burned at the stake if I use it?

[Cheese]

:D :D :D :D :D

 Yes , no , maybe  ;D

  Dusty

Only if someone sees you ::)

[Jerryd]

The Ride On website has an impressive video of drilling holes in a front tire and running over a nail board with no loss of air. But maybe it went flat the next day  ;) Although still an impressive video. I'm sold!

[bad Chad]

I'v run slim in my v65 for several years, tires are at least 4 years old, not yet have I had been shown how well Slime works in the tubes, but it makes me feel better knowing it's in.   I have heard that Ride ON may be better.

http://www.ride-on.com/motorcycles.html

[LowRyter]

[Pasta Hog]

"Many Shubs and Zulls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of a Sloar that day, I can tell you!"

[papatom]

My 2cents worth.  Used slime in off road tubed tires for years.  Seems to me that in street tires it would at least slow the leak down to a level where a decent rider could feel the loss of air pressure and pull over.  A nail in an unslimed  tire would be an instant flat at speed.  With slime there would be time to notice a gradual loss of pressure if it doesn't seal it completely.  The two year thing don't know about but off road its lasted for years.  Once punctured though a patch won't stick, but you shouldn't be patching street tubes anyway.

[Pasta Hog]

I'm going with Ride-On.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Carrying a bottle of tube-type Slime and a small air compressor is another option.  I'm doing that, and if I ever put the Slime to use I'll report back.  I took a cheap 12v compressor out of its fancy plastic case, and it takes up very little room now:

Just bought one of these earlier today at Tractor Supply for $10:



Not very big even in it's plastic case: 4.5" w x 6" l x 2.5" thick.

[Triple Jim]

That's probably about the size mine was when I got it.  Chuck the plastic and it'll really be small.  Or keep it as-is if you have room.  Mine fits in a small zippered side compartment of my tail bag.

[AMGeneral]

I only run the Slime as a temporary fix. Carry a bottle of tube slime and a compressor. Will get you to where you can properly replace a tube.

 I check the tubes out when I replace the tires, when in doubt, I replace them. Cheap insurance and nice to know I have new tubes inside the new rubber.

One less thing to worry about out on the road.

Had to use tube slime once for that very purpose. Had the trailer loaded, hooked up and ready to head out for a camp-out. Road to work so I could get a head start on the miles. Made a pit stop on the way in to work and picked up a nail in the rear Jackal tire pulling into a parking lot. Luckily I was parked near the west Wichita wally world and bought a bottle of tube slime. Followed the directions, aired up the tire and next morning had the tube replaced at the now closed Guzzi dealer. Didn't make a mess inside the tire, and I probably could have rode the bike like that, but I knew the right thing to do was replace the tube.

[rodekyll]

Don't underestimate those little compressors.  I got a call once from a woman who was stranded on the top of Harbor Mountain here in Sitka.  She and her little daughter had been picnicking and berry picking up above the cloud line.  When they returned to the car, the left rear tire was flat.  She said she'd slimed the heck out of it and it still wouldn't hold air, and of course the spare was also flat.  I filled my portable tank, added my silly little $10 compressor (came in a kit with SLIME for $19.95 back when I needed the sealer), and went up to help. 

Harbor Mountain road is a WWII construction knocked out in a hurry to supply artillery batteries in the hills during the Alaskan campaign.  It has never been improved.  It rises about 3,000' in 5.5 miles, clinging to the cliffs in typical military fashion.  It's closed about 8 months of the year due to ice, snow, and other slippery stuff.  You can see your own tail lights on some of the switchbacks, and of course it wasn't intended for 2wd traffic, speed, or people with pacemakers.  Frequent washouts, slides, and treefalls make it a new experience every time.  I use it to tune up for road trips.  I figure if I can get a full-dress Convert up and down it I'm ready for anything.  The road can be challenging in daylight with four good tires, but it was going to be dark by the time I got there and I didn't know what to expect from the tires if they wouldn't hold slime.

 The tire was flat all right, sitting in a puddle, and there was the contents of a can of insulating foam slathered over the tire stem and rim.  She thought it was tire sealer and couldn't figure out how to inject it in the valve stem with the spray nozzle.  In desperation she coated the tire with it.  Also a lot of the quarter panel, herself and her kid.  It was almost set up when I got there.  I had a good laugh.  She didn't see the humor.

I managed to get the valve out of the stem an clear an airway.  The valve wasn't going to work again though, so I used the one from her spare.  She'd been carrying the insulating foam in her kit thinking it was slime, so there was none of that, and I wasn't going to jack up the car to find and patch the hole in the dark.  So I gave it as much air as I could from the tank.  I was dissatisfied with the pressure I got out of the tank, so I hooked up the compressor directly to the tire.  It took a while and got smelly-hot, but that little pos pumped the tire up to 45#, with chunks of foam cracking off as it inflated.  Bubbles in the puddle told me the leak was daring me to outrun it.

I enjoy a challenge, so I jumped into the car and high-tailed it to town, leaving her to clean up the mess and drive my rig down.  I took the trail as fast as I could without leaning too hard on the already-softening tire.  At the intersection of the main road I took a look and figured I might make the additional 6 miles to the auto shop, but was prepared for failure.  On the plus side, the jarring run downhill had knocked off most of the foam.  At the roundabout, 4 miles down the line, the car wallowed left and oversteered right.  A few blocks later it was yawing going straight.  The rim hit the road a few hundred feet from the shop.  It was a dirt road, so I finished the trip on the rim.

I haven't used the compressor since.  I don't know if it still works.  She learned how to read a spray bottle, and now carries both slime and a compressor.  The berries made good jam.  She gave me some.

[leafman60]

I have used Slime or similar products for years, primarily on tube-type tires.  I've never had a problem and it has saved me several problems with acquired nails, shards etc.

Most punctures I've experienced occur in the rear tire, presumably from items flipped up by the front tire.

My typical practice is to replace the tube with its sealer contents on every other tire change for regularly-used tires.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I have used Slime or similar products for years, primarily on tube-type tires.  I've never had a problem and it has saved me several problems with acquired nails, shards etc.

Most punctures I've experienced occur in the rear tire, presumably from items flipped up by the front tire.

My typical practice is to replace the tube with its sealer contents on every other tire change for regularly-used tires.

Yep, if 50 some years of riding, I've only had a front flat once, a giant thorn when I was riding in the woods.  ;D

[Wayne Orwig]

Yep, if 50 some years of riding, I've only had a front flat once, a giant thorn when I was riding in the woods.  ;D

I've had a couple happen on the road. Flat front tires at speed on the road are nasty. It makes a flat rear tire handle like a dream.  :o