You may always pay attention to a sharp nail and glass fragments on the road to avoid flat tire while traveling, but still, this issue cannot be avoided once the tire stepped on it. In the case of tube tires, the air deflates quickly, but as for tubeless tires, air deflates slowly due to sharp object impaled on the tire.
The portable puncture repair kit is reliable in such an emergency situation. If you have this kit, you can keep going on your touring to reach your destination even if your tire may be punctured in the middle of the road.
Table of Contents
1. A flat tire may not be noticeable with a tubeless tire.
Even if you find an impaled nail or sharp object on the tire surface, you may not want to pull them out immediately if you are not close to a repair shop or you don't have a repair kit. Moving to a nearby repair shop where tire repair can be done is also an option as the less air is released if the impaled sharp object cannot be removed on the tire surface.
Checking tire air pressure and wear are the basis of tire maintenance, but a flat tire is inevitable even if you practice its maintenance. While traveling on a wider road, many riders may find surprised when they figure out a nail impaled on the tire without knowing why it steps on a small nail or shingle.
There seem to be a lot of instances wherein the rear tire tramples on the sharp object making the front tire wobbles when motorcycle tire punctured. If I remember it correctly, I may have had a flat tire more frequently on the rear tire than on the front tire even when I was riding a bicycle.
For both front and rear tires, the interior air pressure deflates if a sharp object is impaled on the tire. However, the method of air deflation is different between a tube tire that is often used in a spoke wheel motorcycle and a tubeless tire that is common in a cast wheel motorcycle.
In the case of a tube tire, air leaks into the gap between the inner tube and the tire if a sharp object penetrates since the inner tube and the tire have a two-layer structure, making the air to release in a short period of time. On the contrary, the inner of the tubeless tire maintains the air pressure depending on the tire and the inner surface of the rim.
Thus, even if the nail is impaled on the tire surface, the air inside the tire deflates far slower than the tube tire because the nail cannot formulate a hole unless it is pulled out from the tire surface. Some riders keep riding without realizing it for quite a while.
・When the tire steps on the nail, air deflates quickly for a tube tire, but air deflates slowly for a tubeless tire.
・Check the tubeless tire regularly to ensure without having any sharp objects on the tire surface.
2. If you have a puncture repair kit, you can deal easily with a flat tire.
DAYTONA's puncture repair kit is a user-friendly kit where you can collect all the necessary items in a carrying pouch. When going out for touring, adding a gripping tool to this pouch such as pliers or nippers to pull out a sharp object, further improves its user-friendliness.
The tubeless tire has one aspect where the air is less expected to deflate at once even if a sharp object impaled on the tire surface, of course it is dangerous to keep on riding with a flat tire. If you keep on riding with a flat tire, there is a tendency that the impaled sharp object may suddenly pull out as the tire constantly deforming while running, causing the air to release as well. Moreover, it is too dangerous as the hole enlarges when tire with a sharp object rubs on the road surface, causing more serious damage to the tire surfaces.
There is no inner tube for a tubeless tire, so pulling out the impaled sharp object from the tire and closing the hole will almost block the air to release. Basically, repairs can be made from the ground without removing the tire from the wheel. A puncture repair kit for tubeless tires is convenient to use for those cases.
This puncture repair kit help seals puncture holes with rubber sealants such as plug-like, and string-like seals. Each plug and string has its own advantages, and each user has its own preferences in certain areas. However, the procedure for removing the sharp object, preparing the pilot hole, and inserting the sealant coated with special rubber cement (adhesive) into the puncture hole is similar to any type of tire.
As for the DAYTONA puncture repair kit being used here, features a gas cylinder that replenishes tire air in addition to string-like sealant, and it is a portable type that can cope with situations such as sudden flat tire at the touring destination.
・For the tubeless tire puncture repair kit, insert the sealant from the outside.
・The kit with an air cylinder can replenish air to some extent.
The consumable sealant, rubber cement that can be used 5 times, and an air cylinder filled with high pressure can be purchased separately. If using it as a puncture repair kit on the go, remember to replenish it to have a narrow escape from death.
3. Make sure the pilot hole is well prepared when putting a sealant.
The DAYTONA's puncture repair kit is a portable type in a special pouch containing a set of a reamer for drilling pilot hole, a hook for inserting the sealant, and an air cylinder for filling the air. It is also useful for keeping in-vehicle and touring tools.
However, please prepare gripping tools such as pinch and long-nose plier separately as there is no tool to remove sharp object impaled on the tire. Although the specific usage is as described in the photo, if the amount of rubber cement applied to the sealant set on the hook is small, slippage will be poor during insertion and the material may be cut-off halfway, so it is important to apply plenty of rubber cement.
Similarly, when enlarging a hole from which a sharp object has been removed with a reamer, the pilot hole will be too small for the sealant and it will also be cut-off when inserted if you are working with surprise, making it enlarge to the required hole diameter. The folded sealant inserted into the puncture hole is fixed by expanding like a wedge inside the tire when pulling out the insertion hook, and the hole is completely closed when the rubber cement hardens.
When using three attached air cylinders, a 17-inch tire has a capacity of about 120kPa, which is too low for normal driving, so it is a good idea to fill the air with an air inflator or a compressor when repairing at home. On the other hand, if you decide to repair in a touring destination where there is no air equipment, inflate the tire with the air of the cylinder at first, drive at a low speed to a gas station, and let's fill the air into the tire to its specified pressure.
The risk of encountering a flat tire inevitability cannot be avoided even if you regularly maintain your motorcycle. But even if the tire unluckily punctured, minimal damage can be kept if you have a proper puncture repair kit for tubeless tires.
・The prepared hole of the reamer should firmly be enlarged.
・Apply plenty of rubber cement to the sealant to be inserted.
4. Summary
For tubeless tires, have a puncture repair kit ready in case of emergency without removing the tire.