You’re in the middle of a relaxing ride when you feel your tire flop after every rotation. It’s gone flat, and you have to repair it or risk damaging your motorcycle’s rims. Having the best motorcycle tire repair kits in your saddlebag is every bit as important as having the top OEM motorcycle parts in your garage. They let you make a temporary fix so you can get home.
Here are 5 easy steps to repair a flat tire on the road
#1 Figure Out Your Tire Type
There are two types of tire: tubed and tubeless. Patch kits are made to stop leaks in tire tubes. If you have a tubeless design, you need a plug kit. Before removing the tire, it’s best to find soft ground. You don’t want to rest your bare rim on asphalt if you can avoid it. Even a jacket or backpack used as padding can help save your wheel.
#2 Find the Hole
Remove the tire and examine the tube to find the leak. Larger holes are more obvious, but you might need a flashlight to find a pinhole. Don’t pull or stretch the tube to locate the leak as this can enlarge it. If there’s still air in the innertube, spraying soapy water on it can cause bubbles to form on the hole.
This is also the moment of truth, because you’re about to figure out if the tire is patchable. A complete blowout leaves your innertube in tatters and can’t be repaired. Figure out a way home and look for a deal on motorcycle tires for sale. Most manufacturers also recommend you don’t attempt a repair if it takes more than one patch to cover the hole.
#3 Patch the Leak
Start by using the implement from the kit to scuff the tube around the hole. If the kit didn’t come with such a tool, any clean, relatively rough device works. The scuffing lets the cement form a better bond better the innertube and the patch.
Always check the cement in your kit before hitting the road. Your kit is useless if the container has gone rock hard. Be generous when applying the adhesive to the scuffed area. Push the patch firmly into place and smooth it flat over the hole.
#4 Inflate the Tube
This is the trickiest part of the whole repair. Place the tube back in the tire and get it ready to go back on your bike. You need to partly inflate the innertube before slipping the tire back on the wheel. Compressed air cartridges work well but be careful not to overinflate the tire before it’s on the bike. If you pinch the tube or overinflate it, you have to deflate it and use another CO2 cartridge.
#5 Ride Home and Order New Tires
A patched tube is a ticking time bomb. It’s only really useful for limping your way home without having to walk your motorcycle the whole way. Order a new set of tires as soon as you can to avoid injuring yourself or damaging your body. Don’t forget to get another repair kit in case this happens again.
Before taking any long road trip on your car make sure you check your tire and even if you have 1% doubt than take a spare wheel with you.
