Best puncture repair kit for touring

[tris]

I'm off on a bit of a mission for 5 days in a month or so and wondered what the views were on tyre repair kits I could carry on the bike.

Options seem to be
Sticky worms ( don't know the correct description) that you push into the hole
Tyre slime

What does the group recommend

Cheers

[pehayes]

FortNine has released an evaluation of systems on YouTube.  Well worth the watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm6fTWaj3QE

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[lucian]

I really like BMW's kit with plugs and co2 fill cartridge's. compact and no mini compressor to carry. Only problem is you cant take them on an airplane because of the cartridge's. Easy to find BMW dealers in most destinations and pick one up once there.   

[LowRyter]

I've had good luck with a Stop And Go plug kit and Slime compressor with a cigarette lighter plug.  The newer Slime compressors have lever chuck rather than screw in type, works much better considering spokes and brakes in the way of the tire stem.

I keep both in my tank bag all the time.  I've plugged three or 4 tires.  One failed but I drive the car home and the puncture was too large and wallowed out.  I didn't expect it would work.

[blackcat]

Rope plugs, never had a problem for the typical nail, screw puncture and I used the tires with the plug until the tire was finished with it’s road life.  I keep a Slime pump on a bike for long trips.  Tube tires get a coating of slime and I usually buy Michelin tubes as they seem to be the best or at least they are the thickest tubes.

[rtbickel]

Dynaplug has a cigar-sized kit that has all of the tools and plugs you need, but you will need a compressor or CO2 cartriges.

[Tom]

Rope plugs, never had a problem for the typical nail, screw puncture and I used the tires with the plug until the tire was finished with it’s road life.  I keep a Slime pump on a bike for long trips.  Tube tires get a coating of slime and I usually buy Michelin tubes as they seem to be the best or at least they are the thickest tubes.

+1  I do the same.  I did get one of those smaller pumps but they're limited in how long you can use them and heat up.  One of the things you can do is get a 12v pump.  Disassemble it out of the plastic shell and put it in a smaller tupperware type container.  I did that with one pump.  Cheaper than the Slime compressor.  I converted and old one that I had after I bought the Slime compressor.

[tris]

Cheers All

I'm leaning towards Dynaplug and a compressor.

It seems I'd need 8 off 16g CO2 cartridges to get 30 ish PSI from flat and that assumes I plug it right first time around.
So a compressor seems a better option,  even if it needs a rest every so often

[leafman60]

I've been at it a long time and I keep a simple kit of a few string plugs, an insert tool, a small compressor (bought at Walmart, removed the cover) and even a mini utility knife to cut the inserted strings. I've used them many, many times on my bikes and on flat bikes of others.  Never ever had a problem.

For my bikes with tube type tires, I run Slime sealer inside.  Been doing that for many years and never ever yet had a flat with one of the tires.  Punctures, yes, but no flats.  I inspect them regularly to find anything that I've picked up.  Occasionally, I may get a very slow leak that warns me but no flats.

Rear tires are the most likely candidate for any punctures.

I have, on more than one occasion, come to the rescue of fellow riders with those fancy plug insertion tubes etc. trying unsuccessfully to fix a flat. Sometimes the simple solution works best.

.

[sign216]

All my bikes are old, with bias ply tube tires. 

I've successfully used an aerosol can of emergency sealant (Threebond brand) when I had a bad schrader valve onroute to a rally, and then fully pumped the tires w CO2 cartridges.  The sealant held up for the entire trip, until I got back home for a tube replacement.

I still carry an aerosol can of sealant + CO2 cartridges.  They'll seal and give me enough pressure to get to a repair shop for a tube replacement.  Good thing about bias ply is their stiffer sidewalls allow you to run at low pressure / low speed to get to a pump or garage.

Re tubes: I've heard natural rubber tubes are better, and less likely to dramatically fail.

[Mike Tashjian]

I have used Dyna plugs a couple of times and have been disappointing in their performance.  They are easy to install but, the ones I used have leaked small amounts of air through the fibers.  I tried coating one with rubber cement and that one still leaked.  Good enough to get you home but not a permanent repair.  I have since purchased some rope type designed for tubeless bicycle tires which look promising.  I have a compressor and that works well.  I have not had good luck with CO2 cartridges whenever I tried them.   

[Wayne Orwig]

'Gooey worms'
You can get them at most gasoline stations.
They work.
They end.

[azccj]

This is the best roadside tubeless tire repair kit that I’ve ever used. Very compact and has everything you need to plug a tire on the side of the road. Just need to have small compressor to fill the tire after it’s plugged.
https://www.rockycreekdesigns.com/products/motopressor-puncture-repair-tool

Below is a write up I did on the GL1800 Riders forum regarding the tool.

https://www.gl1800riders.com/threads/better-to-have-it-and-not-need-it-than-to-need-it-and-not-have-it.475806/

[Tom]

I've been at it a long time and I keep a simple kit of a few string plugs, an insert tool, a small compressor (bought at Walmart, removed the cover) and even a mini utility knife to cut the inserted strings. I've used them many, many times on my bikes and on flat bikes of others.  Never ever had a problem.

For my bikes with tube type tires, I run Slime sealer inside.  Been doing that for many years and never ever yet had a flat with one of the tires.  Punctures, yes, but no flats.  I inspect them regularly to find anything that I've picked up.  Occasionally, I may get a very slow leak that warns me but no flats.

Rear tires are the most likely candidate for any punctures

I have, on more than one occasion, come to the rescue of fellow riders with those fancy plug insertion tubes etc. trying unsuccessfully to fix a flat. Sometimes the simple solution works best.

+1 On all of this.  I've used the strings and the worms.  Aside from having enough air to set the bead.  The other thing you want to have is enough rubber/contact cement.  The small tube doesn't work.  You want the larger tube and use it liberally when reaming the puncture hole as a lubricant.  This will ensure the the cement gets into the belts when using the string or worm.   

[guzzista]

Small but important omissions on the video.
1) Roughing up the area where the patch goes is essential to proper adhesion and  vulcanizing of the patch to inner tire contact area

2) on the subject of vulcanizing ( no , your ears will not look like Mr Spock after you are done). the wheel was not run  to normal temperature as in road usage after each puncture repair so the test is invalid imo.

I have installed many plugs for quick customer  puncture repairs on cars using the reddish type of plugs ( Safety Seal brand being most common in the Industry) and , after a number of miles ,(when said tires were being replaced), trying to push the plug remainder through from the outside , ( very hard to see as imbedded into the tire and about the same color of the tire after usage) or pulling on it with pliers from the inside was extremely hard to impossible due to the fact that the plug had vulcanized into the tire material and was super stuck.  I will assume that the other push in plug  types would put up similar resistance.
As per the (plug ) patch, very hard to pull away  or scrape  from the inside of the tire and coming off in small chunks at best. The rubber plug part, completely vulcanized and almost non visible)
 Still,  well presented  ( and monetized ) video with a couple of holes ( pun intended)

[jrt]

gooey worms. 

[tris]

It seems that there are as many options as there are in an oil thread

I'm only away for 5 days and 2 of them are getting too and from the ferry.
I want to be riding the bike and not chasing around for a tyre man in an area I don't know hence the question
I'll take it to my tyre man for a permanent fix when I get home
Thanks everyone

[Navydad]

I carry the "sticky worms" as they will work in a larger puncture than the rubber plugs will such the one I had in my Triumphs tire on a Florida trip. I picked up a rather large bolt of all things. It took two sticky worms, but by golly it got me to a shop so I could get a new tire. Also a small air compressor instead of CO2 cartridges. When the cartridges are empty and the tire still isn't inflated you are stuck.

[leafman60]

Strings, ropes, worms, gooey worms, I think we are all talking about the same thing.  My current supply is a Slime-branded one sourced from Walmart.

Hey Tom, I agree that rubber cement is a nice add-on but having come up short with it many years ago on a flat fix, I've been going without it and never had a problem.

.

[LowRyter]

https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Go-1000-Tire-Repair/dp/B0006NE3KE/ref=asc_df_B0006NE3KE/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312158556601&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11292887608478973180&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026166&hvtargid=pla-494047309918&psc=1

[Bulldog9]

I carry an old school plug kit but over the last few years have been using the stop n go rubber mushroom kit to great success on tubeless tires. Stop and go is great for most punctures and have so far lasted the life of the tire. The only problem with this is the inability to put more than one plug in the hole. When I was touring up to Nova Scotia several years ago I had such a large hole in the rear tire that it took three plugs with a roadside application of slime with inflator to let me limp to the closest motorcycle shop. Was my fault, I was almost to the point of courting the tire and got into some gnarly stuff that tore a big hole. The hole took three plugs. Could not have used the stop and go mushroom plugs for that, but the old school gummy River plugs with the rubber cement was enough as a temporary fix to get me where I needed to go.

I now carry the stop n go plug kit in all my vehicles cars and motorcycles. The motorcycle kit has a small compressor that plugs into the battery tender lead.

[LowRyter]

this ^

[kingoffleece]

Nealey.

https://www.nealeytirerepairkit.com/